Western Japan Itinerary

After clearing immigration, you will be met by a member of our staff and escorted to your private car for a transfer from Kansai International Airport to your hotel in Kyoto.

In order for your holiday to be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, we have included a private and personalized orientation session, where you will be given everything you need to travel confidently in Japan.

One of our English-speaking staff members will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and will go through your itinerary with you, day by day, and answer any questions you may have. You’ll also receive your “welcome pack” of additional information, such as tourist maps of each destination, suggested walking routes, and detailed information on any special activities you may have booked, as well as a Japanese phrase sheet, which should help you travel in Japan more easily!

Your hotel is the Four Seasons Kyoto that opened in late 2016 in the scenic temple district of eastern Kyoto and is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels. Centered around an 800-year old ikeniwa (pool garden), the hotel offers a tranquil atmosphere in which to relax.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Accompanied by your guide, begin your day at Kiyomizu Temple, which looks out over the city from the hillside. From there, continue down the slope, past Kodai-ji Temple to Yasaka-jinja Shrine and into Maruyama Park.

Wind your way into Gion where you can spend time shopping for arts and crafts, ceramics, chopsticks, clothing and souvenirs. The famous streets of Gion are narrow and steep and lined with stunning traditional houses, most of which have been converted into shops. You can also grab a snack from one of the many street food vendors! As the evening approaches, you can often catch a glimpse of Kyoto’s apprentice Geisha on their way to their evening appointments.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Start the day by visiting some of the iconic sights in the north west of the city. You’ll be seeing the stunning Golden Pavilion and Ryoan-ji Zen Garden before visiting the nearby Ninna-ji Temple, which houses one of Kyoto’s loveliest gardens.

Spend the afternoon exploring Arashiyama, an area in the west of the city. The famous bridge here has been depicted for centuries in woodblock paintings. The area has an old-timey atmosphere, and is a popular spot for kimono wearing in the spring and autumn.

The area is also famous for its bamboo grove, located right by the stunning UNESCO Tenryu-ji Temple. It is here that you can see the picture-postcard view of the green towers of bamboo swaying in the breeze.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Spend the day exploring independently at leisure. We suggest visiting Nara, a great place to escape from modern Japan. See the impressive giant bronze Buddha, Japan’s largest, housed in the famous all-wood Todai-ji Temple. Then enjoy a walk in Nara-Koen Park, which is home to very friendly local deer who will follow you hoping for tasty treats! The Kasuga Taisha Shrine, which dates from Nara’s time as the capital of Japan, is also located in the park and is well worth a visit.

You might like to save time to visit the Fushimi Inari Taisha on your way back into Kyoto. This is Japan’s most famous shrine and can be explored by venturing through its thousands of red torii gates leading up the mountainside.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Make your way to a traditional machiya townhouse, where you will first have a tour of the machiya before being dressed in a kimono for your tea ceremony, perhaps the most enigmatic of the traditional arts. This will be followed by a light, Kyoto style lunch.

Spend the afternoon exploring independently at leisure. We suggest a visit to nearby Nishiki Market, a long, narrow covered street packed with shops selling local specialties which is sometimes referred to as Kyoto’s kitchen. Barrels of fresh and pickled vegetables spill out into the street, and the air is fragrant with the savory smell of grilling sembei crackers and steaming fish dumplings. Many of the shops offer free samples, and the Nishiki Market is a wonderful way to stock up on very Japanese picnic supplies for lunch.

Next, we recommend heading to Nishijin Textile Center, where you can learn about the fascinating process behind the manufacturing of the kimono. In addition, there are daily kimono shows, displaying the beauty and potential of this beautiful garment.

Perhaps finish your day with a visit to the nearby Nijo Castle, former home of the Tokugawa Shogun.

On exploring the beautifully decorated interior, you can walk on the ‘nightingale floors’, so-called because the design of the floorboards causes them to squeak when stepped upon, almost like a chirp. End your visit with a stroll around the lush gardens.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

To allow you to travel comfortably your luggage will be sent from Kyoto to Hiroshima overnight. We suggest packing a small overnight bag as you will be without the bulk of your luggage for your stay in Kinosaki Onsen.

Transfer by private car to Kyoto Station. Take the Limited Express Train to Fukuchiyama Station before boarding another train bound for Kinosaki Onsen Station. On arrival at the station, somebody from your accommodation will come to get you and transfer you to the hotel.

This sprawling hot-spring hotel is 1 km from both the Yosho Shrine and Kinosaki Straw Craft Museum, and 2 km from train services at Kinosaki Onsen Station. Featuring minimalist furnishings, the airy rooms come with free Wi-Fi, TVs and mini-fridges. Some rooms feature tatami floors and chabudai dining tables. Breakfast is served in a relaxed restaurant/bar, which also offers seasonal seafood dishes. There’s an outdoor pool and a karaoke lounge, plus a gender-segregated bathhouse with open-air baths, whirlpools and mist saunas.

Dinner is at the hotel.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Spend some time exploring Kinosaki Onsen. You can try bathing in one of the public baths to relax after your journey. Wander down to Onsen-ji Temple at the western end of the town. This temple is dedicated to a Buddhist saint, who according to legend, prayed for 1000 days until spring water came to Kinosaki. Next to the temple is a small museum with temple artefacts and treasures.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Transfer to the station using the shuttle service run by the hotel.

Take a limited express train to Himeji Station before changing to a bullet train bound for Hiroshima. Your guide and driver will meet you at the station.

Visit Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Museum. This is likely to be the most moving part of your holiday to Japan. The spacious park is full of memorials dedicated to those who lost their lives on August 6, 1945, as well as those who later succumbed to diseases, and is also home to the famous Atomic Bomb Dome. The paper cranes found everywhere represent solidarity with these victims and an on-going prayer for world peace. The Peace Memorial Museum is in two buildings within the park, and while visiting it can be an upsetting and an unsettling experience for many, it should not be missed.

If time allows, we also recommend visiting the lovely Shukkeien strolling gardens. Shukkeien’s name can be translated into English as “shrunken-scenery garden”, which is also a good description of the garden itself. Valleys, mountains, and forests are represented in miniature in the garden’s landscapes. Through carefully cultivated land and vegetation, the garden mimics a variety of natural formations and scenic views.

To end the tour, you will be transferred to your ryokan on Miyajima Island. This journey involves a ferry crossing.

Kurayado Iroha ryokan faces the Seto Inland Sea. The charming ryokan offers superb ocean views from its large windows, and the spacious rooms (a mix of Japanese and contemporary styles) give a sense of calm and coziness. There is an open – air bath located on the roof of the building from where guests can enjoy a panoramic view over the sea and the Island of Honshu.

Dinner is at the ryokan.

Breakfast is at the ryokan.

Today on your own, spend some time exploring the sacred island of Miyajima, which is lovely to visit at any season.

Explore Itsukushima Shrine and its famous ‘Floating’ Torii, the 5 Tier Pagoda and Daisho-in Temple. Cable car to the peak of Mt Misen for stunning views across the island studded Inland Sea. Deer are traditionally believed to be messengers of the gods and wander the island freely.

Dinner is at the ryokan.

Breakfast is at the ryokan.

To allow you to travel comfortably, your luggage will be sent from Hiroshima to Osaka overnight. We suggest packing a small overnight bag as you will be without the bulk of your luggage for your stay in Onomichi.

This morning you will be transferred back to Hiroshima Station by private car. This journey involves a short ferry crossing.

Take the bullet train (Japan Rail Shinkansen) from Hiroshima Station to Fukuyama Station before changing to a local line train bound for Onomichi Station.

Your hotel is located in a renovated warehouse facing the Onomichi channel. U2 Hotel Cycle is an artsy boutique hotel which offers guests a unique stay. Guests are encouraged to interact with locals and other travelers, with comfortable common spaces and rooms which look out onto a stylish central walkway. U2 is a cyclists’ heaven with cycle hire, repair, accessories and so much more all within the hotel building. Make sure you don’t miss out on the hotel cafe’s delicious coffee and pastries before you depart.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Onomichi is one of Japan’s hidden gems, a quaint, hilly town that stretches alongside the Seto Inland Sea. The pace of life in Onomichi is slower and more reflective than the bigger cities of Japan, and nowhere is this better expressed than in the variety of small, artisan shops that the tour will furnish you with a heightened appreciation. Strolling through Onomichi gives you an almost untouched sense of the past and a feeling of total disconnect from the frenetic pace of modern living. The town’s slow-paced way of life has often acted as a beacon to artists, writers, and filmmakers, and many locations in the town have attained nationwide fame as settings in movies.

The tour will start with a short boat ride along the Seto Inland sea, enabling you to have a picture-perfect view of the town in its entirety. You will then proceed to the retro shopping arcade for a local, Onomichi-style lunch. Afterwards you will slowly wind your way up the hillside overlooking the town, stopping at a picturesque cafe before culminating at a hilltop temple. On the way down, you will have the opportunity to use a classic printing press to make a custom souvenir. This will take about six hours and you will be accompanied by a local expert.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

The Shimamani Kaido is one of Japan’s most famous cycling routes, a 70km stretch that passes over the six smalls islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The small towns and communities that populate the route offer the chance to have a glimpse of Japan that tourists seldom see, a slower, gentler aspect of the country tucked underneath the quaint town of Onomichi. The route also boasts breath-taking views, from the azure-blue ocean to untrammeled beaches, with plenty of opportunities for picture-taking, relaxation, and a coffee in the sun.

Today we have arranged for you to enjoy some rental cycles to make the most of the gorgeous coastal views. You can explore as little or as much as you like. This will be unguided.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Transfer to Onomichi Station to take the local line train to Fukuyama Station and change to a bullet train bound for Himeji Station on the Japan Rail Shinkansen.

On your way to Osaka, stop off at Himeji.

Visit the famous castle, which is a 15 – minute walk from the station. The most impressive of Japan’s scant dozen original castles, Himeji-jo is also known as the “white egret castle” or the “white heron castle” for its stately white walls. The main tower is particularly interesting, and the grounds are worth exploring in their entirety.

When you are ready to continue on your journey, simply head back to the station and purchase a bullet train ticket bound for Shin-Osaka. Ticket machines have English available and there are always station attendants to help out if you need assistance.

Transfer by private car to your hotel, Conrad Osaka.

Conrad Osaka is located in the West tower of the Nakanoshima Festival complex which also houses an art museum, a concert hall and a plethora of shopping and dining options. Nested from 33rd to the 40th floor, Conrad Osaka offers magnificent city views with stylish design and easy access for both business and leisure guests.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Spend the day exploring Osaka with your guide.

Start by strolling around Osaka’s Kita area, where we recommend seeing the city from above by visiting the observatory at the Shin Umeda City Building, and below, in the underground shopping malls and arcades.

From here, visit Osaka Castle. The imposing castle structure spans five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and is built on a tall stone foundation. Equally attractive are the expansive grounds.

Following this, you’ll stop off at Shitennoji, one of Japan’s oldest temples and the first ever to be built by the state. Nearby you’ll find the Gokuraku-jodo Garden, designed based on descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Amida Buddha. The temple complex offers many items of historical interest. You’ll visit the treasure house which displays paintings, scriptures and other valuable belongings of the temple in periodic, themed exhibitions.

Towards late afternoon, head on to the Dotonbori entertainment district, where you can experience Osaka’s famous food and entertainment culture.

Breakfast is at the hotel.

Transfer to the Kansai International Airport by private car in time for your flight home.