First Chapter · Days 1–6 · 6 full days
May 2027 · China & Japan
Sixteen days between the Bund skyline, the Forbidden City, the pulse of Tokyo and the gardens of Kyoto
Two civilisations, four cities and a single idea of beauty that keeps changing shape. Shanghai looks to the future from the Bund, Beijing keeps the imperial heart, Tokyo beats to its own rhythm and Kyoto gives you back your time, one temple at a time. May arrives between blossom and summer: mild days, gardens at their peak and new green on the mountains.
Travelers
2 Adults
Month & Duration
May 2027 · 16 days
First Chapter · Days 1–6 · 6 full days
Where you'll stay
Pudong
Suspended high above Pudong, with the illuminated Bund across the river.
The Bund
The former 1911 Shanghai Club, home of the celebrated Long Bar, facing Asia's most famous waterfront.
Jing'an
A contemporary oasis in the city centre — wood, stone and a calm that seems impossible in Shanghai.
Suggested Itinerary
You set out for Shanghai — the journey begins in the air.
A private transfer and a first night facing the lights of the Huangpu River.
The waterfront of colonial façades, the Yuyuan Garden and the lanes of the old city.
Tree-lined avenues, 1920s villas and the galleries of M50.
The canals and stone bridges of a water town in the morning; the museums of the West Bund in the afternoon.
A first-class high-speed train to the north.
Tables worth the flight
The city's benchmark xiaolongbao — simple, perfect and always with a queue.
Shanghainese cooking at its most authentic, in a small dining room that is always full.
Shanghainese cuisine in a 1930s villa.
Second Chapter · Days 6–9 · 4 full days
Where you'll stay
Wangfujing
Windows that look out over the golden roofs of the Forbidden City.
Wangfujing
Peninsula hospitality in its imperial register, steps from the historic heart.
Wangfujing
A discreet bronze tower with the soul of a private residence, beside the hutongs.
Suggested Itinerary
You arrive at midday and cross Tiananmen Square into the Forbidden City in the afternoon.
The Temple of Heaven in the morning, as the city practises tai chi; the 798 Art District in the afternoon.
The restored, serene Mutianyu section, and the lakeside gardens of the Summer Palace.
Transfer to the airport and flight to Japan.
Tables worth the flight
Peking duck, in the version locals love most.
Vegetarian haute cuisine facing the Lama Temple, recognised by the Michelin Guide.
Fiery, honest Sichuan cooking, legendary among locals.
Third Chapter · Days 9–13 · 5 full days
Where you'll stay
Otemachi
A lobby of stone and washi high above Otemachi, with the whole city at your feet.
Otemachi
A tower ryokan in the heart of the financial district — tatami, a rooftop onsen and absolute silence.
Nagatachō
Japanese serenity beside Hie Shrine, in the political heart of the city.
Suggested Itinerary
A private transfer and a first night facing the lights of Tokyo.
Asakusa and Sensō-ji Temple, then Ueno Park and its museums.
Meiji Shrine among the cedars, Harajuku and the Shibuya crossing at nightfall.
The Imperial Palace gardens and the galleries of Ginza.
The bullet train to the ancient capital, with Mount Fuji in the window when the sky allows.
Tables worth the flight
Seasonal kaiseki at an intimate Ginza counter.
Tempura raised to an art form, famous for its vegetables.
The yuzu-broth ramen that redefined the genre, from the neighbourhood to the counter.
Fourth Chapter · Days 13–16 · 4 full days
Where you'll stay
Higashiyama
An 800-year-old pond at the heart of the hotel, among the temples of Higashiyama.
Muromachi
A ryokan of a few rooms with cypress baths, in the traditional heart of Kyoto.
Kioto
An entire traditional timber townhouse, yours alone.
Suggested Itinerary
In the afternoon, the thousand torii of Fushimi Inari and the Kiyomizu-dera terrace at sunset.
The deer park and the great Buddha of Tōdai-ji.
Osaka Castle and the neon night of Dōtonbori.
A private transfer to Kansai Airport.
Tables worth the flight
Classic kaiseki in a timber house in Higashiyama.
Family okonomiyaki since 1945.
Breaded skewers — Osaka's street food par excellence.
The fine detail
Your investment
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