Japan

Arrive in Osaka, transfer to Kyoto and check in to our comfortable and well-located hotel. The evening is free to relax and rest after our flights.

We begin our journey with a visit to the Zen rock garden at Ryoanji before we tour one of Japan’s most enduring sites, Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion. After lunch, we continue our exploration with a visit to Nijo Castle, whose buildings are among the best surviving examples of feudal-era castle architecture. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at our hotel this evening.

Begin the day’s explorations at Ginkakuji, Kyoto’s famed Silver Pavilion, then take a walking tour along the Philosopher’s Path, a canal lined with cherry trees and Zen temples. We end at Nanzenji, a temple known for its rock garden and art collections. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then tour the Imperial Palace, one of the largest vestiges of the emperors’ presence in Kyoto before the capital was moved to Tokyo. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant this evening.

Travel to the Miho Museum, located in a nature preserve in the Shigaraki Mountains and designed by Chinese American architect I.M. Pei to house the Shumei Foundation’s collection of Japanese tea ware and rare art objects. Return to Kyoto after lunch and visit the Heian Shinto shrine and adjoining garden, then conclude the day with an optional visit to the small Biwa Canal Museum, which showcases the history of the waterworks that were essential in transforming Kyoto from an imperial capital to a modern city, including generating enough power to run Japan’s very first streetcar system! Dinner this evening is on our own.

Embark on a full-day excursion by coach starting in Uji, where we view the Byodoin Temple with its Phoenix Hall, one of the most famous structures in all of Japan. After lunch, continue to Nara to the Todaiji to view the temple’s immense bronze daibutsu, or giant Buddha, figure, then visit the Nara National Museum, home to Buddhism-related fine art and archaeological artifacts. Return to Kyoto and dine independently this evening.

This morning, travel by train to Hiroshima on the island of Honshu. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the striking Atomic Bomb Dome as well as the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, portions of which were designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange and sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Enjoy the evening at leisure.

This morning, take the ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima to visit the Itsukushima Shrine and iconic torii gate that appears to float atop the water at high tide. Enjoy lunch on the island before returning to Hiroshima to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening on our own.

This morning, travel by jetfoil to Matsuyama, a bustling port town on the island of Shikoku in the Seto Inland Sea. After lunch devote the afternoon to sightseeing, including the Matsuyama Castle, one of Japan’s twelve castles to have survived the post-feudal era intact. Late this afternoon, check in to our traditional ryokan accommodations and enjoy dinner at our hotel.

This morning, drive to the historic feudal town of Uwajima to roam the Tensha-en a garden, with more than 20 varieties of bamboo. Then head to the Date Museum to take in its collection of Edo period armor, paintings and other samurai antiquities. After lunch visit the small town of Uchiko and explore a number of well-preserved Edo- and Meiji-era dwellings and storehouses. Return to our ryokan in Matsuyama for dinner.

Drive to the riverport city of Kurashiki, whose well-preserved 18th-century merchant quarter is now home to shops, museums and teahouses. Explore the picturesque area on foot, stopping to visit the Museum of Folkcraft and the Ohara Museum of Art, with its displays of Western impressionist works, traditional textiles, woodblocks and ceramics. Dine independently this evening.

This morning, drive to Takamatsu. After a typical local udon noodle lunch, explore Ritsurin Park, considered one of Japan’s most outstanding landscape gardens, then visit the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, former studio of the world-renowned sculptor and an extension of his museum in New York. Take a ferry to the small island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea.

Spend today independently exploring Naoshima, a community devoted to cutting-edge contemporary art, with two striking museums, interactive installations and outdoor sculptures. Naoshima is a place of discovery, with a unique symbiotic relationship between natural scenic beauty and art. Gather this evening for a festive farewell reception and dinner.

Depart Naoshima by ferry, then drive to Kansai International Airport in Osaka for flights home or join the optional post-trip extension.