Fusing the futuristic with the traditional, Tokyo is a sprawling megacity bursting with a seemingly limitless number of things to do.

A business and cultural mega centre that's home to tens of millions of people, Tokyo is also the crossroads where the Japanese interact with citizens from all over the world. The media love to focus on Harajuku's vibrant fashion, robot restaurants, maid cafes and the passionate uberfans known as otaku. As fast-paced as Tokyo’s innovation is, the metropolis is just as devoted to preserving tradition through its historical gardens, shrines and temples.

Known for its extreme attention to detail, Japan's capital is home to some of the best Japanese food in the country, with 234 Michelin-starred restaurants—more than any other city. Whatever your cultural interests are, Tokyo is likely to have you covered. Home to many world-class art galleries and museums, staggeringly diverse nightlife options and cutting-edge technology, you'll never be stuck for things to do or places to go in Tokyo.

Bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto

Kyoto is the former capital city of Japan and world-famous for its refined culture, dining, and charm of rural Japan.

Kyoto City attracts millions of local and international visitors each year looking for traditional Japanese culture. Temples and shrines such as Kiyomizudera Temple and Kinkakuji draw lots off attention from visitors, as do the bamboo groves of nearby Arashiyama. Stay in a traditional ryokan, take a dip in a rejuvenating onsen, and enjoy the seasonal changes of cherry blossoms and brilliant autumn foliage. Kyoto's magic is only a short bullet train ride from Tokyo.

Fly from Kyoto to Hong Kong

On first acquaintance Hong Kong can overwhelm. Navigate its teeming, tightly packed sidewalks and you’re met at every turn with neon signage, steam-filled canteens, molasses-slow traffic and a Babel of chatter.

Once this first sensory wave has rolled over you, though, take a deep breath and start swimming with the current, because you’ll find Hong Kong is a place to delight in. Utterly safe and fantastically well organised, it offers little moments of perfection.

You may find them on a plastic stool enjoying a bargain bowl of beef brisket soup or simply gazing at the thrilling harbour vistas. You’ll find them taking afternoon tea in the cool of a five-star hotel lobby or enjoying balmy open-air beers in the party zones.
Escape the city limits and other experiences await – watching the sun rise from a remote mountain peak, hiking surf-beaten beaches or exploring deserted islands.

If it’s pampering you’re after, money can buy the ultimate luxuries in a city well used to serving its tiny, moneyed elite. Yet Hong Kong is also a city of simple pleasures. Most often it’s the least pricey experiences – a $2 tram or ferry ride, a whiff of incense curling from temple rafters, savouring fishing-village sundowners and seafood – that are the stuff of priceless memories.

Fly from Hong Kong to the UK