Board your overnight flight to Tokyo today.

Welcome to Japan! After arriving in Tokyo, make the short transfer to your hotel with your groupmates. You’ll touch down later in the evening, so use the rest of your day to settle into your room, grab a bite to eat, catch up on sleep, and look forward to the rest of your journey.

This morning, set out with a local guide and step back in time as you explore two prominent Tokyo neighborhoods: Yanaka and Asakusa.

• Start with a walking tour of Yanaka Ginza, a traditional shopping street that has stood the test of time. Independent stores sell everything from fresh produce and meats to street food, tea, and sweets; a sense of retro charm emanates from each stall.
• Make your way by coach to the Asakusa district and peruse Kappabashi Street. Commonly known as Kitchen Town, it’s lined by more than 170 shops—almost all of which specialize in high-quality kitchenware and restaurant supplies.
• Enter Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. (With its five-story pagoda and red-and-white facade, it’s one of its 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.
• Get to know your fellow travelers during an included welcome lunch, then drive to the iconic Shibuya Crossing. Climb a nearby vantage point for a bird’s-eye view and watch as 3,000 people scramble across the junction. This dash happens every two minutes, rightfully earning the crossing 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.
• Try to spot the Hachiko Statue. Honoring the memory of a loyal Akita dog who waited outside Shibuya Station for his deceased owner to return from work, it doubles as a popular meeting spot.

Afterward, spend some free time roaming the city. Craving a taste of another Japanese staple? Cap your day with a ramen cooking class and dinner by adding tonight’s optional excursion. If you’d rather strike out on your own, find a kaitenzushi: Originating in Osaka in the 1950s, these restaurants keep a steady stream of sushi circulating around the dining room atop a conveyor belt. Grab what you want and pay by the plate—they’re color-coded by price!

No trip to Tokyo is complete without paying respects to Fuji-san—the imposing stratovolcano known to the world as Mount Fuji. Visit the city’s favorite neighbor, and enjoy the beauty of Japanese wine country, on today’s optional excursion. Alternatively, hang back and explore Tokyo at your own pace. You can check out districts like Akihabara, Shibuya, and Harajuku for a peek at different aspects of the local culture, or ascend the 2,080-foot Tokyo Skytree for a bird’s-eye view of it all.

Today, fly to Fukuoka, the largest city on the island of Kyushu and a longtime gateway to the rest of the country. After touching down, follow your Tour Director as they introduce you to some of the area’s must-see attractions.

• Walk along the Naka River to Nakasu, Fukuoka’s bustling entertainment district. Set atop a small island, the quarter’s also famed for its food scene: Yatai—open-air food stalls—abound, selling favorites like Hakata-style tonkatsu ramen and yakitori.
• Drive to the neighboring city of Dazaifu to visit the ancient Tenmangu. Built atop the grave of the ninth-century poet Sugawara no Michizane, this Shinto shrine venerates his deified form.
• Learn about the history and lore surrounding the temple, then stop outside for a tasting of umegae mochi—a red bean-based snack inextricably tied to the legend of Michizane.

Transfer back to Fukuoka and settle into your hotel. The evening is yours: Maybe return to Nakasu for dinner and make a new friend or two over a shared meal.

En route to Nagasaki, stop near the town of Arita—the standard-bearer for a particular type of painted Japanese porcelain—and visit a village famed for its pottery. You’ll participate in a workshop and see firsthand how these prized pieces are thrown, glazed, and fired. (Maybe you’ll get to make some yourself.)

After an included lunch in the Arita region, continue to Nagasaki. Sit down to an included dinner, served with beer or wine, before retiring for the evening.

Since its tragic atomic bombing by the United States in 1945, Nagasaki has rebuilt itself into a thriving harbor city. Unspoiled beaches and a contrast of cosmopolitan and historic neighborhoods attract visitors from all over; follow your local guide and get to know this fascinating place.

• Visit Nagasaki Peace Park. Established in 1955 at ground zero of the nuclear explosion, it serves as both a symbol of hope and a reminder of the horrors of war. Then, enter and explore the adjacent Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum to better understand the effects of the attack and the process of reconstruction.
• Wander the stall-lined lanes of Shinchi, the oldest Chinatown neighborhood in Japan, and pause to taste a local specialty.
• Continue your survey of the city and walk through Dejima. Now connected to the mainland, this district was once an artificial island, constructed in the 17th century to keep European traders isolated from the local population.
• Slow down in the tranquil confines of Glover Garden. Overlooking the inlet of the city’s harbor, this open-air museum features colorful flower beds, a teeming koi pond, and the oldest Western-style mansion in Japan. Tour the property and the house and return to an era when Nagasaki was an outpost of global trade in an otherwise closed nation.

For a view that rivals any you’ll find in the country, add tonight’s outing to Mount Inasa. Alternatively, use your free time to dive deeper into Nagasaki’s history as an international port by walking the Dutch Slope. Western-style homes—the legacy of foreign settlers and traders—border this stone-paved street; check it out, then rest at the nearby Nagasaki Seaside Park.

More history awaits on today’s optional outing to Hashima Island, a concrete-laden coal-mining outpost that’s been abandoned since 1974. If you’d prefer to stay on dry land, make a point to visit some of Nagasaki’s multicultural landmarks: The Koshibyo is one of only a handful of Confucian shrines in Japan, while the Roman Catholic Urakami Cathedral doubles as an atomic bomb memorial.

From Nagasaki in the west, cross Kyushu island to the eastern city of Beppu—a holiday hotspot famous for its steaming onsen, or hot springs. After rolling into town, meet up with a local guide for a tour of the area.

Begin by visiting the Hells of Beppu—springs so beautiful, and hot, they’re better for viewing instead of bathing. You’ll pass by two: Umi, the “Sea Hell” tinged bright cobalt by naturally occurring iron sulfate; and Oniishi Bozu, a gurgling pool of gray mud whose bubbles are said to resemble a monk’s bald head.

Before finishing your tour, stop to sample butaman, fluffy pork buns steamed by the vapors of Beppu’s onsen. Afterward, check into your hotel, then join your group for an included “hell-steamed” dinner, served with beer or wine. If you’re up for it, end your day with a dip in the onsite hot spring. No trip to Beppu’s complete without it!

Please note: If you have tattoos, some onsen may not allow you to bathe. The hotel’s does, so long as your tattoos can be covered with an 8-by-10-centimeter patch. (You can buy some directly from the hotel.) For more information about onsen customs, please check our FAQ.

Begin your day on the bus and drive to Kokura Castle. Perched atop a rocky plateau, this elegant edifice has been rebuilt several times since the Edo Period. As you venture its grounds, your Tour Director will fill you in on its history—how it once housed samurai, how it narrowly avoided destruction during World War II, and more.

Afterward, make the short transfer to a nearby train 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.

• Begin in the western Arashiyama district, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, and wander through its eponymous Bamboo Grove. A thicket of moso bamboo, towering up to 66 feet above the ground, funnels visitors down a pathway, making for a breathtaking walk.
• Step inside the UNESCO-listed Tenryu-ji, a treasured 14th-century temple complex considered the most important of Kyoto’s five Zen Buddhist shrines.
• Cross the Togetsukyo Bridge. While the current span was completed in 1934, it has existed in one form or another since the ninth century, helping travelers from one bank of the Katsura River to the other.
• Take in the splendor of Kinkaku-ji—the UNESCO-recognized Temple of the Golden Pavilion so often associated with the city of Kyoto.
• Tap into your unconscious mind during a guided Zen meditation at one of Kyoto’s temples, followed by a tour of its grounds and a matcha tasting—paired with the obligatory wagashi, a traditional Japanese sweet.

Tonight, celebrate your tour with your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner. On the menu: A family-style hot pot meal, paired with a sake tasting and served with your choice of beer or wine.

Please note: Today’s guided Zen meditation may take place in the morning, depending on scheduling.

Transfer to the Osaka airport for your flight home, or extend your trip to enjoy a few more days in Kyoto. (World-famous torii gates, prized matcha tea, and adorable bowing deer await should you choose the latter.)