Japan Highlights — Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka

Arrive at Narita or Haneda International Airport and meet your private driver for a transfer to your hotel in central Tokyo. After check-in, spend the evening exploring Shinjuku — the neon-drenched entertainment and dining district. Wander the Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho) alleys, browse department stores, or simply take in the city's extraordinary energy. Overnight in Tokyo.

Start the morning at Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa — Tokyo's oldest and most iconic Buddhist temple — and browse the Nakamise shopping street for traditional crafts, snacks, and souvenirs. After lunch, visit TeamLab Planets (Toyosu) or TeamLab Borderless (Azabudai) for an immersive digital art experience unlike anything else in the world. End the evening at Shibuya Crossing — the world's busiest pedestrian intersection — and explore the surrounding shopping and dining streets. Overnight in Tokyo.

Morning visit to Meiji Jingu Shrine, set within a serene forested park in the heart of Tokyo. Walk through Harajuku's iconic Takeshita Street for quirky fashion and crepes, then explore the upscale Omotesando boulevard. Afternoon at leisure — optional: Tsukiji Outer Market for fresh seafood, or Akihabara for anime, manga, and electronics. Overnight in Tokyo.

Take the shinkansen (or Romancecar) to Hakone, a mountain resort town framed by volcanoes, hot spring valleys, and views of Mt Fuji. Spend the afternoon at Hakone Open Air Museum or take the ropeway over Owakudani volcanic valley. Check in to your traditional Ryokan in the early evening — enjoy a multi-course kaiseki dinner, dress in yukata robes, and soak in the private or communal onsen (hot spring). Overnight at Ryokan in Hakone.

Wake up early for the best chance of a clear Mt Fuji view from Hakone before breakfast. Board the shinkansen to Kyoto — Japan's ancient imperial capital. After arriving and checking in, head to Arashiyama in the west of the city — walk through the famous Bamboo Grove, explore Tenryu-ji Zen Garden, and stroll along the Katsura River. As dusk falls, walk through the Gion district, Kyoto's geisha quarter, for an atmospheric evening among machiya townhouses and lantern-lit alleys. Overnight in Kyoto.

Start early at Fushimi Inari Taisha — the iconic shrine with thousands of vermilion torii gates winding up Mt Inari — best explored in the morning before crowds arrive. Return to central Kyoto for the famous Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and the surrounding rock garden. In the afternoon, take a short train ride to Nara to visit Todai-ji Temple (housing Japan's largest bronze Buddha statue) and meet the hundreds of freely roaming sacred deer at Nara Park. Return to Kyoto for the night.

Take the short train ride from Kyoto to Osaka — Japan's kitchen and comedy capital. Check in and then dive into the city's celebrated food culture at Dotonbori, the neon-blazing canal street lined with restaurants, takoyaki stalls, ramen shops, and the famous Glico Running Man sign. Visit Kuromon Ichiba Market — Osaka's 170-year-old covered food market — for street snacks and fresh produce. End the afternoon at Osaka Castle and its surrounding park. The evening is free for izakaya dining, Namba nightlife, or last-minute shopping at Shinsaibashi. Overnight in Osaka.

Enjoy a relaxed final breakfast in Osaka. Check out and transfer privately to Kansai International Airport (KIX) for your departure flight. Take home memories of bullet trains, temple incense, bamboo groves, and the warmth of omotenashi — the Japanese spirit of hospitality.