SENSATIONAL JAPAN ITINERARY:
DAYS 1 & 2, Saturday & Sunday - Depart for Tokyo, JAPAN
Depart from your home city for Tokyo on Saturday to arrive
in Tokyo on Sunday. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport
and transferred to your luxury hotel to rest after your flight.
The Imperial Hotel, your home for the next three nights, is
located across the avenue from the Emperor’s Palace. Feel free
to dine at the restaurant of your choice, as the evening is at
leisure.
DAY 3, Monday - Tokyo
Explore one of the world's largest cities, including a brief
stop at the Imperial Palace Plaza to view the Emperor’s home and
grounds. Drive by the imposing National Diet Building and visit
the Garden of the Meiji Shrine, Tokyo’s most magnificent Shinto
shrine.
Continue on to the entertainment district of Asakusa and savor a
delicious barbeque lunch. Also see the Nihombashi and Ginza
shopping districts. After returning to the hotel, the remainder
of the afternoon is at leisure for independent pursuits.
This evening join your fellow travelers for a welcome cocktail
and dinner party to learn more about the exciting adventures
ahead.
DAY 4, Tuesday - Tokyo & Nikko
Your full day excursion to Nikko will begin on the Tobu
Express Train. You’ll visit the fabulous Yomeimon Gate and the
Toshogu Shrine, the final resting place of the first Tokugawa
Shogun.
After lunch, travel to the beautiful Lake Chuzenji in the
Japanese Alps, 4,194 feet above sea level. Witness the
thundering Kegon Falls, known for its rainbow displays on sunny
days, and Ryuzo-no Tako (Dragon's Head Cascade). Return to Tokyo
on the Tobu Express.
DAY 5, Wednesday - Tokyo & Hakone
Leave Tokyo today and travel to Hakone. Stop in Kamakura to
visit the Kotokuin Temple, which houses Kamakura Daibutsu (Great
Buddha). It is cast in bronze, weighing over 850 tons, and was
finished in 1252.
Following lunch, visit the Hakone Open Air Museum and enjoy a
cruise on Lake Ashi, a crater lake that emerged around the Mt.
Hakone volcano over 400,000 years ago. A reflection of Mt. Fuji
across the lake is exceptionally beautiful. Also visit the
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, cherished for its relaxing and
beautiful atmosphere.
DAY 6, Thursday - Mt. Fuji & Kyoto
This morning depart for the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, the
highest mountain in Japan and one of the most magnificent in the
world. Points along the climbing trail are called "stations" and
this is the highest point to which you can travel by road,
located about halfway up the mountain. Here, weather permitting,
you’ll have a panoramic view.
Kyoto, one of the world’s most alluring cities, exudes the
tranquility and charm of Japan's ancient culture. The
1100-year-old city is still the center for traditional arts and
industries: silk weaving, embroidery, lacquer ware production,
ceramics, doll making and flower arranging.
Your luxury hotel commands spectacular views of the ancient
capital and offers prestigious history and luxurious amenities.
DAY 7, Friday - Kyoto
Begin your tour of Kyoto with a visit to Nijo Castle. Built
in 1630 as the residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, it was
intended to show his prestige and power.
Continue to the famed Kinkakuji Temple (Temple of the Golden
Pavilion), originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for a
shogun. It was burnt to the ground in 1950 by a young monk and
reconstructed in 1955.
Your final stop is at the Heian Shrine, established in 1893 to
commemorate the 1,100th-anniversary of the founding of Kyoto.
DAY 8, Saturday - Nara
This morning enjoy a visit to a private home. Our gracious
hostess demonstrates the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
In the afternoon drive to Nara, the imperial capital during the
8th-century, and now a peaceful provincial town. Visit the
lovely Deer Park, surrounding the magnificent Todaiji Temple,
and enjoy feeding the deer in the park. Todaiji Temple is famous
for its high bronze Buddha housed in the largest wooden
structure in the world.
Also see the Kasuka Shinto Shrine, standing in perfect harmony
with its natural setting, and the 3,000 bronze and stone
lanterns lining the avenue leading to this dignified shrine.
Return to Kyoto late in the afternoon.
DAY 9, Sunday - Kyoto & Kurashiki
Travel this morning via the express train to Kurashiki,
meaning the “warehouse village.” During the feudal era, the
warehouses were used to store rice from the surrounding area.
Many of the warehouses have now been converted into museums.
Explore the traditional architecture and beautiful canals of
this picturesque city. White-walled houses with traditional
black tile roofs line the streets, while mansions with latticed
windows and the weeping willows along the canal complete the
peaceful picture of a Japanese town as it existed centuries ago.
Afternoon sightseeing will include the Kurashiki Museum of
Folkcraft. It is housed in four former warehouses and contains
over 10,000 examples of pottery, textiles, woodcraft and bamboo
ware. Visit the Ohara Museum of Art, the first museum of western
art in Japan.
DAY 10, Monday - Kurashiki & Hiroshima
Depart this morning for Hiroshima via the express train. The
city of Hiroshima, meaning “Wide Island,” is over 600 years old
and would have remained relatively unknown except that the first
atomic bomb was dropped here on August 6, 1945.
Begin your tour of Hiroshima with a visit to Peace Memorial
Park. There are many memorials throughout the park including one
that contains the names of all known victims of the atomic bomb.
The Atomic Bomb Dome is just across the river from the Peace
Memorial Park and is probably the most famous symbol of
Hiroshima. This building was originally the Industrial Promotion
Hall and was almost at the center of the explosion. Its’ ruins
have been left as a reminder of this tragedy.
DAY 11, Tuesday - Hiroshima & Miyajima Island
Today you’ll take a trip to Miyajima Island, perhaps best
known for the floating torii gateway to the Itsukushima Shrine,
stunningly reflected in Hiroshima Bay. This is one of the most
photographed spots in all of Japan.
On your afternoon excursion, you will journey to the Shukkeien
Garden and the Hiroshima Castle. Shukkeien is a pleasant
Japanese-style garden in Hiroshima which was originally
constructed in the 17th-century for the villa of the local
daimyo (feudal lord).
This evening say goodbye to your fellow travelers at a farewell
cocktail and dinner party.
DAy 12, Wednesday - Hiroshima & Depart for Home
You will be taken to the airport in Hiroshima to depart for
your home city or to your next destination.
NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change dependent
upon local conditions and/or operational changes or
improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions within
each destination may also be altered to best accommodate
unscheduled closures, special events, weather, traffic, etc.
Please contact your Vacation Planner before scheduling any
coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated, itinerary
approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled
departure date.
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