We will be open at 9:00 am. Call 020 7590 0689
Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) in Kyoto, Japan

Cultural Highlights of Japan by Rail

16-day tailor-made rail holiday from £7,775 pp incl. flights

Summary

Short description

Showcase the best of Japan by rail, from neon megacities to ancient castle towns

Highlights

  • Explore Japan’s highlights with rail and transport passes
  • Compare samurai quarters to bullet-train modernism
  • Enjoy little extras, from Kyoto tea ceremonies to the Tokyo Skytree
  • Take it all in with private, tailor-made tours
  • Stay in luxury hotels and traditional ryokans for hot-spring soaks

In Brief

  • 2 Nights Tokyo
  • 3 Nights Kyoto
  • 2 Nights Matsue
  • 2 Nights Hagi
  • 2 Nights Hiroshima
  • 2 Nights Kurashiki
  • 1 Night Osaka

About

Recommended for:
City | History & culture | Rail holidays

Between scenic bullet-train trips, this curated itinerary showcases everything from samurai strongholds and Kyoto’s ancient heritage to the bright lights of Tokyo, Hiroshima and Osaka. Along the way, you’ll enjoy private, tailor-made tours along with stays in luxury hotels and historic inns, complemented by traditional kaiseki feasts. You’ll even take a tea ceremony and summit the Tokyo Skytree. However, there’s plenty of flexibility to explore on your own, with your included rail and transport pass bringing you to the likes of Miyajima’s floating shrines and Nara’s millennia-old monasteries.

Day by day itinerary

Day 1
Depart UK

Begin your trip in style with complimentary airport lounge access before your overnight flight.

Days 2-3
Tokyo

Upon arrival, a private transfer will see you to your central hotel, darting over elevated expressways to views of the Tokyo skyline. While both of our accommodation options are set next to historic gardens, you might want to make use of your included transport card to explore the capital’s neighbourhoods further; highlights include electronic Akihabara, Shinjuku’s skyscrapers and upmarket Ginza. However, the next day, a private guide will tailor-make a tour of the city to your interests. There’s everything from hole-in-the-wall ramen joints to the Shinto shrines of Yoyogi Park to take in. You’ll also enjoy entrance to the world’s tallest tower – the Tokyo Skytree – for truly citywide views.

Stay: Gate Hotel Kaminarimon, Tokyo (Superior) or Palace Hotel, Tokyo (Deluxe)

Meals: B

Days 4-6
Kyoto

Your first bullet-train sprint will whip you between Mt. Fuji and the coast to arrive at Kyoto. Here, you’ll be greeted by a private tea ceremony, your guide educating you on the tradition’s ancient Buddhist principles. The next day, you’ll contrast the sleek style of your luxury hotel with Kyoto’s rich heritage, enjoying a personalised private tour. Choose from 17 UNESCO-listed treasures, 400 Shinto shrines and 1,600 Buddhist temples as you dip between bamboo groves and Imperial-Palace gardens. Your last day is then at leisure. Perhaps make use of your rail pass to explore next-door Nara; it’s where Buddhism first made land in Japan, something evidenced by grand monasteries and terraced temples.

Stay: Granvia Kyoto (Superior) or Hyatt Regency (Deluxe)

Meals: B

Days 7-8
Matsue

Back on the Shinkansen, you’ll skirt Honshu’s southern coast to Okayama where you’ll change onto an express train, heading inland to Matsue. Set between twin lagoons and a maze of waterways, this prefectural capital welcomes with spectacular sunsets and an imposingly tiered 17th-century castle – one of just 12 to survive from the feudal era. And, you’ll have two days to explore, taking in the modern masterpieces of Adachi Museum of Art, along with one of the country’s finest gardens, all spindly bonsais and raked gravel swathes. Then, at day’s end you’ll retire to your traditional ryokan inn where timber rooms, onsen hot-spring soaks and included dinners of local delicacies recall Japan’s quieter past.

Stay: Minamikan, Matsue (Superior) or KAI Tamatsukuri (Deluxe)

Meals: B D

Days 9-10
Hagi

On a scenic train ride you’ll follow the coast down to Hagi. A quiet seaside town, its old castle centre has changed little since the feudal era; it’s said that you can still navigate its white walled streets and orange-tree-dotted gardens using Edo-Period maps. Many of its samurai residences and merchant houses are open to the public, as is the now-ruined castle’s carp-filled moat. You’ll also have a chance to taste the region’s culinary heritage, with a pair of included dinners at your contemporary ryokan accommodation.

Stay: Hagi Honjin (Superior & Deluxe) 

Meals: B D

Days 11-12
Hiroshima/Miyajima

After a private car transfer to the station, your train hop will see you swap coasts to Hiroshima. A city that needs little introduction, the events of 6 August 1945 are memorialised in hauntingly beautiful dome ruins and the superb Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Yet, in spite of its tragic past, the city’s wide, leafy avenues are built anew, vibrant with art museums and teahouse-dotted gardens. It’s all showcased on your private guided tour the next day, again tailor-made to your interests. There’s also the opportunity to head out to Miyajima, the island of floating shrines whose temple-capped mountain offers stunning archipelago views. The floor-to-ceiling panoramas of Hiroshima from your hotel aren’t bad, either.

Stay: Sheraton Hiroshima, Honshu (Deluxe)

Meals: B

Days 13-14
Kurashiki

From Hiroshima, head east on the Shinkansen to Okayama where you’ll change to a local line to reach Kurashiki. A key intermediary in the Edo-Period rice trade, its canals are lined with 18th-century storehouses presented in iconic black and white. Having checked into your central hotel, step out to follow willow-lined waterways to merchant houses that have been converted into everything from archaeological museums to art galleries. We also highly recommend a trip to Okayama’s gardens and jet-black castle.

Stay: Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel

Meals: B

Day 15
Osaka

Retrace your railway route through Okayama to spend your last day in Osaka, Japan’s third largest city. Here, neon signs cover whole building sides and giant Ferris wheels perch on top of department stores. But, the excess doesn’t end with the architecture, with the city often known as the country’s gastronomic capital, famed for its okonomiyaki – savoury pancakes. Remember to take some time to navigate the grounds and moats of Osaka Castle and summit one of the city’s skyscraper views. You’ll also find a world-class aquarium and a bustling downtown district bisected by a pretty canal, which, after dark, comes alive with bars and bright lights.

Stay: Marriott Miyako, Osaka (Deluxe) or St Regis Hotel, Osaka, Honshu (Deluxe)

Meals: B

Day 16
Depart for UK

After breakfast, you’ll be met by a private driver who’ll see you to the airport for your flight home, arriving the same day.

Meals: B

Map

Pricing

Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.

Accommodation rating: Superior Deluxe

16-day tailor-made rail holiday
from £7,775 pp incl. flights

Superior

Low Season

from £7,775 pp. incl. flights

High Season

from £8,800 pp. incl. flights

Includes:
  • Complimentary UK airport lounge access
  • Return flights from London to Narita and Kansai
  • Private airport transfers
  • Rail travel by bullet train, express train and standard train, including Tokyo to Okayama and Matsue, Matsue to Masuda, Asa to Hiroshima, Hiroshima to Okayama and Okayama to Osaka
  • IC transport card
  • 14 nights staying in 4* (Superior) hotels on a mix of B&B and half-board basis
  • 8 hour private guide service in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima
  • Entrance fee to Tokyo Skytree & Tea ceremony experience Kyoto, Entry tickets for Nijo Castle, Hiroshima Castle, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Itsukushima Shrine- Miyajima
  • Portable Wi-Fi device for the duration of the trip



Terms & Conditions

Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.

Meet our experts

Speak to a tailor-made specialist on 020 7590 0689

Meet the team

Adjust your itinerary with our recommended extensions

Amanemu, Kashikojima

Luxury Amanemu

4-day extension from £1,345 pp

Travel to the remote Kii Peninsula for an ultra luxurious experience, meandering past green islands on a sunset boat ride, visiting Japan's most sacred Shinto shrine and relaxing in your own private onsen. You'll also enjoy a stay in the country's tallest building: Marrio Miyako.

Mt. Koya, Japan

Mt. Koya

3-day extension

Stay in your own shukubo temple accommodation on Mt Koya, one of Japan's holiest mountains. During your stay you'll be able to meet temple monks and visit the place where 12th century Empress Fujiwara no Tamako's body still lies to this day.

Private audience with a maiko, Kyoto

Private Audience with a Maiko

On-the-day excursion from £145 pp

Over ceremonial tea on tatami mats you’ll be introduced into the world of Japanese high society with traditional games, a dance performance and perhaps a calligraphy or poetry demonstration. It’s a rare opportunity to glimpse a life that few – even in Japan – get close to.

Zazen Meditation, Kyoto

Zazen Meditation

On-the-day excursion from £50 pp

On this Kyoto-based excursion, you'll learn the way of Zen Buddhism and its quest for self-enlightenment as you receive expert demonstrations on how to sit, breathe and focus. You'll also have the opportunity to discover more about Japanese traditional temple life.

Robot Restaurant, Tokyo, Japan

Robot Restaurant

Evening excursion

Prepare yourself for one of the most baffling, entertaining and weirdest experiences in Tokyo, if not all of Japan. The Shinjuku's Robot Restaurant is home to a truly sensational robot cabaret.

Why book with Wexas Travel?

At Wexas, we specialise in bespoke travel experiences. Our itineraries are just samples of what we can arrange, and can be changed depending on your precise needs, finances and ideas by our experienced destination specialists.

Contact one of our consultants on 020 7590 0689 to discuss how we can tailor your holiday.

Learn why Wexas is the leader in creating luxury holidays. What is tailor-made travel?

Expert advice & support

Visit us in our London office

Let our travel specialists curate the perfect holiday:

  • Inspirational ideas based on experience
  • Established for over 50 years
  • Tailor a holiday to your precise requirements
  • Personalised quotes and documentation

Every step of the way

Every step of the way

Our services are with you from start to finish:

  • Dedicated personal consultants
  • Free airport lounges on qualifying bookings
  • Care and guidance pre, post and during holiday
  • Full financial security: ATOL & ABTOT protected