Description
Begin your Japanese adventure in the tech-mecca of Tokyo, then discover scenic beauty on the Hakone ropeway, sip the best sake in Takayama and be reminded of the sobering past of Hiroshima. Visit the floating torii gate of Miyajima and make use of your local leader and guides to reveal layers of culture and history in lesser-known cities. Spend some time in Kyoto and then veer off the main island of Honshu to the naturally beautiful southwest. Wander through art-laden castles, spend a night in a tranquil homestay in Usuki and relax in the steam of Beppu’s onsens. Soak up the peace in the caldera of Mt Aso in a traditional Japanese inn surrounded by rice terraces. Visit the Peace Park in Nagasaki and end it all back in Osaka. This adventure is the ultimate combination of new and ancient, countryside villages and dynamic city streets, traditional inns and onsens, and sweeping views of coastal cities, rice terraces, volcano craters and deep gorges. When visiting Japan, what more could you ask for?
- Soar high above Lake Ashi and (on a clear day) get a glimpse of glorious Mt Fuji on a ride on the Hakone ropeway.
- Visit the Peace Parks in Nagasaki and Hiroshima for moving insights into the devastation of the atomic bombs dropped during the war. Learn the sobering history of these places – an important part of Japan’s past.
- Stay in a countryside homestay, taking you off the beaten track to experience excellent Japanese hospitality. Feast on home-cooked meals over fascinating conversations with your welcoming hosts and learn about rural life in Japan.
- Watch the steam coming out of the ‘hells’ (hot spring pools in Jigoku) of Beppu and enjoy a soak in a Michelin star onsen, followed by a unique experience for dinner – you’ll cook and steam your food right in the hot spring steam, said to be rich with healthy minerals!
- Take in the stunning view of the five peaks of Mount Aso from the Daikanbo Observatory, then a light hike on the moon-like terrain to the largest crater of Nakadake before hopping in a rowboat to paddle through the deep gorge of Takachiho