
Tour · 8 nights · with Explore Worldwide
A carefully paced, escorted tour from Explore Worldwide, travelling Japan’s main islands by bullet train and local transport, blending Tokyo’s modern buzz with the historic calm of Kyoto and Hiroshima’s remembrance.
Highlights
Zen meditation session in Kamakura temple
Visit to Great Buddha statue of Kamakura
Bullet train ride from Hakone to Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Park and museum in Hiroshima
Geisha dance performance in Kyoto
This eight-night escorted tour by Explore Worldwide moves steadily across Japan’s main islands. It begins in Tokyo’s Ginza district, where skyscrapers tower above Hamarikyu Gardens and the busy Tsukiji Outer Market offers fresh seafood and sushi. A day trip to Kamakura includes a Zen meditation in a traditional temple and the Great Buddha statue.
Journeys
The itinerary then heads west to Hakone National Park, with a cable car over sulphur springs and a boat ride on Lake Ashi, before a bullet train whisks the group to Hiroshima. Here, the Peace Memorial Park offers sober reflection on the city's wartime experience and nearby Miyajima Island includes a ferry ride to see the tori gate sitting on the water. The trip finishes with two days in Kyoto, with visits to Fushimi Inari’s famous torii gates and the gilded pavilion of Kinkakuji, alongside a Geisha dance performance.
Throughout, this small group tour combines public and private transport, with opportunities to try local dishes and traditional ceremonies. The rhythm is measured, allowing ample time to see a range of Japan’s cultural, natural and historical highlights without rushing through the most famous sights.
Itinerary
Tokyo
Kamakura
Hakone
Hiroshima
Miyajima
When to go
Lowest price each month, per person.
Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site
The operator
Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife
Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.
You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.

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Kyoto
These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.