Itinerary
Day 1
Tokyo Arrival
Choices of Standard or Superior Hotel |
Upon arrival at the airport, after passport
control and baggage reclaim, transfer to
Tokyo, the current capital.
* The rooms are available from 15:00. Assistant in English available from the airport to the hotel to help validate the Japan
Rail Pass, for information and check-in once
you arrive at the hotel. Airport-hotel transfer
by public transport. Telephone support for
the duration of the stay. Assistance upon arrival and transfer could be shared with other
tour participants.
Day 2
Tokyo
Choices of Standard or Superior Hotel |
Breakfast at hotel. Full day dedicated to the visit of Tokyo with
an English-speaking guide.The first stop is
the museum of Hokusai, a symbolic artist of
Japan, who has lived in Tokyo for all his long
life. Then we will take you to visit the characteristic Asakusa district, Senso-ji
Temple, the oldest in the city, and the long
Nakamise-dori boulevard with its traditional
shops are located.The visit proceeds with a
walk outside the Imperial Palace, with the
famous Nijubashi bridge, and in the elegant
Ginza district, and then ends at the Bunkyo
Civic Center, a skyscraper with a viewing
platform from which to enjoy a splendid view
of the megalopolis.
Breakfast at hotel. Free full day at your disposal.Optional guided tour --- Tokyo visit
Full day visit to discover the more lively and
animated side of Tokyo, exploring the famous
fish market and then continue to the artificial
island of Odaiba, where we will visit the
Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging
Science and Innovation) and where to you
will be able to enjoy the spectacular view of
the Rainbow Bridge over Tokyo Bay. Finally,
transfer to the popular Shibuya district,
famous for its impressive intersection with
what is said to be the busiest pedestrian
crossing in the world. Meals not included.
Day 4
Tokyo - Kyoto B:Hotel
**** Luggage will be transported separately
to Kyoto by courierIt is recommended not to bring bulky luggage with you to be able to easily continue with
the guided tour in the afternoon.Breakfast at hotel.Departure for Kyoto on
your own in the morning by shinkansen train
using the Japan Rail Pass (2nd class) to
arrive at Kyoto Station in the early afternoon. English-speaking guide will welcome you at the
station and will take you around the city of
Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. You will
visit the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, the
symbolic temple of the city made famous by
the novel by the writer Yukio Mishima, and will
continue with the Ryoan-ji Temple, famous for
its rock garden whose elements are arranged
in a such that they can never be seen all together in a single glance. On the way back, strolled through the ancient district of Gion,
known for its tea houses and for the maiko,
aspiring geisha, who occasionally can be seen
wandering through its alleys. Upon returning
from visits, your luggage will be in the hotel.
Breakfast at hotel. Free full day at your disposal.Optional guided tour --- Visit of Nara
and Fushimi Depart Kyoto for Nara by rapid train using the
Japan Rail Pass.
Full day dedicated to the visit of Nara in
English. Visit of Todai-ji, a temple where the
Great Buddha is kept, one of the largest
bronze statues in the world, and of the great
Kasuga Shinto shrine, surrounded by
about 10,000 lanterns. Both buildings are located in the park of Nara, where numerous
fallow deer live in semi-freedom. Return to
Kyoto stopping along the way at the
Fushimi Inari Taisha to admire its endless
red gates. Meals not included. Return to the
hotel.
Breakfast at hotel. Full day free in Kyoto. We recommend visiting the Kiyomizu-dera
Buddhist temple and the Sanjusangen-do,
a building that houses 1001 wooden statues
of Bodhisattva Kannon. Alternatively, you can
choose to use the Japan Rail Pass to visit
places not far from Kyoto such as Uji, famous
for green tea and the UNESCO heritage
temple of Byodo-in, or Lake Biwa, the largest in Japan.
Day 7
Kyoto - Kanazawa B:Hotel
**** Luggage will be transported separately
to Tokyo by courier. We remind you to prepare a hand luggage for overnight stays in
Kanazawa and Takayama Breakfast at hotel. Full day without assistance. Departure to
Kanazawa by express train (2nd class) using
the Japan Rail Pass (approx. 2.5 hours). In Kanazawa we recommend visiting
Kenroku-en park, considered one of the
three most beautiful landscape gardens in
Japan; the Omicho-ichiba market, especially renowned for its seafood products; and
the Nagamachi Yuzen-kan, where splendid
kimonos made of Kaga Yuzen silk, the traditional technique of the area, are displayed.
Day 8
Kanazawa - Shirakawa-go - Takayama B:Hotel D:Hotel
Hoshokaku Ryokan or similar |
Breakfast at hotel. Full day without assistance. Departure for
Takayama by shinkansen train (2nd class) to
Toyama (approx. 0.5 hours) and then by express train (2nd class) to Takayama (approx.
1.5 hours), using the Japan Rail Pass. We
recommend visiting the Sanmachi-suji district, the heart of the historic center, walking
among sake factories and characteristic
houses converted into craft shops. Traditional
dinner at the ryokan. --- Optional service ---
Scheduled coach between Kanazawa /
Shirakawa-go / Takayama. Departure without assistance for Shirakawago, the village with characteristic sloping
thatched roof houses, and declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue to Takayama independently. Overnight stay in HOSHOKAKU ryokan
or similar.
Day 9
Takayama - Nagoya - Tokyo B:Hotel
Breakfast at hotel. Full day without assistance. Before leaving
for Tokyo we suggest a walk to the morning
market in Takayama. Departure by express train (2nd class) to
Nagoya (approx 2.5 hours). You can stop for
lunch in Nagoya, famous for its grilled eel
(unagi). You will continue to Tokyo with the
shinkansen train (2nd class) in approx. 2
hours. For trains you will always use the
Japan Rail Pass.
* Rooms are available until 11:00. Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport without assistance
using the Japan Rail Pass or the other available public transportation such as limousine
bus (additional fee). Departure from Narita / Haneda Airport.