Golden Route Japan School Trip

• Touch down in Tokyo, where your Golden Route Japan school trip begins! An enthusiastic Adventure Leader will be waiting in arrivals to assist with the transfer to your accommodation. Check in, unpack, then meet them for a trip briefing. Here, they’ll explain the next 7 days of travel, give tips on adjusting to the culture, and provide safety advice.
• Then it’s off for the first glimpse of the city skyline. Get a view unlike any other with a visit to the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

• Take part in our “Introduction to Japan” session designed to enhance your travel experience! Led by a Japanese language teacher and local students, this interactive session aims to equip you with valuable Japanese phrases and fascinating customs, ensuring your trip is both exciting and memorable.
• Following the session, venture out for a fun and engaging adventure game in town, putting your newfound knowledge to the test.
• Visit the beautiful Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife who, in the early 20th century, began Japan’s transformation from a feudal to a modern society. Then move onto the Harajuku district, Tokyo’s cultural epicentre, to see Pokémon, punks, goths and fashionistas. Anything goes in Harajuku!
• In the evening pay a visit to the famous Shibuya Crossing. When the lights turn red at this busy intersection, pedestrians surge into the junction from all sides like a floodgate opening. It’s arguably one of the most iconic modern sights in Tokyo!

• Create a new signature dish in a sushi-making class with a nationally-accredited instructor. Experience hands-on training and learn to create beautiful sushi with traditional utensils!
• Walk through the district of Asakusa, where an atmosphere of ancient Tokyo survives. Discover streets lined with traditional craft shops and street food stalls, and pay a visit to Sensoji Temple. This beautiful complex is one of Tokyo’s most popular Buddhist temples!
• Get to grips with a key part of Japanese culture and learn the history of kimono. With the assistance of friendly volunteers, try on some of this beautiful attire.
• Take a trip to Akihabara, nicknamed Japan’s ‘Electric Town’ thanks to its post-war industry. Today, it’s a hub for anime and manga lovers, and is home to Japan’s most famous J-pop group, AKB48.

• Today, you’ll transfer to your next destination by bullet train: Kyoto!
• Visit the district of Arashiyama, on the Western outskirts of Kyoto. Navigate through lush bamboo forests, before starting the 30-minute climb up to Arashiyama Monkey Park. At the top, feed mischievous monkeys or simply enjoy the panoramic views of the city below.
• While there, move on to the Tenryu-ji Temple. It’s the most important of Kyoto’s five great Zen temples, but the gardens are the real showstopper. Designed in the 14th century, they’ve survived fires and wars which damaged the buildings, and have been in pristine conditions for centuries.
• In the evening take a stroll down the bustling Hanamikoji Dori, which runs from Sanjo Dori in the north to Kenninji Temple in the south. Take in the stunning architecture, temples, and shrines, along with arts venues like the Gion Koubu Kaburenjo.

• Explore the Fushimi Inari Shrine, a major Shinto complex on Mount Inari. Follow beautiful walking trails into the wooded forest at the base of the mountain, all lined with almost 10,000 bright red torii gates!
• Students get another hands-on insight into Japanese traditional culture with an immersive craft workshop. Japanese culture is famed for its beautiful crafts – be it origami, tea-making, hand-weaving, tie dye, or calligraphy – and a class allows students to understand their cultural importance first-hand.
• It’s time to see a traditional Japanese show. The program includes real geisha performing their traditional arts, as well as other Japanese performances of comedy, spoken word and dance.

• Today, transfer by bullet train between Kyoto and the next destination on our Golden Route Japan school trip – Hiroshima.
• Pay a reflective visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where students will learn about Japan’s tragic past with the atomic bomb – and the city’s subsequent recovery and pacific mission.
• After lunch, listen to a peace talk by an A-bomb legacy successor, in which they present the A-bomb survivors’ experiences, the reality of the atomic bombing, and their desires for peace.
• In the evening, travel between Hiroshima and Kyoto. Take in the sights of the Japanese landscape as we travel on the bullet train.

Sadly, today marks the end of your Golden Route Japan school trip! Transfer back to the airport, ready to head home.