Special features
Enjoy a half day tour of Kyoto with Riki in his hometown.
Visit the Hiroshima Peave Park & Museum
Stay on Miyajima Island by the floating red O-Torii
Take a hot spring bath in a traditional onsen town.
Visit Shirakawago village in the Shogawa Valley.
Stay and walk Kamikochi, the roof of Japan.
Visit 16th century Matsumoto Castle.
Visit Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.
Experience traditional indigo dyeing in Asakusa.
Visit the Towada Art Centre.
Stay and walk in the beautiful Oirase Gorge
Scale the highest mountain of Hokkaido, Asahidake
Inclusions
Transport and entry to all places described
Accommodation and meals described
The services of Riki Inamura, the tour escort
Airport-hotel transfers in Japan
Hotels & Minshuku
Kyoto: ANA Crowne Plaza 
Miyajima: Seaside Hotel
Gero Onsen: Fugaku (onsen hotel)
Kamikochi: Nishi-Itoya Sanso (mountain lodge)
Tsumago: Oyado Daikichi (post-town minshuku)
Tokyo: Tokyu Stay Ginza
Oirase: Keiryu Hotel (onsen hotel)
Hakodate: La Jolie Motomachi
Lake Toya: Kohantei (onsen hotel)
Asahidake: Hotel Bear Monte (onsen hotel)
Sapporo: Century Royal Hotel
Travel to Kyoto by Sat 12 May 2018
Arrive Kansai or Itami by own arrangement with transfers provided to Kyoto.

Kyoto   BD
Have a tour of Kyoto with Riki, including the Golden Pavilion. Later, see Japanese performing arts and enjoy a welcome dinner at Wontana, Riki’s family favourite.

Kyoto (Mt Kurama day-walk)   B
Enjoy Kyoto as you wish, or join Riki for a day walk of the Mt Kurama temple complex in the northern hills.

Kyoto to Miyajima (Mt Misen day-walk)   BD
Take the Shinaksen, local train and ferry west to the island of Miyajima to see the floating red O-Torii. The island is a great place to relax, or join Riki for a short walk up sacred Mt Misen to enjoy the views of the inland sea.

Miyajima to Gero via Hiroshima   BD
Heading back through Hiroshima, we’ll stop by Hiroshima for the Peace Park & Museum before we take the Shinkansen east and up to the Alps for Gero Onsen, famous for its hot springs. Enjoy hida-beef for our kaiseki dinner, then relax in the onsen.

Gero Onsen to Kamikochi via Shirakawago village   BD
Journey to the roof of Japan via World Heritage listed Shirakawago village, where you can see thatched roof houses. Then we travel up to the beautiful yet remote alpine valley of Kamikochi at 1500m.

Kamikochi day-walk   BD
You could just relax in this spectacular setting, or join Riki for a walk to Myojin Pond. Keen hikers can add a 2 hour climb to Dakesawa, which has grand views of the valley.

Kamikochi to Tsumago via Matsumoto Castle   BD
Travel to the historical village of Tsumago via Matsumoto, where we’ll stop to see the splendid 16th century castle. Make sure you try hand-made soba (buckwheat noodles) here.

Tsumago to Tokyo (Nakasendo day-walk)   B
Walk part of the Nakasendo, the path once used by samurai travelling between Kyoto and Edo. We’ll then catch a local train then connecting Shinkansen into Tokyo.

Tokyo   B
In the morning, join Riki to visit Sensoji Temple in old downtown Tokyo, then try your hand at inidigo dyeing in a community store. In the afternoon, you will be free to explore, then you may want to enjoy people watching or shopping in Ginza, as the streets will be closed to traffic.
Tokyo (Mt Takao day-walk)   B
Join Riki on a walk up Mt Takao in western Tokyo. Alternatively, you may wish to join a tour of Mt Fuji & Hakone, or Nikko for the Toshogu Shrine in the cedar forests.

Tokyo to Oirase Gorge   BD
Catch the Shinkansen north to visit the Towada Art Centre, then Oirase to walk up the verdant gorge to Lake Towada. Take an onsen at the hotel before dinner.

Oirase Gorge (Oirase Gorge day-walk)   BD
Today, you can relax as you wish in this pristine environment, or join Riki for an easy but longish walk to Lake Towada along the Oirase Gorge.

Oirase Gorge to Hakodate   B
Journey under the sea to Hokkaido and the port city of Hakodate. Try seafood donburi (rice bowl) here. We’ll take a gondola up Mt Hakodate for a stunning night vista.

Hakodate (Onuma Lakes day-walk)   B
Enjoy a short walk with Riki around the lovely Onuma wetlands, which was formed by volcanic eruption in 1929. The azaleas will be stunning. Later, visit historical Goryokaku Fort.

Hakodate to Lake Toya   BD
Take a local train to the lakeside village of Toya. Walk the Mt Usu area, a smouldering volcano, then soothe your feet in the onsen.

Lake Toya to Asahidake (Kamui Mintara, Daisetsuzan NP)   BD
Travel through diverse scenery to the base village of Asahidake, the highest peak in Hokkaido, which is known as Kamui Mintara in the local Ainu language. Enjoy dinner and an onsen.

Asahidake (Kamui Mintara day-walk)   BD
Using the gondola, a range of day-walks is possible from the top of this pristine volcanic mountain to suit your fitness and the weather.

Asahidake to Sapporo   BD
We make our way down to Sapporo, where you’re free to explore this cosmopolitan little city. Reward yourself with zangi (Hokkaido style fried chicken) and Sapporo beer.

Sapporo, then travel home on Thu 31 May 2018   B
Sapporo at leisure, then transfer to Chitose for your flight home.
Day-walks:
Mt Kurama north of Kyoto (2-3hr)
Mt Misen on Miyajima (1-2hr)
Kamikochi in the Japan Alps (3-4hr)
Nakasendo in the Kiso Valley (3-4hr)
Mt Takao near Tokyo (2-3hr)
Oirase Gorge in Aomori Prefecture (2-3hr)
Onuma National Park near Hakodate (1-2hr)
Mt Usu Volcanic Global Geopark by Lake Toya (1-2hr)
Asahidake (Kamui Mintara) in Daisetsuzan National Park (1-6hr)