Day 1 - Welcome to Tokyo, Japan!

Arrive in Tokyo! Meet your Evolve Tours Directors after collecting your luggage, and board our private coach bus. Check in at our hotel, freshen up, and we will take head towards the city centre like locals do, using the subway. We’ll visit the highest tower in the world, Tokyo Sky Tree,  for a group welcome dinner. After dinner, enjoy a stunning night view of Tokyo from 450 metres above. Weather permitting, we will be able to enjoy 360-degree panoramic view to distances of over 75km away. Return to the hotel and make sure that we’re well-rested for tomorrow.

Day 2 - Tokyo

Take the train to Odaiba area of Tokyo. Visit Tokyo Trick Art Museum where you will become part of the paintings in an interactive and fun experience. Visit the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation, and discover all of the innovative scientific devices and exhibitions. Evening Head to Tsukishima, a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Depart towards the hotel, and enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 3 - Tokyo

First, we will go to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Stop by the Kokugikan Sumo Stadium museum. Head to Tokyo Memorial Hall which will take us back in time to the Second World War. We will head across the garden to the Great Kanto Earthquake Museum, where you can see historical documents about Japan’s earthquakes. and the Kyu-Yasuda Teien Garden. Walk over to Asakusa to explore the Sensoji-Temple, one of Tokyo’s oldest, most popular, and beautiful temples.

Day 4 - Tokyo

Start the day with a visIt to Ueno Park. Japan’s famous cherry blossom trees are an incredibly beautiful sight that millions of people travel from all over the world to witness. Blossoms are only in bloom for a brief two-week window, but typically this happens in early April in the Tokyo area, so we may have perfect timing to view the “Sakura” blossoms of the park’s 12,000 cherry trees of different species. Enjoy lunch and explore on Takeshita Street, one of the busiest and brightest shopping streets in Tokyo. Explore the Harajuku district located in Shibuya. Experience the Shibuya crossing, rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world.  Visit Meiji Shrine, which is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.  Tonight we will eat dinner at Uobei Sushi in the Shibuya District. Check into a Capsule Hotel for the evening and enjoy the spa and relaxation facilities. We will then return to the hotel to prepare to leave for Hiroshima the next morning.

Day 5 - Hiroshima

Enjoy breakfast  before departing for the train station in our private coach. We will take a high speed bullet train to Hiroshima. Running at the maximum speed of 320 km/h, Japan’s well-known high speed bullet train, the Shinkansen, will take us to our destination on time, comfortably, and safely. We will eat our packed lunch in the train.

Here we will participate in a Kendo Lesson; Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, which descended from swordsmanship (kenjutsu) and uses bamboo swords (shinai) and protective armour (bōgu).

Enjoy a group dinner and then evening exploration.

Day 6 - Hiroshima

Today we will take a day trip to Miyajima, a small island located just off the coast of Hiroshima, and ranked one of Japan’s three best scenic spots. Wander along the walking trails on the “Island of Gods”, see wild deer and visit the Itsukushima Shrine.

Arriving back in the city, we’ll enjoy lunch and then depart to the Peace Memorial Museum.

This moving museum is educating visitors on the events of the atomic bombing that occurred in the area during World War II. Enjoy a group dinner and then evening exploration.

Day 7 - Osaka

We say goodbye and travel to Osaka via train. Osaka is nicknamed ‘the nation’s kitchen’, so we will have chances to eat various cuisines there.

Arrive in Osaka. Use public transportation to transfer to the accommodations and drop off the luggage.

We’ll go to see Osaka-jo castle. Enjoy a picnic in the park when we arrive.The construction of Osaka Castle started in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier.

A visit to the Dotonbori Shopping Town for a group dinner and shopping time.

Day 8 - Osaka

We will make the most of our last day in Osaka, with the help of our local guide who will meet us at the hotel. First, we will head to Minoo Park. This park is famous for its hiking road and waterfall. We can enjoy the best tree colours in the Western region of Japan along the way.

We’ll eat lunch around the area before visiting the Instant Ramen Museum. Instant noodles were invented in 1958 and have been developed in Japan by Nissin. Now, these convenient instant cup ramen are eaten around the world. We will go to the Okonomiyaki restaurant near the museum.

Day 9 - Kyoto

Today, we will do a day trip to the Kansai area, in Western Japan with our local guide.

Visit the Nijo-jo Castle in central Kyoto, one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and an UNESCO World Heritage Site

Visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum! We will learn the history of Manga and see the collection of approximately 50,000 publications,

Walk to Nishiki food market for lunch and free time

After lunch, we’ll head to one of the most celebrated temples of Japan, Kiyomizu-dera. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills just east of Kyoto, and derives its name from the fall’s pure waters. In 1994, the temple was designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Day 10 - Kyoto

Head to the train station to go back to Kyoto where we will once again meet our local guide.

Start this morning with one of the most breathtaking Kyoto experiences, wandering through the Arashiyama Bamboo grove. We’ll walk along the paths through towering bamboo stalks that seem to continue on endlessly. Make sure to bring your camera too, as this is one of Kyoto’s most photographed locations for good reason.

Continue on to one of Kyoto’s most impressive sights, the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine.

Before dinner tonight, enjoy an evening performance of traditional Japanese arts, including a tea ceremony, music, dance and theatre.

Day 11 - Homeward bound

Enjoy breakfast at our accommodations, pack our luggage and board our bus. Transfer to the airport and board your homebound flight after an amazing trip to Japan!