Japanese Culture, Art & Gardens in Autumn Splendour

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner to meet your fellow travelers and Botanical Guide.

Visit Meiji Shrine, an oasis of serenity in the heart of the city, surrounded by over 100,000 trees displaying their beautiful autumn leaves. Afterwards, visit Nezu Museum, with its excellent collection of Japanese and East Asian art, hidden within a forest-like garden. After lunch, visit Kiyosumi Garden, a traditional Japanese strolling garden. Before dinner this evening, enjoy incredible views over Tokyo from the top of Tokyo Tower.

Travel to the town of Nikko, the historical centre of Shinto and Buddhism, renowned for its spectacular autumn colours. Visit the Toshogu Shrine complex and the Tamozawa Imperial Villa. From here, we head to Kirifuri Falls, translating as ‘falling mist’, for spectacular views.

Head to Asakusa, Tokyo’s Old Town, where you’re able to enjoy some time to shop. While here, visit Senso-ji Temple before boarding a bullet train to Kanazawa.

This morning, visit Omicho Market, home to more than 200 stalls. We then visit Kenroku-en garden. Renowned for being one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens, it is sure to be delightful during autumn. Afterwards, we visit the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese home with a tea-ceremony room, an interior courtyard garden and artefacts from the Edo period.

Travel via express train to Kyoto, which boasts many incredible gardens and is also the traditional home of the geisha. On arrival, we make the short trip to Uji, a picturesque city known for its superior green tea, which we will learn to make while here. Still in Uji, we visit Byodo-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, whose Japanese Buddhist architecture and Jodo-style garden occupy a serene setting.

Today, we travel to the former capital of Nara to admire the imposing Todai-ji Temple, which was once the world’s largest wooden structure. At Nara Park, we share the open green spaces with a large population of tame deer. From here, we head to Kasuga Taisha shrine, the Heian Shrine, whose garden represents those of the Meiji era. We round out our day with a visit to Ginkaku-ji Temple, the ‘Silver Pavilion’, whose beautiful moss garden is complemented by a unique dry sand garden.

This morning, we visit the World Heritage-listed Tenryu-ji temple, before heading to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, which is unlike any other place in Japan. After lunch admire Ryoan-ji Temple, a World Heritage-listed site known for its rock garden, which is considered to be one of the finest in the world. Our travels then take us to Kinkaku-ji, also known as the ‘Golden Pavilion’. Its top two floors, covered completely in gold leaf, render it resplendent. Tonight, enjoy a private dinner and maiko (apprentice geisha) performance. Gain insight into the life of maiko and geisha during this unique experience.

Travel by bullet train to Matsue to visit Matsue Castle, known as the ‘Black Castle’. It is one of only a few wooden medieval castles remaining in Japan today. A visit to the Adachi Museum of Art then proves an exciting experience. The museum’s picture-perfect garden is manicured and maintained to a breathtaking level by no fewer than seven highly skilled full-time gardeners. This work of ‘natural art’ has been designed not to be entered, however, but to be admired only from select vantage points. It is truly one of the most magnificent gardens in Japan.

Travel to Mount Daisen this morning and see the autumn leaves of the surrounding landscape before continuing to Okayama. The city’s famed Koraku-en is one of Japan’s most significant gardens – its name means ‘garden of pleasure after’.

We make our way to nearby Kurashiki today and visit its canal area, where we find many traditional rice storehouses – the city was once a critical distribution point for the country’s most important commodity. At Ohashi House, we see the former home of one of Japan’s wealthy merchant families. Afterwards, we are taken east by bullet train to Osaka, where we enjoy a Farewell Dinner this evening.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport as your journey concludes.