Skyscrapers to islands: Tokyo and New Caledonia holiday

Itinerary in brief: 

• 3 nights Tokyo
• 2 nights Noumea
• 1 night Bourail
• 1 night Kone
• 1 night Hienghene
• 1 night Poindimie
• 1 night Sarraméa 
• 1 night Noumea 
• 3 nights Ile des Pins
• 1 night Noumea

Day 1: UK to Tokyo

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flight

Day 2: Arrive Tokyo

On arrival in Tokyo, you’ll be met at the airport and assisted in catch the train or bus to your hotel. On arrival, you can check into your hotel for three nights.

Included: Meet and greet with transfer, 3* hotel  

Days 3 and 4: Tokyo

You have two days to explore Tokyo, and your time is sure to fly by. Why not start in Tsukiji Outer Market, which is always bustling, as visitors and locals come to enjoy delicious food and shop for traditional ingredients? It’s a great spot to grab a snack before heading over to the 400-year-old Zojoji Temple. Sitting next to the Tokyo Tower, the temple is a great place to get a glimpse of Japan’s ancient history and modern architecture side by side.

You can also enjoy a bowl of ramen for lunch before spending the afternoon discovering the serene beauty of Hie Shrine, a quiet haven in the bustling district of Akasaka. Statues of mythical creatures guard the shrine, which sits at the top of several escalators (a modern addition!). The shrine is famous for the 90 bright red tori gates that divide the human world and the spirit world, as well as being a doorway to a place where the gods can hear our prayers. It’s an extraordinary place to visit, so take your time.

Included: 3* hotel                           

Day 5: Fly to New Caledonia

After a final morning enjoying Tokyo, you’ll check out of your hotel and take a shuttle bus transfer back to the airport for your flight to New Caledonia. You’ll arrive later that same day and be collected at the airport and driven to your hotel in Noumea. The rest of the day is yours to explore the capital city of Noumea at your leisure. With its cosmopolitan community, picturesque bays and plenty of restaurants and shops, there will be plenty to explore this afternoon.

Included: 4* hotel, transfers, international flights            

Day 6: Amedee Island

Today you’ll head out to spend the day on Amedee Island - a tiny paradise, where palm trees sway and colourful fish dance in the water. The beaches here are sugar-white, and the coral that lives beneath the crystalline water is healthy and plentiful, thanks to the island’s status as a protected marine park.

Go stand up paddleboarding, snorkelling with the local turtles and learn how to climb a coconut tree. Visit the Amedee Island Lighthouse, built in France where it stood in Paris for two years before beginning its journey to Noumea, finally erected in 1865. You can also send a postcard home from the island post office, the smallest in the world and enjoy a delicious exotic lunch while watching the famous dance show.

On Amedee Island, you’ll have access to a “bio sun cream” distributor which produces a 100% natural sunblock that doesn’t hurt the coral. Read our blog for more details about how to visit coral reefs responsibly. 

Included: Island day tour, 4* hotel, breakfast     

Day 7: Drive to Bourail

After breakfast, your car will be delivered to your hotel, ready for you to head north and begin your New Caledonia “bush experience”. Starting your road trip, you’ll be able to visit the Boulouparis niaouli distillery, where you will see how the niaouli essence and perfumes are made. Niaouli oil is made from the bark of a punk tree, with a sweet aroma and antiseptic properties – it can be used to treat colds and headaches.

After this, you’ll arrive in Moindou, where you can explore the Terremba Fort, a historic prison where you can learn about New Caledonia’s time as a French prison colony. Before arriving in Bourail, we recommend a visit to La Roche Percée Beach, where you can begin the 3 Bay Trail – this will take you to the neighbouring coves of Turtle Bay and Lovers Bay, where you can admire the mighty palm trees and turquoise water. On arrival at Poé beach, you’ll check into your hotel for one night.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 8: Drive to Koné

Today you’ll head north to the coastal village of Kone. This region is the home to the Caledonian farms, managed by the ‘broussards’ (bush locals). With their whips and cowboy hats, they wouldn’t look out of place in a Western. These large, open plains are stunning at dusk when the land becomes shades of purple. On arrival at Koné, you’ll check into your hotel for one night.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 9: Drive to Hiengène

Today, you'll cross the middle of the country on your way to the east coast of New Caledonia and the village of Hienghene. Hienghene is one of the most famous communities in New Caledonia, with spectacular rock formations, waterfalls and the highest peak of the Caledonian chain.

Here, you can meet the locals and learn about tribal life or walk the hiking trails to discover breath-taking scenery. Off the coast, you’ll be able to spot the famous limestone cliffs that have eroded into fantastic shapes and peaks. Keen divers can also dive the Great Barrier Reef from here – if you want to add on some diving, just ask!            

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 10: Drive to Poindimié

Today, you’ll set off on a short drive down the east coast to Poindimie, considered the 'capital' of the east coast. The humid climate on this coast produces lush vegetation and is a fantastic backdrop for hiking or horse riding, and there are also some stunning waterfalls to visit in the valleys of Napoemien. On arrival in Poindimié, your tropical bungalow will be waiting for you – it’s a charming hotel with a unique Pacific atmosphere, opposite the most beautiful beach on the east coast.

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 11: Drive to Sarraméa 

Driving south, the coastline between Poindimié and Kouaoua is a diverse mix of New Caledonian landscapes, with Ponérihouen coconut groves, forested mountains plunging into the sea and red peaks uncovered by nickel mining. The road is very picturesque and will gradually bring you to your hotel, where each room has a private deck with a small spa pool – heavenly!

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 12: Green Fern Park

Today, you’ll have the chance to visit the Great Fern Park, located at the crossroads of three villages, protecting the local ecosystem of dense, dry forest. Almost 70% of the plant species here are endemic, as well as several species of birds, including the cagou and the Caledonian warbler.

This park truly is the lungs of New Caledonia, with huge ‘arborescent ferns’, that look like huge trees creating a canopy above the smaller plants that carpet the ground. After spending the day in this green wilderness, you’ll drive back to Noumea and check back into your first hotel for one night.           

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Day 13: Fly to l'Île des Pins

After breakfast you’ll head to the airport, drop off your car and take the short flight to Ile des Pins. One of the beautiful islands in the world, l'Île des Pins, pine trees resemble the masts of sailing ships, and the waters are bright turquoise. At the end of the 19th century, the island became the prison for 3,000 political prisoners deported from France - the remains of the convict prison can be seen inside the islands wooded interior. On arrival, you’ll check into your hotel for three nights.         

Included: Breakfast, car hire, 3* hotel   

Days 14 and 15: l'Île des Pins

On your first day in l'Île des Pins, you’ll enjoy a full-day boat excursion, all the while looking out for dolphins and turtles in the water. In the morning you’ll visit Ilot Brosse, a tiny island covered in the trademark pine trees of this region, where you can snorkel and swim in the perfect water, before heading to another small island, Moro, for lunch. Here you’ll enjoy grilled lobster, fresh coconut and crunchy papaya salad – delicious!

On your second day, we’ve included another boat excursion, this time to Upi Bay. This isn’t a guided tour, so you’ll be dropped off in the north of the bay, and you can walk around 40 minutes through the forest to reach Oro Bay, the famous natural swimming pool in New Caledonia. Oro Bay truly is paradise – swim, snorkel, relax and soak in the incredible colours of this beautiful island.

Included: Breakfast, 3* hotel, 2 day tours of the island  

Day 16: Fly to Noumea

Spend one last morning enjoying this paradise, before heading back to the airport for your flight to Noumea. On arrival you’ll be taken to your hotel for your final night – make sure you raise a glass at dinner for a wonderful couple of weeks exploring two such different cultures.

Included: 4* hotel, flight, transfers          

Day 17: Depart New Caledonia

Your holiday has come to an end – today you will be driven back to the airport in time for you to catch your flight home.  

Included: Transfers, international flights            

Day 18: Arrive UK