After arriving in Tokyo and completing customs and luggage collection, you’ll be met by an airport guide who’ll provide your travel documents and direct you to a shared shuttle transfer to your hotel. Once checked in, the rest of the day is yours to relax or explore nearby attractions such as the Imperial Gardens. The following morning, meet your local guide for an orientation session and a day of sightseeing, including a ferry ride from Hamarikyu Gardens to Asakusa to visit the impressive Sensoji Temple. The next day is free to explore independently, with the option to take a scenic day trip to the seaside town of Kamakura to discover its historic temples, shrines, and the celebrated Great Buddha.

Leave Tokyo and make the two-and-a-half to three-hour journey to Matsumoto in the Japanese Alps. Here, you can explore the famous Matsumoto Castle independently with its black and white exterior, and wander around the city’s characterful old merchant district. There’s also the excellent Ukiyo-e Museum housing thousands of woodblock print work belonging to the wealthy Sakai family.

Make your way to the train station to catch a train to Tsumago, a traditional post town. The journey lasts one to two hours. After arriving in Tsumago, we recommend you go for a hike on the Nakasendo Highway, an ancient route that tradesmen and samurai used to take in the 8th century. Pass sleepy villages, cedar forests and paddy fields. The walk can be done unaccompanied and lasts around four hours.

Travel by local bus and bullet train to Kyoto, Japan’s cultural heart, a journey of around three and a half hours. In the afternoon, take part in a private cultural session at the Kyoto Women’s Association, where you can experience Japanese traditions such as origami, a tea ceremony and kimono dressing. The following day is free to explore, perhaps visiting Nishiki Market, the Golden Pavilion and the tranquil zen gardens of Ryoanji, before an evening walking tour of Gion with a local guide and Geisha expert. Another day at leisure allows time for a trip to nearby Nara to see the Giant Buddha and Todaiji Temple, returning via the striking red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, best enjoyed after dusk.

After a leisurely morning, return to Tokyo (a one-and-a-quarter-hour train journey) for a final night in the capital. We suggest using your last few hours in the city to explore a new corner of it. Visit the Imperial Palace Gardens, the man-made island of Odaiba, trendy Shinjuku or the peaceful landscaped Hamarikyu Gardens.