Day 1: Tokyo (D)

Upon arrival at the airport, after passport control and baggage reclaim, transfer to Tokyo, the current capital. * The rooms are available from 15:00.

Assistant in English available from the airport to the hotel to help validate the Japan Rail Pass, for information and check-in once you arrive at the hotel.

Airport-hotel transfer by public transport. Telephone support for the duration of the stay. Assistance upon arrival and transfer could be shared with other tour participants.

Day 2: Tokyo (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day dedicated to the visit of Tokyo with an English-speaking guide. The first stop is the museum of Hokusai, a symbolic artist of Japan, who has lived in Tokyo for all his long life. Then we will take you to visit the characteristic Asakusa district, Senso-ji Temple, the oldest in the city, and the long Nakamise-dori boulevard with its traditional shops are located. The visit proceeds with a walk outside the Imperial Palace, with the famous Nijubashi bridge, and in the elegant Ginza district, and then ends at the Bunkyo Civic Center, a skyscraper with a viewing platform from which to enjoy a splendid view of the megalopolis

Day 3: Tokyo at Leisure (B)

Breakfast at hotel. Free full day to explore the city on your own or add an optional tour

Optional guided tour ($)
Tokyo visit Full day visit to discover the more lively and animated side of Tokyo, exploring the famous fish market and then continue to the artificial island of Odaiba, where we will visit the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) and where to you will be able to enjoy the spectacular view of the Rainbow Bridge over Tokyo Bay. Finally, transfer to the popular Shibuya district, famous for its impressive intersection with what is said to be the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Meals not included.

Day 4: Tokyo – Kawanza (B)

**** Luggage will be transported separately to Kyoto by courier – It is recommended not to bring bulky luggage with you to be able to easily continue with the guided tour in the afternoon.

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day without assistance. Departure to Kanazawa by shinkansen train using the Japan Rail Pass (2nd class) 2.5 hours approx.

In Kanazawa we recommend visiting Kenroku-en park, considered one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan; the Omicho-ichiba market, especially renowned for its seafood products; and the Nagamachi Yuzen-kan, where splendid kimonos made of Kaga Yuzen silk, the traditional technique of the area, are displayed.

Day 5: Kanazawa – Shirakawa-go – Takayama (B/D)

Breakfast at hotel. Full day without assistance.

Scheduled coach between Kanazawa / Shirakawa-go / Takayama.

Departure for Shirakawa-go, the village with its characteristic sloping thatched roof houses, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue to Takayama, where we recommend visiting the Sanmachi-suji district, the heart of the historic center, walking among sake factories and characteristic houses converted into craft shops. Traditional dinner at the ryokan included.

Day 6: Takayama – Nagoya – Hiroshima (B)

**** Luggage will be transported separately to Kyoto by courier. Remember to pack a hand luggage for two nights in Hiroshima ****

Breakfast at hotel. Full day without assistance. Before departure, we recommend a visit to the morning markets and Takayama Jin’ya, formerly the residence of the lord of the Kanamori clan and then the seat of the governor of the ancient province of Hida. Transfer to Hiroshima via Nagoya by shinkansen train using Japan Rail Pass(2nd class). Takayama – Nagoya (JR express 2.5 hours) – Hiroshima (JR shinkansen 2.5 hours).

Day 7: Hiroshima (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day free in Hiroshima. We recommend a tour on the island of Miyajima by ferry (covered by the Japan Rail Pass), to discover the splendid shrine of Itsukushima, consisting of a series of stilt structures dating back to the sixth century. known mainly for its majestic torii⁕, a sacred gate that rises on the coast. In Hiroshima it is possible to visit the Peace Memorial Museum and Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Day 8: Hiroshima – Himeji – Kyoto (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day without assistance.

Departure from Hiroshima for Kyoto by shinkansen train using Japan Rail Pass (2nd class). If you want, you can stop in Himeji (Hiroshima – Himeji about 1 hour with the shinkansen), where the homonymous castle stands.

Nicknamed the “white heron castle“, it underwent restoration work completed in 2015. This castle is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site not only for its beauty, but also because it is a rare example of an original structure that has remained intact to this day.

Continue to Kyoto (Himeji – Kyoto 1 hour approx with the shinkansen).

Day 9: Kyoto (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Full day dedicated to the visit of Kyoto with an English-speaking guide. You will visit the Kiyomizu-dera temple, founded in 798 (the current buildings are reconstructions of 1633) and its surroundings (Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka), the Ryoan-ji temple with its Zen garden of rocks, the Pavilion of Gold of the Kinkakuji, symbol of the city, and the Sanjusangendo temple, a building that houses 1,001 wooden statues of Kannon

Day 10: Kyoto – Nara – Fushimi – Kyoto (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Departure from Kyoto to Nara by rapid train.

Full day dedicated to the visit of Nara with guide in English. Visit of Todai-ji, a temple where the Great Buddha is kept, one of the largest bronze statues in the world, and of the great Kasuga Shinto shrine, surrounded by about 10,000 lanterns. Both buildings are located in the park of Nara, where numerous fallow deer live in semifreedom. Return to Kyoto stopping along the way at the Fushimi Inari Taisha to admire its endless red gates. Return to the hotel

Day 11: Kyoto – Osaka Departure (B)

Rooms are available until 11:00.

Breakfast at hotel. On your own transfer without assistance to the airport by public transport.

Departure from Kansai Airport.