Tour Overview
This is the realm of emperors and shoguns, the exquisite art of the geisha and the skill of the sumo wrestler.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Tokyo, JapanArrive Tokyo Narita International Airport. Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you will be met by an English-speaking assistant and assist you in boarding an Airport Shuttle bus for the transfer to your hotel. Hotel check-in and day at leisure. Tokyo. The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. More than anything else, Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's hectic madness leavened by the Zennest of calms. What makes Tokyo fascinating is the tension between mammoth scale and meticulous detail. Sightseeing in its streets can be a neon assault that leaves you elated and breathless or an encounter with the exquisite art of understatement. Jump aboard the subway and see how one city is really many.
Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa- Standard Room Day 2: Tokyo
Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day coach tour of Tokyo visiting Tokyo Tower Observatory, Happoen Garden, Imperial Palace Plaza, Sumida River Cruise, Asakusa Kannon Temple, and Nakamise Shopping Street. Tokyo Tower. Completed in 1958, at 333m (1,093 ft) tall, it is higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on which it is based. The ground floor has an aquarium and elevators to the observation deck. Other floors house various amusements. Visit the main observation deck at 150m (492 ft). Japanese Garden and Tea Ceremony. Take part in a traditional tea ceremony at the "Happoen" Japanese Garden. Barbecue lunch at Chinzanso Restaurant. Imperial Palace Plaza. Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, started building his castle here in 1590. In the Edo period his successors made this into the world’s largest castle, only the inner circle remains. The emperor and his family still live in the western part of the grounds in the Imperial Palace, rebuilt after the previous one was bombed in World War II. The most famous landmark is the Nijubashi, a double arched stone bridge, east of the palace. Completed in 1888, it was the palace’s main entrance. The huge Otemon (Big Hand Gate), rebuilt in 1967, was the main gate before Niju-bashi was built. Now it is the entrance to the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. Sumida River Cruise. Enjoy a 40-minute boat ride from Hinode pier of Tokyo Bay to Asakusa. The river was the most important waterway for the development of Tokyo.
Asakusa Kannon Temple (Senso-ji Temple). Popularly known as Asakusa Kannon, this is Tokyo’s most sacred and spectacular temple. In AD 628, two fishermen fished a small gold statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, from the Sumida River. Their master built a shrine to Kannon, and then in 645, the holy man Shokai build a temple to her. Its fame, wealth, and size grew until Tokugawa Ieyasu bestowed upon it a large stipend of land. Nakamise Shopping Street. This street is a treasure trove of traditional wares, including specialists in obi sashes, hair combs, fans, dolls, and kimonos. Return transfer to your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch
Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa- Standard Room Day 3: Tokyo
Spend the morning as you wish. In the afternoon, make your way to the Hamamatsu-cho Station to join the “Ninja and Samurai” coach tour. Try on a Ninja costume or be a samurai warrior! The tour disbands upon arrival at Ikebukuro Station; make your own way back to the hotel from there. Note: this tour operates every Wednesday except April 29, May 6, August 12, September 2, 9 and 23.
Breakfast
Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa- Standard Room Day 4: Tokyo- Kyoto
This morning you will transfer to Tokyo Station to board the JR Super Express Train (tourist class reserved seat) to Kyoto. When you arrive in Kyoto, make your way to the New Miyako Hotel, located right in front of the train station. This afternoon join the Sunrise Coach tour “Toei Movie Land Afternoon”. The tour assembles at your hotel at 12:45pm. Note: this tour operates on Mondays and Thursdays from March 2 to November 30. Toei Movieland is one of the most famous amusement parks in Japan focusing on movies and TV dramas in Japan- especially dramas focusing on the Shogun’s in the Edo period. You can see open sets of the streets or buildings of Edo. Enjoy clashing and flashing samurai’s swords, the birthplace of unique Japanese cinema, where everyday samurai life is still kept alive. The tour ends back at your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
Breakfast
New Miyako Hotel- Standard Room Day 5: Kyoto
This morning you will be picked up at the hotel to join the coach tour of Kyoto. You will visit Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto handicraft center, Heinan Jingu Shrine, Sanjusangendo Temple, and the Kiyomizu Temple. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokuguwa leyasu, the first shogun of the Edo government. The castle has many cultural treasures including the Chinese Gate and Second Court building, dating from the 16th century, and is designated a National Treasure for its splendid architecture and interior decoration. Note: On Tuesdays in July, August and December Nijo Castle is closed so you will visit Ryoanji Temple instead. Kinkakuji Temple, the famed Golden Temple, is one of Japan’s best-known sights. The original building was constructed in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Yoshimitsu, and his son converted it to a temple. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is famous for its elegant simplicity and had served as the Emperor’s Palace until the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1867. Note: On Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays and other days when the Imperial Palace is closed, you will visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead. The Kyoto Handicraft center offers you a complete Japanese handicraft experience including shopping, demonstrations and opportunities to join the creation of original handicrafts. You may try doll making, woodblock printing, cloisonné making and others. Items on sale include antiques, pearls, screen and scrolls, dolls, woodblock prints, fans, swords, kimono and Yukatas and even modern Japanese electronics. Enjoy lunch here- the restaurant features buffet-style lunch and a Japanese sushi bar. After lunch the tour continues with a visit to Heinan Jingu Shrine. This is a famous structure dedicated to Emperor Kammu, the founder of Kyoto. It was built to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto in 1895. Its buildings are miniature replicas of the original Imperial Palace built in Kyoto in 794. The garden behind the shrine is well known for its water lilies, roses, azaleas, maples and weeping cherry trees. Sanjusangendo Temple is a National Treasure with 1,000 standing Buddhist statues in its main hall. . The principal image, a seated thousand-handed Kannon, was carved by Tankei. The Temple takes its name from the 33 spaces between pillars in front of the main altar. IN Buddhism the number “33” is of symbolic importance because the bodhisattva Kannon incarnates in 33 different shapes in its missions of mercy. The Kiyomizu Temple is noted for its main hall on the cliff top with a broad wooden verandah and a panoramic view of Kyoto city. The verandah is supported on a scaffold of wood towering on a wooded hillside, so it seems to be hanging in mid-air. The present temple was built in 1633 and its main hall has been designated as a National Treasure. The tour ends back at your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch
New Miyako Hotel- Standard Room Day 6: Kyoto- Miyajima- Hiroshima- Kyoto
Today you will join a coach tour to Hiroshima and Miyajima. After breakfast, make your way to Kyoto Station and depart for Hiroshima via JR Super Express Train. When you arrive at Hiroshima Station you will transfer by coach to Miyajima- guchi where you will board a ferry to Miyajima for a walking tour, visiting Itsukushima Shrine. Itsukushima Shrine dates from the 6th century, and in its present form from 1168. Its pier-like construction is a result of the islands holy status. Commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island and had to approach the shrine by boat. After your visit here, return to Miyajima-guchi by ferry and then on to Hiroshima by bus, where you will visit the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The Peace Memorial Park/A-Bomb Dome was built by Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, to symbolize its wishes for everlasting peace. Of particular note are the Peace Memorial Museum, the Memorial Cenotaph and the Flame of Peace. Ruins of the Industrial Promotion Hall have been preserved, just as when it was bombed, to be a reminder of the tragedy. In 1996 the A-Bomb Dome was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Leave Hiroshima for Kyoto by JR Super Express Train, returning to Kyoto Station. Make your own way the very short distance back to the hotel.
Breakfast
New Miyako Hotel- Standard Room Day 7: Kyoto- Depart Osaka
Today you will be transferred from your hotel to Kansai Airport. Your English-speaking assistant will meet you in the lobby of your hotel. Note: you will need to carry your own luggage. You will walk over to the Kyoto Train Station and leave Kyoto for Kansai Airport by JR Limited Express Train. When you arrive at Kansai Airport Station, walk to the airport terminal.
Breakfast
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