- Japan Escorted Tours
- Treasures of Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun boasts one of the world's most enthralling and unique cultures and civilisations. Japan is a nation of samurai castles and Zen Buddhist temples on the one hand, and bullet trains racing through neon-tinted futuristic cityscapes on the other. This fully immersive tour offers a fantastic introduction to this fascinating country.
Depart on your scheduled, overnight flight to Tokyo.
Dinner
On arrival in Tokyo, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the day at leisure.
Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy a full day of sighseeing. Begin your journey with a visit to Sensoji. Visit Asakusa Kannon Buddhist Temple, Tokyo's oldest temple, and wander down the age-old Nakamise Shopping Street. The street leads you to the main hall and pagoda, where the air is filled with the fragrance of incense and the soothing sounds of Buddhist prayer chants.
Next, continue to the magnificent Imperial Palace Plaza. Stroll through the landscaped gardens, admire the serene moats, and picturesque views of the Niju Bridge.
In the afternoon, head to the popular area of Ginza. Experience world-class shopping as you explore the streets lined with flagship stores of international luxury brands and Japanese department stores. Ginza seamlessly blends centuries-old traditions with cutting-edge trends, offering a unique shopping experience that reflects Tokyo's dynamic character.
Breakfast
Following breakfast, visit Hakone National Park, home to one of Japan's most instantly recognisable sights - the iconic Mount Fuji, fringed by thick forests and a crescent-shaped ring of shimmering lakes. Take a Hakone Ropeway cable car ride to a mountaintop station with spectacular vistas of the sparkling, blue waters of Lake Ashi and Fuji's snow-capped peak. From here, a short walking trail leads to Owakudani Valley, an active volcanic crater, where hot springs, bubbling pools and steam vents serve as reminders of the area's volcanic might.
Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast, travel to Matsumoto, a charming city nestled among the towering peaks of the Japanese Alps. Matsumoto is home to the exquisite Matsumoto Castle, known locally as 'Crow Castle' due to its striking black and white design. This city offers a perfect blend of historical exploration and natural beauty.
After exploring Matsumoto, continue your journey to the picturesque mountain town of Takayama. Known for its well-preserved Edo-period streets and traditional wooden houses, Takayama provides a glimpse into Japan's past.
Breakfast
After breakfast, immerse yourself in the warm, lively, and vibrant atmosphere of the morning market alongside the river. This bustling market, filled with local vendors and fresh produce, offers a glimpse into the daily life of Takayama's residents.
Established as a merchant town, the remote mountain village of Takayama provides a truly unique insight into a bygone Japan. Your fascinating guided tour will take you past picturesque canals flowing under the eaves of traditional sake brewing houses. Look for the bundles of cedar leaves hanging outside, indicating that the new season's rice wine is available.
Breakfast
Departing Takayama, journey into the ancient capital of Kyoto. Once the imperial capital of Japan, the ancient city of Kyoto boasts a history of over 1200 years and as many as 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was lucky enough to be relatively unscathed from the devastation of World War II and pockets of the old world still linger where traditional geishas can be seen shuffling along narrow streets in their wonderfully colourful kimonos.
Breakfast & Dinner
A full-day tour delves into the city’s rich history exploring the Zen Buddhist temple of Kinkakuji, the impressive Fushimi Inari shrine and the 400 year old Nikshiki Market. Enjoy a stroll around the Gion area, a collection of streets defined by old wooden buildings, teahouses and exclusive restaurants before experiencing an age-old tradition with an evening of geisha performances while having dinner.
Breakfast
Today, enjoy a morning journey to Hiroshima aboard the Bullet Train. In the afternoon, explore the poignant Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where you can view moving displays of photos and personal belongings from the victims of the Hiroshima bombing, offering a powerful reminder of the tragic events that shaped history.
Breakfast & Dinner
Start your day with a boat ride to Miyajima Island, known as the 'Island of the Gods' and visit the awe-inspiring Itsukushima Shrine with its towering, freestanding wooden gate which stands in the middle of the sea. Later, a bullet train carries you to Osaka, arriving in time for a stroll around Dotonbori and for your farewell meal.
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK, or continue on to your chosen extension.
Your flight lands back in the UK today.
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We had an excellent guide, Hiroshi, who was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about sharing Japanese culture. Hiroshi went above and beyond to make the experience as memorable as possible, always ready to listen and quick to respond. The tour was well organised and run.
Jayne Cawood
05 MayOur tour guide, Hiroshi, was absolutely outstanding. He was kind, knowledgeable, and nothing was too much trouble. He would always go above and beyond what was expected of him, including escorting us to additional attractions such as the Shibuya Crossing and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, which were requested by the group. He demonstrated a real passion for his job and genuine care for our group (and provided local Japanese snacks for us to try). Other highlights of the tour included all the beautiful temples, shrines, and markets, as well as shopping and exploring the cities. I felt that we had a good ratio of time with the group and free time to explore.
Charlotte Halling
03 MayOur tour guide, Nariko, was exceptional and a real asset to Mercury. She was extremely knowledgeable, kind, cheerful, and very helpful.
Sarah Jones
27 SeptemberJust wanted to say how great our guide Naomi was. She was very well organised, patient and friendly, and the information she gave at the sights was just right.
Richard Beckwith
03 AprilI would need a whole book to write the highlights of this tour as there are too many to recall. There was the Outdoor Sculpture Park which exhibited world art and inside endless Picasso's. The sadness of the Peace Dome in Hiroshima and Bell is a worthy visit. Every temple was a treasure in its own way. The red corridors at Fushimi Inari are a favourite of endless torii gates rising up the hillside.
Linda Macro
18 SeptemberOur guide Ishiki was excellent, as was our driver. The group size of 21 was excellent, with many single travellers and a range of ages; we mixed and got on well.
Heather Broomfield
28 OctoberThe hotels were of a good standard and the service was good. The food options were fine and of good quality. The variation of experiences provided and the knowledge of our guide. Inage, our guide was knowledgeable and caring. He genuinely wanted us to have the best experience.
Deborah Bradley
03 MayPlease note whilst travelling through Japan, including between hotels and trains, there is no porterage included within your tour. This does not include any overnight trains that require an overnight bag.
Smaller groups may use public transport.
The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
Please note that room sizes in Japan are generally smaller than those you may be used to.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
UK passports holders will be granted a tourist visa on arrival into Japan free of charge for stays of up to 30 days. Visa, arrival and departure requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Treasures of Japan is rated as Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.
The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen (JPY). You can purchase the currency before you travel but you will probably get a better exchange rate if money is exchanged when in Japan. You can buy Yen at foreign exchange banks and at the airport. Credit, debit and prepaid cards from international brands are accepted at a wide variety of places in the major cities within Japan. Outside of these, cards may not be widely accepted, although you will be able to withdraw cash in the local currency across the country at ATMs. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in local currency.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. We recommend you bring along a minimum of GBP £500 per person to change into local currency. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.
Tipping is not compulsory and is at your discretion. However, Should you wish to tip in Japan . We would recommend to tip approximately £2 per person per day. This is a total of £30 per person to budget for tips on your trip. Tips will be collected at the end of your tour. Tips are accepted in the local currency.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 33. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
We would like to inform you that local guides will not be used during your tour. This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your Tour Guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. Your guide will be on hand for the duration of your tour and will be able to provide you with some general information on each of the destinations/ attractions that you visit
During this tour you will be on various trains ranging from Local trains to Bullet trains. There are some luggage restrictions on Japanese trains and so your main luggage may need to be transported overnight. It is advisable to take a smaller overnight bag with you for these days. Your guide will assist you in advance with this matter. All train carriages are booked with comfortable seats and air conditioning.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Japan. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs. If you have booked a triple share please note that your room will be a twin room with a rollaway bed or sofa bed added. This may limit the floor space in the room.
Please keep in mind that room sizes in Japan are generally smaller than those you may be used to.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel. Please note Gluten free food is very limited in Japan and while every effort is made to assist you this requirement cannot be 100% guaranteed.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.
If you are travelling within the below Japanese Public Holidays please note that celebrations can last a couple of days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Golden Week is usually between late April and early May. Obon Holiday is between usually in the middle of August.
On your arrival in Tokyo you will be met by a representative from our local agent in Japan, JTB, holding a sign displaying ‘Mercury Holidays’. The Mercury Holidays/JTB representative will transfer you to your hotel on arrival where you will spend your first night.
If you need to contact JTB during your stay the details are:
JTB Global Marketing and Travel Address: Tokyo Front Terrace 6F, Hisgashi Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8604
Contact number: +81 (0) 3-5796-5431 (office day on Mon-Fri 09:30-18:00 apart from Sat&Sun and public holidays)
Emergency contact number: +81 (0) 70-2264-2119
Email address: kg01@gmt.jtb.jp
