Kyoto
Your journey begins in the historic city of Kyoto, considered by many to be the spiritual heart of Japan. Delve into the country’s rich history at the Ryozen Museum of History – the first museum in Japan dedicated to the Bakumatsu period and the Meiji Restoration. Through calligraphy, artifacts and letters from emperors, samurai and other important figures, you’ll discover how Kyoto was once an important political center, as well as the scene of a prolonged power struggle between the imperial loyalists and the supporters of the shogun.
Step back in time and participate in a Samurai Experience, where a Samurai master will teach you how to correctly use a sword. You’ll also learn more about the famously fierce warrior Ninjas.
Next, your cultural immersion will see you stoppingku at an ancient teahouse to sample traditional Japanese sweets before you continue on to the Raku Museum. Here see the works of 15 generations of master potters known for their plain and simple style tea bowls, reflective of the principles of wabi-sabi.
After a culture-fuelled day, travel in a private vehicle to Kii Katsuura where you will board a boat to your accommodation for the night: Kumano-Bettei Nakanoshima, a private island in the Kii Peninsula. Since the 9th century when the monk Kukai (also known as Kobo Daishi) founded the first temple and the Shingon sect of Buddhism, the Kii Peninsula has been a place of religious devotion and ceremony as well as a place where nature is at its most wild and beautiful.
