Ascend the remarkable trail adorned with hundreds of orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. This winding path leads through the forest and ascends into the mountains overlooking the city. Enjoy a delectable kaiseki lunch at a traditional ryokan, providing a taste of Japanese culinary excellence, while gaining valuable insights into local customs and traditions.
Includes
9 Day Trafalgar Guided Holiday
8 Nights in cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
8 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Transport by luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
All porterage and restaurant gratuities
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
Optional Experiences at an additional cost during your free time
Sightseeing Highlights
Explore Tokyo and Kyoto
See the traditional Gassho-zukuri houses in Gokayama and the beautiful gardens of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
View Mt. Fuji
Visit the Sensoji Temple, the Skytree Observation Tower, the Edo Tokyo Museum in Tokyo and much more!
Excludes
Flights
Arrival/ departure transfers
Visas
Travel Insurance
Spending money and items of a personal nature
Extras
On occasion, hotels of similar standards and location may be utilised
Optional Experiences are available at an additional cost
Not all departure dates are definite at the time of loading, please enquire with one of our agents
The Imperial Palace East Gardens are closed on Fridays so trips starting in Tokyo on Wednesdays will visit the Hamarikyu Japanese Garden instead.
Triple Rooms on Request - due to small room size these rooms are not recommended for 3 adults.
Highlights
8 Nights in cherry-picked hotels
14 Meals
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
Itinerary
Day 1: Konnichiwa Tokyo
Your in-depth exploration of Japan begins in Tokyo. On arrival at Narita or Haneda Airport, take a shuttle bus transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow guests for a Welcome drink and local appetisers.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower Tokyo
Included Meals: Welcome Reception
Day 2: Explore Vibrant Tokyo
We launch our city tour in the old-time entertainment centre of Asakusa, where we’ll encounter the Sensoji Buddhist Temple. One of Tokyo's most colourful and popular temples, Sensoji has been rebuilt countless times since it was founded in 628, making it Tokyo's oldest temple site. Strolling down Nakamise next, we immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of shitamachi (downtown Tokyo), admiring the wooden dolls, colourful chiyogami (origami paper) and traditional Japanese sweets. We’ll ascend Tokyo Skytree, the world's highest free-standing broadcasting tower for panoramic views of the city, then enjoy the rest of the day at leisure or on an optional experience where a professional stylist will dress you in a traditional Japanese kimono.
Accommodation: New Otani Garden Tower Tokyo
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Off to the Five Lakes District
Our first stop today is the Imperial Palace Plaza from where the two bridges that form the entrance to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace can be viewed. We'll have the opportunity to explore the leafy Imperial Palace East Gardens before continuing our city tour. At the Tokyo National Museum browse collections of Japanese art, then continue to the Ginza district where we’ll learn how to make sushi with a Local Specialist. We venture to the Five Lakes District next, keeping a keen eye out for the UNESCO listed Mt. Fuji which dominates the landscape.
Accommodation: Fuji Marriott Hotel Lake Yamanakako
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Majestic Mt. Fuji and Timeless Takayama
Visit Oshino Hakkai, a small rural village in the Fuji Five Lakes district, renowned for eight natural spring water ponds that are fed by melted snow from Mt. Fuji. Admire the reflections of the sky and landscapes in its clear waters, then ascend Mt. Fuji by road to 2,300 metres at the 5th station. Ride up Mt. Tenjo on the Kachikachiyama Ropeway next, for jaw-dropping views (weather permitting) of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Then, journey through the Japanese Alps to the beautiful hillside town of Takayama, before enjoying dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel Associa Takayama Resort
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Experience Gokayama and on to Kanazawa
Immerse yourself in tradition as you walk through the Edo-style streets of Takayama's Old Town. Indulge a lunch of Japanese Hida-gyu – beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, renowned as one of the finest quality varieties of beef. Journey back in time this afternoon during a visit to the peaceful UNESCO-listed Gokayama, a mountain village set amidst five valleys. Admire the unique construction of the local Gassho-zukuri wooden houses that have been built without the use of nails with steeply sloped thatched roofs to prevent snow from building up on them. Next, meet a local family in one of these houses to observe local artisans making washi paper and trying your hand at making your own.
Accommodation: Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel Kanazawa
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: Traditional Kanazawa
Join a Local Specialist this morning to learn the secrets of painting gold leaf, a delicate craft the Japanese have been perfecting since the 16th century. Continue to the tranquil gardens of Kenrokuen, which took shape over a hundred years to emerge as one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens. Connecting with your exquisite natural surrounds, you’ll stroll through ornate landscapes and past ponds and temples. Take a short walk through the Omicho market next to see the local fish catch and enjoy an insider’s view of everyday life in a busy coastal town. Then, visit the Nagamachi District with its beautifully preserved samurai houses that line the traditional stone streets. Here you will gain first-hand insights into samurai life during a visit to the Nomura house, an elegant samurai mansion.
Accommodation: Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel Kanazawa
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Onwards to Kyoto
We board an Express train this morning to Kyoto. We’ll Connect With Locals at a traditional ryokan and enjoy a Be My Guest lunch, learning about local Japanese customs from our hosts. After lunch, we visit the UNESCO-listed Kinkakuji Temple with its famous Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), the proud symbol of Kyoto and a Zen temple, which has its origins as a 14th-century villa.
Accommodation: The Hotel Higashiyama
Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest
Day 8: Discover Enchanting Kyoto
The blazing orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine guide our path through the forest, up into the mountains and to a sacred site that has heard prayers for prosperity and happiness since the 8th century. We continue to Sanjusangen-do Hall and admire the minute detail of each of its 1,001 “thousand-handed” goddesses of mercy statues, then enjoy a walking tour of the Gion area. This evening, we indulge in a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and fellow guests.
Accommodation: The Hotel Higashiyama
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Sayonara Japan
Our encounter with Japan’s age-old traditions and modern cityscapes at its end, we take a transfer by airport shuttle service to Kansai International Airport or Osaka Itami Airport for our onward flight. Alternatively, continue to Hiroshima by choosing the 13 day Splendours of Japan with Hiroshima itinerary.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Terms & conditions
Prices are per person twin share, include discounts, and are subject to availability and rate of exchange changes. Offers above are a guide only and will vary depending on departure date, our guide price is based on the cheapest departure within the stipulated season and availability is correct at time of loading. Visas may be necessary and insurance is essential. Pentravel and Tour Operator terms and conditions apply, and can be requested. Excludes flights, transfers, visas, travel insurance and anything not mentioned. Savings are not valid on all itineraries and/or departure dates, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn/changed at any time without notice. High season supplements and block out dates may apply, pricing varies pending departure date. Package excludes flights. You can do optional free-time add-on experiences in your free time and pay for them as you travel (additional costs apply). Trafalgar reserves the right to withdraw promotional offers and adjust savings anytime. All savings / discounts mentioned have already been included in the advertised price. Pentravel and Tour Operator reserves the right to withdraw or amend promotional offers at any time. Other conditions may apply. At time of loading this may not be a definite departure. These packages are based on CASH price. E&OE;.
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