A Walk Through Old Japan

Our team will meet you on arrival and will get you into central Tokyo. There's still a quiet side to this gigantic city, and we'll point you in the direction of the best places to get away from the crowds, find moments of tranquillity and see the traditional alongside the modern. We'd recommend staying in Asakusa - the spiritual soul of Tokyo - but there are incredible snippets of history to be found in all corners of this city, wherever you spend the night.

Meet with your friendly and knowledgeable guide today for a full-day tour of Tokyo. You'll visit lesser-known area of Yanaka Ginza, which despite Tokyo's chaotic reputation manages to hold onto its olden-day charm with little local shops and a quieter feel. You'll also have the chance to learn your first lessons in Shintoism at an offbeat shrine, and then finish at mammoth Sensoji Temple, one of the city's most iconic sites. Spend the rest of the day in Tokyo as you please. 

Escape the metropolis of Tokyo this morning and head north to Nagano, a quick direct bullet train of just over an hour. This small city is known for being the gateway to the Japanese Alps, and it's the starting point for your countryside adventures in Japan. Kick off your time here by visiting Zenkoji, one of the country's most signficant Buddhist temples, where you will experience a goma fire ceremony and have the chance to try some Zazen meditation with a local monk. There's no better way to get to grips with what Nagano is all about! 

Around an hour outside of Nagano by bus you'll find Togakushi, a beautiful forested area boasting a sea of Japanese cedar trees, interspersed with shrines. There are myriad paths you can hike that wend their way through this scenic area, all easily navigated and well-marked, allowing you to spend a few hours soaking up some nature. You'll return to Nagano later this afternoon by bus. 

Board a train from Tokyo and head into the mountains of the Kiso Valley. The scenery along the way is unforgettable and gorgeous regardless of the season. You'll hop off at one of the traditional, perfectly preserved post towns to experience Japan as it would have looked over a hundred years ago, on the long road from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto. Bed down in a ryokan tonight, ready for a day of hiking tomorrow.

Get up early today and start your hike along the Nakasendo Way - the famous ancient route taken by pilgrims, poets and merchants during Japan's feudal era. Our recommended route is the 3-hour trek from Magome to Tsumago (or vice versa) to experience great scenery, as well as enjoying first-hand these immaculately-preserved towns, a far cry from the modernity and hi-tech distractions of Japan's big cities. You'll head back to your ryokan this evening, ready for some traditional, filling food and beautiful star-filled skies.

As the ancient walkers did before you, continue your travels to Kyoto - the city of a thousand temples. This train journey will be a beautiful one, so sit back, enjoy it and give your legs a well-deserved rest. When you get to Kyoto, the day is yours to do what you wish. We'd recommend taking a stroll around the photogenic neighbourhood of Gion, where the local geiko (geisha) still work to this day.

Kyoto is famous for its bamboo forests, with Arashiyama being its most famous attraction for this typically-Japanese sight. Join a guide today as you wander to Arashiyama via an alternative route, a walking tour that takes you to a few shrines and temples that (mostly!) only locals know about, including an alternative bamboo forest without the crowds. Spend the rest of your day as you please in Kyoto, picking and choosing sites from our handy Self Guide app. 

Nara, which is less than hour outside Kyoto, is likely most known for its population of nodding deer, something of a tourist attraction in itself. However, for keen walkers it's also home to Yamanobe-no-michi, one of Japan's oldet roads. You'll have a guide meet you in Nara today to accompany you on this 13km walk through forests and rice paddies, in the hills outside on central Nara itself. This is a wonderful escape from the crowds and way to experience a quieter side to this popuar region. 

Venturing back towards the capital, you'll head to scenic Lake Kawaguchiko, tucked underneath the imposing and iconic Mount Fuji. Hike through the wilderness of Okuniwa National Park for the chance to see this unmistakable peak up close (if the weather is kind!) Later, head to the 5th Station, this is where summer climbers begin their ascent of Fujisan. Tonight you'll stay in a traditional ryokan inn and enjoy a wonderful dinner, a soak in the hot spring baths and a traditional room with tatami mats and futon mattress.

Join a guide today as they take you around some of the highlights and hidden spots of the Kawaguchiko area, alongside one or two others lakes in the region. Visit the Haha no Shirataki waterfall, tranquil Lake Saiko, and moss-hued Aokigahara Jukai Forest, which sits on an incredible lava field, remnants of from eruptions gone by. 

Take a two-hour bus back to Tokyo today, waving goodbye to the placid lakes of the Fuji area and back into the maelstrom of Tokyo life. Enjoy one last afternoon and evening in Tokyo, picking up any other trinkets you wish along the way and savouring that last bowl of bowl of ramen or slice of sashimi. 

Bid farewell to Japan and take your return flight home, filled with a greater understanding of the traditions, history and spectacular mountain scenery of this incomparable destination.