Great Japan Tour: 10 Days, Osaka to Tokyo

We meet at Istanbul Airport's International Terminal and depart for Osaka (KIX), Japan on Turkish Airlines flight TK 086 at 02:00. We spend the night on board this comfortable direct flight. We land at Osaka Kansai Airport at 18:55 local time and transfer to our hotel by private vehicle. After checking in around 22:00, we settle in for the night. Accommodation: Hotel Sunroute Osaka Namba or similar.

Today is a free day in Osaka. You can explore the city at your own pace, go shopping, try local flavours, or take a walk through Osaka's lively streets. The Dotonbori area is a good choice for the evening. Accommodation: Hotel Sunroute Osaka Namba or similar.

After breakfast we head to Nara, Japan's first capital. We visit Todai-ji Temple, home to the world's largest bronze Buddha statue, and spend time in Nara Park, known for its freely roaming sacred deer. In the afternoon we continue to Kyoto, the heart of Japanese culture, to visit the Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji. We return to Osaka at the end of the day. Accommodation: Hotel Sunroute Osaka Namba or similar.

After breakfast we set off by private vehicle to Hiroshima, a pivotal site in modern history. Here we visit the Peace Memorial Museum and the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome. A short ferry ride then takes us to Miyajima, known as the Island of the Gods, where we visit Itsukushima Shrine, famous for its Torii Gate standing in the sea. Accommodation: APA Hotel or similar.

Today we travel by Shinkansen, the pinnacle of Japanese technology, from Hiroshima to the capital, Tokyo, a journey of about four hours. On arrival we check into our hotel. In the evening we get a quick taste of metropolitan life at Shibuya, the world's busiest pedestrian crossing, and the Hachiko statue. Accommodation: APA Hotel (3-star) or similar.

Our full day in Tokyo begins at Asakusa Kannon, the city's oldest temple. After browsing local goods on Nakamise shopping street, we take in a panoramic view of the Imperial Palace Gardens. In the afternoon we explore Akihabara, the hub for anime, manga and technology fans. Accommodation: APA Hotel or similar.

Early in the morning we head towards Mount Fuji, Japan's sacred symbol. Weather permitting, we climb to the 5th station at 2,300 metres for the view. We then take a short boat tour on Lake Ashi in Hakone and visit the Owakudani volcanic valley. We return to Tokyo in the evening. Accommodation: APA Hotel or similar.

We leave this extra day in Tokyo entirely free. You can shop at the stylish stores of Ginza, or watch Japanese youth fashion on the streets of Harajuku and Omotesando. In the evening you can visit Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower for a view over the city from above. Accommodation: APA Hotel or similar.

After a final breakfast at the hotel we have free time until transfer. In the afternoon we transfer to Haneda Airport. Turkish Airlines flight TK 199 departs for Istanbul at 22:05, and we spend the night on board.

We land at Istanbul Airport at 05:40 local time. Our 10-day Japan tour ends here.