Japanese Culture, Art & Gardens in Autumn Splendour

Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. This evening enjoy a Welcome Dinner to meet your fellow travellers 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, enjoy incredible views over Tokyo from Roppongi Hills Mori Tower before finishing the day at Kiyosumi Garden, a traditional Japanese strolling garden.

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.

Visit Asakusa, Tokyo’s Old Town, where you’re able to enjoy some time to shop. Afterwards, 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, classified as one of Japan’s most beautiful, which will be delightful in the autumn. Afterwards visit the Nomura Samurai House, a traditional Japanese home with a tea-ceremony room, an interior courtyard garden and artifacts from the Edo period.

Travel via express train to Kyoto, with many incredible gardens and home to the famous geisha. On arrival, visit the World Heritage-listed Tenryuji temple, then travel through the the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove which is unlike any other place in Japan.

Visit 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. Nijo Castle then presents its sprawling grounds, alive with autumn colour. 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.

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 Shinen Manyo Botanical Garden and the Heian Shrine, whose garden represents those of the Meiji era.

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 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.