from $4,975* per person	7 Days	Year-round
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 4
Operator: Geographic Expeditions		18 people max

We’ll explore Japan by first visiting its former capital Nara, birthplace of Japanese culture. After a good look at Nara including its beautiful countryside we’ll head for the spiraling Himeji Castle, perhaps the most beautiful of Japan’s Tokugawa-era castles, and then spend a couple of days visiting Kurashiki, which has been referred to by many as “Japan’s Venice”. Kurashiki offers many museums, galleries and shops to peruse and become familiar with before we make our way to Hiroshima stopping en route in Okayama. We end in Hiroshima where we’ll visit the memorials before ferrying to Miyajima Island where we’ll see the UNESCO World Heritage Site—the famed and marvelously constructed Itsukushima Shrine, resting over the water.