Hike amid the ever-changing landscapes of the Japanese Northern Alps • Explore the alpine scenery of Kamikōchi, a spectacular slice of Chūbu-Sangaku National Park • Take in the gorgeous setting of traditional mountain villages • With a backdrop of dense birch and larch forests and soaring snow-blanketed peaks, this area is among Japan's most celebrated • Savor delicious Japanese specialties • Walk along beautifully crafted wooden bridges that span rushing streams.

Walk on the famed Utsueshijuhatsu Falls trail, where a variety of cascading falls await • You're in for a treat with a private sake tasting and brewery tour • Enjoy a relaxing soak in an open-air hot tub (or onsen) • Forest bathe among old growth Japanese cedar trees • Meandering trails lead past stone monuments to a 14th-century Buddhist temple • Experience unique hospitality and atmosphere at a superb ryokan.

Explore 17th- and 18th-century merchants' houses and shops in Takayama's old quarter • Peruse the city's bustling street market stalls for a one-of-a-kind souvenir • Take a scenic journey to Kyoto aboard a bullet train • Follow a wooded path along the crystal-clear Kiyotaki River • Visit Buddhist temples and a beautiful Shinto shrine • Partake in a traditional tea ceremony.

Behold views of Kyoto from a summit above the city • Be entertained by a geiko (geisha in Kyoto) during a Japanese lunch • Walk through quiet forests and pass by bright orange torii, the iconic gates found at the entrance to sacred Shinto sites.