After breakfast, join your guide as you set out to uncover the simmering sensations that earn Osaka the reputation as Japan’s kitchen.
Set off on a walking tour through Tenjinbashi, Japan’s longest shopping street. Along your journey through the city, stop at a 7-Eleven convenience store for a taste of everyday Japan, from bento boxes, egg sandwiches and onigiri to matcha sweets (at your own expense). There’s almost one on every block in Japan’s busy cities, and visiting is considered an essential part of the local experience.
Then, transfer to Namba – Osaka’s southern downtown district. Here you’ll find Dotonbori, which runs along the canal and is renowned for its neon lights, oversized signs and endless choice of eateries and shops.
Insider Experience: Dotonbori street food tour, handpicked by Gary
Here, your expert local guide will lead you through Gary’s curated itinerary as you snack on local favourites including takoyaki – Osaka’s famous octopus balls – and crispy kushikatsu skewers. Don’t miss okonomiyaki, Osaka’s signature savoury cabbage pancake, topped with umami-rich sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. According to Gary, “there’s plenty of affordable street food and high-end restaurants, it’s honestly hard to find bad food”.
Break for lunch at Namba Ramen Ichiza, where ramen specialists from around the country dish up their best bowls under a canopy of lanterns (at your own expense).
Spend the rest of your day at leisure.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 60 minutes
Insider Recommendation: Japan convenience store – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
Insider Experience: Dotonbori street food tour, handpicked by Gary
After breakfast, set out to explore the skilled artistry at the heart of Japan’s culinary traditions.
Transfer to your hands-on sushi-making class, where a local master shares techniques passed down through generations, including how to roll with precision and achieve the perfect sticky rice.
Afterwards, take your transfer onwards to captivating Kobe.
Insider Experience: Sake tasting at Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum in Kobe, handpicked by Gary
Continue to Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum in Kobe to explore centuries-old brewing traditions, followed by a private tasting. Made from fermented rice, water, yeast and koji mold, sake is Japan’s national drink, enjoyed at ceremonies, celebrations and social gatherings.
Insider Experience: Dinner at Wakkoqu Restaurant, handpicked by Gary
This evening in Kobe, savour one of Japan’s most celebrated culinary delights – a meal featuring Kobe beef, renowned for its marbling, delicateness and rich flavour. “Japanese A5 Wagyu is the very best of the best, and Wakkoqu is known for their Wagyu,” notes Gary. Seating is at the counter around a teppan grill, letting you watch the skilful preparation as you enjoy your dinner.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Insider Recommendation: Sushi-making class – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
Insider Experience: Sake tasting at Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum in Kobe, handpicked by Gary
“Much like wine, the joy of sake is how it can take on so many forms and flavours.”
Insider Experience: Dinner at Wakkoqu Restaurant, handpicked by Gary
“Steak may never taste quite as good ever again!”
Following breakfast at your hotel, check out and send your luggage to your hotel in Kyoto. Bringing your overnight bag, transfer to the train station before switching up the tempo as you board a bullet train to Hiroshima, zipping through the countryside in comfort.
On arrival, enjoy lunch at your own leisure.
“They say Hiroshima is a city that balances reflection with renewal, and once you’ve been, it begins to make sense,” explains Gary. This afternoon, transfer by private coach to the Peace Memorial Museum, where you will see artefacts and exhibits detailing the events of August 6, 1945. The museum provides a sombre and educational experience, showcasing the devastating impact of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Adjacent to the museum is the Peace Memorial Park, where your local guide will lead you between monuments such as the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Children’s Peace Monument and the Cenotaph, all dedicated to promoting peace and commemorating victims.
Afterwards, check into your Hiroshima hotel and refresh before tonight’s dinner.
Insider Experience: OKOTSA okonomiyaki making class, handpicked by Gary
Transfer to OKOSTA for a hands-on okonomiyaki experience, where you become the chef and enjoy the fruits of your labour. “Okonomiyaki is the perfect dish to use up leftovers – it means ‘as you like’,” Gary explains. “Okonomi sauce and Kewpie mayo make everything taste better!”
Travel time: Bullet train – approx. 70 minutes
Insider Recommendation: Peace Memorial Museum – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
“Moving and memorable.”
Insider Experience: OKOTSA okonomiyaki making class, handpicked by Gary
“Once you learn the basics the combinations are endless.”
After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby and transfer to Hiroshima Station. Board the Shinkansen and zip through the landscape to Kyoto. On arrival, enjoy lunch at your leisure, perhaps at one of the station’s ramen shops, slurping a steaming bowl of noodles like a local.
Renowned for its rich cultural heritage, elegant traditional architecture and numerous showstopping historic sites, Kyoto is truly Japan’s culture capital.
Spend the afternoon wandering through Gion, the famous geisha district within Higashiyama, exploring its historic streets and wooden machiya houses. Walk along Hanamikoji Street, where you might spot a geisha or maiko. “The narrow streets, wooden buildings, temples, shrines and quaint old shops transport you to a different time,” says Gary.
Tonight, savour dinner at a Kyoto-style hot pot restaurant, where you can curate your own steaming bowl of vegetables, thinly sliced meats and broth, creating a comforting cauldron of flavours.
Travel time: Bullet train – approx. 90 minutes
After a light breakfast, prepare for a day exploring Kyoto, starting with the Nishiki Market.
Discover this bustling food destination, filled with fresh produce, lively food stalls and traditional Japanese culinary tools. Follow your local guide through the pedestrian arcade and sample Gary’s recommended treats such as tako-tamago, matcha sweets and tamagoyaki.
Next, visit Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion, named for the gold leaf that covers its top two floors. This Zen temple was originally the retirement villa of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Built over a large pond and surrounded by forest, it is the only surviving structure from his retirement complex.
Afterwards, enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant featuring Yudofu, a Kyoto speciality of tofu simmered in a flavourful stock. Using Kyoto’s famously soft spring water, this local dish delivers a clean taste with exceptionally creamy texture.
This afternoon, explore the iconic Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, wandering along enchanting paths lined with towering bamboo. Enjoy the rest of the day and dinner at leisure.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Insider Recommendation: Nishiki market tasting of local dishes – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
“A food-lovers’ bucket list moment.”
Following breakfast at your hotel, check out and send your luggage ahead to your Tokyo accommodation. With your overnight bag in hand, transfer with your local guide to an udon- and gyoza-making class. Join a local expert to master the art of hand-rolled noodles and pan-fried dumplings before sitting down to enjoy your creations.
This afternoon, visit Tokugawaen, a traditional Japanese garden where koi swim beneath wooden bridges and manicured landscapes unfold around a central pond.
Tonight, enjoy Nagoya’s moreish chicken wings for dinner, celebrated for their crispy bite and sticky glaze. Double-fried, the wings are dunked in a delicious sauce – “a savoury-sweet glaze made from soy sauce, mirin and spices, jam-packed with umami goodness,” explains Gary.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Insider Recommendation: Udon- and gyoza-making class – one of Gary’s can’t-miss Japan experiences
Insider Recommendation: Tebasaki dinner – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
“Having one or two is never enough!”
After breakfast, take a short walk or shuttle to Nagoya Station for your bullet train to Tokyo. A populous metropolis with a seemingly endless array of shopping, dining and cultural attractions, and a striking mix of old and new architecture, Tokyo is a feast for the senses. “Of course, places like Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya Crossing, Kappabashi Kitchen Town and the Imperial Palace are must-sees,” notes Gary. “But for me, the real pleasure of Tokyo isn’t racing across town to tick off sights, it’s wandering the back streets and little alleys.”
After arriving, follow your guide as you set out to explore Meiji Jingu, a celebrated Shinto shrine nestled in a forested enclave close to Shibuya. Dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who played key roles in Japan’s modernisation, the shrine is one of the country’s most important spiritual sites.
Next, travel to the forward-thinking district of Harajuku, where Takeshita Street buzzes with streetwear, kawaii culture, quirky boutiques and trendsetting cafes. You might like to stop by a cat cafe (as recommended by Gary), where friendly felines roam freely and curl up beside guests.
Continue to the buzzing district of Shibuya and see the iconic crossing. Depicted in films like Lost in Translation and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, it’s the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection, framed by neon-lit billboards and towering buildings.
Later, enjoy dinner at a local udon noodle restaurant before retreating to your hotel.
Travel time: Bullet train – approx. 90 minutes
After breakfast, transfer to your expertly led miso tasting class.
A traditional Japanese fermented paste, miso is an umami-rich ingredient used in dishes from the classic miso soup to marinades and spreads.
For lunch, enjoy a quintessential Japanese chicken sando. Expect chicken katsu, coated in panko crumbs and fried until crispy, served with cabbage and mayo, all sandwiched between pillowy Japanese milk bread.“The tender white bread known as shokupan, the crispy katsu and okonomi sauce are a sandwich lover’s dream,” says Gary.
This afternoon, join your local guide for a stroll through Ginza, Tokyo’s upscale shopping district, where luxury boutiques, department stores and stylish cafes line the streets.
Celebrate your final night with fellow travellers over a farewell dinner, raising a toast to an unforgettable adventure.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Insider Recommendation: Miso-tasting class – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
Insider Recommendation: Chicken sandos lunch – Gary’s pick for an experience you’ll love
“The joy of a white bread sandwich had almost been lost, but thanks to the Japanese and their famous sando, it’s back!”
After one final breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to Tokyo and your insider foodie adventure as you make your own way to the airport.