Tokyo and Kyoto: neon, temples and the bullet train

Your flight from Dubai lands in Tokyo after about 9.5 hours. Collect your pocket wifi and transport card at the arrivals desk, then take the airport limousine bus, which stops at your hotel or a short walk from it; journey time is 40 to 90 minutes depending on the airport. After check-in, head to Shinjuku for your first look at the neon: the alleys of Omoide Yokocho, the giant screens of Kabukicho and dinner in one of the department store restaurant floors. Overnight in Tokyo.

Your guide meets you in the lobby at 9 am and shows you the metro on the way to Asakusa, home to Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, and the snack stalls of Nakamise street. Walk along the Sumida River for views of the Skytree, then take the train to the Tsukiji outer market for a grazing lunch of tamagoyaki, grilled scallops and fresh fruit. The afternoon ends in Ginza's department stores and their basement food halls. The guided day runs about seven hours. Overnight in Tokyo.

With your guide again, start at Meiji Jingu, a calm shrine in a forest planted a century ago, then walk into Harajuku's Takeshita Street and the elegant boulevard of Omotesando. After lunch, continue to Shibuya to watch the famous crossing from above and walk the backstreets of Shibuya and Ebisu. Your guide finishes around 4 pm and can recommend an evening area matched to your interests. Many travellers end at the free observation deck of the Metropolitan Government Building. Overnight in Tokyo.

Using your transport card, take the train about an hour south to Kamakura, the old samurai capital by the sea. Hana's printed route takes you from Kita-Kamakura's Zen temples through the town to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, then by the little Enoden railway to Hase for the 13-metre bronze Great Buddha and Hase-dera temple with its ocean views. Return to Tokyo by late afternoon. This evening your suitcase is collected from the hotel for forwarding to Kyoto, so keep an overnight bag. Overnight in Tokyo.

Walk or take a short taxi to Tokyo Station for your reserved bullet train, 2 hours 15 minutes to Kyoto. Sit on the E side for the Mt Fuji view roughly 45 minutes after departure. Buy a bento on the platform, as eating on board is normal. Your suitcase arrives at the Kyoto hotel by evening. In the late afternoon, walk through Gion's lantern-lit lanes, along Hanamikoji and the Shirakawa canal, and have dinner in narrow Pontocho alley by the river. Overnight in Kyoto.

Your guide meets you at 6.45 am for Fushimi Inari before the tour groups arrive, walking up through the vermilion torii gates to the Yotsutsuji viewpoint. After breakfast near the shrine, visit Kiyomizu-dera and its wooden terrace, then wander the stone lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka for pottery and matcha sweets. After lunch, cross the city by taxi to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion reflected in its pond. The guided day ends around 3 pm. Overnight in Kyoto.

Take the train 20 minutes west to Arashiyama and walk the bamboo grove early, then visit the Zen garden of Tenryu-ji. Cross the Togetsukyo bridge and, if you like, climb 20 minutes to the monkey park for views over the city. In the afternoon, return to central Kyoto for your tea ceremony, about 75 minutes in a traditional machiya townhouse, where a tea master explains each movement. The evening is free for Nishiki Market or a riverside dinner. Overnight in Kyoto.

The train to Nara takes 45 minutes. Walk through Nara Park among its free-roaming deer, buy crackers to feed them, and visit Todai-ji, whose hall houses a 15-metre bronze Buddha. Continue to Kasuga Taisha and its lanterns. In the late afternoon, take the train 40 minutes to Osaka for Dotonbori, the neon canal famed for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu. Halal options are marked in your guide. Return to Kyoto by train in under 30 minutes. Overnight in Kyoto.

Enjoy a final breakfast and, if your flight allows, a last walk along the Kamo River. Your reserved express train runs from Kyoto Station to Kansai International Airport in about 75 minutes; allow at least two and a half hours at the airport. Your suitcase stays with you today, so pack the night before. The flight back to Dubai takes about 11 hours. Our operations team tracks your journey and is on call throughout.