Itinerary Map
CLICK HERE to view itinerary map
Highlights
- City sightseeing tour of Tokyo
- Cherry blossom viewing at Ueno Park
- Visit to Old Tokyo City
- Visit the Nakamise Shopping Centre
- Visit to Asakusa Sensoji Temple
- Cherry blossom viewing at Chidorigafuchi and Hamarikyu Garden
- Flower arranging class
- Japanese etiquette lesson
- Dinner Cruise on Tokyo Bay
- Visit the Hakone Open Air Museum
- Cruise on Lake Ashi with magnificent views of Mt Fuji
- Ride on the Hakone Ropeway Gondala
- Visit to the town of Yamanouchi famous for snow monkeys
- 2 nights stay in traditional Japanese Ryokans
- City sightseeing tour of Takayama
- Visit to Hida Folk Village
- Visit to Kami Sannomachi "Preserved Housing" district
- Washi Japanese paper-making class in Gokayama
- City sightseeing tour of Kanazawa
- Visit the Gold Leaf Museum in Kanazawa
- Visit to Kenrokuen Garden - The top 3 landscaped gardens in Japan.
- Traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto
- Exclusive meet and greet with an "Apprentice" Geisha
- Visit to Sagano Bamboo Grove
- Kimono fitting class
- Cherry blossom viewing including Heian Jingu Shrine, Ryonaji Temple and Golden Pavilion
- Views of cherry blossoms at the World Heritage Site of Nijo Castle
- Yuzen fabric dyeing program
- Cherry blossom viewing at World Heritage Site Kiyomizu Temple
- Visit to the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima
- Visit Miyajima Island
- Free Time to Explore Osaka
Inclusions
- Fully Escorted Tour - Your Sisterhood Tour Hostess is on hand to assist with making your holiday a memorable one
- Return airfares ex Melbourne including taxes (Other departure cities and upgrades available upon request) **
- Specialist English-speaking guide
- Private transportation throughout
- All meals as described in the itinerary
- All sightseeing as described in the itinerary
- Quality accommodation as described in the itinerary
- Willing to share option
- Meet & Greet via Zoom
Notice
Moderate Fitness Rating - A moderate level of fitness will be required for these tours due to the length and/or overall physicality of our tour itinerary. You can expect to walk more than 10,000 steps daily on more challenging terrain and longer periods. You must be capable of boarding and disembarking coaches, trains and boats unaided and at times handle your luggage. For more information on our physical ratings please click here
This tour of Japan requires you at times, to sleep on futons on the floor, sit on the floor for meals and to step into bathtubs, so you need to be physically agile and fit enough to walk a fair distance and carry your overnight luggage on occasion.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Monday 24 March 2025
Melbourne - Tokyo (in-flight meals)
Welcome to Sisterhood Womens Travel. Your tour hostess and fellow travellers will meet you at the designated departure point at Melbourne Airport for our flight to Tokyo. Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.
On arrival at Narita Airport, an English-speaking guide will meet us at the exit of customs. We will be assisted in boarding a chartered coach transfer to our hotel in Tokyo.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan, a city with 12 million residents and 3 million further commuters from neighbouring cities daily, for a total of 15 million people on most days. Famous for its spectacular architecture, futuristic displays, upmarket shopping and unique fashion sense, plenty of free time is allowed here to explore on your own.
Dinner at leisure tonight
Overnight - Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nishi Shinjuku Premier (or similar)
Day 2 - Tuesday 25 March 2025
Tokyo Sightseeing (B, L, D)
Today, we will be taken on a full-day tour of Tokyo city. Taking advantage of the season, the day will start with a visit to Ueno Park for some cherry blossom viewing. Ueno Park is home to many art, history, science and technology museums, and is one of the best places in Tokyo to view cherry blossoms. The visit to Ueno Park is followed by Asakusa, in the old part of Tokyo city. This is the neighbouring district to Ueno, and Asakusa Sensoji Temple here is one of the most celebrated temples in Tokyo. A visit to the Nakamise Shopping arcade here will be a good opportunity to pick up some trinkets and local goods for souvenirs.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant before more cherry blossom viewing at Chidorigafuchi, and Hamarikyu Garden. We wrap up our first day of sightseeing in Japan, with a welcome group dinner!
Overnight - Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nishi Shinjuku Premier (or similar)
Day 3 - Wednesday 26 March 2025
Tokyo (B)
Following our first day of sightseeing in Tokyo, we’re doing something a little bit more traditional this morning; taking part in a unique cultural experience of ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, followed by a Japanese etiquette lesson.
For the rest of the afternoon, we'll have free time for shopping in Tokyo with our tour guide!
Overnight - Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nishi Shinjuku Premier (or similar)
Day 4 - Thursday 27 March 2025
Tokyo - Toyosu Fish Market (B, L, D)
We start the day off today with a visit to Toyosu Fish Market, the largest wholesale fish market in the world, after which we will have a Sushi-making lesson, conducted by a professional sushi chef.
We have the rest of the day free at leisure.
This evening we will be taken to dinner on board a Yakatabune (Japanese-style houseboat), with a cruise on Tokyo Bay.
Overnight - Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nishi Shinjuku Premier (or similar)
Day 5 - Friday 28 March 2025
Lake Yamanaka - Oshino Hakkai (B, L, D)
This morning, we bid farewell to Tokyo, then make our way to Lake Yamanaka in the Fuji Five Lakes region, stopping briefly for lunch at a local restaurant, and a bit of sightseeing at Oshino Hakkai, a popular area with 8 stunning ponds.
This stay in Lake Yamanaka will be our first traditional experience in Japanese-style accommodation, and we will be able to try the hot spring baths here with stunning views of Mt. Fuji.
Overnight - Hotel Mt Fuji (or similar)
Day 6 - Saturday 29 March 2025
Lake Kawaguchi - Yamanashi (B, L, D)
Today, we have a full-day tour to visit the 5th station of Mt. Fuji, a cruise on Lake Kawaguchi, as well as a visit to the famous Kubota Itchiku Kimono Museum and Kawaguchiko Music Forest.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant today.
Dinner will be at our hotel tonight.
Overnight - Hotel Mt Fuji (or similar)
Day 7 - Sunday 30 March 2025
Yamanouchi (B, D)
After breakfast and checking out of our hotel today, we will be taken by coach to the town of Yamanouchi (lunch included along the way), famous for the Japanese Macaque, or more commonly known as the “Japanese Snow Monkey”.
Jigokudani Park, located in the Kanbayashi Onsen area in Yamanouchi is the main attraction here, and we will be taken here to see the snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs among the snow.
Tonight, we will be experiencing our first fully-traditional “Ryokan” (Japanese guest house) stay, at Biyu no Yado. Our rooms will be a tatami mat Japanese room, with futons to sleep on. Service will be exceptional, and a beautiful traditional Japanese banquet dinner and breakfast await.
We will also have the opportunity to use the natural hot springs here, with 2 private hot springs available for use on the rooftop.
Overnight - Biyu no Yado (or similar)
Day 8 - Monday 31 March 2025
Takayama (B, L, D)
After breakfast today, we will travel to the town of Takayama by coach, in the Japan Alps.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant along the way.
Takayama is a countryside farming town, famous for its traditional Japanese preserved architecture. Takayama has been well known in the past for producing some of Japan’s best architects and builders, and as such, part of the city has been preserved as National Treasures. Hida Beef, is also well known throughout Japan, rivalling even Kobe beef as some of the highest quality beef available.
The rest of the day is free at leisure in Takayama until we enjoy a delicious local specialty, Hida beef for dinner at a local restaurant!
Overnight - Hotel Spa and Gift Takayama (or similar)
Day 9 - Tuesday 1 April 2025
Takayama (B, L)
Today, we will enjoy a full-day guided tour of Takayama. First up will be a visit to Takayama Morning Market, a market where farmers’ wives from neighbouring villages come each morning to hawk fresh produce.
Following this will be a visit to Hida Folk Village, a museum that will allow us to learn about country farming life in the Japanese Alps.
After lunch at a local restaurant, we will have the afternoon free to stroll around Takayama or relax at the hot springs at our hotel.
This afternoon the guide will take us on a stroll around the Kami Sannomachi “Preserved Housing” district, returning later in the day.
Dinner tonight will be at leisure.
Overnight - Hotel Spa and Gift Takayama (or similar)
Day 10 - Wednesday 2 April 2025
Kanazawa (B, L)
Today, we will travel to Kanazawa by coach, with a stopover in Gokayama to participate in “washi” (Japanese paper) making. The region of Gokayama is arguably the most famous in Japan for its washi.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant, before arriving in Kanazawa.
Kanazawa is a city famous for the Kenrokuen Garden, samurai heritage, a healthy appreciation of art, and cultural goods production, some of which we will have the opportunity to experience. We’re heading first to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, before checking into our hotel in the afternoon.
The rest of the day is free at leisure in Kanazawa.
Overnight - Hotel Mystays Premier Kanazawa (or similar)
Day 11 - Thursday 3 April 2025
Kanazawa (B, L)
Today we will have a full-day tour of Kanazawa.
We’ll be heading through the Nagamachi Bukeyashiki, a preserved samurai housing district in Kanazawa; on our way to a local gold leaf museum. Kanazawa is famous for producing these cultural goods, along with ceramics, Kutaniyaki Pottery, and silver leaf; in fact, Kanazawa produces 99% of the gold leaf used throughout Japan.
Lunch is included today, before a visit to Kenrokuen Garden.
Kenrokuen Garden is considered one of the 3 best landscaped gardens in Japan, and will likely be one of the most beautiful we will ever see.
Touring concludes today at our hotel in the afternoon.
Overnight - Hotel Mystays Premier Kanazawa (or similar)
Day 12 - Friday 4 April 2025
Kyoto (B, L, D)
This morning, we will travel to Kyoto by coach, with a picnic lunch included along the way.
Once in Kyoto, we will participate in a traditional tea ceremony.
This evening we enjoy a traditional Japanese banquet dinner with geisha accompaniment.
Overnight - Watermark Hotel Kyoto (or similar)
Day 13 - Saturday 5 April 2025
Kyoto (B, L, D)
This morning, we will be taken to Sagano Bamboo Grove, an area reminiscent of feudal-era Japanese films. Kimono fitting and a stroll through this area has been arranged for us, for a truly unique experience.
Lunch is included today at a local restaurant, following Sagano.
The afternoon will see us visiting various sites in Kyoto, including Heian Jingu Shrine (a famous Cherry Blossom viewing spot), Ryoanji Temple (the World Heritage-listed temple, famous for its zen garden and Weeping cherry blossom trees), and the Golden Pavilion (a gold leaf covered pagoda, World Heritage site, and former shogun villa converted into a Buddhist Temple).
We wrap up today with dinner at a local restaurant!
Overnight - Watermark Hotel Kyoto (or similar)
Day 14 - Sunday 6 April 2025
Kyoto (B, L)
There will be further cherry blossom viewing today at the World Heritage site of Nijo Castle (former Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ruling party of Japan prior to the current royal family), and then the World Heritage site of Kiyomizu Temple,which is constructed without nails, overhanging a cliff with a great view of Kyoto city.
Lunch is included today at a local restaurant
This afternoon, we will take part in a special Yuzen fabric dyeing program.
Today’s touring concludes later in the afternoon back at our hotel.
Overnight - Watermark Hotel Kyoto (or similar)
Day 15 - Monday 7 April 2025
Hiroshima (B, D)
This morning, our main luggage will be couriered to our hotel in Osaka, while we take a detour to Hiroshima and Miyajima. We will require an overnight bag.
We will travel by bullet train and ferry to Miyajima, an island famous for its natural scenery, many wild deer, and the Itsukushima Shrine. The view from Itsukushima Shrine is considered one of the best 3 in Japan, and we will visit here as part of our touring this afternoon.
We return to Hiroshima this afternoon with some free time for lunch, then a visit to the Peace Memorial Museum as well as the Atomic Bomb Dome.
We have a group dinner included this evening, before finishing up back at our hotel in Hiroshima for the night.
Overnight - Hotel Granvia Hiroshima (or similar)
Day 16 - Tuesday 8 April 2025
Osaka (B, D)
After checking out of our hotel in Hiroshima, we’re headed back to Osaka by bullet train, with lunch at our own expense.
Shinsaibashi, along with Namba, is the most popular area in Osaka, famous for its “Eat-til-you-drop” food culture, and is arguably the best place to finish up our trip. The diversity of cuisine is abundant here, as are cheap shopping opportunities.
A farewell dinner at a local restaurant will be included this evening.
Overnight - DEL Style Osaka Shinsaibashi (or similar)
Day 17 - Wednesday 9 April 2025
Osaka - Home (B)
After finishing up with any shopping today, we will be transferred by chartered coach to the Airport, in time for our departure flight.
Sit back, relax and enjoy the inflight entertainment of the airlines as we head towards home.
Day 18 - Thursday 10 April 2025
Welcome Home
Welcome Home!
Thank you for travelling with Sisterhood Womens Travel and we look forward to welcoming you back for your next adventure!