PICK UP at OSAKA city - HIMEJI city, Hyogo - Asago city, Hyogo - Miyazu city, Kyoto Pref - *Stay at Toyooka city, Hyogo

Osaka - [ Day-1 ] 08:00 < PICK UP > Your hotel in OSAKA city

Upon arrival at the airport, a driver holding a name board will greet you at the arrival gate and escort you to the bus parking area.

If applicable, please provide your [arrival flight number] in advance.

This itinerary assumes you have already explored OSAKA and KYOTO.

• Pick-up begins 10 minutes prior to departure.

Himeji Castle - [ Day-1 ] 09:45-10:45 < guided World Heritage > Himeji Castle, 68 Honmachi, Himeji, Hyogo

Closes at 17:00 Fee: ¥1000 (approximately $10 USD) per adult

Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji city, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is considered the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, featuring a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal era. Often referred to as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”) due to its brilliant white exterior and resemblance to a bird in flight.

Takeda Castle Ruins - [ Day-1 ] 12:00-13:00 < lunch 1 and “Castle in the Sky” > *walk 2 hours Takeda Castle Ruins, Wadayamacho, Takeda, Asago, Hyogo

Depending on the weather, and if you are willing to rise early, you can visit Takeda Castle, renowned for its sea of clouds and reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s anime “Laputa Castle in the Sky.”

The sea of clouds is more likely to appear early in the summer. Additionally, a 2-hour climb from the bus parking lot is required.

“Takeda-jo-seki (Takeda Castle Ruins)” is a nationally renowned castle ruin located atop a mountain. It is often called “Japan’s Machu Picchu” and the “Castle in the Sky” due to the surrounding clouds that create the illusion of a floating castle. The sight of the castle floating on a sea of clouds can be seen when weather conditions are ideal, typically in the early mornings of autumn and winter.

Amanohashidate - [ Day-1 ] 14:30-15:15 < view spot > Miyazu Shiei “Ama-no-hashidate” Parking Lot, 647 Monju, Miyazu, Kyoto

Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, home to “Amanohashidate,” one of Japan’s three most famous landscapes, is a traditional tourist destination.

There are many traditional Japanese-style shops to enjoy as you explore the town.

Amanohashidate is a scenic spot in Miyazu, Kyoto, attracting numerous visitors from across the country each year.

Amanohashidate consists of Daitenkyo, Shotenkyo, Daini Shotenkyo, and Kasamatsu. The sandbank stretches a total of 3.2 km (Daitenkyo and Shotenkyo areas), with beaches ranging from 20 to 170 meters wide, and features beautiful scenery, including rows of approximately 5,000 large and small black pine trees.

In addition to the stunning white sand and green pines, the numerous viewing points for taking in the scenic vista are another attraction, allowing you to view Amanohashidate from various angles.

Genbudo Park - [ Day-1 ] 17:00-17:15 < view spot > Genbudo Park, 1347 Akaishi, Toyooka, Hyogo

Closes at 17:00 Fee: ¥500 (approximately $5 USD)

Home to the five beautiful basalt Genbudo Caves with over 1.6 million years of geological history, Genbudo Park was designated a National Natural Monument by the Japanese Government in 1931 due to its significant role in the discovery of reverse magnetization. The impressive caves are also part of the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark, making it an ideal educational outdoor trip for visitors to the area.

https://visitkinosaki.com/things-to-do/genbudo-park/

Kinosaki Onsen - [ Day-1 DROP OFF ] 17:30 < guest inn 1 > Kinosaki Onsen, Toyooka, Hyogo

• Hotels should be booked near Kinosaki Onsen Station, Toyooka city, Hyogo Prefecture.

• Inn arrangements and payments are your responsibility.

https://travel.rakuten.com/

We recommend enjoying the many hot springs at Kinosaki Onsen.

https://visitkinosaki.com/about-kinosaki/the-7-mystic-onsen/

from Toyooka, Hyogo - Kami - Shinonsen - Fukubecho, Tottori - Yurihama - SAKAIMINATO - *Stay at YONAGO, Tottori Pref

Kinosaki Onsen - [ Day-2 PICK UP ] 09:00 < guest inn 1 > Kinosaki Onsen, Toyooka, Hyogo

The driver will collect you from your hotel.

Tottori Sand Dunes - [ Day-2 ] 14:15-15:15 < free time > Tottori Sand Dunes, 2164-971 Fukubecho Yuyama, Tottori

You can also experience riding a camel and feel like a gypsy (optional).

https://www.sakyu-vc.com/en/activity/

The Tottori Sand Dune is a must-visit for anyone traveling to Tottori. Situated in the heart of the San’in Kaigan Geopark and extending 2.4 km north to south and 16 km east to west, it is one of the finest coastal sand dunes in the country. The ripples created in the sand by the winds of the Sea of Japan are a constant delight to visitors. The small hill known as Umanose (‘the horse’s back’) offers a picturesque panorama of the ocean.

Sakaiminato - [ Day-2 ] < dinner 4 > 18:00-19:30 *recommended: Ajidokoro “Misa”, 6 Kyomachi, Sakaiminato, Tottori

Open 17:30-23:00 Closed on Sundays

https://tabelog.com/en/tottori/A3103/A310301/31000321/

*If you book a ryokan with dinner included, you won’t need to worry about dinner pick-up outside.

Kaike Onsen - e.g.) Bayside Square Kaike Hotel, 4-21-1 Kaikeonsen, Yonago, Tottori

https://kaikehotel.com/

Admire Mt Daisen, the highest peak in the Chuugoku Region, from the lovely seaside dotted with pine trees. The warm, salty waters rich in sodium and calcium chloride well up under the ocean here at San’in’s largest hot spring area. Kaike Onsen is conveniently located for trips to Tottori and Shimane—right in the heart of San’in. Feel free to make it your base for exploring the entire area.

Right in the center of San’in, Kaike Onsen is the perfect spot from which to tour the area.

http://www.kaike-onsen.com/road.html

Type: Sodium and calcium chloride springs, average temperature 66.5 degrees. Effective against nerve pain, skin conditions, and anemia.

from YONAGO, Tottori - SAKAI-MINATO, Tottori - YASUGI, Shimane - IZUMO, Shimane - *Stay at HIROSHIMA city

Kaike Onsen - [ Day-3 PICK UP ] 08:30 < guest hotel 2 > “KAIKE ONSEN”

Kaike Onsen is located on the coast, and in winter, the rough waves of the Sea of Japan are strong and impressive.

A morning walk on the beach might be enjoyable.

Kaike Onsen’s beach is shared by all the hotels.

The Mizuki Shigeru Road - [ Day-3 ] 09:00-09:45 < guided walk > Mizuki Shigeru Road Bus Parking Lot, 28-3 Matsugaecho, Sakaiminato, Tottori

Entrance fee for MIZUKI SHIGERU Museum: ¥700 (approximately $5 USD) per adult Open 09:30-17:00
https://www.tottori-tour.jp/en/sightseeing/837/

The hometown of the manga artist of its namesake, Sakaiminato’s Mizuki Shigeru Road is a popular destination for both children and adults. The road, extending from Sakaiminato Station into the city proper, is an 800-meter-long arcade with around 153 bronze statues of Mizuki’s fantasy creatures on display, including details on each character. Taking a close look at each of these could take all day! A stroll along the road at night, when all the statues are illuminated, is an entirely different delight. From the healing Kappa Spring to the Yokai Jinja, a sort of fantasy shrine where fortune slips can be drawn, to the Yokai Post, where mail with the ‘fairy postmark’ gets delivered, Mizuki Shigeru Road will surround you with bizarre creatures.

Adachi Museum of Art - [ Day-3 ] 10:45-11:45 < Japanese Art > Adachi Museum of Art, 320 Furukawacho, Yasugi, Shimane

Open 9:00- Entrance fee: ¥2300 (approximately $15-20 USD) per adult
https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/

The Adachi Museum of Art (足立美術館, Adachi Bijutsukan) was founded by Adachi Zenko, a locally born businessman, in 1970 as a way of combining his passions for Japanese art and garden design. He hoped that viewing the gardens and artwork together would expand people’s appreciation and interest in Japanese art.

The Adachi Museum of Art is best known for its award-winning garden. It has been named the best garden in Japan annually since 2003 by the “Journal of Japanese Gardening.” The garden can be enjoyed at any time of the year and shows a different character depending on the season. It cannot be entered but only viewed from the museum building.

Hiroshima Station - [ Day-3 ] 18:45 < Your hotel > Hiroshima Station [ Shinkansen ] ( North ) gate, 1 Matsubaracho, Minami Ward, Hiroshima

In the Hiroshima Station building, there is a restaurant called “Okonomiyaki Mura” where you can enjoy the famous okonomiyaki.

Have dinner here and stay at a hotel near the station.

The driver will pick you up again tomorrow morning.

from HIROSHIMA city - HATSUKAICHI, Hiroshima - IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi - YAMAGUCHI city - *Stay at HAGI city, Yamaguchi Pref

Hiroshima Station - [ Day-4 PICK UP ] 08:30 < guest hotel 3 > Hiroshima Station [ Shinkansen ] ( North ) gate, 1 Matsubaracho, Minami Ward, Hiroshima

Itsukushima Shrine - [ Day-4 ] 09:15-13:00 < World Cultural Heritage and lunch 4 > “ITSUKUSHIMA Shrine”

~ via MIYAJIMA Ferry ¥200 (approximately $2 USD) per adult

https://jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp/en/timetable/

*An interpreter guide will accompany you if necessary.

< bus waiting > Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima

The centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) on Miyajima is the source of both the island’s fame and its name. Formally named Itsukushima, the island is more popularly known as “Miyajima,” literally “shrine island” in Japanese, thanks to its star attraction. The shrine is known worldwide for its iconic “floating” torii gate.

The shrine and its torii gate are unique for being built over water, seemingly floating in the sea during high tide. The shrine consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall, main hall, and noh theater stage, which are connected by boardwalks and supported by pillars above the sea.

Kintaikyo Bridge - [ Day-4 ] 13:45-14:30 < guided walk > KINTAI Bridge and IWAKUNI Castle Town, Yamaguchi

Iwakuni Castle (岩国城, Iwakunijō) was built in 1608, at the beginning of the Edo Period. The site of the castle was chosen for its natural defensive advantages on top of Mount Shiroyama and half surrounded by a natural moat, the Nishiki River. The castle keep is four stories high and overlooks the city 200 meters below.

Probably a source of considerable frustration for those who built it, the original castle lasted only slightly longer than the time it took to construct it. Built over the course of five years, the castle was torn down by decree of the shogun a mere seven years after its completion.

Hagi - [ Day-4 DROP OFF ] 18:00 < guest inn 4 > e.g.) “Hagi Komachi”, HAGI city, Yamaguchi

• Your hotel arrangements and payments are your responsibility.

https://travel.rakuten.com/

The next day, departure is at 8 am. The driver will pick you up at your hotel.

from HAGI city, Yamaguchi Pref - Nagato - MIne - Shimonoseki - Moji ward, Kitakyushu city - *DROP OFF at FUKUOKA city

Hagi - [ Day-5 PICK UP ] 8:00 am < guest inn > e.g.) RYOKAN Hagi Komachi, Hagi, Yamaguchi

The driver will collect you from your hotel.

Hagi Meiringakusha - [ Day-5 ] 08:15-9:45 < guided walk > “World Heritage Route”, Hagi, Yamaguchi

~ < bus waiting > Hagimeirin Center Parking Lot, 560-4 Emukai, Hagi, Yamaguchi

This serial nomination encompasses 23 sites across 8 prefectures and 11 cities, primarily located in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Kyūshū. In the Hagi area, there are five proto-industrial heritage sites based on imported technical expertise. About Serial Nomination: Serial nomination allows for sites dispersed across a wide geographical area to be considered together as a historical or cultural group. This enables disparate sites with universal value to be nominated from all across Japan.

https://www.hagishi.com/en/world-heritage/

Motonosumi Shrine - [ Day-5 ] 10:45-11:30 < 100 Torii Gates > Motonosumi Inari Shrine, 498 Yuyatsuo, Nagato, Yamaguchi

*Closes at 16:00

Motonosumi Shrine was selected by CNN Travel as one of the “31 Most Beautiful Places in Japan.” The shrine’s remarkable location creates a striking contrast between the red of its gates and the cobalt blue of the waves below. This shrine was built to honor a white fox spirit, to whom visitors prayed for financial success, success in fishing, and safety on the seas. Nowadays, a wide variety of wishes are fielded by the fox god, including good fortune & wealth, childbearing, marriage, traffic safety, and success in school.

Akiyoshido - [ Day-5 ] 12:30-14:15 < lunch 5 > Restaurant “YASUTOMIYA” ~ < AKIYOSHI-DO Cave > [ Main ] Entrance, MIne, Yamaguchi

*Entrance fee: ¥1300 (approximately $10 USD) per adult

*The cave runs from north to south. You can enter through the entrance and exit on the other side “one way.” The bus will drop you off at the entrance and wait for you at the exit.

Akiyoshido is one of the largest limestone caves in Japan, located at the southern foot of the Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park 100 meters underground. Passing through the chilly cedar grove that cools the skin, you will find the entrance to Akiyoshido.

https://akiyoshidai-park.com/en/spot/akiyoshi-do.html

Akiyoshidai Karst Observatory - [ Day-5 ] 14:30-15:00 < view spot > Akiyoshidai, 11237-862 Shuhocho Akiyoshi, Mine, Yamaguchi

Akiyoshidai is the largest karst plateau in Japan, spread across the middle and eastern part of Mine City. It was designated a National Monument (Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park) in 1955 and a special natural monument in 1964. The limestone that forms the magnificent landscape of Akiyoshidai originated about 350 million years ago in the southern sea. It was born as a coral reef and has evolved over the years into the karst plateau seen today.

The Site of Dannoura Battlefield - [ Day-5 ] 16:00-16:30 < historic sites > Dannoura Battlefield, 21 Mimosusogawa-cho, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

This is a battlefield mark of the battle of Dan-no-ura, the final conflict between Heike and Genji in 1185. Heike (Taira clan) was defeated in this battle by Genji. The family was destroyed by the death of Emperor Antoku, who drowned himself as an 8-year-old child along with his grandmother Nii-no-ama. The buke society, which lasted until the Edo period, was established by the Genji family after this battle. The statue of Minamoto no Yoshitsune (Genji) and Taira no Tomomori (Heike) stands with the handprints of famous actor Takizawa Hideaki and actress Nakagoshi Noriko, who played in the drama about this battle of Gempei in Mimosusogawa park located in front of the battlefield ruins.

Mojiko Retro - [ Day-5 ] 16:45-17:15 < guided walk > Mojiko Retro Area, 9 Minatomachi, Moji Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka

The Port of Moji (Mojiko) is an international trade port opened in 1889 and located at the northern edge of Kyushu. Its prosperity as a transport hub attracted many Western-style buildings housing shipping companies and trading firms around it. The Mojiko Retro district is a restored reproduction of the district around the port in olden times. In this district, various buildings have been preserved and are open to visitors, including the iconic Mojiko Station, former Moji Mitsui Club, where Einstein stayed, and former Kyushu Railway Headquarters (currently Kyushu Railway History Museum). You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Japan in the late 19th to early 20th centuries here.

Nakasu District - [ Day-5 DROP OFF ] 18:45 NAKASU Stall, Hakata ward, Fukuoka

*Nakasu’s food stalls will not “appear” unless you go out after sunset. They don’t “exist” during the day.

With this product, we don’t wait for your dinner to finish.

From Nakasu Kawabata Station, which is within walking distance, it takes a few minutes to get to Hakata Station, or maybe 1 meter by taxi.

• one 7m length Minibus ( 21 + 6 seats ) with one driver, an English speaking guide
• *Accommodation fees for our crews
• an English speaking guide
• Toll and parking fees

• *Please Book and pay for your hotels yourself.
• *ENTRANCE FEES: There are also optional prices that include the fees, so choose the one you prefer.
• Adachi Museum $20
• All Meals and drinks.
• Fee/adult Kyushu Railway Museum $2
• fee/adult Genbudo Park $5
• fee/adult MIYAJIMA ferry $2
• fee/adult MIZUKI SHIGERU Museum $5
• Fee/adult Himeji Castle about $10
• Fee/adult AKIYOSHI-DO Cave about $10
• Fee/adult YUMURA ONSEN SPA $2-4

For those who have previously visited Japan, the typical itinerary might include Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, or Okinawa. This tour offers a fresh perspective!

This five-day journey explores the lesser-known western side of Japan. It is a charter bus tour starting from Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, and visits hidden gems that are not easily accessible by train. Over the course of five days, the tour covers approximately 750 miles, with stops at tourist attractions every 1-2 hours.

Departure from Osaka city by charter bus:

• Day 1: Departure from Osaka city - *Overnight in Toyooka city, Hyogo
• Day 2: From Toyooka city - *Overnight in Yonago city, Tottori Prefecture
• Day 3: From Yonago city - *Overnight in Hiroshima city
• Day 4: From Hiroshima city - *Overnight in Hagi city, Yamaguchi
• Day 5: From Hagi city - *Arrival in Fukuoka city

• This tour supports the “Western Golden Route” initiative promoted by Fukuoka City.

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.