21 Day Treasures Of

Including Return Airfares

Tokyo Sapporo Otaru Hakodate Sendai Aizu Wakamatsu Kanazawa Osaka Koyasan Hiroshima Miyajima Kyoto

www.inspiringvacations.com.au From $6,999 pp twin share

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Departure Dates

2019

31 March * 19 May 21 July 18 August 15 September 20 October 17 November

* Cherry Blossom peak season surcharge $500 per person

Day 1 Australia Tokyo

Welcome to Tokyo! On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel by shuttle. Please make your way to the arrivals hall to meet your transfer. On arrival at the hotel, please check-in and collect your welcome pack from the front desk before enjoying the remainder of the day at leisure.

Our tour for the next 3 weeks covers some of Japan's most iconic cities and destinations. Your escorted guide will be with you the whole time, helping you learn about this incredible country. Our transport for this journey will be on the world leading Japanese rail network traveling mostly by Shinkansen (bullet train). We have taken care of your luggage for most of the intercity journeys so you are unencumbered, however you’ll need to bring overnight bag for some 1-2 night stops and be comfortable carrying/wheeling it to and from the train stations to your hotel. A moderate level of fitness is required and you must be comfortable handling your own luggage where required so we recommend packing a maximum of 15kgs per person.

Please note: Some flights may depart the night before.

Hotel: 3★ Sunroute Asakusa or similar Day 2 Tokyo

This morning, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a briefing on the next few incredible weeks ahead in Japan! Meet your fellow travellers. Today is a free day at leisure to relax or enjoy one of our bonus Inspiring Sights options to enhance your experience.

You may choose to include two (2) optional Inspiring Sights throughout your tour, free as part of your package. Today you may select 1 (one) of the following:

Optional inspiring sight (1 of 4) Tsukiji Fish Market tour (morning tour) - Stroll through Tokyo’s kitchen and delight in the tastes, smells and sights of the world’s largest fish market. Discover new flavour sensations and learn about the people who work here. Round off the morning with an introduction to sake and a spirited tasting to whet your appetite. Must make your own way to the starting point. Your guide will provide you with directions and you'll be able to utilise your railpass for transportation.

Optional inspiring sight (2 of 4) - Temples & Shrines tour - Through a visit to a Buddhist temple and a shrine, you will gain a fascinating insight into the two dominant religions of Japan. After an enlightening experience, which will include witnessing the famous Goma fire ritual, we’ll cool off at a traditional garden. If you want a deeper understanding of the role of religion and ritual in Japanese culture, this is a tour you won’t want to miss. Must make your own way to the starting point. Your guide will provide you with directions and you'll be able to utilise your railpass for transportation.

Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with your guide and fellow travellers to celerbrate the start of your incredible trip through Japan.

Hotel: 3★ Sunroute Asakusa or similar Meals: Breakfast, dinner

“There's always a way if you're not in a hurry.” Paul Theroux Day 3 Tokyo Sapporo Otaru

Today, your luggage will be transported ahead of you, you’ll need to bring an overnight bag which you are comfortable carrying/wheeling with your personal belongs for the next 2 nights. From our hotel in Tokyo, we transfer to the airport by train for our flight to Sapporo. On arrival in Sapporo, we board the train for Otaru on the far Northern coast of Japan. The city is known for glassworks, music boxes and sake distilleries and houses a quaint pedestrian friendly central area.

Hotel: 3★ Authent Hotel or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 Otaru Sapporo

Today, we enjoy a walking tour of Otaru where we visit the famous Otaru canal which is lined with old merchant houses, visit landmarks such as the Music Box Museum and Sakaimachi Street all the while learning about Otaru’s rich industrial heritage. Later, we catch the train back to Sapporo where we enjoy a town walk. Here we visit the famous Clock Tower, the iconic Sapporo Beer Museum and the lively Susukino district.

Hotel: 3★ Route Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 Sapporo Hakodate

Leaving Sapporo this morning we board the train to the famous port city of Hakodate on the southern tip Hokkaido Island. Your main luggage will be waiting for you on arrival at your hotel. On arrival we enjoy a town walk and the view of a foreign settlement. Kanemori red brick warehouse, will give you a nostalgic feeling. We will then ride up the 334m Mt Hakodate by ropeway gondola to spectacular views of the city below.

Hotel: 3★ Route Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 Hakodate Sendai

Your luggage will be transferred to Aizu Wakamatsu in preparation of our arrival. Pack an overnight back for our time in Sendai. Before departing Hakodate, we enjoy a visit to the morning market. Enjoy a spot of shopping at the market and be sure to check out the live crabs and shellfish in their massive tanks. We then make our way to the station to board the train to Sendai. Sendai, in the north of Honshu island, has the remains of 17th-century Sendai Castle, built for samurai lord on Aoba Hill. On arrival we enjoy a short orientation tour of the city including the central Ichibancho district.

Hotel: 3★ Unizo Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 Sendai Matsushima Sendai

Today we enjoy a day trip to Matsushima. It’s known for the hundreds of forested islands that dot Matsushima Bay. Once here, we enjoy a cruise on Matsushima bay. Matsushima Bay is regarded as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan. After, we visit the Zuiganji Temple. This temple, one of the most famous in the Tohoku region, was built by Date Masamune and is designated as a national treasure. You will find yourself mesmerized by the exquisite artwork on the sliding screens. After, we return to Sendai.

Hotel: 3★ Unizo Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 Sendai Aizu Wakamatsu

Today we leave for the inland town of Aizu Wakamatsu, surrounded by natural and ancient beauty. In its centre, towering white Tsuruga Castle has distinctive red-tiled roofs. The surrounding park is known for spring cherry blossoms and to the east, vast Lake Inawashiro, overlooked by Mount Bandai, is home to swans in winter. On arrival enjoy free time at your leisure. Alternatively, your guide can arrange a visit to the Ouchijuku postal town, a well-preserved Edo period town (cost not included).

Hotel: 3★ Washington Hotel or similar Meals: Breakfast Day 9 Aizu Wakamatsu

After breakfast we set out on a tour of Aizu Wakamatsu beginning with the famous Byakkotai tomb. After the fall of the shogunate in 1867, forces still loyal to the shogun were attempting to resist the new government, but suffered a decisive defeat. A group of young Aizu soldiers in a unit called the Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps) saw their castle engulfed in flames and took their own lives instead of surrendering. The story of their loyalty and devotion has become well known, and numerous movie and manga adaptations have been made of their tale. Before leaving we visit the Sazaedo Pagoda after which we continue to Tsuruga Castle and the icon of the city, constructed in 1384.

Hotel: 3★ Washington Hotel or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 Aizu Wakamatsu Kanazawa

Today your luggage will be transferred to Osaka in preparation of our arrival in two days time. Pack an overnight back for our time in Kanazawa. Today’s bullet train ride takes us right across the width of Japan. During World War Two, Kanazawa was Japan's second largest city (after Kyoto) to escape destruction by air raids. Consequently, parts of the old castle town, such as the Nagamachi samurai district and chaya entertainment districts, have survived. On arrival, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Hotel: 3★ Route Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 Kanazawa

This morning visit Kenrokuen Garden – one of Japan’s top three landscape gardens. Developed over more than 200 years, starting in 1620, the garden contains almost 9000 trees and 200 plant species. We also enjoy a walking tour of Omicho Market. Omicho Market has been Kanazawa's largest fresh food market since the Edo Period. Today, it is a busy and colorful network of covered streets lined by about 200 shops and stalls. We finish our sightseeing with a visit to the Higashi Chaya District which is famous for it’s well preserved wooden teahouses.

Hotel: 3★ Route Inn or similar Meals: Breakfast

“Where you come from does matter -- but not nearly as much as where you are headed.” Jodi Picoult Day 12 Kanazawa Osaka

Leaving Kanazawa, we board a new type of train today, the Thunderbird. The train passes through the picturesque Japanese Alps on it’s way south to Osaka. On arrival we enjoy a walking tour of the Dotonbori area. One of Osaka's most popular tourist destinations, this street runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. It is a popular shopping and entertainment district and is also known as a food destination. At night it is lit by hundreds of neon lights and mechanized signs, including the famous Glico Running Man sign and Kani Doraku crab sign. We also make a visit to the Kuromon market where your guide will show you some local delicacies and make recommendations to those wishing to taste some local snacks.

Hotel: 3★ Tokyo Rei or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 13 Osaka Koyasan

Today your luggage will be transferred to Hiroshima in preparation of our arrival in two days time. Pack an overnight back for our time in Koyasan. After leaving Osaka, we make our way to one of the most spiritual locations in all of Japan and the centre of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi. A small, secluded temple town has developed around the sect's headquarters that Kobo Daishi built on Koyasan's wooded mountain top. It is here we will be experience an overnight Inspiring Stay at a temple lodging (shukubo) where you can get a taste of a monk's lifestyle, eating vegetarian monk's cuisine (shojin ryori) and attending the morning prayers (Bedding will be futons laid on the Tatami floor). On arrival, we take a walk to the Okunoin temple, one of the holiest locations in Japan and lined with over 200,000 tombstones marketing the route.

Hotel: Traditional Temple Stay Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 14 Koyasan Himeji Hiroshima

Leaving Koyasan we make our way along the coast of Honshu to Hiroshima. Enroute, we visit Himeji Castle. The famous castle known as the 'White Heron', is the largest surviving example of a traditional Japanese castle. Day 14 (cont.) Comprising 83 buildings, the white roof of this UNESCO-registered complex is said to evoke the wings of a heron taking flight – hence the popular name ‘Shirasagi-jō’ – White Heron Castle. In 1945 an American firebomb was dropped into the top floor of the keep, but didn’t ignite, and the castle was renovated in 1956. Himeji Castle is the most visited in Japan, and the site offers some wonderful views of surrounding Himeji city. We then continue on to Hiroshima. Hiroshima, a modern city on Japan’s Honshu Island, was largely destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. Today, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park commemorates the 1945 event. In the park are the ruins of Genbaku Dome, one of the few buildings that was left standing near ground zero. The rest of the day is at leisure to begin exploring the city.

Hotel: 3★ Sunroute Hiroshima or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 15 Hiroshima Miyajima Hiroshima

After breakfast your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby. Board a ferry for the short trip to Miyajima. Miyajima is known for its forests and ancient temples. Just offshore, the giant, orange Great Gate is partially submerged at high tide. It marks the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine, which was first built in the 12th century. Nearby, the Museum of History and Folklore has cultural artifacts in a 19th- century merchant's home. Return to Hiroshima to visit the Atomic Bomb Dome. The shell of the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku) was one of very few structures left standing after the Allies bombed Hiroshima. In modern Hiroshima, locals have mixed feelings when they see a reminder of war dominating the river bank or a tribute to the lost and urges us not to forget the tragic events. After, visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The flame in the cenotaph is intended to burn until the last nuclear weapon has been destroyed.

Hotel: 3★ Sunroute Hiroshima or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 16 Hiroshima Kyoto

Your luggage will be transferred to Kyoto to meet you the following day. We then travel to Kyoto, which is considered by many to be the Jewel in Japan’s crown and one of the only cities in Japan to escape destruction during the war leaving it’s countless relics intact. Enjoy the Higashiyama District along the lower slopes of Kyoto's eastern mountains is one of the city's best preserved historic districts. It is a great place to experience traditional old Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and , where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city. Before exploring on foot Gion, Kyoto's most famous geisha district. With any luck we might spot a Geisha during our time here.

Hotel: 3★ Palace Side hotel or similar Meals: Breakfast Day 17 Day 19 (cont.) Kyoto Optional inspiring sight (4 of 4) - Morning cycling Today we visit some of Kyoto’s most iconic sights. tour - Take a spin down the Path of Philosophy on Visit Kinkakuji: Golden Pavilion. This is a Zen temple this Kyoto tour that gives you an overview of the city and World Heritage site with two floors covered while using a mode of transport preferred by locals: entirely in thin layers of pure gold, set within a the humble bicycle. See shrines, temples and beautiful classical Zen garden. Explore Nijo Castle. mountains — this is an enlightening escape from the Its palace buildings are arguably the best surviving city. Cycle along the ancient canals of Kyoto, stroll examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's through the expansive grounds at Nanzenji Temple feudal era, and the castle was designated a and discover the meaning of tranquillity along the UNESCO world heritage site in 1994. We visit Ryoanji famous Path of Philosophy Temple, the site of Japan's most famous rock garden for finishing at Nishiki Market where This afternoon we board our train to Tokyo. On the everything from seafood to artisan handmade way we might be lucky enough to glimpse Mt Fuji as Japanese knives are sold. our train passes Fuji San. Make sure to get a seat on the left hand side for your best chances of this Hotel: 3★ Palace Side hotel or similar sacred sight. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with Meals: Breakfast your group and guide to celebrate your time in Japan. Day 18 Kyoto Hotel: 3★ Sunroute Asakusa or similar Meals: Breakfast, dinner Today is a free day at leisure to relax or enjoy one of our bonus Inspiring Sights options to enhance your experience. Tonight, your luggage will be transferred to Tokyo for our arrival tomorrow.

You may choose to include two (2) optional Day 20 Inspiring Sights throughout your tour, free as part of Tokyo Australia your package. Today your guide will accompany you to the airport Optional inspiring sight (3 of 4) - Afternoon walking by train to farewell you. We hope you have enjoy tour - Kyoto may no longer be the capital of Japan, your journey through Japan. but it’s staged a comeback and is now considered Japan's capital of culture. Take that Tokyo! Join this Meals: Breakfast Kyoto tour to learn about zen gardens, Geisha and all things Kyoto. Visit Tofukuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Day 21 Shrine and discover the unique Geisha culture in Australia the historical entertainment district of Gion. Arrive home today. Hotel: 3★ Palace Side hotel or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day 19 Kyoto Tokyo

This morning is free at leisure or enjoy one of our Book Now bonus Inspiring Sights options to enhance your Visit experience. www.inspiringvacations.com.au Contact Us [email protected]