Shared shuttle bus to your hotel: You will be met on arrival at Tokyo Haneda  Airport today and taken by shuttle bus to your hotel in Tokyo. Please note that as other people will be in the same bus, there may be a few stops before you arrive at your hotel (maximum of 3 other stops). Journey time is around 1 hour and this is a comfortable and easy way to make today's transfer. Look out for some great views as you ride the elevated highways into town!

Pre-loaded IC Transportation Card: Japan has a public transport system unrivalled anywhere in the world for efficiency, cleanliness and coverage. The daily number of journeys on the Tokyo subway alone is in excess of 8 million yet despite its huge scope and vast number of lines navigating the system is really rather easy. As always the Japanese are pushing the boundaries with their transport technology and now there is a convenient tap-in, tap-out 'IC Card' that covers not just Tokyo's public transport but the entire country. In 2012 all the regional electronic transport cards were combined into a single system and now you can use any of them on the transport systems in most major cities in Japan. Simply the most convenient and developed public transport system you will find anywhere. The IC Tranport Cards we provide you will be pre-loaded with 4,000JPY, which should be plenty, but we'll also provide you with instructions about how to top up should you need to.

Mobile Wi-Fi Device: We have included for you the rental of a mobile Wi-Fi device which we will arrange to be delivered to your first hotel. This will mean that you can have Wi-Fi on the move and at all of your accommodation making staying in touch with friends or browsing the internet on your smartphone or laptop a breeze! The Wi-Fi can be shared between up to 10 devices. We have included full insurance for you in case of loss or damage. At the end of your stay simply return the device in the pre-paid envelope provided. The internet provider for your Wi-Fi device is AU. This has wide coverage across Japan including most small islands and rural areas. There is unlimited data usage.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The B Ginza (Double or Twin Room)

Full day private tour of Tokyo: Today you will take a full day private tour of the city with a private English-speaking guide, travelling by public transport. Places of interest that can be visited include Tokyo's National Museum, which houses displays of historic costumes including samurai armour and swords and fine kimonos, antique folding screens, tea ceremony utensils and Japanese paintings. The Sumida River cruise travels through the busy heart of the city and to the edge of Tokyo Bay where you will be able to see the reclaimed land islands and the large Rainbow Bridge that dominates the bay. Hamarikyu Garden is a tranquil oasis on the edge of the bay and flanked by the modern skyscrapers of the Shiodome district. The gardens reflect Japan's changing seasons. Enjoy Japanese tea with Japanese sweets in the wooden pavilion by the edge of the park's lake.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 9am. Together you'll travel around the city by public transport as the Tokyoites do, using your included IC card. Please note you will need to pay for lunch and any entrance fees on the day. Your day of guiding will finish at 5pm with the guide either dropping you back at your hotel or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The B Ginza (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Sumo Wrestlers Morning Training: Sumo is Japan’s national sport and a national obsession. To become a wrestler requires years of strict training at a heya, or stable as it is known in English. This is where the wrestlers eat, sleep and train. There are 47 stables in Tokyo today and a wrestler will stay with the same stable throughout his career. A fantastic way to learn more about the world of sumo is to watch the asageiko morning training session at one of the stables. You will be met at your hotel around 7.45am this morning by an English speaking guide in order to join a group of up to 10 people to visit a stable and watch a training session. The guide will explain all about the sport and the strict etiquette for spectators watching the sumo wrestlers train so you'll avoid any faux pas! You will be able to see about 90 minutes of training. The tour includes transport by subway from your hotel and drop off at a subway station near the stable. Please note that flash photography is not allowed and you will need to be able to sit reasonably still for the full amount of time! No smoking, eating or drinking is allowed. Please note that this experience is subject to the sumo stables’ schedules as the stables are not always open to the public or may close at short notice (in which case we will provide a full refund).

Shared evening street food tour:  This evening you will be taken on a fun foodie tour of downtown Tokyo. Meguro is lately becoming more and more popular with the Japanese young generation for its atmosphere and varied selection of restaurants. This will introduce you to restaurants that even Japanese people find unique: tempura restaurants with their special way of ordering, local style teppanyaki, or fresh seafood izakaya. Whichever you choose, your English-speaking guide will make sure you are given the full local experience. You will also go to one of the most popular ramen establishments in the neighborhood, before finishing with a dessert in a surprise venue. The tour is operated on a shared basis and it starts at Merguro station at 5pm and finishes in the same place at around 8.10pm.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The B Ginza (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day at leisure: Today you are free to explore the Japanese capital independently. You will be equipped with maps and your IC Transport Card and, having spent time in the city with a guide, you should have a good sense of how to get around and make the most of Tokyo's excellent public transport.

Should you wish to take a day trip out of the city, we recommend exploring Kamakura. Combining rich culture, history, and spirituality all in one beautiful seaside city, this is makes for a great day trip from Tokyo. From the imposing Great Buddha of Kotoku-in to the wooded grounds of Hachimangu Shrine, a visit to Kamakura offers the chance to see some of the most iconic landmarks in Japan. You can explore this area by walking some of the many hiking trails, passing temples and cultural sights on the way before making your way back to Tokyo in the afternoon. The journey to Kamakura takes around one hour by train and the journey is covered by your IC Transport Card.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at The B Ginza (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Train from Tokyo to Kyoto: Make your own way to the station in time to board your train to Kyoto. For this journey you will be travelling by Shinkansen - we will be supplying you with individual Hikari Super Express Ordinary tickets. The Tokaido Shinkansen line was the first of Japan's famous 'Bullet' Train lines to open and traverses the 343 miles between Tokyo and Osaka. When the 00 series trains with their distinctive bullet-shaped noses first started running in October of 1964 (just in time for the Tokyo Olympics) journey time to Osaka was over 4 hours. Today the same trip can be done in just 2 hours 35 minutes! Your journey time to Kyoto will be between 2h17 and 2h45. Keep a look out of the right hand windows of the train for Mt. Fuji. But don't be disappointed if you can't see her as she is a notoriously shy mountain. On arrival in Kyoto make your own way to your hotel using your IC Cards.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Gracery Sanjo (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day private tour of Kyoto: Today you will take a full day private tour of the city with a private English speaking guide, travelling by public transport. Places of interest that can be visited include Kiyomizu Temple, perched on a hillside with good views towards central Kyoto. Dating from 1633, the main hall sits on hundreds of interconnecting wooden pillars above a sacred spring that is believed to have therapeutic qualities. Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion, is one of Japan's most famous sights. This glittering temple is covered entirely in gold leaf and set on a small lake amongst well-tended gardens. Ryoanji Temple belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and was founded in 1450. The adjoining garden is an austere collection of 15 rocks adrift in a sea of sand. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 to demonstrate the power of the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyusa. The design of this castle, built by the first Shogun of a united Japan, reflects an ambition to impress rather than anticipation of combat.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel at 9am. Together you'll travel around the city by public transport. While Kyoto has an extensive bus network we recommend taking a few taxis to speed things up. Please note you will need to pay for transport, lunch and any entrance fees on the day. Your day of guiding will finish at 5pm with the guide either dropping you back at your hotel or anywhere else in the city you wish to spend the evening.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Gracery Sanjo (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Morning Shared Sake Brewery Tour: This morning you will visit a sake brewery in Fushimi, a district of Kyoto famous for its sake production and an easy 20-minute train journey from central Kyoto. The area credits its soft underground water as the reason it produces such fine sake and there are some 40 breweries, of all different sizes, to be found here. On arrival in Fushimi at 10.30am, you will meet up with a group and commence a walking tour with an English-speaking guide that will include a visit to a sake museum, sake tastings at several different breweries and a thorough education in the production process. The tour also includes a hearty lunch at a traditional local restaurant. The tour will finish at 2pm and you are free to potter around Fushimi some more or return to your hotel in central Kyoto.

Afternoon at leisure: The rest of the day is at leisure in Kyoto. This is an opportunity to further explore the city. Kyoto has a tremendous amount to offer whether you wish to discover some of the smaller temples and shrines dotted around the city or stroll through the bustling Nishiki Shijo Market. The Kimono fashion show in the Nishijin textile district is well worth a look and if you wish to see some of the natural beauty of the Kyoto area then the Hozugawa river trip makes for a great afternoon travelling down the river on a traditional style boat.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Gracery Sanjo (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Shared E-Bike tour in the countryside: This morning, make your own way to Shiga station, a 40-minute train journey from Kyoto, arriving by 10am to commence a shared E-bike tour with an English-speaking guide in some beautiful countryside. Start by exploring the village of Hira, a traditional place at the foot of the Hira mountains. Here you can tootle around the narrow streets and visit local shrines before heading deeper into the countryside on beautiful lakeside roads and past stepped rice terraces. Stop at a local farm to meet the family that lives there and enjoy a home-cooked lunch before returning to Kyoto by train in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Hotel Gracery Sanjo (Double or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Shared shuttle bus to Osaka Itami Airport: Early this morning, you will be transferring from your hotel in Kyoto to Itami Airport located in Osaka city. This transfer will be operated by shared shuttle bus. The shuttle bus holds up to 9 passengers and will pick up other customers before heading off to the airport. Journey time from Kyoto will be in the region of 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on traffic and other pickups.

Flight: JL2081 Osaka Itami Airport - Okinawa 08.55 - 11.10

Rental car pickup at Okinawa Airport: On arrival today, you will pick up your rental car and enjoy a few days of driving around the holiday island of Okinawa. Full instructions will be provided in your info-pack and after familiarising yourself with the car, make your own way to your hotel to check-in, following the directions provided.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Double Tree by Hilton Chatan Resort (King or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure: Today is at leisure to relax at your hotel, enjoy the beach or explore Okinawa independently using your hired car.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Double Tree by Hilton Chatan Resort (King or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day trip to Zamami Island: This morning, make your own way to Tomari Port, where you will park your car before taking the ferry to Zamami island, a true slice of paradise where you can snorkel amongst some fantastic marine life and relax on some pristine beaches. Furuzamami Beach is a particular favourite of ours, with unbelievably blue ocean and white sand stretching for more than 800m. After a day enjoying the island, return to Okinawa main island by ferry and drive back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Double Tree by Hilton Chatan Resort (King or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Day at leisure: Today is at leisure to relax at your hotel, enjoy the beach or explore more of Okinawa independently using your hired car.

Rental car drop-off: At the advised time this evening, you are required to drop your hired car at a rental shop close to your hotels. Full details will be provided in your information pack.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Double Tree by Hilton Chatan Resort (King or Twin Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Taxi to Okinawa Airport: At the appropriate time today, please ask hotel staff to organise a taxi to take you to the airport. This will need to be paid for in cash locally. Please aim to arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to your departure to check-in for your flight.

Flight: JL922 Okinawa - Tokyo Haneda 20.50 - 23.10

Meals: Breakfast