Japan In Depth – Autumn Leaves Special (Osaka / Kurashiki / Hiroshima / Iwaguni / Yamaguchi / Fukuoka / Nagasaki / Kumamoto / Mt Aso / Beppu / Dogo Onsen / Oobokekyo Gorge / Takamatsu / Kobe / Osaka / Kyoto / Nara / Iga Ueno / Toyota / Atami / Hakone / Mt Fuji / Tokyo) 13 days 12 nights US$4298.00 Departure Dates : Nov 19, 2012 PLEASE NOTE : All prices are per person, based on double or triple occupancy. International flights are not included on our tours - this allows you the flexibility to choose your own departure and get the best value for your money! We can arrange international flights for US customers if needed, please ask for details. TOUR COST INCLUDES : 9 nights Western style hotel, 3 nights Japanese style ryokan Meet and greet upon arrival at Osaka Kansai Airport Airport transfers on arrival and departure Private luxury coach transfers between destinations in Japan Full time, professional English speaking tour guide Gratuities Meals Breakfast everyday 10 lunches and 6 dinners Admission fees and activities Entry fees to sites, gardens, and museums listed in the itinerary Ferry from Beppu to Shikoku Bullet train ride from Hamamatsu to Atami Sumida river cruise, Oboke Gorge boat ride, Sagano Romantic Train Ride Nishijin kimono show, Green tea ceremony, Okonomiyaki making Hakone ropeway, Mt Aso ropeway, Mt Inasa cable car TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE : airfares International Meals that are not included in the itinerary Travel insurance Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks Personal expenses such as telephone and laundry bills All Japan Tours : 4058 E. Cottage Paseo, Ontario, California 91761, USA Toll Free : 1-800-490-5728 | Tel: 1-909-574-1071 | Email : [email protected] | Website : AllJapanTours.com Itinerary Day 01 Osaka Kansai Airport Welcome to Osaka! Our tour guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel. Hotel: Nikko Kansai Airport Hotel or similar class Kurashiki (Canal Area / Morita Sake Brewery), Hiroshima (Miyajima Island / Itsukushima Shrine/ Okonomiyaki Day 02 Making) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Today we take a ride 3 hour ride on a luxury coach to the canal town of Kurashiki. This scenic town, in merchant days, thrived as a port for rice shipments. Several old rice granaries and examples of historic architecture still remain, in addition to the stone lined canal. Taste sake as you stroll along the streets of Kurashiki. We will continue to Hiroshima, where we take a short ferry ride to the island of Miyajima, considered sacred by many. At high tide, the famed vermilion torii gate of the Itsukushima Shrine looks like it is floating in the middle of the sea. Miyajima also famous for its autumn leaves. As the name implies, Momiji-dani Park, or Maple Leaf Park, where the Momiji-dani-gawa River flows, has many maple trees, and is a famous spot for viewing autumn leaves. In the evening we will try making a popular Japanese dish called Okonomiyaki. In the dish you add your favorite ingredients to a mixture of batter and cabbage. The mixture is then cooked on a hot plate, and flipped using a metal spatula. The dish can be made easily at home, and you can show off your new skills to your family. Hotel: Hiroshima Grand Prince Hotel or similar class Hiroshima (Peace Park / A-Bomb Museum), Iwaguni (Kintai-kyo Bridge),Yamaguchi (Rurikoji Temple Five Day 03 Storied Pagoda), Fukuoka (Yatai - Food Stalls) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch Today we will visit the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. Then we will head to Iwaguni to view the Kintai-kyo Bridge, one of Iwakuni's most recognized and admired landmarks. The bridge, with its five bold arches supported by stone pillars, is completely made of wood without the use of a single nail, and spans the Nishiki River. Next is a visit to Yamaguchi, where you can see the beautiful five storied pagoda. The five storied pagoda at Rurikoji Temple has been designated a national treasure. Ranked as one of the three most beautiful pagodas in Japan. The evening is free for you to relax and explore on your own, or you can join your tour guide for an hour guided walk around Fukuoka's open air food stalls (yatai). There are over 150 yatai across the city, with the highest concentrations in the Nakagawa and Tenjin districts. Typical dishes include grilled chicken skewers (yakitori), hot pot (oden), and Hakata Ramen, a famous local dish featuring thin ramen noodles simmered in pork bone soup (tonkotsu). Hotel: Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar class Day 04 Nagasaki (Peace Park / Glover Garden / Oura Church / Mt Inasa - NagasakiCable Car) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner After breakfast, we will head to Nagasaki, visit the Peace Memorial Park and view the famous peace statue. Next is Oura Catholic Church, the oldest standing Christian church in Japan, and the only western building to be designated as a national treasure. At Glover Garden we will enjoy a beautiful collection of historic western homes from the Meiji Restoration Period. The evening ends with a cable car ride to the top of Mt Inasa, where you can take in the "Million Dollar View" of city. Hotel: ANA Hotel Nagasaki Gloverhill or similar class Day 05 Kumamoto (Kumamoto Castle), Aso (Mt Aso), Yufuin Onsen Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner This morning we travel by private luxury coach to Kumamoto to visit Kumamoto Castle. The castle grounds are cloaked in golden-yellow gingko leaves in autumn. With an impressive 49 turrets, towers, and stone walls, it is considered an engineering marvel and fitting tribute to Lord Kiyomasa Kato. From there we continue to Mt Aso, an active volcano that erupted just a few years ago. Watch nature's dynamic power close up, and learn about the local flora and fauna. Weather permitting, we will take a ropeway to the top of Mt. Aso to walk around the volcano's crater rim. At night we will savor local flavors in a traditional Japanese banquet provided by your ryokan. Hotel: Suginoi Hotel or similar class All Japan Tours : 4058 E. Cottage Paseo, Ontario, California 91761, USA Toll Free : 1-800-490-5728 | Tel: 1-909-574-1071 | Email : [email protected] | Website : AllJapanTours.com Day 06 Beppu (Beppu Hells), Ferry to Yahatahama, Matsuyama (Dogo Onsen / Dogo Onsen Honkan) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner From Yufuin Onsen, we drive east to a bather's paradise - the celebrated hot spring resort of Beppu. Beppu is famous for its "hells," dramatic pools of bubbling water, mud, and geysers. View four of the nine hells of Beppu, hot springs ideal for viewing rather than bathing. After the tour, we will board a ferry to Shikoku Island where we will visit Japan's oldest and most renowned hot spring, Dogo Onsen. Dogo Onsen Honkan, a building with wooden public bathhouse that dates back to 1894, during the Meiji Period. Enjoy the maze of stairways and rooms, along with the hum of bustling bathers and staff. From there we continue to Oku Dogo Onsen, where we will spend the night in a Japanese style spa resort nestled in the woods. Hotel: Okudogo Onsen Hotel or similar class Day 07 Oboke Gorge (Oboke Gorge Boat Ride), Takamatsu (Ritsurin Park),Onaruto Bridge, Kobe (Harborland) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner After a Japanese style breakfast, we continue our journey to Oboke Gorge, one of three hidden mountain regions of Japan. Oboke is the name of the gorges along the Yoshino River. Oboke Gorge stretches about 5 km, with huge rocks and strange- shaped rocks all along the way. We will take the Oboke Gorge Excursion Boat departing from the restaurant Obokekyo- Mannaka and enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery of the gorge. In Takamatsu we will visit Ritsurin Park, a masterpiece of Japanese landscape 100 years in the making. This sprawling park features beautiful ponds and pavilions, with Mt. Shiun as the perfect backdrop. From there our private coach takes us across Awaji Island through a series of spectacular bridges. Our next stop is the Onaruto Bridge Interpretive Center, where we will learn about Japan's largest natural whirlpool and the engineering innovations that went into the construction of its massive bridges. Our last visit on this trip is Kobe. Located along the waterfront, Harborland is a shopping and entertainment district that boasts a variety of restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, a Ferris wheel, and other forms of entertainment, and is the ideal spot for last minute shopping. Hotel: Nikko Kansai Airport Hotel or similar class Day 08 Osaka (Osaka Castle), Kyoto (Kiyomizu Temple / Kodaiji Temple & Garden / Greentea Ceremony) Meals: Breakfast / Lunch IIn the morning we will travel to Osaka by private coach. We will visit Osaka Castle, whose construction began in 1583 on the ruins of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. The castle was the largest of its time and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. From Osaka, our coach departs to Kyoto, a historical city that was spared from air raids and atomic bomb for its cultural and historical value during World War II. We will experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and visit the famous Kiymizu Temple and the Kodaiji Temple. Kodaiji Temple was constructed in 1605 in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi by the great political leader's wife. Besides fine temple halls, it features a small bamboo grove and a landscape garden with tea houses, designed by leading, contemporary master. We will stay two nights in Kyoto. Hotel: New Miyako Hotel or similar class Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Shrine / Nishijin Kimono Show / Golden Pavilion / Arashiyama / Torroko Train Ride / Day 09 Togetsu Bridge / Bamboo Grove / Gion) Meals: Breakfast / Dinner Today we will continue our tour in Kyoto, once the capital of Japan and still considered its cultural center.