On arrival in Fukuoka airport, a charming city, you will be met by an English-speaking representative and transfer approximately 1 hours to your hotel. Please note: Early check in is not included. If your flight arrives in the morning and you wish to arrange this, please speak to your reservations consultant. You will be transferred by shared coach with other passengers who are not part of a Wendy Wu Tour. If you are on a shared bus transfer, you may have to walk for a few minutes to get to your hotel. Transfers will differ depending on group size. An informal Welcome Dinner will be held on Day 1. If you miss this due to your arrival time, all information will be provided to you at breakfast the following morning. Additional night's before and after your tour can be arranged.

The lovely Fukuoka is at the heart of an area considered a cradle of culture – the city’s position facing Korea and China across the sea means it’s long been a channel of outside influence. This morning, take a stroll in the traditional Rakusuien Garden and visit Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, dedicated to the god of academic achievement. In the afternoon, take a relaxed cruise on the Yanagawa River, passing through a National Site of Scenic Beauty on a small ‘donkobune’. You will be required to remove your shoes. Today you wil spend 2-3 hours on foot.

Transfer around 2 hours to Kumamoto, a city famous for its majestic castle, one of Japan's largest and most complete. Stop by the Castle which is currently under renovation and take a photo, before heading to Suizenji Garden. Check in to your hotel and enjoy some time at leisure before dinner this evening. Please note: Kumamoto Castle is currently under renovation after suffering serious damage in the 2016 earthquake. The inner grounds are currently closed to the public, but it is possible to look at the massive fortress from the outside. The interior of the castle's main keep is scheduled to reopen to the public in spring 2021, while the rest of the grounds are expected to require about 20 years to be fully repaired. We will stop here for a photo.

Travel by coach from Kumamoto to Mount Aso, a journey of approximately 2 hours. Aso is an active volcano at the centre of Kyushu island. Aso’s crater has a circumference of over 100km and encompasses a number of other active peaks, which you’ll be able to see (weather dependent). Continue around 2 and a half hours to Beppu, one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts. Your hotel for the night has onsen facilities for you to make the most of the steamy waters. Please note: Anyone suffering from respiratory conditions, such as asthma or bronchitis, or heart disease, may find their condition worsen when visiting Mount Aso, and will need to take extra precautions on this day or avoid visiting the caldera itself.

Start the day by taking a tour of Beppu’s Jigoku Meguri – a hell tour. You will find different volcanic features, including thermal mud and hot springs that have bubbled from the ground here for a millennium. Head over to Yufuin, another hot spring resort that is home to a wealth of art museums, cafes and boutiques, and stroll down its streets. After lunch, transfer around 2 hours back to Fukuoka for an overnight stay.

This morning, transfer around 2 and a half hours to Yamaguchi where you will visit Rurikoji Temple, known for its five-storied pagoda. Continue around 1 and a half hours further to the Iwakuni area to see Kintaikyo Bridge before transferring another hour to Hiroshima. Check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Take a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island, where sightseeing will be at a leisurely pace on foot. Visit Itsukushima Shrine and explore the traditional market town at leisure. Return by ferry and coach to Hiroshima for lunch and then visit the famous Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Please be aware that the museum may be confronting and upsetting for some group members and it is at your discretion if you wish to visit or enjoy time at leisure exploring the Peace Memorial Park. You will spend 4-5 hours on foot today.

Journey around 3 and a half hourss by coach to Himeji and explore the magnificent 17th Century Himeji Castle and the neighbouring Koko-en, a traditional-style garden. The castle is largely in its original condition, so please use common sense and be mindful of your step when strolling around. You will have to remove your shoes before walking along some of the wooden floors and there are some steep wooden steps to reach certain areas. Here, you will spend 3-3.5 hours on foot. After the reopening in March 2015, Himeji Castle has welcomed many visitors. As such, they now issue numbered tickets to visitors in order to limit the number of people who can enter the Main Keep, reducing congestion, waiting time, and to protect the cultural properties. Please note that this means that there may be cases where some visitors are not allowed to enter the Main Keep. Visit Nadagiku Sake Brewery to learn about the process of this traditional Japanese spirit and enjoy some tasters before continuing around 2 hours to Kyoto. Capital for a thousand years, this enchanting city is the epitome of traditional Japan.

Start the day by visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of vermillion torii gates. The Shrine stretches up Mount Inari (233m high). You will walk up part of the mountain and the incline allows a steady-paced walk. You will walk up part of the mountain and the incline allows a steady-paced walk around 15 minutes with flat road and steps to reach torii gates. Due to the limited space of Fushimi Inari Shrine coach parking, you may need to walk from coach parking for 15 minutes. Later, visit Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple, known as the ‘Golden Pavilion’ due to its golden exterior and take a stroll in the Gion area, Kyoto’s geisha district.

Depart Kyoto and transfer to the train station for a 3-hour bullet train journey to Atami Station. Continue by coach to the Hakone area and enjoy a boat cruise on the peaceful waters of Lake Ashi before boarding the Hakone ropeway to soar over the hilltops to the volcanic Owakudani Valley. Please note, if Hakone Ropeway and Owakudani Valley is closed due to volcanic activity, you will visit Hakone Shrine and take the Komagatake Ropeway instead. Travel around 2 hours to Japan’s vibrant capital city, Tokyo. Please note that your luggage will be transferred separately to your hotel in Tokyo and arrive later the same day.

Tokyo is the ultimate 24-hour city, but look behind its busy, high-tech façade and you will find plenty of tranquil backstreets and old temples to explore. This morning, head to the vibrant Asakusa district and soak up the ambiance of Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. Due to the limited coach parking, you may need to walk around 15 minutes on flat road. Continue to the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree and ascend to the observation deck for magnificent views. After lunch, drive by the Imperial Palace Plaza, visit Meiji Jingu Shrine and see the famous Shibuya Crossing. You will be on your feet for 4 hours today.

Any time before your flight is at leisure and breakfast will be included. You will be transferred from your hotel to Haneda or Narita International airport, according to the departure time of your international flight. Late check-out is not included. Additional night's before and after your tour can be arranged. Transfers: In the event that your flight departs outside of the majority group departure time, you will be transferred to the airport by a shared coach (not with other Wendy Wu Tours passengers). If you are on a shared coach transfer, you may have to walk for a few minutes to get to the coach.