DAY 1 Arrive in Tokyo
On arrival you will need to make your own way to the group hotel. We will have an important tour
briefing at approximately 6.00pm, so please check with reception for the exact time and location.
The meeting will be followed by a visit to a delicious local restaurant for our first true Japanese
meal. First impressions of the industrial outer suburbs of Tokyo - a seemingly endless display of concrete and elevated highways - give little clue about the natural pleasures of coming days. Tokyo is a hive of activity, with a mind-boggling range of shops, restaurants and businesses that make it one of the world’s most energetic cities. The train is quite an experience, particularly during peak hours where the standard practice is to squeeze as many people possible into each carriage! And Japan does not need to be expensive. The following is a small suggestion for places that you can enjoy for free - the Imperial Palace East Garden; Ryogoku Fireworks Museum; Sumo Museum and the Beer Museum Ebisu.
DAY 2 Explore Tokyo, travel to Mt. Fuji
After breakfast we head off to explore a small part of this incredible city. We begin with a subway
trip to the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market. This fish market is the biggest wholesale
fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind.
This market is located in Tsukiji, central Tokyo, and is more commonly known as the Tsukiji market.
From the fish market we continue to Tokyo’s downtown area near Sumida River where we visit
Sensoji Temple - the oldest temple in Tokyo, and walk through Nakamise shopping street which is
lined with stores from the Edo period (1603 - 1867).
In the early afternoon we will collect our bags before we travel by train to the bus station for our
journey to Lake Kawaguchi at the base of Mount Fuji (approx 3 hours).
Lake Kawaguchi is located in the centre of the Fuji Five Lakes and is noted for its view of Mt Fuji
from its northern shore. If we are lucky we may get to see the mountain in its full glory, however Mt
Fuji is notoriously shy, and is prone to quick-changing winds and big temperature fluctuations so
there is no guarantee that it will show itself through the ever-changing cloud cover that often shroud
it.
Meals: B, D
DAY 3 Mt. Fuji
After a Japanese breakfast, we go for a walk around the lake and hike up Mt Tenjo (approx 4 hours).
A meandering trail will take us through small farms and forest slopes - our first sense of Japanese
terrain. Hopefully we will be rewarded with a classic view of Mt Fuji rising from its flattened base as
we enjoy a picnic lunch.
Mt Fuji stands at a height of 3776m and the average temperature at the summit is between
4.8° - 5.8° C (40.5° - 42.5° F) during the summer months of July and August. The official season
for climbers is July and August and it takes about 6 hours from the 5th station to the summit.
Considered a sacred mountain during the Edo period, Mt Fuji is still climbed by worshippers.
In the afternoon there are many local attractions to visit including hot springs, temples and shrines,
and several museums including the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum and the Kawaguchiko Museum of
Art. Alternatively you may wish to simply wander the country lanes near our accommodation or hike
around the shores of one of the smaller nearby lakes.
Meals: B, D
DAY 4 Travel to Kiso Valley
A series of train and bus journeys through the morning will get us to Tsumago, one of the historic
mountain-bound towns of Kiso, an historic trade route through a thick-forested valley. Our base in
Tsumago, is a town preserved more or less as it stood in the 18th century.
Kiso Valley, in the southwestern part of Nagano, is the most mountainous prefecture located in
Central Japan. Surrounded by the Central Alps to the east and the North Alps to the west, the deep
valley formed by the Kiso River is filled with the fragrance of woodland trees.
After settling in and leaving at our inn accommodation we will set out on foot to explore the town
on the historic Nakasendo Highway. The old Nakasendo Road was completed in the Edo period as a
trunk road between Kyoto and Tokyo.
At day’s end a traditional-style inn bath will be followed by a feast of seasonal dishes.
Meals: B, D
DAY 5 Old Nagasendo highway, bullett train to Kyoto
The morning will be spent exploring some of the 11 post towns along the Nakasendo Highway.
These small villages are an architectural fantasy in timber. Magome and Tsumago, the
southernmost post towns have single main streets that are lined with shops selling traditional foods
and local crafted goods, chiefly wood and lacquer. Magome, was noted as the birthplace of Japan’s
great man of letters, Toson Shimazaki.
In the afternoon we travel by train, descending through the Central Alps to Nagoya, where we will
change to the Bullet train bound for Kyoto. With temples and teahouses, shrines and geisha,
Kyoto is Japan’s cultural heart.
From the end of the Nara Period (794) Kyoto has functioned as the crossroads of Japanese history.
Kyoto, which was Japan’s capital for more than 1000 years, is a veritable open air museum. All over
the city you can find countless shrines, temples, palaces and other historical sites which are best
discovered by foot.
Our first evening in the historic downtown streets of the former capital will include the famous
Geisha district of Gion which was originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine.
The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually
evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.
Meals: B
DAY 6 Walking in Kyoto
There is a great deal to see by day in Kyoto, and the content of our days here may be re-shuffled
to optimise weather conditions and local events from the busy communal calendar of festivities.The highlights will be visiting at least two of the Buddhist temples tucked into the range of hills ontaining the city on its east side. The day will also include routes linking to the city centre, so that
by evening you will have enjoyed a general orientation of the city’s layout.
Meals: B
DAY 7 Climb Mt Daimonji
The low lying plains and river scenery of the Kyoto Basin have been the stage for some of the most
edifying and poignant episodes in Japanese lore. A climb to the lookout atop the mountain known
colloquially as Daimonji will give us a bird’s eye view of history. The hike up the mountain takes
about 60 minutes and is well worth the effort. Part of the East Mountains, Daimonji-yama offers the
most accessible and expansive view of the city. It is so high that on a clear day the skyscrapers of
distant Osaka can be seen.
The rest of the day will be occupied with sightseeing based on personal preference. Not everyone
will have the same list of must-do activities, but your leader will be pleased to point you directly
to the sites that will give you the most pleasure. Why not visit Heian Shrine built to commemorate
Kyoto’s founding, Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), or even try your hand at a cooking class.
Meals: B
DAY 8 In Kyoto
Essentially a free day, today you will have the opportunity to explore this fascinating city at your
own pace. You may want to catch up on some shopping, write some postcards, or just reflect on the
experience of recent days by the bank of the Kamo River. By this stage you may be feeling the urge
to inhale the meditative atmosphere of Kyoto’s Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in the privacy of
your own thoughts or explore nearby Nara.
About 42kms south of Kyoto, Nara was the old capital of Japan (710-784) and was the cradle of
arts, crafts and literature. Buddhism first flourished here under the strong patronage of successive
Emperors and walking through the quiet streets is like walking through the pages of history.
NB: this evening you will need to pack a small bag for our walk for the next 2 days
Meals: B
DAY 9 Hike and train to Asuka
Following an early breakfast we board our train to the Nara Basin (our main luggage will be
forwarded to Yoshino). Gradually leaving suburbia behind, we can now look forward to the next
couple of days of our walking adventure. In the 6th Century the first mainland Asian-style capitals of
Japan emerged here, and between them ran the country’s oldest transit route - the Yamanobe Road.
In the subsequent centuries the power centre moved elsewhere and the area simply de-urbanised
into a rural zone of small-hold agriculture.
Most of today will be spent weaving through farms, rice paddies and bamboo groves at the foot of
sacred Mount Miwa. In the late afternoon we will travel by public transport to the next valley to the
south. We end the day in Asuka, one of the most romantic sites in Japanese history.
Asuka is a small region in Nara prefecture (about 25 kilometers south of Nara City) which had a
pivotal role in Japanese history. Lending its name to the Asuka Period (538-710), the region was
the site of Japan’s first capitals from where the early Japanese national character emerged. A few
monuments of that period remain, but the area is now mostly fields and rural villages.
Walking time; approx 4 hours, easy walking
Meals: B, L, D
DAY 10 Hike to Yoshino
We will walk through the historic Asuka region, along trails connecting mysterious domed tomb
mounds and several of Japan’s oldest temples.
The remnants of the Asuka Period that remain today are mostly limited to stone monuments and
archaeological excavations. Burial tombs such as the Ishibutai Tomb or the Takamatsuzuka Tomb
are preserved in their original state, while artefacts and recreations are on display at local museums
like the Asuka Museum, or the Complex of Manyo Culture.
In the afternoon we will transfer by train and cable car to mountainous Yoshino. For over a millennium Yoshina was a major way station along the pilgrim’s trail into Omine (Great Peak) and since 2004 it has enjoyed UNESCO World Heritage status. A dinner feast will fortify us for tomorrow’s hike and we might even have time to visit a sake brewery.
Walking time; approx 5 hours, easy walking
Meals: B, D
DAY 11 Hike and bus to Dorowaga
The trail we follow out of Yoshino today weaves through mountains thick with cherry trees, and as
we climb higher these mix with fir, pine, and cedar. We will stop to rest at wayside shrines and panoramic mountain passes as we follow a famous pilgrim trail to Omine. From here the scenery changes as we pass through farmlands on our way to Kurotaki before travelling by bus to Dorogawa.
Dorogawa is a secluded area famous for its sweet spring water and traditional herb and fungus
medicines. The village is beautiful with interesting scenic points such as Ryusenji Temple with its
bright red maple trees and a waterfall to where pilgrims cleanse before visiting the sacred mountain
of Omine. Our accommodation in Dorogawa boasts an onsen, a naturally heated thermal bath, a great way to relax after our walk.
Walking time; approx 3 hours mountain hiking and 1 hour low land walking
meals: B, L, D
DAY 12 Kannonmine Hike
Today we explore the riverside trails and mountain passes surrounding the village of Dorogawa. Your tour leader will choose a route to walk depending on the weather conditions and season and you are welcome to join him or her, or explore on your own.
For those wishing simply to spend the day relaxing, there is the luxury of observing the slow pace of the day in a country town.
Meals: B, D
DAY 13 Mitarai Gorge, travel to Osaka
Following the river below Kannonmine, this picturesque walk through Mitarai gorge takes us up some steep stairs and across a few suspension bridges. During early summer the gorge is a mass of bright green leaves which change to various shades of red and yellow with the on set of autumn. Arriving at the junction of Kawai, we have lunch and then take the bus to Shimoichiguchi station, and onto Osaka city.
On arrival at our hotel in Osaka we have time to freshen up before an orientation of this exciting city.
With a population of almost 9 million, Osaka has been a commercial city since the 16th century and
now has the most exuberant nightlife in Japan - a walk through the Dotonbori neon light area - won’t
disappoint!
Meals: B, L
DAY 14 In Osaka
Early this morning we will explore Kuromon market - a 580m long market for fish, fruit, vegetables
and other foods which has been open since the mid-Taisho period (1912-1926). From here we move on to Sennichimae Doguya-Suji, a narrow street with many shops dealing in equipment and utensils used in restaurant and coffee shops. Restaurant owners come here to buy plastic models of dishes used to display their menus in the window. These miniature food imitations are a great souvenir!
The afternoon is free to discover Osaka on your own. There is so much to see and do in this city
including the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, with its extensive collection of Korean and Japanese
ceramics, or the Floating Garden Observatory. If you have any special interests your guide will be able to give you recommendations. This evening we will meet for a final farewell dinner to celebrate the end of a fabulous trip!
Meals: B, D
Day 15 In Osaka, trip concludes
Trip concludes after breakfast. For those travelling to the Kansai International Airport the journey takes approximately 90mins. From Osaka to Tokyo Narita International Airport, takes the best part of six hours.
Meals: B
