The Samurai Trail: From Sword to Peace – Japan | 10 Days

A ten-day grand tour running from the crowds of Tokyo to the quiet of Hiroshima, from the white castle of Himeji to the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Miyajima's torii standing in the sea, the temples of Kyoto, a plum-wine workshop in Wakayama and the Great Buddha of Kamakura, all on one route.

Our grand tour crossing Japan end to end, placing the country's warrior past and its present-day commitment to peace on a single route. Day 1 – Tokyo → Hiroshima: Welcome at Narita Airport. Meiji Shrine, followed by Harajuku and Omotesando. In the afternoon, Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Hiroshima and hotel check-in. Day 2 – Hiroshima & Miyajima: A respectful visit to the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome. Then a ferry to Miyajima Island for Itsukushima Shrine and its celebrated torii gate standing in the sea. Day 3 – Hiroshima → Osaka: Transfer to Osaka and city touring, including Osaka Castle viewed from its outer grounds. In the evening, a metro outing to Shinsaibashi, a canal cruise through Dotonbori and a taste of takoyaki. Day 4 – Kyoto: A walk through the Arashiyama bamboo grove, the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji, the thousand vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Day 5 – Nara, Kobe & Himeji: Free-roaming deer in Nara Park and the Great Buddha at Todai-ji. A waterfront break at Kobe Harborland, then UNESCO-listed Himeji Castle, the best-preserved feudal castle in Japan. Day 6 – Wakayama: A tuna-cutting show at Kuroshio Market, the wave-carved rock platforms of Senjojiki and the cliffs of Sandanbeki. The day closes at an umeshu brewery, where you bottle your own plum wine. Day 7 – Osaka → Tokyo: Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise shopping street and Senso-ji Temple; Shibuya Crossing and the Hachiko statue. An evening metro tour of Ginza and Shinjuku. Day 8 – Kamakura & Yokohama: The thirteenth-century Great Buddha at Kotoku-in and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Afternoon in Yokohama: Japan's largest Chinatown and the boutique streets of Motomachi. Day 9 – Mt. Fuji: Weather and season permitting, the Fuji 5th Station; otherwise lakeside Fuji views from Oishi Park. The spring-water village of Oshino Hakkai and shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets. Day 10 – Departure: Transfer to the airport for the return flight. Included: Scheduled flights, 9 nights' accommodation with breakfast, two Shinkansen legs, the Miyajima ferry, private coach throughout, professional guiding, entrance fees listed in the programme, the plum-wine workshop.

Tour program has not been added yet.