Join us on a 13-day journey through Japan that blends iconic landmarks, hidden gems, and authentic cultural experiences. From bustling cities and serene temples to picturesque landscapes and delicious cuisine, this tour is designed to inspire, connect, and create unforgettable memories with like-minded women. With your Adventurous Women tour leader to guide you, discover the heart of Japan in a safe, supportive, and empowering environment.
Key Details
- Tour Dates: 16 - 28 October 2025
- Start Location: Tokyo, Japan
- End Location: Kyoto, Japan
- Airport: Fly into Tokyo International Airport [HND] and fly out of Kansai International Airport [KIX] (90 mins from Kyoto by direct express train)
- Arrival: Arrive in Tokyo in time to attend the welcome meeting at 6pm.
- Departure: The tour concludes in Kyoto after you check out from your hotel.
Location
Please note map locations and route are approximate only Highlights
● Explore Tokyo’s vibrant streets and iconic landmarks.
● Discover Nikko’s opulent Toshogu Shrine and serene natural beauty in this World Heritage town.
● Relax in Hakone and enjoy a scenic cruise on Lake Ashinoko with views of Mt Fuji (weather permitting).
● Visit the charming alpine town of Takayama and its traditional markets.
● Learn about peace and resilience at Hiroshima’s Peace Park and enjoy the tranquillity of Miyajima Island.
● Step back in time at Himeji Castle, Japan’s most famous samurai fortress.
● Wander Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion, Fushimi Inari’s red torii gates, and Nishiki Market.
Itinerary
Konnichiwa and welcome to Japan! Arrive in Tokyo, where modern skyscrapers meet historic temples. Spend the day settling in or exploring at your own pace. Join your group at 6pm for a welcome meeting, getting to know your fellow adventurers and hearing about the journey ahead.
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Shinagawa Prince Hotel or similar
Enjoy a free morning to explore Tokyo’s vibrant streets, bustling markets, or peaceful gardens. In the afternoon, we’ll catch a train to Nikko, a town steeped in history and beauty. Japan’s efficient train systems are a quintessential experience, offering one of the best insights into the culture, whilst you enjoy the passing scenery. Stock up with some snacks or a bento box at the train station for the journey, which takes approximately 3 hours.
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Annex Turtle Hotori-an or similar
Spend the day immersed in Nikko’s rich cultural heritage. You’ll visit the Toshogu Shrine, known for its opulent, intricate design and as the resting place of a Tokugawa shogun, who was one of the most powerful rulers of the country. Here, you can also visit the Nikko Toshogu Museum of Art (for an extra fee). Your guide will also take you through the serene Kanmangafuchi Abyss, where rows of Jizo Buddhas line the riverbank. Enjoy free time to explore other highlights like the red-lacquered Shin-kyo bridge and the Buddhist temple of Rinno-ji, or visit Chuzenji Lake or Kegon Falls with your new friends.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Annex Turtle Hotori-an or similar
Today we journey to Hakone, a hot spring resort town nestled in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Travel by local trains, shinkansen bullet trains, and a bus, experiencing the variety and efficiency of Japanese transport. It will take approximately 4 hours to arrive, where tranquillity and stunning scenery await.
Note: Today, we will send one piece of luggage to Takayama for you. You will need a small overnight bag for your stay in Hakone as you will not have access to your luggage again until Day 6.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hakone Tenseien Hotel or similar
This morning, we head to the lake by local bus and enjoy a scenic boat ride across Ashinoko Lake. Then we ride the Hakone ropeway cable car to the top of the surrounding mountains for some stunning views - you may even catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji in the distance if weather conditions are clear.
The afternoon is free for you to further explore Hakone’s mountain scenery and volcanic sites. You may like to visit the boiling sulphur springs of Owakudani or Hakone Jinja Shrine, featuring its red torii gate rising from the shore of Ashinoko Lake. Surprisingly, there’s also an eclectic mix of art at the Hakone Open-Air Museum and the Pola Museum of Art that includes work by Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Galle!
Optional Activities
Open-Air Museum JPY 2000
Checkpoint Museum JPY 500
Old Tokaido trail (Hatajuku to Moto Hakone / approx. 2.5km)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hakone Tenseien Hotel or similar
Today we’ll spend about 4 hours travelling by a local train, then a shinkansen (bullet train) towards Takayama – a charming Edo period town in the Japanese Alps, famous for its traditional inns, sake breweries and the Hida Folk Village. Your first stop is the Hida Folk Village – an outdoor museum where the traditional thatched-roof architecture unique to the area has been relocated to a mountain setting to preserve traditional Japanese culture. Discover the techniques used to build farmhouses that could withstand fierce winters and long periods of isolation due to snow-closed roads. Each house is like its own self-contained museum, with displays of personal items and traditional tools.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Kuretakeso Takayama Station or similar
This morning, we explore the vibrant markets in Gifu prefecture that have been held for over 600 years. Look out for the unique local style of pickles, the bags of miso wrapped in leaves, Genkotsu ame (soy bean candy), preserved fish, spices and the delicious marshmallow treat owara tamaten. For today’s breakfast, we will sample a series of local's favourite snacks while you stroll through the market.
The alpine climate and mountain waters are perfect for creating sake, so you'll also visit a local brewery for a taste of the region's prized signature drop. Then we head to Zenkoji Temple to learn how to make incense, believed to have purifying qualities. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the town at your own pace with your fellow adventurers.
Optional Activities
Festival Float Museum JPY 1000
Showa Museum JPY 1000
Takayama Jinya Building JPY 440
Higashiyama Walking Course (Unryuji temple to Takayama Castle Ruins / approx. 2.5km)
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Kuretakeso Takayama Station or similar
We travel approximately 5 hours by express train and shinkansen to Hiroshima today. Depending on what time we arrive, we will visit Hiroshima’s Peace Park this afternoon or tomorrow morning. The Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and Peace Memorial Museum stand testament to the fateful day in August 1945 when Hiroshima was chosen as target for the first ever wartime use of the atomic bomb. This evening, head out with your guide and fellow travellers for one of the city’s signature dishes for dinner – okonomiyaki.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Mystays Hiroshima Peace Park or similar
Today we’ll take a ferry to the serene Miyajima Island, where the iconic floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine awaits. You might like to further explore the island by climbing to the top of Mt Miyajima (or hopping on the cable car instead) for 360-degree views of the Inland Sea. Keep your eyes out for the inquisitive deer that roam the streets.
You have the rest of the day free to enjoy some of the other sites. Perhaps stop by the five-storied Hiroshima Castle, which originally dates to the 1590s. Destroyed by the bomb, it was reconstructed in all its glory in the 1950s, and now holds an informative museum. The wonderful Shukkeien Garden, with teahouses and waterfalls, is also a perfect place to decompress and relax with your new friends.
Optional Activities
Hiroshima – Itsukushima Shrine JPY 300
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Hotel Mystays Hiroshima Peace Park or similar
We leave Hiroshima today and take the train to Himeji to witness Japan’s most impressive samurai castle, once home to over 10,000 samurai families. The building, which has survived earthquakes and war since the mid-16th century, was restored to its full glory in 2015. The moats, baileys, towers and walled alleyways were ingeniously designed to trick attackers!
Later, we hop back on the shinkansen for the trip to the charming ancient capital of Kyoto. Originally founded as Heian-kyo (‘tranquillity and peace capital’) by Emperor Kammu in 794, Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years. With over 2000 temples, shrines and gardens, there’s plenty to explore. We begin with a guided orientation walk so you can get your bearings, then you are free to wander through the historical streets at your own pace. Total travel time today is approximately 4 hours.
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Comfort Inn Kyoto Shijokarasuma or similar
Today we’ll be using local transport to explore the city. Start your day with a visit to the iconic Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), immortalised by Yukio Mishima's novel. Then, join a sweet-making demonstration to learn how yatsuhashi (a traditional Japanese snack of flour, sugar and cinnamon) and matcha tea is made. Afterwards, sample local delicacies at the 'Kitchen of Kyoto,' Nishiki Market. End the day at the famous red torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine, where you are free to relax, wander or hike up the mountain following the red torii gates - a great way to enjoy the forest and the views over the city!
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Comfort Inn Kyoto Shijokarasuma or similar
Enjoy a free day to explore Kyoto at your own pace. Head off to Arashiyama and meander through the Sagano bamboo forest, or cycle along the Kamo River, stopping to see the impressive Higashi Honganji Temple and the Sanjusangendo – home to 1001 statues of Kannon.
A gentle stroll through Kyoto's eastern hills along the ‘Path of Philosophy’ that links Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, with Nanzen-ji Temple is also recommended. This walk can be extended south through the well-preserved Old Town areas to Kiyomizu-dera (Temple of Clear Water) with its famous viewing platform. Here you can reflect on the journey and celebrate your new friendships.
Optional Activities
Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku-no-Michi)
Mt. Daimonji-yama hike (approx. 1h round trip)
Meals: None included
Accommodation: Comfort Inn Kyoto Shijokarasuma or similar
There are no activities planned for the day and you’re free to depart the hotel at any time after check out, taking home cherished memories and lasting connections.
Meals: None included
Includes
Adventurous Women tour leader
English speaking local guide
12 nights twin share accommodation
Bullet train, local train, public transport as mentioned in the itinerary
Included activities as mentioned in the itinerary
Entrance fees where applicable with included activities
5 Breakfasts
1 Dinners
Excludes
International flights
Arrival and departure transfers
Any visas required
Services not mentioned in the itinerary
Late check out at hotels
Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Tips for leaders, guide and driver
Expenditure of personal nature
Personal Insurance
Optional activities
Accommodation
We'll be staying in hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). In the more traditional, family-run Inns, we are more likely to have shared bathrooms. These are always spotlessly clean. It is just a typical style of accommodation in Japan. Furthermore, it is likely that you will come to love the firm style of bedding known as the futon. This won't be an every night occurrence, but it is likely that you will spend 4 nights on futons. It is all part of the authentic, Japanese experience.
What To Bring/Wear
- - Detailed Trip Notes will be provided well in advance of your departure, to help you plan & prepare.
Notice of cancellation must be in writing, with an email as an acceptable form of communication, directly to Adventurous Women with the following conditions:
90 days + prior to trip departure - Loss of deposit - Partial voucher available*
*Where you cancel a multi-day tour booking more than 75 days prior to departure and have paid a deposit, we will issue a $250 voucher for use on a future tour with an 18 month validity date from the start date of the original tour. This voucher can be used towards the deposit on a future tour, or it can be used towards your final payment on a tour. If you are using one of these vouchers to pay for a deposit and if you subsequently cancel that tour, no voucher is available.No refund is available after departure of a tour has commenced.We highly recommend taking trip cancellation cover through your travel insurer to cover you for unforeseen circumstances that may lead you to have to cancel your participation in the tour.
