Example Itinerary

Peace, Art & History: Chugoku & Hiroshima

Duration: 6 days / 5 nights

Price Per Person

Interests: Art, Heritage

Destinations: Japan

Chugoku, Japan’s region of mountains, is an excellent place to get a taste of the best of Japan. The area makes up the western part of Japan's main island Honshu and features a lot of great tourist attractions which you’ll enjoy. Hiroshima is the capital of the region and it’s here you’ll no doubt love the most. Visit the Peace Memorial Park dedicated to victims of the 1945 atomic bomb. On this tour you’ll also visit Miyajima island, Okayama, Matsue, Kurashiki and Naoshima. If you’ve only got six days to spare, you’ll want to spend them in delightful Chugoku.

This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.

Highlights

• Poignant History: Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and learn about the devastation of the atomic bomb, which changed Japan and the world forever.

• Art: Hop over to Naoshima, an island overflowing with outdoor sculptures, art museums and renowned architecture.

• Architecture: Explore the Bikan Historical Quarter in Kurashiki; a district of pretty canals lined with quaint wooden storehouses.

Why Remote Lands?

Remote Lands are specialists in extraordinary travel to Asia, since 2006.

6 Time Winners

10 Time Winners

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Day-by-Day

Day 1

Hiroshima

Wake up in Hiroshima and begin the tour with a visit to Miyajima Island. Visit the World Heritage site of Itsukushima Shrine and enjoy a walk around the Mt Misen area. Get your first taste of Japanese food with a tasty lunch of “Hiroshima-yaki”. Next head to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where you’ll find out about the atomic bomb disaster. Speaking to an A-bomb survivor can be arranged by request. Both Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Park are UNESCO-designated sites within Hiroshima City. After an informative afternoon, head back to your Hiroshima hotel.

Hotel Options

About

This accommodation has been personally vetted by the Remote Lands team and is the best available in the area. More information on this property is available on the “Hotels” tab at the top of the page.

Day 2

Matsue

Wake up and get ready for another busy day. Depart Hiroshima and head to Matsue - this journey takes around two hours and 30 minutes. Here, you’ll get to explore the Matsue Castle and have a look around this castle town. There’s also a chance to take a 30 minute boat ride along the moat. It’s lunchtime, so taste the delicious local dish of Izumo soba buckwheat noodles. Then it’s time to check into your accommodation for the night, where you can relax for the evening.

Hotel Options

About

Deep in a lush, wooden area near Lake Shinji lays the tranquil Tamatsukuri Onsen hot spring. Roughly one kilometer from the spring is the KAI Izumo hotel.

Day 3

Kurashiki

Leave early in the morning for Yasugi, where you’ll visit the Adachi Museum, known for its amazing Japanese garden. Then head to Kurashiki where you’ll visit the Ohara Art Museum, which was the first collection of Western art to be permanently exhibited in Japan. Do some local sightseeing in the Bikan Historical Quarter, where there’s many historical wooden warehouses just waiting to be explored. There’s a beautiful canal framed with weeping willow trees and the whole area is interesting to visit.

Hotel Options

About

This authentic ryokan is located in the heart of Kurashiki’s historical area, allowing for a true window into Japanese culture. The ryokan has been decorated to cater to traditional Japanese sensitivities, with tatami mat floors and clean, crisp lines, as well as elegant Japanese artwork adorning the walls.

Day 4

Kurashiki

Today, take a daytrip to nearby Okayama where you’ll see the Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most beautiful garden areas and also a cultural heritage site. Explore the Yumeji Art Museum which features works by Takehisa Yumeji and a reconstruction of the artist’s studio. The city is home to several art museums including Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, Hayashibara Museum of Art. Return to Kurashiki for the evening.

Day 5

Naoshima & Seto Inland Sea Islands

Depart Kurashiki and take the ferry to Naoshima Island. Here, explore the local delights that are the Chichu Art Museum and the Art House Project. Opened in 2004, the museum is built directly on the side of the island, and is buried mostly underground. In the evening, check in at the Hotel Benesse House, which is located inside the brilliant Benesse Art Museum. A guided tour of the museum can be arranged by request.

Hotel Options

Why We Love This Hotel

Location: Located on an island in the middle of the inland Japanese sea, and the closed mainland ferry port of Uno Port, guests can take a direct 20 minute ferry to the island.

History: In 1989, Naoshima International Camp was completed and with that, brought a rise in tourism to the island, which also in turn brought development in the way of Benesse House in 1992.

Service: This hotel is the ideal stop for lovers of modern art, who will appreciate the convenience of not only having stunning works of art in their rooms, but also a museum in the hotel itself.

See Hotel

Preferred Hotel

Day 6

Departure

Today’s the final day of your six day tour of Chugoku, Japan. Depart from Naoshima and head for Okayama or Takamatsu before catching your international flight.

Suggested Hotel For Day 1

Sheraton Hiroshima

In the heart of bustling Hiroshima sits the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel, a luxurious modern high-rise hotel that is a short walk away from Hiroshima Station and Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium. The contemporary, spacious rooms feature custom designed beds, flat-screen televisions, complimentary Wi-Fi, and floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal stunning views of the city’s skyline. The hotel houses three restaurants. Restaurant Miyabi-tei serves opulent Japanese Kaiseki course meals, fresh sushi prepared by a master chef, and Teppan-yaki grilled courses. An inviting bar and buffet-style restaurant are also in-house. Guests can unwind at the signature Shina Spa, take advantage of the hotel's fitness gym, or enjoy the pool and Jacuzzi facilities. Meeting and event space is available, as is parking.

Suggested Hotel For Day 2

KAI Izumo

Deep in a lush, wooden area near Lake Shinji lays the tranquil Tamatsukuri Onsen hot spring. Roughly one kilometer from the spring is the KAI Izumo hotel. Its spacious rooms feature classic Japanese designs and the hotel houses outdoor hot spring baths with either cypress or Shigaraki-yaki ceramic tiles where guests can take their time enjoying the rejuvenating waters of Tamatsukuri Hot Spring. Rooms are equipped with luxury mattresses, casual kimonos, and modern amenities such as televisions and fridges. Fine-dining is offered at the hotel's restaurant with colorful sashimi platters, seasonal ingredients, and seafood. No western dishes are served. There is also a lounge room, massage center, and Japanese theater performances are held every night.

Suggested Hotels For Days 3–4

Hotel Nikko Kurashiki

The highest standard Western-style hotel in Kurashiki, Hotel Nikko warmly welcomes guests via its marble lobby, its simple and comfortable rooms, and its modern decor, a contrast to its location in Kurashiki’s old town. Guests may choose from 71 rooms, the best of which are found on the J floor (which we highly recommend). Free WiFi and air-conditioning come standard with every room. Meals are served at the hotel’s three restaurants: Ravenna Cafe, Hachikengura, and Kurashiki, while Heisabar bar serves up frothy Japanese beers and tempting cocktails. Three different styles of meeting and banquet rooms are available for events, with the capacity to hold up to 120 people in one room. The airport is a 45-minute drive, while it’s possible to walk to the nearest JR Station in just over 10 minutes.

Ryokan Kurashiki

This authentic ryokan is located in the heart of Kurashiki’s historical area, allowing for a true window into Japanese culture. The ryokan has been decorated to cater to traditional Japanese sensitivities, with tatami mat floors and clean, crisp lines, as well as elegant Japanese artwork adorning the walls. A charming Japanese garden greets guests as they enter the hotel. The entire abode has only six rooms, making it feel cozy and private. There is one restaurant, which serves up dishes in traditional kaiseki style, which may also be enjoyed in the hotel’s various private dining rooms. The hotel also has available banquet facilities for meetings and other such events. The airport is 45 minutes away, and the hotel is a 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki station.

Suggested Hotel For Day 5

Preferred Hotel

Benesse House

Comprised of five elements - sculpture park and museum, hotel, boutique, restaurants and a spa - Benesse House is one of the most unique properties in Japan. Every room has its own individual design and artwork, with 65 guest rooms and suites across four buildings: Museum, Oval, Park and Beach, all designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando. In addition to housing the property's modern art museum, Museum has a lecture room that guest speakers are often invited to. Oval is set on a hill and connected to Museum by monorail; Park is where the bulk of Benesse House's facilities, such as its French restaurant, Terrace, its spa and shop are housed; and Beach is one of Ando's few buildings constructed chiefly of wood and is generally reserved for long-term guests. Inside Museum, there are two restaurants, Issen for Japanese and a separate cafe where guests and patrons can relax between viewings. The spa has a wide array of treatment options and is open from 11:00-22:00 with last appointments taken at 20:00.

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Why Remote Lands?

Exclusively Asia

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.

Travelogues

An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.