Journey through the Heartland of Japan 20 Days

Welcome to Aomori! Meet & Greet with tour guide at the Domestic Arrival Lobby in Aomori Airport. The guide will takes you to Kuroishi (about 40 min). Please refer to your tour handbook for more information. Rest at the hotel and be ready to start your exciting tour tomorrow.

In the morning, our English speak assistant takes you to Kuroishi to enjoy the old street call "Komise" selected one of the best 100 streets in Japan, features an arcaded shopping area with traditional structures remaining from the Edo Period. There are few Sake brewery as well.

In the afternoon, we recommend travelling to Hirosaki on your own. Hirosaki castle and Fujita Garden are Highlight. One of Japan's most spectacular cherry blossom spots typically from late April to early May. Don't forget to try "Apple Pie"!!

Travel from Kuroishi to Akita by joyful Train call "Resort Shirakami" (about 5.5 hours)

"Resort Shirakami" is a popular train with grand view of the Sea of Japan, running from Hirosaki, Aomori along the Gono Line to Akita. The floor of coach is designed higher than usual and windows are very wide, so you can enjoy the beautiful vistas. When the train runs around scenic area such as Senjojiki Coast, it will slow down and give announcement for viewpoint. Onboard events like performance of Kataribe [storyteller of legend or folktales] with Tsugaru dialect and Tsugaru-jamisen are offered for passenger enjoyment.

Rest in the afternoon in Akita, you can visit to Senshu Park & Akita Museum of Art.

Travel from Akita to Kakunodate by bullet train (45 min).

Our destination today is the UNESCO World Heritage listed town of Kakunodate, which was once home to 80 samurai families.

Travel from Kakunodate to Nyuto Onsen by bullet train & bus (about 60 min).

The spas in the Nyuto area were built in the 1600's for the use of local samurai and some original thatched roof buildings still stand. Your evening meal will be a selection of local seasonal dishes.

This is a unique experience stepping back in time, staying in a remote mineral hot-springs spa.

Enjoy plenty of mountain and forest scenery, hiking trails are also found in the area.

Travel from Nyuto Onsen to Hiraizumi by Bus, Bullet, JR train (about 3 hours).

Travel to another UNESCO site today - Hiraizumi. 900 years ago this town was an important cultural and economic hub of the north, but its fortunes fell in a classic tale of betrayal and revenge during feudal wars. You will visit the magnificent remaining buildings of Hiraizumi's golden age.

Travel from Hiraizumi to Aizu Wakamatsu by bullet train, JR train (about 3 hours).

Moving further down the spine of Japan's central chain of mountains and valleys, your destination is the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu, once home to a powerful clan of the north, the Matsudaira.

You will visit the castle and the old town including a sake brewery.

Day trip from Aizu Wakamatsu to Ouchijuku by Aizu Railway, Taxi (60 min).

Your samurai self-guided tour continues today through the heartland of Tohoku, to the post-town of Ouchijuku. This picturesque village was a checkpoint and travellers' stop in feudal times when the shogunate restricted movement of citizens. It retains the thatched-roof houses and unpaved street of the Edo period and is famous for soba noodles which is good for your lunch.

Travel from Aizu Wakamatsu to Nikko by JR train, bullet train (about 3 hours).

Today you experience the magnificence of the 17th Century Tokugawa Shogunate when you approach Nikko through an ancient cedar avenue, glimpse the sacred red bridge marking the entrance to the UNESCO World Heritage listed mausoleum and stroll through this vast complex set in a mountain forest. Nikko is stunning and lives up to its reputation of a saying in Japan - "Don't say 'kekko' (magnificent) until you've seen Nikko".

Today, you can enjoy walk along Nikko Kaido (Nikko Road Cedar Path).

After contribution to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine as an approach to the shrine in the Edo period, about 50,000 cedar trees were planted over about 20 years. Currently, about 12,500 trees remain, and the path extending over 35.41km is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the longest tree-lined road in the world.

Or travel to Kegon waterfall where has the almost 100 meter tall Waterfall is the most famous of Nikko's many beautiful waterfalls. In fact, it is even ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful falls.

Travel to Obuse by JR train, bullet train, Nagaden Railway (about 4.5 hour).

Take long train journey up into the central Alps to the town of Obuse. Your accommodation tonight is very special - a series of connected restored town houses in the heart of the old village, transformed into a boutique hotel.

Explore the charming mountain town of Obuse where you can visit a gallery of works by the woodblock print master Hokusai, famous for the 'Great Wave' artwork. Obuse is a pretty town with interesting shops, historic buildings and a sake brewery - very photogenic and great for wandering.

Travel from Obuse to Kanazawa by Nagaden Railway, bullet train (about 2 hour).

Today you travel to Kanazawa, a lovely city on the northern plains of the Alps. Kanazawa has a strong cultural identity, historically shielded from wars by the mountains, and wealthy from its fertile and expansive rice-fields. Kanazawa will be home for two nights, giving you time to visit its famous garden, Kenrokuen and adjacent castle.

More delights of Kanazawa a wait you today, you can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, Omicho market, Higashi Chaya area, Nagamachi Samurai house area.

Travel from Kanazawa to Takayama by Bullet train, JR train (about 2 hour).

You are back on the train today, travelling through very pretty rural landscapes to the town of Hida-Furukawa, where you will enjoy a walking tour of the old merchant town along canals. This is a special walking tour through the town to show you how the ingredients are produced. Visit a local sake brewery, miso shop, rice shop, tofu shop etc where you can talk to the store owners and workers to see how they produce the goods.

After the tour, you move on only a couple of stops by train to your destination of Takayama, a well-preserved rural town of atmospheric old architecture, shrines and shops, which you can explore in the afternoon and evening.

This morning you can visit to the morning market and the old streets. Takayama is famous for its traditional and contemporary craft - woodworking, metalwork and textiles - and there is good shopping here.

You enjoy your last mountain landscapes today as you travel by train down through the valleys of Gifu prefecture to Nagoya, where you transfer to the bullet train for the last leg of your journey to Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital.

In order to closely feel the local atmosphere of Kyoto, our walking tours use public transportation to experience the everyday life of Kyoto. During the 7-hour tour, your private guide will show you around the city covering four major must-see spots taking the appropriate amount of time for each. Visit Bamboo grove in the Arashiyama area, Rock Garden at Ryoanji Temple, Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle or the Nishiki food market.

Your pleasant and memorable Japan tour ends today. Fly home with cherished memories or enjoy your extended stay in Japan.