Japan – The Land of The Rising Sun Escorted Tour

Day 1: Arrival at Narita airport
Meet and greet by our English-speaking local representatives and group transfer from Tokyo airport to the hotel. Check-in and rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2: Tokyo full day sightseeing
Depart from the Hotel after Breakfast for a full day tour of Tokyo by private coach. Start the day with a Kimono wearing & tea ceremony experience in Asakusa. You will then explore this district that still has the vibe of an older Tokyo. You will see the Sensoji temple & walk along Nakamise shopping street. After a lunch in a local restaurant, visit Hamarikyu garden and the Tokyo Tower. You will end the day in style with a Yakatabune dinner river cruise.

Day 3: Mount Fuji & Hakone
After breakfast you will be leaving for a full day tour of Mt. Fuji & Hakone. You will first discover the charming and traditional village of Oshino Hakkai within the Five lakes region. After lunch, you will have the chance to ride the famous Hakone ropeway with great views on Mt. Fuji. The day will continue with a cruise on scenic lake Ashi. Return at the hotel and diner on your own.

Day 4: Tokyo second full day sightseeing
After a good breakfast at the hotel, your day will start with the visit of the well known shrine of Meiji Jingu surrended by a beautiful forest in the middle of a really busy district of Tokyo. You will then explore Harajuku’s buzzing street renowned for colorful street art and youth fashion with dessert shops and trendy bars. You will have a special lunch today, as you will be the chef at a Japanese cooking food class. After lunch, you will visit the impressive Tsukiji outer market (known as food town) where you can encounter all kinds of traditional Japanese food. You will finish you day of visits with the Imperial Palace East Garden before going back to the hotel.

Day 5: Tokyo – Kanazawa
Today you will say farewell to the capital. After breakfast, you will be transferred by bus to the train station where you will take a bullet train from Tokyo to Kanazawa.
When arriving in Kanazawa, you will first grab lunch at a local restaurant and then you will visit the Nagamachi Samurai district or Higashi chaya district where samurai and their families used to reside. You will then visit the Kenrokuen Garden which along Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. After the garden you will check-in at the hotel.

Day 6: Kanazawa – Shirakawago – Takayama
Today, you will visit Shirakawago and Takayama. Shirakawago is a village in the Gifu prefecture where there are farm houses with thatched roof in the traditional architectural style called “Gassho-zukuri”. It was registered as UNESCO world heritage site in 1995. After you will travel to Takayama by bus (about an hour). in Takayama, you will visit the Takyama Jinya a former local government office in the Edo perdiod. You will then take a walk along Sannomachi street which is a very well preserved portion of the historic city, with many merchant houses, sake breweries, shops and cafes. Tonight you will sleep in a Ryokan – a Japanese style accommodation and experience the traditional lifestyle and hospitability. Dinner will be served at the Ryokan.

Day 7: Takayama – Kyoto
This morning after breakfast but before you leave the prefecture of Gifu you will visit the morning market of Takayama on foot. Then you will leave for Kyoto (3.5 hours) and have lunch in a local restaurant en route.
Arriving in Kyoto, considered the cultural capital of Japan, you will visit the Temple Kiyomizu – Gion
Kiyomizu temple is a Buddhist temple part of Unesco World Heritage that founded in 780. It is famous for its wooden stage. You will then visit Gion district (known as the Geisha district) where there are many restaurants, tea houses and shops. Hanamikoji alley is popular as it is lined up with many traditional tea houses where Maiko and Geiko work.

Day 8 : Visit to Nara
This morning you will up on your private bus to go to Nara. You will first visit Nara’s most celebrated shrine, Kasuga taisha. After a good lunch in a local restaurant, you will visit Todaiji temple which houses one of the largest bronze Buddha statue and walk with the deers at Nara park. Then you will come back to Kyoto where the last visit of the day will be Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Dedicated to Inari, the deity of good harvest and success in business, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head of all of Japan’s Inari shrines. Return to the hotel for the night.

Day 9 : Arashiyama
This morning, after breakfast, you will take the direction of Arashiyama, which is filled with temples and shrines, but the star attraction is the famed Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. You will see the Togetsukyo bridge and visit Tenryu-ji temple. After lunch, you will explore Kinkakuji temple. This temple was originally built in 1397 as a residence for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The structure was completely covered in gold leaf, earning it the name Golden Pavilion. You will then be returning to you hotel.

Day 10: Kyoto – Osaka
Check-out from the hotel after breakfast and travel to Osaka by coach (approx 1 hour). Visist Osaka Castle which is one of Japan most famous landmark. Lunch at an Okonomiyaki restaurant. After lunch, you will take a Dotonbori river cruise which is an excellent way of relaxing and taking in the views from the city. After the cruise you will explore the Dotonbori area walking. As today’s last activit , you will be visiting the Kuromon market. Then you will check in for your last night in Japan. A group farewell dinner will be held tonight in a local restaurant.

Day 11: Osaka – KIX Airport
This concludes your travel to Japan.
This morning you will check-out from the hotel after breakfast and be transferred to Kansai airport by a private coach.