ARRIVAL AT NARITA AIRPORT

Welcome to Tokyo! One of our representatives will greet you at the arrival gate with a “ONLYONE TRAVEL” sign.

They will transfer to the hotel in the center. Upon arrival at the hotel, the client must check-in.

・ Does not include dinner.

TOKYO

You will have breakfast at the hotel, and then you will meet a guide in the hotel lobby, to start the Tokyo City Tour.

First we will go to the Tokyo Sky Tree; the tallest communication tower in the world that has become one of the icons that symbolize Japan.

Afterwards, you will be taken to Asakusa Kannon Temple, an active place of worship where you can see the largest paper lantern in Japan. You can also explore the Nakamise Market, which is located just past the outer gates of the temple. It is a traditional style shopping street with centuries of history. We will have lunch at a local restaurant.

We will visit the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, located on the grounds of the old Edo Castle that today serves as the residence of the Emperor of Japan and his family.

Lastly, we will visit Shibuya, a very popular area worldwide, for its great lights, the Hachiko Statue, and its great crossing, which is very famous worldwide. After the tour, we will return to the hotel.

MOUNT FUJI, HAKONE, FUEFUKI.

We will visit Hakone. Enjoy expansive views of Hakone by taking a 20-minute cable car from Togendai to Owakudani. Owakudani is known for its active volcanic zone, which was created from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago. Here you can experience its hot springs and bubbling pools, where volcanic gases still persist. The area also affords magnificent views of Mount Fuji on clear days.

We will have lunch at a local restaurant, and admire de Monte. Fuji from Oshino Hakkai Park. We will proceed to Arakurayama Sengen park, from where you can also enjoy a picturesque landscape with Mount Fuji. Depending on the weather conditions, we will spend more time in this area.

After the tour, we will stay at a Ryokan with Onsen in Fuefuki, where you can enjoy a relaxing hot tub and a traditional Japanese dinner.

MATSUMOTO, TAKAYAMA.

We will have breakfast at the hotel, and then we will go to Matsumoto, where we will visit the Matsumoto Castle (Black Crow Castle), which dates back more than 400 years. We will have lunch at a local restaurant, and continue our tour to Takayama.

This city is nestled between the Japanese Alps and is sometimes called “Little Kyoto” for its preserved historical structures and surroundings. Due to its remote position in the mountains, it was isolated from the rest of Japan for most of its history and thus has maintained a unique and traditional atmosphere.

TAKAYAMA, SHIRAKAWA-GO, KANAZAWA.

This morning, we will pass the city market before heading to rural Shirakawa-go, and have lunch there upon arrival. Shirakawa-go is home to the gassho-zukuri farms designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Gassho-zukuri translates to “praying hands”, due to the shape of its roofs. Visitors can see great views of Ogimachi Village from the Shiroyama Lookout. We will also tour the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, an open-air museum of farms and other structures.

Afterwards, we will travel to Kanazawa to visit Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most beautiful landscaped gardens in Japan. Here, you can find the oldest fountain in Japan and Kotoji-toro, an iconic two-legged stone lantern. Later, we will go to the hotel.

KANAZAWA

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will visit the Museum of Contemporary Art of the XXI Century, which explores the new proposals of visual arts, design, crafts, fashion, architecture and cinema, particularly in the areas of culture, transportation, technology, gender and identity.

The Higashi Chaya-Gai or geisha district of Kanazawa is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Japan. We visit the traditional gold foil factory.

We will visit the Samurai Neighborhood where we can learn about the tradition, culture and life of the Samurai.

FUKUI, KYOTO.

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will depart to Fukui prefecture, and visit the beautiful Eiheiji Temple. We will live an experience of Zazen, being the main temple, or the school of Zen practice by Soto Buddhism.

Later we will move to Kyoto. Along the way, we stopped to see Biwako, the largest lake in Japan.

The last destination is Gion District, the old Geisha and Pontocho neighborhood, whose cobbled alleys buzz with nightlife. We also strolled Ishibe-koji street, where you will find buildings and cobblestones from Japan’s ancient times.

After the tour, transfer to the hotel.

KYOTO

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit Arashiyama to see Tenryuji Temple where you can get a glimpse of the traditional design of the Zen landscape garden. Then we will advance through a dense bamboo grove, passing several small shrines, tea shops and private houses. before reaching the Togetsukyo Bridge over the Hozu River.

Then, we visit the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) covered with 18 karat gold leaf. This three-story structure was originally built by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397. We will proceed to the Nishijin Textile Center, you can see displays of kimonos and even see a parade of them. [Su_expand more_icon = “icon: plus”]

Lastly we will visit Fushimi-inari: the impressive vermilion-colored Fushimi Inari Shrine, whose 4 km tunnel of scarlet torii gates was featured in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. This resort surrounds a bamboo desert that includes mountains, streams, and ponds, the perfect backdrop for a scenic hike.

After the tour, return to the hotel.

NARA, OSAKA.

Then we will travel to Nara, where we will go to the Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden building in Japan. The temple also houses one of the largest bronze statues of the Buddha at 16.3 meters tall. Nearby, explore the surrounding Deer Park, filled with more than 1,000 Shika deer.

Our last stop of the day will be in Osaka. We will spend time in Dotonbori, a popular shopping, entertainment and food district. It is known for the hundreds of mechanized and neon signs that line its streets. Our group will also pass through Shinasaibashi, one of Osaka’s oldest shopping destinations.

HIROSHIMA

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Hiroshima by shinkansen bullet train. We will visit the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum. The park was, before the fall of the bomb, the Financial and Political Center of the city. Today it is a place to learn about what happened and to remember the victims. Learn more about the historical events that led Japan to the War of the Pacific, the results of the bomb, and the effects on the population at the Peace Memorial Museum, a very interesting, but extremely harsh museum (hard not to miss a tear at some point).

After lunch, we will take a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island.

WAKAYAMA

Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism, a Buddhist sect that was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi, one of the most important personalities in the religious history of Japan. The complex of more than 100 temples is located on top of a mountain, surrounded by cedars and mountain peaks.

We will first visit the Okunoin Temple, surrounded by numerous tombstones. The tomb is also the resting place of the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, Kobo Daishi. Then there is the Kongobuji Temple, which was originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Nobunaga’s generals during the time of the wars.

SHUKUBO, IGA, NAGOYA, MAGOME.

Today the activities begin with reflection as we meditate with the Koyasan monks. We will have breakfast in Shokubo, and later we will depart to the Iga Province.

We will visit the Iga Ninja Museum: Here you can see the mechanism of the ninja house and learn about the history of ninja and Ninjutsu, and you can also enjoy a real ninja show, extremely interesting.

Later we will move to Magome. Magome-juku was station No. 41 of the Nakasendō, an ancient highway that connected Kyoto and Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the Edo period. After touring the place, we will check in at the hotel, in Magome.

ROUT NAKASENDO, MAGOME, TSUMAGO, KISO, KOFU.

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will begin the tour along the Nakasendo route. This route, one of the Gokaido, connected Edo (now Tokyo) with the city of Kyoto, passing through the Kiso Valley.

Today we will walk between Magome and Tsumago, two old rest stations on the route, and we will explore what this place has to offer.

Later we will move to Kofu, and we will stay in a ryokan to enjoy a traditional Japanese dinner.

TOKYO

We will have breakfast at the hotel, and proceed to move to Tokyo, and check-in at the hotel. You will have the day off in Tokyo upon arrival.

END THE TOUR

Breakfast at the hotel. A private car will pick you up to take you to the airport. End of the tour. Good trip home!

・ If you want to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodation.