Earlier this year Disney announced that in 2019 Adventures by Disney will offer first-ever vacations to Japan! Today I’m pleased to share a sneak peek at some of the amazing, culturally rich experiences you’ll be able to enjoy on this trip next year.

What would a trip to “The Land of the Rising Sun” be without exploring some of this country’s historical shrines and temples? On this adventure, you’ll travel to Kyoto, famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. Here you’ll visit the magnificent Pure Water Temple and the exquisite Fushimi Inari Shrine, before traveling to Tokyo to revel in the Sensoji Temple and Meiji Shrine.

You’ll also explore unique aspects of Japanese life while biking through rural Japan, surrounded by rice paddies, cruising on a riverboat through the heart of Tokyo and traversing Kyoto’s celebrated bamboo forest. Plus, take in a healthy dose of culture as you experience the wonder of time-honored samurai sword fighting and the intriguing charm of a maiko’s dance performance.

And shhh … your kids won’t even know they’re learning as they soak in wisdom from local practitioners of the arts of Taiko drumming, origami, and calligraphy.

But there’s so much more to this amazing 11-day, 10-night itinerary and I’ve barely scratched the surface.