ARRIVAL AT NARITA AIRPORT.

Welcome to Tokyo! A representative of Japan Travel will meet you at the arrival gate with a customer sign, to be transported to the hotel.

Hotel in Tokyo

TOKYO

You will have breakfast at the hotel, and then meet a guide in the hotel lobby, to start the Tokyo City Tour.
First we will go to the Tokyo Sky Tree; the tallest tower in the world that has become one of the icons that symbolize Japan.

Then you will be taken to the 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,

MOUNT FUJI, HAKONE, Southern Alps.

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 Kofu, 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 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. As we explore Takayama Old Town, you may notice huge cedar balls hanging from the eaves of various stores.

TAKAYAMA, SHIRAKAWA-GO, KANAZAWA.

This morning, we will pass the city market before heading to the rural area of ​​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. Upon arrival transfer to hotel.

KANAZAWA

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will 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.

We will visit Higashi Chaya-Gai or the 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.

After the tour, transfer to the hotel.

FUKUI, KIOTO

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.

Today the first destination is the Nishiji Textile Center, you can see kimono displays and even see a kimono parade.

Then we will go to Arashiyama to see the Tenryuji Temple where you can get a glimpse of the traditional design of the Zen landscape garden. Then we will proceed through a dense bamboo grove, passing several small shrines, tea shops and private houses before reaching the Bridge. Togetsukyo on 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 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, transfer to the hotel.

Today the first destination is the Nishiji Textile Center, you can see kimono displays and even see a kimono parade.

Then we will go to Arashiyama to see the Tenryuji Temple where you can get a glimpse of the traditional design of the Zen landscape garden. Then we will proceed through a dense bamboo grove, passing several small shrines, tea shops and private houses before reaching the Bridge. Togetsukyo on 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 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, transfer to the hotel.

KYOTO, NARA, OSAKA

After breakfast, we drive to Uji, a city very famous for its green tea; here we will have a tea ceremony experience.

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.

After the tour, return to the hotel.

Free day in Osaka

Optional: Hiroshima.

After breakfast, we drive to Hiroshima. Experience a Shinkansen bullet train ride from Osaka to Hiroshima, which can reach speeds of up to 300km / h.

We will visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The Peace Memorial Park was the financial and political center of the city before the atomic bomb fell. Today is the place to learn about what happened and 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. At high tide, the famous vermilion torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine seems to float in the middle of the sea. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Miyajima has been selected as one of the three most scenic places in Japan (nihon sankei).

After the tour, we return to Osaka by shinkansen.

THE TOUR ENDS.

After breakfast, free time until your flight time. Transfer to Kansai or Itami airport. (only driver)

NOTE: If you want to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to reserve hotel accommodation.