Highlights of Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto & Mount Fuji

Today you explore electric Tokyo with your expert guide. You begin in old Asakusa, passing through the great Kaminarimon gate with its giant lantern and along the Nakamise shopping street to the venerable Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple. You find serenity at the Meiji Shrine, approached through a towering torii gate and a tranquil forest in the heart of the city, and stroll the fashionable boutiques of Harajuku nearby. You take in the Imperial Palace and its gardens, former seat of the shogun and home to the emperor, then plunge into the modern city at the famous Shibuya scramble crossing, where thousands surge across beneath giant screens. As dusk falls, you ascend a skyscraper in Shinjuku for glittering views over the endless neon. This evening, savour Tokyo's incomparable dining. Rest well, ready for more of the capital.

Today you enjoy more of Tokyo at a flexible pace. You might immerse yourself in the dazzling digital art of teamLab, where rooms of light, water and projected flowers respond to your every movement in an unforgettable sensory wonderland. You could explore the outer market at Toyosu or the old lanes of Tsukiji, grazing on the freshest sushi and street snacks, browse the electric wonderland of Akihabara with its towering electronics and anime stores, or seek calm in a beautiful garden such as Hamarikyu. Shoppers can lose themselves in the department stores of Ginza, while pop-culture fans explore quirky Harajuku. Your guide tailors the day to your interests, from cutting-edge to traditional. As the day ends, you savour a final Tokyo evening, perhaps in a lively izakaya. Rest well, for tomorrow you ride the rails to Mount Fuji and Hakone.

Today you journey to Hakone, the hot-spring resort in the shadow of Mount Fuji. You travel by train into the mountains, where, weather permitting, the perfect snow-capped cone of sacred Mount Fuji rises before you. You cruise on Lake Ashi aboard a scenic boat, the great red torii gate of Hakone Shrine rising from the water, and ride the Hakone ropeway high over the steaming, sulphurous volcanic valley of Owakudani, where you can try an egg boiled black in the hot springs. You may visit the open-air sculpture museum, set against the mountains. This evening you check into a traditional ryokan inn, sleeping on tatami mats, wrapping yourself in a yukata robe, and dining on an exquisite multi-course kaiseki dinner, before soaking in a soothing onsen hot spring beneath the stars. Rest well in this timeless setting.

This morning you enjoy a final soak in the onsen and a leisurely breakfast at your ryokan, perhaps catching a last glimpse of Mount Fuji, before travelling to the station to board the shinkansen. You ride Japan's legendary bullet train westward, gliding at up to 320 km/h in sleek, silent comfort, watching the landscape sweep past and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji framed in the window, to the ancient imperial city of Kyoto. On arrival you are transferred to your hotel and have time to settle in. Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a thousand years and is the serene heart of traditional Japan, home to more than a thousand temples and shrines. This evening, take a first stroll through its atmospheric lanes and savour Kyoto's refined cuisine. Rest well, ready to explore the ancient capital tomorrow.

Today you immerse yourself in the temples and shrines of ancient Kyoto. You walk beneath the thousands of vermilion torii gates that snake up the wooded hillside at Fushimi Inari, one of Japan's most magical and photographed sights. You marvel at the shimmering Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, its gold-leaf walls mirrored in a tranquil pond, and admire a serene Zen rock garden. You visit the wooden terraces of Kiyomizu-dera, perched on the hillside with sweeping views over the city, and wander the preserved streets of Higashiyama, lined with tea houses and craft shops. As dusk falls you explore atmospheric Gion, the historic geisha district, its lantern-lit wooden lanes evoking old Japan, where you may glimpse a geisha or maiko hurrying to an evening engagement. This evening, savour a refined Kyoto dinner. Rest well.

Today you explore more of beautiful Kyoto, beginning in the Arashiyama district on the city's western edge. You walk through the enchanting bamboo grove, where towering green stalks soar overhead and filter the light into an ethereal glow, and visit the serene Tenryu-ji temple with its exquisite landscape garden. You may cross the picturesque Togetsukyo bridge and meet the resident monkeys on the hillside above. Returning towards the city, you take part in a traditional tea ceremony, learning the graceful ritual of whisking matcha green tea in a tranquil tatami room, a meditative expression of Japanese aesthetics and hospitality. You might also visit the Nijo Castle of the shoguns or the silver-hued Ginkaku-ji. This evening, perhaps explore Kyoto's Pontocho alley, lined with lantern-lit restaurants along the river. Rest well, for tomorrow you travel on to lively Osaka.

This morning you enjoy a final taste of Kyoto, perhaps a last temple or garden or some shopping for crafts, before a short train ride to Osaka, Japan's warm-hearted, fun-loving second city and the nation's capital of street food. On arrival you are transferred to your hotel. You explore mighty Osaka Castle, rising on massive stone ramparts amid moats and gardens, a symbol of the city's history. As evening falls, you head to the neon-drenched Dotonbori district, blazing with giant animated signs from the famous running Glico man to the enormous mechanical crab, reflected in the canal below. Here you graze your way through Osaka's legendary street food, sizzling takoyaki octopus balls, savoury okonomiyaki pancakes and crisp kushikatsu skewers, amid a joyous, buzzing crowd. Rest well after a delicious evening in Japan's kitchen.

Today you enjoy a flexible day based in lively Osaka. You might take an easy day trip to nearby Nara, Japan's first permanent capital, where you can meet the famous free-roaming deer that bow for crackers in the great park, marvel at the colossal bronze Great Buddha housed in the vast wooden Todai-ji temple, and stroll the lantern-lined paths of Kasuga Taisha shrine. Alternatively, you might explore more of Osaka, from the lively Kuromon Ichiba food market and the shopping streets of Shinsaibashi to the views from the Umeda Sky Building, or return to Dotonbori for more street food. Your guide tailors the day to your interests. As the day ends, you gather your impressions of this fascinating journey through Japan. This evening, savour a final dinner, reflecting on all you have seen. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning in Japan, perhaps some last-minute shopping for souvenirs, ceramics or exquisitely packaged sweets, you are transferred to Osaka's Kansai airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the very best of Japan, electric Tokyo with its neon crossings, ancient temples and digital wonders, the onsen and perfect cone of Mount Fuji at Hakone, the torii gates, Golden Pavilion, bamboo groves and geisha lanes of ancient Kyoto, and the roaring street food of Osaka, all linked by the effortless shinkansen and warmed by Japan's famous courtesy. The images stay vivid long after you land, the Shibuya crossing, Fuji reflected in Lake Ashi, the vermilion tunnels of Fushimi Inari, and the neon of Dotonbori. Japan offers beauty, culture, cuisine and endless fascination in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this captivating land.