Japan & Korea: A Culinary Journey

Arrive at Kansai International Airport, where a representative will be waiting to assist with train transportation into the city. After reaching the hotel and checking in, the remainder of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Osaka.

Meet a local food guide near Temma Station and set off through Tenjinbashi Shotengai, Japan's longest shopping arcade at 2.5 kilometres. Begin at a local wholesale market, where small shops sell fruit, vegetables, fish and other specialties, including a surprising amount of Korean food that plays an important role in Osaka's modern culinary culture, then sample a variety of snacks along the arcade, from seasonal fruit and Korean sushi to takoyaki octopus dumplings, sweet mochi cakes, taiyaki pancakes, tofu pudding and curry bread. Stop for a sit-down lunch at a local restaurant, a hearty homestyle meal of sukiyaki, shabu shabu, ramen, tonkatsu or grilled fish depending on preference, then finish the tour with a coffee or green tea latte near Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, one of the city's most important Shinto sites. Part ways with the guide and return to the hotel or continue exploring independently. Overnight in Osaka.

Board the bullet train from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima Station. After checking in to the hotel, the day is at leisure until the scheduled evening tour. Meet the guide at 18:30 and stroll a shotengai shopping street where locals do their everyday shopping, stopping into a market to examine fresh ingredients and pick up the basics of Japanese cooking. Proceed to a tachinomi, a standing bar mixing dining with socializing, where the guide helps order a round of local dishes alongside a few varieties of sake, then continue between three more lively restaurants for a run of surprises, including Hiroshima's famous okonomiyaki savoury pancakes. Finish with a walk through Hiroshima's main entertainment district before continuing the nightlife independently or returning to the hotel. Overnight in Hiroshima.

Self-guided, with an optional full-day tour to Miyajima and Hiroshima available (09:00-17:00). Take a train to Miyajimaguchi Port and the ferry across to Miyajima, a small sacred island in the Seto Inland Sea shared with a resident population of deer, sampling local delicacies like oysters, saltwater eel and maple leaf-shaped cakes along the way. Visit Itsukushima Shrine, one of Japan's three most celebrated views, its huge vermillion o-torii gate seeming to float on the water at high tide, then walk up to Daisho-in, the island's most visited Buddhist temple, where a row of spinning sutras lines the stairway to the main hall. Head back to Hiroshima in the early afternoon to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, along with the A-Bomb Dome and the Children's Peace Monument nearby, lunch included on tour. Without the optional tour, the day is free to explore Hiroshima independently. Overnight in Hiroshima.

Self-guided. Board the bullet train from Hiroshima Station to Hakata Station. After checking in to the hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore the city. Overnight in Fukuoka.

Meet a foodie guide at 15:30 for a tour through the streets of one of Japan's best cities for cuisine, starting at the fish market to see how locals choose the day's freshest ingredients, with a sample of dried and deep-fried snacks along the way. Continue to a depachika, the food-hall basement of a department store lined with delicatessens and confectioners, then try a stand-up eating counter, a fast, informal style popular with busy office workers. Finish among the city's famous yatai, open-air food stalls that spring to life in the early evening; with nearly 100 of them across Fukuoka, they serve everything from Japanese classics like tempura and oden to local specialties. Part ways with the guide and continue exploring Fukuoka's nightlife independently. Overnight in Fukuoka.

Self-guided. The morning is free at leisure until the scheduled departure by plane or ferry to Busan, South Korea's vibrant coastal city, famed for its stunning seaside views and bustling urban charm. On arrival at the airport or ferry terminal, a driver provides a warm welcome and transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Busan.

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 10:00 and begin at the Arte Museum Busan, a contemporary art museum showcasing the city's vibrant art scene, then continue to Yeongdo Haenyeo Village to taste fresh sea urchin, sea cucumber and conch and learn about the Haenyeo, Busan's skilled female free-divers. For lunch, try Mulhaeo, or water sashimi, a refreshing Korean dish of fresh raw fish and seafood served in a spicy, tangy broth. After lunch, stroll the coastal streets of Huinnyeoul Culture Village, explore Jagalchi Market and nearby BIFF Square, Korea's largest seafood market and a hub for shopping and street food, then visit Gamcheon Culture Village, known for its colourful houses, murals and art installations. Round out the day with a traditional dinner of gukbap, a hearty Busan rice-and-soup specialty, before transferring back to the hotel. Overnight in Busan.

After breakfast and check-out, meet your guide at 09:00 for a two-hour cooking class with a culinary expert, learning the history and key ingredients of Korean cuisine before preparing two dishes, such as bibimbap or nakji bokkeum, and enjoying the results alongside traditional Korean liquors like makgeolli or soju. Transfer to Busan Station for the KTX high-speed journey to Seoul, where a private car (without a guide) meets you at Seoul Station for the transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax, or join the optional "Seoul's Bright City Lights" evening tour (18:00-23:00) through the Hongdae district, with its colourful alleyways, a photobooth stop, arcade games and K-beauty shopping, a bar for a drink and Korean fried chicken, and a finish at a local noraebang karaoke bar. Overnight in Seoul.

Meet your private guide at 09:00, touring by private air-conditioned vehicle, for a visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, originally built in 1395 and expanded in 1867 into the largest of Seoul's five palaces at 330 buildings; if time allows, catch the ceremonial changing of the guard at 10:00 at Gwanghwamun Gate, with an option to also visit the National Folk Museum on the palace grounds. For lunch, enjoy Samgyetang, a nourishing ginseng chicken soup, at a renowned local restaurant. Walk through Insadong, home to traditional tea houses, art galleries, antique shops and craft stores, then continue to Jogyesa Temple, the centre of Korean Buddhism, and Bukchon Hanok Village, a Joseon-era neighbourhood of traditional hanok houses still inhabited today. End the day at Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul's oldest and most famous markets, sampling street foods like bindaetteok mung bean pancakes, tteokbokki spicy rice cakes and gimbap seaweed rice rolls. Overnight in Seoul.

After breakfast, meet the guide for a day of touring by public transport, starting at Deoksugung Palace, one of Seoul's best-preserved royal residences, known for its elegant fusion of traditional Korean and Western architecture, and the neighbouring Deoksugung National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Continue to the historical Songnyemun Gate, one of the Eight Old Gates of Seoul's ancient city walls, and Namdaemun Market, one of Korea's oldest and largest traditional markets, for a lunch stop among its stalls. Ride the Namsan Cable Car up to Namsan Park and take the elevator to the observation deck of N Seoul Tower, 480 metres above sea level, for panoramic views over the city, then cable car back down to Myeongdong. Conclude the day in this bustling shopping district, where an evening street food market comes alive with tteokbokki, hotteok pancakes, grilled skewers and cheesy egg bread. Overnight in Seoul.

Your driver (without a guide) will pick you up approximately four and a half hours ahead of your flight and transfer you to the airport for the onward departure.