Highlights of Japan 7 Days

Welcome to Japan! We will have transportation services to take you to your hotel. Please refer to your tour handbook for more information. Rest at the hotel and be ready to start your exciting tour tomorrow.

We have cleared up the day for you to explore and enjoy Japan as you wish. You can either
1) enjoy the entire day as you wish,
2) visit Tokyo Disney Land, Fuji Q Amusement Park, or Sanrio Puroland,
3) or go on a private-guided tour through Nikko or Kamakura.
For those who wish to visit Tokyo Disney Land, Fuji Q Amusement Park, or Sanrio Puroland, your tour guide will be happy to explain directions. (Not all fees included for additional tour options. Please contact us in advanced for this service)

Today will be devoted to exploring the multi-cultural spots of Tokyo. Our tour will first stop by the Tsukiji Fish Market, the famous fish market that provides fresh ingredients for thousands of families and businesses alike. Then we proceed to the Fukagawa Edo Museum where you can get acquainted with the history of Tokyo. After lunch, we will delve in the old town district of Asakusa – shop around the Nakamise Shopping area and pray at the Sensoji Temple. The tour will also stop by the famous Meiji Shrine located in Shibuya. Then, the tour will probe the stores at Harajuku, the unofficial fashion capital of Japan that offers the latest pop culture and fashion. Returning to our hotel, the tour bus will be passing by the famous Shibuya Crosswalk.

Our morning begins with a visit to the Open-Air Museum. Its spectacular grounds are the permanent home for approximately 120 works by well-known modern and contemporary sculptors. It also has five exhibition halls including the Picasso Pavilion, as well as pieces where children can play, a foot-bath fed by natural hot-springs, and a variety of other facilities where our visitors can relax and enjoy the splendor of art in nature. We will continue our tour to Hakone, where we will take a cruise in Lake Ashi. We will then take a ropeway to Owakudani boiling valley, an active volcanic crater still steaming from its last eruption some 3,000 years ago. There you will get a taste of the local Japanese food, the black egg, cooked in one of the craters. Our tour would not be complete without a long relaxing soak in the onsen, hot spring, to rejuvenate you for tomorrow's adventure. Yukata, a Japanese robe, will be provided for you. The hot spring is located in our own ryokan, a Japanese style hotel, which includes a traditional Japanese multi-course meal.

We will begin our morning on the bullet train for a quick ride to Todaiji Temple in Nara. Todaiji Temple holds the World Guiness Record as the largest wooden building. Inside the temple, you will behold the largest Buddah statue in Japan. Just outside the temple is the Nara Deer Park, where you will be greeted by numerous deer that roam around freely. The deer here at the park are known to be friendly and may even bow at you for a little treat. After our friendly encounter with the deer, we will head to experience some peaceful green tea ceremony at Kodaiji Temple, built in 1606 in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi by his beloved wife, Nene. This beautifully constructed temple is well balance with nature maintaining a Japanese and Zen Garden with a Bamboo Forest. It is this location overlooking the scenery that you will be taking lessons in Japanese Green Tea Ceremony. Afterwards, why not try a little Japanese sake tasting? The tour will be heading to a sake brewery to learn how sake is made and try different types of sake. Our final stop of the day is the Gion Geisha District.

Our first stop of the day will be a trip to Nijo Castle. While the main court of the castle was burnt down in 1788, the Second Court maintains its original form from 1603. The castle has many cultural treasures including Chinese Gate and Second Court buildings dating from Momoyama Era (16th Century), and is designated a national treasure for its splendid architecture and interior decoration. We will then head to Ninenzaka, an area of town with streets filled with Kyotoesque shops, perhaps an ideal place for souvenir shopping. The tour will then head to Sanjusangen-do, a temple in eastern Kyoto famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Our next stop is the Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of red torii gates that lead to the sacred Mt. Inari. After lunch we will head to the Nishijin Textile Centre, where you can witness the creation of traditional kimonos. The centre offers courses in handweaving, traying on elegant kimonos, and if you'd like you can even purchase it. You will be invited to see dazzling arrays of kimonos in a fashion show. We will end our day with a visit to the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji Temple, a must see attraction where the two upper floors are covered in gold leaf.

Your pleasant and memorable Japan tour ends today. The tour will disband after breakfast. Fly home with cherished memories or enjoy your extended stay in Japan.