Diva Destinations hosts throughout your stay

All entrance fees and tours listed in our itinerary

13 nights bed & breakfast accommodation

3 lunches

5 evening meals

Private guides throughout

Bullet Train ticket (where stated)

High Speed Train (where stated)

Private transportation throughout

Private airport transfers

100% financial protection

International Airfares

Meals (other than those mentioned in what’s included)

Drinks unless stated

Visa - as per country requirements

Personal Travel Insurance

EARLYBIRD PRICES

LIMITED PLACES

SOLE OCCUPANCY: £7,600 | $9,950 (If you require a sole occupancy room at the Onsen Hot Springs Hotel there will be a £600 supplement). You will have a sole occupancy throughout the rest of the trip

TWIN/DOUBLE OCCUPANCY: £6,385 | $8,350 per person (based on 2 people sharing)

Prices are based on standard rooms. Room upgrades are available subject to availability

Kindly note the USD$ rates are subject to currency exchange rates and may vary at the time of booking

27th March

Arrive at Tokyo Airport. We will be met on arrival by our transfer team and transferred to our hotel. We will have our welcome group Dinner at a local Tokyo restaurant (included)

28th March

After our group breakfast, we have a guided sightseeing tour of Tokyo. This includes all entrance fees and lunch. We return for our group evening meal (payable locally)

Today’s highlights: Our tour of Tokyo offers a multifaceted experience. From its rich cultural heritage, showcased in iconic landmarks like the historic Senso-ji Temple and the majestic Imperial Palace, to its cutting-edge technological innovations exemplified in districts like Akihabara and Odaiba, Tokyo presents a captivating blend of tradition and modernity. With its welcoming locals and vibrant street life our tour will ensure that every moment is filled with excitement and discovery. Tokyo promises an unforgettable journey that will leave a lasting impression.

29th March

After our group breakfast, we will be transferred to the Rail station for our High Speed Train to Nagano. This afternoon we visit the Snow Monkeys. We then check into our Ryokan, the Shibu Hotel, a traditional Japanese inn where we will have our group dinner (included). The hotel boasts one of the highest amounts of hot spring water and quality. Here you will experience a traditional hot spring bath.

Today’s highlights: Yudanaka is a lovely onsen resort town located deep in the northern mountains of the Japan Alps. Famous for its proliferation of natural hot springs baths. Yudanaka is most famous for its red-faced macaque 'snow' monkeys who have taken to bathing in the hot spring baths during the winter months to keep warm.

30th March

After our group breakfast, we depart Shibu Onsen for Matsumoto. Here we will visit Matsumoto Castle, one of the grandest castles in Japan. Its five-tiered, six-story main tower, built in the late 16th century, is the oldest surviving castle tower in the nation. It's famously photogenic, with a wide moat, vermillion bridges, and original stonework, backdropped by views of the Northern Alps & Hokusai Museum, a diverse tribute to the renowned Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika best known for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints, especially the Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji series. From there, we have a scenic drive to Takayama. Check in to our hotel for our group dinner (payable locally)

Today’s highlights: Mountains in Japan were recognised as the sacred dwelling places of divine spirits, and the ranges that make up the Japan Alps have a power all their own.

31st March

After our group breakfast, we have a morning Walking Tour in Takayama with a local guide. We will visit the morning market, folk hall, and the old streets of this merchant town. Group evening meal (payable locally)

Today’s highlights: Takayama is a delightful town in the heart of the Hida mountains, established as a castle town in the 16th century. Famous now for its old town area of narrow streets of Edo-era inns, tea houses, shops, and merchants, the town was known through the ages for the very high quality of its craftsmanship. Many of the Kyoto’s temple builders were Takayama natives, and the beauty of the shrines and temples helped give rise to its nickname of 'Little Kyoto'. Takayama's morning market on the bank of the Miyagawa River is famous and one we’ll visit with its local farm produce, flowers and crafts it’s a truly authentic experience. There are also some great old sake houses that are keeping that local tradition going strong, and just on the outskirts of town, old farmhouses from across the Hida region have been brought together and rebuilt beam by beam on a hillside in the Hida Folk Village. A stay in Takayama is a chance to get a taste of how things might have been before.

1st April

After our group breakfast, we have one of the most loved day trips. First, we will stop off at a washi paper-making factory where this delicate kind of paper is famous in Japan. We will make our own and take home! Before lunch (included), experiment with making your very own soba noodles taught by a professional noodle maker. Don't worry, if yours are not nice, the teacher will give you hers! Eat your noodles for lunch. In the afternoon you will visit an old gassho Zukkuri farmhouse, aged over 400 years old. A truly unique experience only found in this exquisite part of the Japan. We return to the hotel for our group evening meal (payable locally)

2nd April

After our group breakfast, we have a morning sightseeing tour of Kanazawa where we visit Kenrokuen Garden & Higashi Chaya District and experience an Authentic Tea Ceremony. In the afternoon we take the Express Train to Kyoto (2.5 hrs) From Kanazawa arriving at our hotel for our group dinner (payable locally)

Today’s highlights: Kanazawa is a lovely small city close to Japan’s sea coast. Until the turn of the century, it was the 4th biggest city in Japan. However, its wealth was built on rice production and traditional crafts such as weaving and gold leaf and with the full scale industrialisation of the country Kanazawa was somewhat left behind. Today the city is flourishing again and still maintains a lot of its old charms. There are several small geisha districts and one where we go to an old tea house and see where the clients were entertained and take tea (sadly no longer served by geisha!). There are also samurai houses, a ninja temple and the city's most famous sight, the beautiful Kenrokuen garden rated as one of the three best stroll gardens in the whole of Japan.

3rd April

After our group breakfast, we have a guided sightseeing tour of Kyoto City including entrance fees and lunch. During our tour we will have a Geisha Meet & Greet at a Traditional Tea House. Here you will meet a real Geisha, up close and personal, at a local machiya (tea house) in Gion district. This rare opportunity only comes about by 'who you know' in Kyoto. Kyoto is home to most Geisha, particularly the white-faced apprentice known as Maiko. Your tea ceremony will be performed by a trainee Geisha (Maiko) who will interact with you and answer the many questions you might have. Mama-san, the owner of this tea house, speaks a little English so you can enjoy speaking with her too. This is a truly unique experience for your time in Kyoto. Lunch is included. We return for our group evening meal (payable locally)

Today’s highlights: Brimming with tradition, Kyoto is the ultimate destination to soak up time-honoured Japanese culture. Home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites, over 1,600 Buddhist temples, and 400 Shinto shrines, this ancient city showcases the heart and soul of traditional Japan. Time-honoured teahouses nestling among modern businesses and the geisha of legend sweeping down backstreets make today truly unforgettable.

4th April

After our group breakfast we have a day at leisure in Kyoto. We will explore the city as a group at leisure.

5th April

After our group breakfast we take the Bullet train to Hiroshima [2.5 hrs]. Here we have a Hiroshima & Miyajima Sightseeing tour with a local guide, entrance fees and Ferry to Miyajima island and Hiroshima Peace memorial park are included. We return to our Ryokan for a hot springs experience and dinner (included)

Today’s highlights: When visiting Hiroshima a must-see place is Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. Before the bomb, the area was the political and commercial heart of the city which is why it was chosen as the pilot's target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to a peace memorial including the Peace Memorial Museum and the A-Bomb Dome, the remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The building served as a location to promote Hiroshima's industries. When the bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing, and remains so today.Miyajima Island, located just off the coast of Hiroshima, is one of Japan's most loved places with a charming rural atmosphere to match the beautiful surroundings. The island is perhaps best known for the red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine which appears to be floating in the sea. In the evening this gate and the shrine behind it (as well as other traditional buildings in the area) are floodlit and the atmosphere is magical. A cable car takes you to fantastic views across the Inland Sea from Mount Misen, the highest point of the island. There are many pleasant walks on Miyajima among the temples and along the bustling shopping street in the island's small village. You may also see some of the island's native fauna; the sacred deer are easy to spot as they roam freely, but you'll have to work a little harder to spot any of the resident monkey population; keep your eyes peeled!

6th April

After our group breakfast, we take the Bullet train to Odawara (4.5 hrs) where we have a private coach tour of the city. We then check into our Ryokan. Here we have Dinner & a Hot Springs experience (included in your price)

7th April

After our group breakfast, we have a morning Sightseeing tour in Hakone visiting the Hakone Open Air Museum with a Cruise on Lake Ashi and a visit to Owakudani. We then continue to Tokyo, arriving early evening for free time and group dinner (payable locally)

Today’s Highlights: Hakone is a beautiful national park area around 50 miles west of Tokyo and just to the south of Mt Fuji, Japan's most sacred peak. The area consists of a handful of small villages and hamlets all connected by a variety of local transport, including buses, cable cars and a mountain railway that winds itself through the region's hills and valleys. From our boat ride on Lake Ashi we have one of the best chances of getting a view of Mt. Fuji. However, be sure to have your camera at the ready; Fuji is notoriously shy and you do not want to miss that precious photo opportunity!

8th April

After our group breakfast, we have a free day in Tokyo for some last minute shopping and browsing. We have our farewell Dinner in a local restaurant (included)

9th April

After our group breakfast, it’s time to say our fond farewells. We are transferred back to Tokyo airport for our flights home.