Accessible Golden Route

1

Arrival in Tokyo

Tokyo

The journey begins the moment you land. An English-speaking guide will be waiting in the arrivals hall, and a private wheelchair accessible vehicle will take you into the centre of Tokyo, so the first hours in Japan are spent looking out of the window rather than negotiating an unfamiliar station.

The rest of the day is yours to settle in and rest before the city opens up tomorrow.

2

Tokyo: Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya

Tokyo

A full day dedicated to some of Tokyo’s most fascinating sides, where tradition, spirituality and modernity sit within a few stops of one another.

The day begins in Asakusa, the historic quarter that grew around Sensōji Temple and its lantern-lit shopping streets, then continues to Meiji Shrine, a peaceful oasis wrapped in an extensive forest in the very heart of the city.

From there the itinerary moves to Harajuku, the centre of new trends and Japanese youth culture, where elegant avenues and fashionable boutiques give way to far more energetic streets. The day closes in Shibuya, with its famous pedestrian crossing and the unmistakable atmosphere of contemporary Tokyo, before returning to the hotel.

3

Hakone: Ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine

Hakone

A full day surrounded by the mountains, volcanic springs and open water of Hakone, travelling by private wheelchair accessible vehicle.

The Hakone Ropeway opens the day with panoramic views over the valley, before the route reaches Owakudani, where the ground still steams with volcanic activity and impressive fumaroles.

A relaxing cruise on Lake Ashi follows, hills and forest on every side, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears above the far shore. The day ends at Hakone Shrine, whose red torii gate standing in the water is one of the most photographed sights in Japan, before the return to Tokyo.

4

Tokyo: free day

Tokyo

A free day in Tokyo, with nothing scheduled.

The city is yours at your own pace.

5

Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen

Kyoto

Today the journey moves west to the old capital. Luggage is collected in the morning and delivered directly to the next hotel, so you travel with nothing but a small bag.

A guide accompanies you to the station and stays with you on the platform, and the Shinkansen covers the distance to Kyoto in a little over two hours. On arrival you are met again and taken on to the hotel, where the rest of the day is yours.

6

Kyoto: Arashiyama, Tenryuji and the Golden Pavilion

Kyoto

A full day among the cultural and historical landmarks that made Kyoto famous.

It begins in Arashiyama, where the bamboo grove filters the light and quietens everything under it, and continues to Tenryūji Temple, one of the city’s most important Zen temples, whose garden is a masterpiece of traditional Japanese landscape design.

The itinerary then reaches Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion: covered in gold leaf and doubled in the pond in front of it, it is the image most visitors carry home. Through the whole day the contrast between nature, spirituality and refined architecture stays in view, before the return to the hotel.

7

Nara and Fushimi Inari Taisha

Nara

A journey through ancient temples, sacred landscapes and some of the most recognisable scenery in Japan.

The morning is spent in Nara Park, where the famous deer roam freely among the temples and open lawns, and at Tōdaiji Temple, home to the monumental Great Buddha: the scale of the hall alone explains why this was once the capital.

In the afternoon the itinerary returns towards Kyoto for Fushimi Inari Taisha, the shrine whose paths climb the hillside beneath thousands of vermilion torii gates. The lower and more accessible stretches are the most atmospheric, and the most photographed.

8

Kyoto to Osaka: Osaka Castle and Dotonbori

Osaka

The last move of the journey, and a city with a character all of its own. Luggage is again sent ahead to Tokto, and a short Shinkansen ride brings you from Kyoto to Osaka in under twenty minutes.

After leaving the bags at the hotel, the day opens at Osaka Castle, its keep rising above wide grounds and monumental stone walls, a glimpse of the city’s feudal past.

The afternoon belongs to Dotonbori, the most alive and colourful district in Osaka, where neon signs are reflected in the canal and the street food is part of the sightseeing. It is the perfect introduction to a city that wears its history and its modernity at the same time.

9

Osaka to Tokyo by Shinkansen

Tokyo

A guide accompanies you from the hotel to the station and stays with you on the platform, and the Shinkansen returns you to Tokyo before lunchtime.

You are met on arrival and taken on to the hotel, where the rest of the day is yours.

10

Departure from Tokyo

Tokyo

A private wheelchair accessible vehicle collects you from the hotel and takes you to the airport in time for your flight.

Timings are confirmed once your flight details are known.