Board your overnight flight to Tokyo today.

Welcome to Japan! Transfer to your hotel and settle in. Then, meet your Tour Director and groupmates at a welcome mixer before calling it a night.

Join a local guide and embark on an immersive tour of Tokyo, Japan’s bustling capital. Ancient shrines, serene temples, peaceful parks, and modern skyscrapers make up the tapestry of the city, which is home to nearly 14 million people.

• Stroll through the lively Harajuku neighborhood, which is known for its colorful street art and youthful fashion trends.
• Enter Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. (With its five-story pagoda and red-and-white facade, it’s one of the country’s most photographed, too.)
• Walk to Nakamise, a bustling market street on Senso-ji’s grounds. Two ornate gates sandwich 89 shops; enjoy free time to stop at however many you’d like.

For tonight’s welcome dinner, you’ll team up with an experienced chef to learn how to prepare traditional Japanese cuisine. Grab your apron and watch as they whip up a bento box of makizushi (sushi rolls), chicken teriyaki, and other staples. Then, try making some yourself before sitting down to feast on your creation, served with beer or wine.

Greet a giant Buddha—and an 11-headed goddess—on an enlightening journey to Kamakura, an ancient Japanese capital and the target of today’s optional excursion.

If you choose to not add the trip to your itinerary, try to visit some of Tokyo’s landmark gardens in your own time. Our favorites include the Imperial Palace East Gardens, landscaped among ruins of the 15th-century Edo Castle; the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, peppered with ponds and cherry trees; and the Meiji Jingu Gyoen, an iris field just steps away from a famous Shinto shrine.

Kick your day off with another guided sightseeing tour of Tokyo, focusing on the bustle and beauty of the modern city.

• Climb up to a nearby vantage point to get a bird’s-eye view of Shibuya Crossing. Some 3,000 people scramble across this junction every two minutes, rightfully earning it the title of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection.
• Stop inside Shibuya Station to view “The Myth of Tomorrow,” Japanese artist Tarō Okamoto’s famous avant-garde mural depicting the explosion of an atomic bomb.
• Ride in an elevator to the top of the Metropolitan Building—a soaring structure with twin towers and observation decks—to enjoy panoramic views of the city.

Later, hit the road for the onsen-dotted spa town of Hakone. But before pulling into town, detour to Mount Fuji—the snowcapped volcano synonymous with Japan—and drive halfway up its famous face. You’ll pause at an observatory for panoramic views of the Fuji Five Lakes; let the sight wash over you, impressing the fact that you’re standing on the slopes of a global icon.

Camera reel filled, continue your journey to Hakone and stop at your hotel. After freshening up, meet back up with your group for an included dinner, served with beer or wine, before retiring for the evening. (Instead of laying out in your room, try lounging in one of your hotel’s soothing hot springs!)

Begin your day with a high-flying cable car ride on the Komagatake Ropeway. As you climb close to 6,000 feet in about seven minutes, you’ll have unfettered views of the region—reaching to Mount Fuji, the city of Yokohama, and even Tokyo on a clear day.

Ride your cable car back to the shores of Lake Ashi, then set out on a guided sightseeing tour of Hakone.

• Snap photos of the Hakone Shrine. The torii gate of this Shinto holy site looks out onto Lake Ashi; take a beat to appreciate the sight of its tree-lined shores, framed by the gate’s crimson pillars.
• Head to the volcanic Owakudani valley to try a local specialty: kuro tamago, or black egg. Thanks to the sulfur-rich waters of the springs they’re boiled in, the shells of these eggs turn a distinct matte black. (Another fun fact: Legend holds that eating one will extend your life by seven years!)
• Wander through the Hakone Open-Air Museum. The first exhibition of its kind in Japan, it displays more than 1,000 artworks across 17 acres in the foothills of Mount Hakone. Look for pieces by Picasso, Miró, and other local and international artists.

Afterward, transfer to Atami Station and board a Shinkansen bullet train bound for Kyoto. Once you arrive, you’ll have the evening to stretch your legs, explore the area on your own, or call it an early night in anticipation of tomorrow’s sightseeing.

Today, join a local guide on a sightseeing tour of Kyoto, the city that served as Japan’s capital for more than 1,000 years and is still considered its spiritual center.

• Enter the 17th-century Nijo Castle. Sitting in the center of a series of concentric fortifications, this castle was built with native cypress wood, leading to a unique quirk—or chirp. When someone walks down a corridor, the floors sing like a nightingale.
• Take in the splendor of Kinkaku-ji, the UNESCO-recognized Temple of the Golden Pavilion that’s so often associated with the city of Kyoto.

The reverence of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The decorum of the Japanese tea ceremony. These two attractions illustrate the beauty of the country’s culture; add today’s optional excursion to your itinerary, and you’ll get to experience both. Or, make the most of your free afternoon and roam around Kyoto at your leisure. For pictures plucked from the past, head to Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. Lined by traditional wood-paneled buildings, these pedestrian districts are free of vehicular traffic, making them a great place for a walk.

Kick the day off by tapping into your unconscious mind during a guided Zen meditation at a local Buddhist temple. After coming back to the present, you’ll tour the temple’s grounds before tasting some matcha. This finely ground green tea boasts an earthy flavor; pairing your sips with a wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweet, heightens the taste of both.

Later, make your way to Nara, the eighth-century capital of Japan. Once you arrive, join up with a local guide to see some of the city’s UNESCO-listed monuments.

• Tour Todai-ji, an imposing temple that houses one of the country’s largest bronze statues of the Buddha. Another popular pastime: trying to squeeze through a hole in the base of one of its pillars. (If you manage it, you’ll earn enlightenment in your next life!)
• Continue to the lantern-lined paths of Kasuga Taisha. Rebuilt several times since its establishment in 768, this Shinto shrine uses vibrant colors to stunning effect, its vermilion columns beautifully contrasting with the surrounding forest.
• Stroll through nearby Nara Park, one of Japan’s oldest green spaces. You might chance upon some of its 1,200 resident sika deer. If you do—and you have some shika senbei, or deer crackers, ready—you can give them a treat, and share a moment as they bow their heads in gratitude.

After your tour, enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant before boarding your bus and returning to Kyoto.

Today’s optional outing is all about blissful tranquility, shepherding you from the serene stalks of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove to the calming confines of the Okochi Sanso Garden.

Not adding the excursion to your itinerary? For a little more bustle—and plenty of bites—spend your free afternoon at Nishiki Market, a thriving collection of shops and stalls lovingly referred to as “Kyoto’s kitchen.”

With your final day in the books, cap the evening with a sake tasting and a group dinner, served with beer or wine. Your menu: shabu-shabu, an interactive, hot pot-style meal where meats and veggies are boiled at your table. Dig in, then turn in for the evening.

Transfer to the Osaka airport for your flight home or hop aboard a bullet train to Hiroshima and keep making memories on this trip’s extension.