Sushi and Samurai - A Food Tour of Japan

Day 1 Depart the UK

Today depart the UK on the British Airways flight non-stop to Tokyo. (N)

Day 2 Arrive Tokyo

On arrival in Tokyo take the airport shuttle bus which will provide your transfer to your accommodation. Japan’s capital city has significantly grown from the small 16th century fishing village it once was to a sprawling metropolis with a futuristic skyline, dazzling neon advertisements and surging crowds. The city is a melting pot of cultures and today shares a unique blend of ultramodern and tradition, mixing historic Buddhist temples and deep-rooted culture with soaring skyscrapers and 24-hour sushi bars. Acclimatise this afternoon and relax at your hotel or wander through Tokyo’s bustling streets. (N)
Accommodation in Tokyo: The Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 3 Tokyo

An early start today as you head with a local guide to Toyosu Fish Market, one of the world's largest fish markets. After exploring the outer market, enjoy a sushi breakfast in one of the market’s fresh sushi bars. Walk through the nearby Hama-Rikyu Teien garden and stop in a tea house, then visit Asakusa, part of Tokyo’s old town which is home to the Sensoji Temple. From here it is a short walk to Kappabashi, otherwise known as ‘Kitchenware Town’, before ending the day at Ueno’s Ameyoko-cho – a bustling market filled with shops and stalls selling fresh fish, spices and local snacks. (B)

Accommodation in Tokyo: The Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 4 Tokyo

Today discover the secrets of the Japanese soba buckwheat noodle with a special half-day cooking course in the company of an expert soba chef. The chef will take time to explain how to correctly prepare and make this staple of Japanese cuisine and provide other pointers throughout the course of the lesson. In the afternoon you are free to explore Tokyo maybe visiting the electronics district of Akihabara or spending time in Tokyo’s world class museums and art galleries. (B/L)

Accommodation in Tokyo: The Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 5 Tokyo to Takayama – by train

Today is a self-guided day. This morning take the Shinkansen Bullet train to Nagoya then connect on to a further train to Takayama. Winding through the mountains of the Japanese Alps, this is one of the most scenic train journeys in Japan. With its beautifully preserved old town, Takayama’s inaccessibility from the rest of Japan allowed it to develop its own unique culture. Stay for two nights at the Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan, a modern ryokan complete with tatami mats and onsen baths. Later visit the town’s many sake breweries. (B/D)

Accommodation in Takayama: Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan (or similar)

Day 6 Takayama

Today is a self-guided day to discover the highlights of Takayama. Early this morning take a visit to the Miyagawa morning market selling locally produced products and food. Take a bus to the Hida No Sato Folk Village which is home to an open-air museum exhibiting homes and buildings traditional to the Hida region. Later that day visit the Takayama Festival Museum, displaying floats from the town’s famous festival, or simply spend the rest of the day wandering through the beautifully preserved old town. (B/D)
Accommodation in Takayama: Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan (or similar)

Day 7 Takayama to Kyoto – by train

Today is a self-guide day. This morning leave Takayama and travel by train to Japan’s cultural capital Kyoto. This afternoon visit a restored wooden house and take part in a ‘Tea Ceremony’ – a quintessential part of Japanese culture. Home to an astonishing 2,000 shrines and temples, including seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sights, Kyoto became capital of Japan in 794 AD remaining so until 1868. A highlight of any visit to Japan, roughly one out of four of the country’s national treasures can be found in the city. (B)

Accommodation in Kyoto: Granvia Hotel (or similar)

Day 8 Kyoto

Today explore Kyoto with a local guide. Places of interest covered on the private tour include the beautiful Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavillion temple), the 17th century Nijo Castle, the Daitoku-ji Zen temple complex, home to one of Japan’s best Zen rock gardens and the stunning Kiyomizu Temple which offer fabulous views over the city. End the day exploring the old wooden buildings and atmospheric lanes of Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama district or explore Fushimi Inari-taisha, an important Shinto shrine that features thousands of vermilion torii gates leading to a forest sanctuary. (B)

Accommodation in Kyoto: Granvia Hotel (or similar)

Day 9 Kyoto

After a morning at leisure meet your guide and visit the mile-long Nishiki covered food market. With its endless number of interesting food stores, this is the ideal place from which to buy the ingredients for your cooking class. Leave the market and stroll through one of Kyoto's traditional neighbourhoods to the class stopping en-route for a taste test at a local sake brewery. At the class you will cook your own evening meal and will learn to make rolled sushi, miso soup and Japanese-style salad. (B/D)

Accommodation in Kyoto: Granvia Hotel (or similar)

Day 10 Kyoto to Koyasan – by train

Today is a self-guided day. This morning travel by local train into the mountains of Wakayama Prefecture to Mt Koya (Koyasan) – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reach the summit by cable car and meet your guide who will show you the main sites. Koyasan is the centre of Shingon Buddhism which was introduced to Japan in 805 AD and is a place few foreign visitors get to see. Stay overnight at Shukubo – a Japanese temple lodging – and enjoy a dinner of Shojin Ryori, traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. (B/D)

Accommodation in Koyasan: Shukubo (or similar)

Day 11 Koyasan to Osaka – by train

Today is a self-guided day. Rising early, witness the monks chanting their morning prayers. Following breakfast further explore Koyasan and, after descending the mountain by cable-car, take the train to Osaka. Japan’s third biggest city, Osaka is a flamboyant, fun-loving place with an extensive food culture. Osakans’ love good food and with its futuristic skyline is the epitome of a modern Japanese city. (B)

Accommodation in Osaka: Cross Hotel (or similar)

Day 12 Osaka

With a local guide, today explore Osaka starting at the 3rd century Sumiyoshi Taisha. One of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines, Sumiyoshi is an excellent example of traditional Shinto architecture. After visiting Osaka Castle head to the Doguyasuji shopping arcade, a unique market where you can find almost anything related to the food industry, and end the day in Dotonbori, the main restaurant destination, where you can sample everything from ‘fugu’ puffer fish to ‘tacoyaki’ – an Osakan street-food favourite. (B/D)

Accommodation in Osaka: Cross Hotel (or similar)

Day 13 Osaka to Hakone – by train

Today is a self-guided day. Make your way to Osaka Station and take the train to Hakone the gateway to Mount Fuji. Later explore Hakone National Park and, armed with the included Transport Pass, take advantage of the numerous forms of transport on offer throughout the park. Ride the world’s second longest cable car up Mount Owakudanin for a birds-eye view of Mount Fuji, take a boat cruise on Lake Ashi or ride the Hakone Tozan ‘switchback train’ which zigzags through the mountain giving magnificent views of the surrounding valleys. (B/D)

Accommodation in Hakone: Yugiriso Ryokan (or similar)

Day 14 Hakone to Tokyo – by train

Today is a self-guided day. After breakfast make your way back to Hakone Station in good time to catch the Shinkansen Bullet to Tokyo. The remainder of the day is at leisure to either relax or further explore Japan’s vibrant capital city. (B)

Accommodation in Tokyo: The Park Hotel (or similar)

Day 15 Tokyo to the UK

This morning take the airport shuttle bus back to the airport to catch the British Airways flight non-stop to the UK. (B)

Sushi and Samurai - A Food Tour of Japan

15 days from £6695 per person

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS

CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR HOLIDAY PLANS

Pettitts guide to price for this itinerary would be £6695 per person

Itinerary: Sushi and Samurai - A Food Tour of Japan

What's included

What's not included

Guide to Price

What To Do Next?

SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR TRAVEL SPECIALISTS TO START PLANNING YOUR TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY