Japan by Land: Temples, Trains and Tame Deer on a Two-Week Grand Tour
From the bustle of Tokyo to the snow walls of the Alps — exploring Japan with Riviera Travel
There are two ways to see Japan: from the comfort of a luxury cruise ship, or up close and personal with your feet on the ground, your head in the clouds (literally), and a bento box balanced precariously on a bullet train tray table.
After our 19-night voyage around Japan aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, we weren’t ready to say goodbye — so we swapped sea legs for walking shoes and joined Riviera Travel’s Grand Tour of Japan. This two-week land journey took us through ancient capitals, neon cityscapes, volcanic landscapes, and snow walls taller than our coach.
With expert guides, seamless logistics, and the friendliest and most patient driver Ohyama, here’s how we saw a country steeped in beauty, baffling traditions, and cultural nuances.
🏙️ Tokyo: A Tale of Two Sides
Our journey began in Tokyo, a city that somehow manages to be both frantic and deeply meditative. We stayed at the vast New Otani Hotel, a behemoth of a building with everything from rooftop views to its own Japanese gardens and a Trader Vic’s — where we promptly caved to burger cravings.
Arriving at the hotel late evening our Tokyo immersion began the next morning with some classic Tokyo tourist hotspots - fish markets, city centre gardens, imperial palaces, and a wander through the magnificent city centre Meiji Shrine. We dodged torrential downpours, admired a traditional wedding, and squelched our way through Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing (tick!).
That night, we explored the neon maze of Shinjuku, sipped G&Ts in micro-bars, fell face-first into pizza and wandered through the narrow alleyway of Omiode Yokocho.
Day two delivered some much appreciated sunshine and Asakusa, home to the iconic and impressive Senso-ji Temple and the deliciously warm melonpan we’re still dreaming about.
A river cruise followed, floating past the Asahi Beer building (with its iconic golden “foam”) before wandering Ginza, Tokyo’s luxury shopping district and seeking out Godzilla. We finished the day back at Shibuya crossing with a Star Wars pop-up shop and a pasta dinner in Akasaka, the district next to our hotel.
🗻 Mount Fuji and Hakone: A View (Almost) to a Thrill
We left Tokyo in search of Mount Fuji, though she remained stubbornly shrouded in cloud. Still, the journey delivered highlights: a serene stop at the Kubota Itchiku Kimono Museum, lunch overlooking Lake Kawaguchi, and ice cream flavoured with red and green grapes.
In Hakone, we boarded a pirate ship (yes, really) to cross Lake Ashi and checked into a geothermal hotel, Hakone Hotel, where we were encouraged to strip off and try an onsen. Some of us embraced it (Helen), others opted for the bar (Rich)!
🚄 Hiroshima & Miyajima: History, Reflection, and Deer Thieves
After a bullet train sprint across the country, we arrived in Hiroshima — a modern city with a sobering past. With blue skies above and a guide who knew every stone, we toured the Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Museum, and the haunting Genbaku Dome.
But Hiroshima wasn’t all reflection. The next day, we hopped on a ferry to Miyajima Island, where friendly (and mildly criminal) deer roam freely and the famous floating Torii gate stands proudly in the bay. A wonderful morning was mildly spoiled when a deer stole Rich’s lemonade - though it did make Helen laugh!
We returned to Hiroshima for an afternoon exploring Hiroshima staring with the classic Japanese castle, climbing to the top for a view of the city and our hotel. A wander around the serene and beautifully sculpted Shukkien gardens preceded a visit to bustling Hondori street and a dinner of a local speciality, okonomiyaki - Japan’s multi-layered pancake delicacy cooked in front of us by a master with a spatula and serious swagger.
🏯 Kyoto: Geishas, Gold, and Gion Glimpses
Leaving Hiroshima was hard, but Kyoto — Japan’s former imperial capital — did not disappoint. Staying in the Kyoto Century Hotel, opposite the most incredible train station you would ever see, as well as the Kyoto Tower, stopping on the way at the gorgeous Korakuen Gardens located opposite the impressive Okayama castle. Over the next four days we:
Participated in a serene tea ceremony
Stared in awe at the gilded beauty of Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Wandered through the towering bamboo of Arashiyama
Caught glimpses of geishas in Gion
climbed up to the Fushimi Inari shrine, with its thousand Torii Gates
sampled saki and Japanese beer in a local brewery
ate our first wagyu steaks
And we still found time to enjoy ice cream, tonkatsu, gyoza, and deliciously refreshing mango kakigori between temples.
A side trip to Nara introduced us to Todai-ji, a temple so grand it once held the record for the largest wooden building on Earth. It’s so enormous and impressive its hard to convey with simple words and pictures. Inside? A 15-metre-high bronze Buddha. Outside? Bowing deer politely begging for crackers, then headbutting you when you ran out.
🍖 Kobe and the Free Day to End All Free Days
Our “day off” turned into one of our most adventurous. We boarded the whimsical Kyo-train Garaku, themed around Japan’s four seasons, and rolled our way to Kobe for one reason only: beef. After exploring the colourful Flower Road, city centre parks and the observation deck on floor 24 of City Hall , we queued up at Steakland, where Kobe tenderloin was grilled before us on a teppanyaki hotplate with garlic chips and more butter than Julia Child would deem decent. Was it worth it? Let’s just say we’d go back tomorrow.
🏔️ Toyama, Kanazawa & the Japanese Alps
Next up was a three night stay in Toyama located in the Japanese Alps and accessed via another scenic bullet train journey. From our hotel in Toyama, the Excel Tokyu, we visited the Kurobe Gorge on an open-air train (think dramatic cliff edges and glacier-fed rivers), imagining how stunning it would look if only the rain would stop and the grey skies replaced with blue. Back in the city the rain eventually lifted for long enough for us to take a stroll through Canal Park, home to what is modestly dubbed “the world’s most beautiful Starbucks”.
A day trip to Kanazawa offered gold leaf, geisha alleys, and the legendary Kenroku-en Garden, still gorgeous despite the drizzle. Later, in the mountains of Gokayama, we wandered among 250-year-old mountain village farmhouses and tried our hand at traditional washi paper-making — adding “papermaker” to our CVs.
🏔️ The Grand Finale: Alpine Adventures and a Snow Wall in June
On our final day, Riviera saved the best for last: the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, a jaw-dropping journey across Japan’s Northern Alps. Our day included:
A funicular through a forest
A highland bus through the 13-metre-high snow wall (yes, in June)
A tunnel bus under a mountain
A cable car to transport us over to the dam
A walk across Japan’s tallest dam, all 54 storeys of it
Another bus, another train, and finally… Haneda Airport
It was surreal, sublime, and sunny — the perfect finale to our Grand Tour.
✨ Final Thoughts: The Joy is in the Journey
Riviera’s Grand Tour of Japan proved that this country is not just a destination — it’s a series of moments: sipping matcha in a 200-year-old teahouse, laughing with new friends over dinner, marvelling at gardens so manicured they look painted.
The logistics were smooth, the guides fantastic (shoutout to Carlo, Masa, Mitsue, Hiro, and of course Ohyama-san, our tireless driver), and the itinerary struck the perfect balance between structure and freedom.
We saw Japan from every angle — urban, rural, spiritual, playful — and we left feeling fuller: in the heart, the head, and, yes, the stomach. Would we go again? Without hesitation.
Thank you to Riviera Travel who hosted us on this two week Grand Japan escorted tour, covering the cost of everything shown in this blog post (except for some activities and dinners taken on our own and at our own expense ) including air fares. Riviera Travel had no editorial control over any of our content, either before, during our after our tour and have not paid us to promote them or this post.
If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at some of our other blogs, especially our Riviera Travel Rhine River cruise with Glacier Express extension
If you’re interested in booking a trip like this please make sure to mention that your interest was piqued by our experience and mention Visit With Us when you make an enquiry. Thank you!
