16-Day Shogun & Samurai Roads

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This morning, you'll meet your private guide at the hotel lobby and start your day with a tour of the Tsukiji market. Then, you'll head to Asakusa district and visit the temples and traditional streets. In the afternoon, you'll visit the largest shrine in the city, the Meiji Shrine, in the Shibuya District. Afterwards, you'll visit the most fashionable district in Japan: Harajuku. You'll finish the day exploring the streets of Shinbashi to see how office workers unwind in a maze of eateries.

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You have the day free to explore the city! From the contemporary geometry of the centre to the serenity of perfectly manicured gardens and temples; Tokyo is a city like no other. If the hustle and bustle of Tokyo life is getting too much, there is always an escape. The gardens form a world apart from traffic jams and high-rises. From the highway to the high street, shopping complexes in Tokyo provide a wholesome shopping experience that is suited to window shoppers, browsers and big spenders.

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After check-out, you'll head to Tokyo station and take the bullet train bound for Matsumoto. You'll be welcomed by your private guide at Matsumoto and check-in at your accommodation. After checking-in, you'll tour the city including stops at Matsumoto Castle and Nawate Dori Shotengai Street. A stone's throw from Matsumoto Castle, Nawate Street is a row of small shops where the theme is, wait for it, frogs! Frog sculptures, statues, shops, souvenirs and more fill the street.

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After breakfast, you'll meet your guide at the hotel and head north of the city to the largest Wasabi farm in Japan. After the tour of the farm, you'll head to Narai post-town. By the shogunate’s restriction, travellers had to make their trips on foot from one city to the other. Narai is one of the preserved post-towns, developed every few kilometres to provide travellers with resources on their journeys, on an ancient 70-kilometre trade route.

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Today, with the help of your guide, you will head to Magome for a walk on the Nakasendo Trai between Magome and tsumago. Magome is one of the very few post towns located on a hill. Since there wasn’t much water up on the hill, Magome-juku was very prone to fires and burned down twice in 1895 and in 1915. The streets of Magome-juku were rebuilt after those fires. The Nakasendo Trail will take you to Tsumago (another post-town) before returning to Matsumoto for the night.

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After checking out, you'll meet your guide head to Kamikochi National park. Kamikochi is a scenic valley, located at an altitude of 1,500m in Nagano Prefecture. It lies in between Matsumoto and Takayama city. Kamikochi, roughly meaning “where gods descend”, it is indeed a magnificiant place to visit and an excellent place for a scenic walk.

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Takayama is a very compact town and you can easily access most of the sights by walking or on a rickshaw ride. Located on the riverbank, the morning market sells a variety of foods, souvenirs and handmade goods. You can visit the Takayama Jinya, which used to serve as Takayama's government office during the Edo Period, or walk along Sanmachi Street, which survives in a particularly pretty state with many old homes, shops and sake breweries, some of which have been in business for centuries.

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Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the Shirakawa-g village is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Today, a private car with a driver and English-speaking guide will transfer you to and from the village from Takayama. Now registered as a World Cultural Heritage site, you have the chance to experience the culture and traditions that live on in Shirakawa-go today.

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This morning, you'll check-out from your accommodation and head to Takayama station where you will take an express train bound for Kyoto. Your private English-speaking guide will welcome you at the station and take you on an afternoon tour of Kyoto. Among many other sites, you'll visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Ninenzaka Street and the Gion District, where you'll hope to spot a Geisha or two.

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This morning, you'll meet you private English-speaking guide for a day following ancient Samurai’s trail. Today you will visit the Imperial Palace (Gosho), Nijo Castle, Nijo-jinya ( the “ninja” house of Kyoto) and finish with a stop at the Nishiki food market. The day will be a wonderful introduction to the gems that await you in Kyoto!

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This morning, you'll meet your guide at the hotel lobby and together, you'll head to Himeji, two hours driving from Kyoto. The sites that you will see today are Himeji Castle, Engyo-ji Temple and Mt. Shosha. Himeji Castle is one of the few that have not been destroyed by an earthquake, war or fire, and remains elegant, imposing and impeccably well-preserved still today. Known for its white facade and impressive size, as one of Japan's 12 original castles, Himeji Castle is a national treasure.

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This is a free day to enjoy the cultural capital of Kyoto at your leisure. Kyoto balances green adventures with high street shopping perfectly. The city keeps traditions close to its heart, when visiting the city, it's essential you take this opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture in an intimate setting with museums, art galleries and tea ceremonies found throughout the city.

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This morning, you'll check-out and meet your guide at the hotel lobby. Together, you'll take the local and scenic train to Mt. Koya, a religious city. Its temple-inns and forest-necropolis invite spirituality. With 110 temples still active in the town, the headquarters of the Buddhist Shingon school remains an influential religious centre. You will also spend the night in a temple and take part in the different rituals (if you want to) and have a Buddhist vegetarian meal.

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After breakfast and the morning rituals, you'll head to Osaka. Here, you'll check-in at your accommodation and the rest of the day will be at your leisure. It is recommended that you visit Osaka Castle, Hozenji Temple and Hozenji Yokocho. A hidden marvel in a bustling city, Hozenji Yokocho is a narrow cobbled alleyway crammed with restaurants tucked away in the heart of downtown Osaka, named after a nearby temple. Some of the best places to eat and drink will be found in this little street!