DAY 0 [Sun, 9/6] Depart your home to Japan DAY 1 [Mon, 9/7] Arrive in Tokyo (Narita or Haneda Airport). Welcome to Japan, YOKOSO! Enjoy lunch at Jindaiji Soba( Japanese soba noodle ). The Meiji Jingu Shrine is your next stop, where you discover stunning temples and beautiful architecture in tranquil atmosphere. (sample image) Stay at the Royal Park Hotel Shiodome, where is located close to the Ginza Shopping district and in right on top of 3 major railway lines, many great places to eat nearby as well. Next, you ll be moving to Asakusa and Kappabashi areas where are known as a Japanese traditional downtown ( Shita-machi ) and Kitchen town. Asakusa is more than just Kaminarimon( Thunder Gate ) and Nakamise-dori ( The street approaching to temples ). It s a wonderful area to discover shops, many cultural places, temples and good old Japan. At Kappabashi, you DAY 2 [Tue, 9/8] After a gourmet breakfast, head to the Musashino Jindaiji-gama where you experience ceramic paining on your own tea cup(called yunomi in Japanese), you ll pick up your cup at the tour end.
definitely find everything you might think of when it comes to kitchen items. Leave Ginza and spend your late afternoon browsing Ameyayokocho, is an open air market with lots of shops and food stands and finish off your day in the night view of Ueno. Stay at the Royal Park Hotel Shiodome Stay at the Royal Park Hotel Shiodome DAY 3 [Wed, 9/9] Continue your exploration of Tokyo today with a visit to the Hamarikyu Gardens is a standard Daimyo( Japanese feudal lord ) garden during the Edo period with ponds. The 300 yen entrance fee includes the GPS smart translate device with English narration when you approach certain locations in the garden. DAY 4 [Thr, 9/10] Next, head to Ginza is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with recognition of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. Enjoy your creations of rolling sushi in a sushi-making class at Ganko Sushi for lunch and after the class, you ll continue discover places in your list. Today you ll take a full-day guided tour of Mt. Fuji( Fujisan ) & Hakone. Mt. Fuji has been added to UNECO s cultural world heritage site in 2013 for its cultural features and assets rather than natural heritage. Lunch Start your tour with a trip to the 5 th station of Mt. Fuji. If skyies are clear, you'll have a great time with a magnificent view. This is not a hiking or climbing tour, but enjoy a colorful, energetic mountain place with souvenirs shops. (*the tour subject to cancel or substitute due to weather, traffic, or operational
reasons.) Next, head to Oshino-Hakkai is one of the National Treasures of Japan and consists of eight springs at the base of Mount Fuji. End your tour in checking in The Fujiya Hotel, is a historic hotel in Hakone. Its architecture combines of traditional Japanese and western style. The hotel is well known to have many famous guests, such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono. in 1969 as a first open-air museum in Japan. At the end of tour, enjoy the boat cruise at Lake Ashi( Ashino-ko ). The name derives from shi( reed ) and ko("lake") in Japanese. Stay at Hotel Associa Shizuoka, where located just a minute from JR Shizuoka Station and offers a variety of food choice. Relax in Onsen at Fujiya Hotel Dinner will be served DAY 5 [Fri, 9/11] Continue your discovery of Hakone, where you will have the thrilled experience of riding the Owakudani("Great Boiling Valley") Ropeway and catching a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. Lunch Your guide takes you to the Hakone Open-air Museum ("Hakone Choukoku no Mori Bijutsukan ) was founded DAY 6 [Sat, 9/12] Today you re heading to Makinohara, Shizuoka, the city of green tea. The Greenpia Makinohara is your destination, where you experience tea picking. Before the activity, you learn how to green tea processed at an orientation and spend a time for tasting a few varieties in the shop. Lunch
DAY 7 [Sun, 9/13] After breakfast at the Hotel, leave Nagoya to Kyoto. Your first day in Kyoto begins with Kiyozumi-dera. This independent buddhist temple has been listed on UNESCO s world site as the the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. DAY 8 [Mon, 9/14] Continue your exploration of Kyoto today with a visit to the well-known Tea Picking activity farm. The Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms where you experience a real and beautiful tea ceremony in a wonderful setting in the heart of the old Kyoto. Lunch Kodai-ji is your next stop. Kodai-ji is well laid out with a beautiful garden with stones and pond area among wooden structure. The garden climbs up the hill with trees, beautiful bamboo groves quite spectacular and create an atmosphere of serenity. It's absolutely picturesque scenery. Prepare comfortable shoes and clothes for walk. Lunch Ginkaku-ji( Temple of the Silver Pavilion ) included on your visiting spot. The two story wooden temple near the pond is not colorfully featured, but the alignment of rocks, trees, and bridges are beautifully composed in proportion. Stay at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel After lunch, head to the Byodo-in Temple is jointly a temple of the Jodo-shu and Tendai-shu sects. The main building in Byodo-in, the phoenix hall consists of a central hall, flanked by twin wing corridors on both sides of the central hall, and a tail corridor. Japanese 10 yen coin (obverse) showing Phoenix Hall. Next to the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. This place is really spectacular with visually stunning of 10000 arches("torii"). It's more beautiful than the photos you see over the internet or tour catalogs. You'll be pleasant from its monumental scale. If you keep walking along the torii gates trail past the main site, the trail takes you to the top of a mountain for very photogenic view.
and the ceremony. You learn the sophisticated philosophy behind serving a bowl of tea. Stay at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel After the tea ceremony, head to JR Kyoto station to take the bullet train* back to Tokyo, and check in the Royal Park Hotel Shiodome. *Carry-on baggage restrictions apply. DAY 9 [Tue, 9/15] ***Your baggage(s) will be send to Tokyo. Please be ready by the time the half day tour stats*** For your final day in Kyoto, you ll start off with a trip to Kinkaku-ji Temple, known for its delicately-manicured gardens and floors covered in gold leaf. Stay at the Royal Park Hotel Shiodome DAY 10 [Fri, 9/16] Today is the last day of the tour in Japan. You have a free day sightseeing until a farewell dinner party at evening(tba), you continue discover places in your list or just relax and walk around the city. Dinner will be served Next, will check out the Ryoan-ji temple, one of the finest Japanese rock gardens in the world. Lunch Spend a time with a tea instructor at Tomitaya Tea Ceremony Class at the end of the tour in Kyoto. The class provides you a great insight on the specifics of tea DAY 11 [Sat, 9/17] After breakfast, you re heading to Airport to go back to the U.S.. Airport limousine bus will depart from the hotel front is the most convenient way to the airport. Sayonara and see you soon!
*conditions Apply: Prices do not include airfare. Special promotions valid on new bookings only. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy accommodations. Tour and land packages do not include meals unless otherwise indicated. Availability is limited. Rates and/or package prices are subject to room types, and cancellation charges may be applicable of up to the full price paid depending on the package and when it is cancelled. Other restrictions may apply and vary by Hotel. 10-night pricing based on selected accommodations and valid for travel 9/6-9/17/2015. A minimum of 15 participants per tour is required in order to operate. If this minimum is not met, excursions may be cancelled. $300.00 per person deposit required at the time of booking. After making deposit, cancellation penalties apply. A full refund will be issued if cancellation is received at least 60 days prior to departure date. Within 60 days, 15% of the tour cost will be charged, within 30 days, 50% of the tour cost will be charged, no refunds on cancellations received less than 13 days prior to departure. What's Included All accommodations, including hotel taxes and service charges; Private English-speaking guide conducted by local; Daily breakfasts, other meals as indicated in day-by-day itinerary; Use of tour vehicle and bus driver; Activities and entrance fees while touring. What's Not included *Airfares; Airport transfers; Meals, Alcohol and Optional activities that are not specified in itinerary; Laundry, gratuities, phone calls and items of a personal nature; Visa and/or documentation processing costs are not included unless specified. *Airfare is not included in the package price but we are happy to assist you with your individual flight booking. Just contact us by email or phone and we will submit a flight quote. We also can arrange transfers such as a limousine service between the airport and your staying hotel. Some images are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.