The Golden Triangle of Japan: Cherry Blossom Tour

Day 1

Tokyo Narita Airport

Welcome to Tokyo! You will be met at the arrival gate by an AJT representative holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Hotel Mystays Premier Narita or similar class
Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class (NOTE 1 & 2)

NOTE 1: If you wish to stay in the center of Tokyo for the first night instead of Hotel Mystays Premier Narita, we can arrange for you to stay at Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro (or similar class). In this case, airport transfer is not included. We will provide you directions to get to your hotel in advance, or we can arrange shared shuttle service for you at US$65.00 per person per way.

NOTE 2: If you will be flying into Haneda Airport (HND) instead of Narita International Airport (NRT), we can arrange for you to stay in the center of Tokyo (Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class) instead of Hotel Mystays Premier Narita. In this case, meet-and- greet and airport transfer are not included. We will provide with full instructions to get to the hotel in advance, or we can arrange shared shuttle service for you at US$60.00 per person per way.

NOTE 3: The meet-and-greet is ONLY available for flights arriving in Terminal 1 & 2 after 11:00 AM. For guests arriving in Terminal 3, airport pickup is not included, but we will provide you with directions to get to your hotel in advance.

NOTE 4: If you wish to stay extra nights before the tour starts, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Day 2

Tokyo (Asakusa Sensoji Temple / Ueno Park / Sushi Making Experience / Tsukiji Outer Market / Imperial Palace / Tokyo Tower)

After breakfast, you will be taken to the Asakusa Kannon Temple, the most colorful temple in Tokyo that holds Japan's largest paper lantern. You will also be able to explore the Nakamise Market, which is located right after the temple's "thunder gate" (Kaminarimon). It is an Edo- style shopping street full of traditional snacks and souvenirs. Make your way to Ueno Park, an excellent cherry blossom spot with more than 1,000 cherry trees. Afterwards, you will have the chance to participate in a delicious sushi making experience with a professional sushi chef. Whatever you prepare, you will get to eat! Our next attraction will be the Tsukiji Outer Market, which is lined with a plethora of food stands and shops. Our group will continue to the Imperial Palace, the current residence of Japan's Imperial Family and former grounds of the Edo Castle. It is surrounded by moats and stone fortifications, located in the heart of Tokyo. From there, we will reach our final stop of the day, the Tokyo Tower. At 333 meters high, Tokyo Tower is 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can go up 150 meters to the main observatory deck and get a panoramic view of the city.
Note: For Sushi Making Experience, if you are vegetarian, on gluten-free diets, have seafood allergy, or don't eat raw fish, please contact us for other ingredient options.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

Day 3

Hakone (Hakone Ropeway / Owakudani), Mt Fuji

Today, we will first depart from Tokyo to Hakone on our private luxury coach. Enjoy extensive views of Hakone by taking a 20 minute ropeway ride from Togendai to Owakudani. Owakudani is known for its active volcanic zone that was created from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago. Here, you can experience its hot springs and bubbling pools, where volcanic gases still linger. The area also grants magnificent views of Mount Fuji during clear sky days. We will then proceed to Mt. Fuji, where you can enjoy the everchanging scenery of forested hills to picturesque plains along the way. Depending on weather conditions, we will stop by the Mt. Fuji 5th station to admire Japan's iconic peak. Tonight, we will stay at the Onsen Hotel at Yatsugatake, where you can soak in a soothing spa bath and savor a traditional Japanese Kaiseki banquet dinner.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Yatsugateke Royal Hotel or similar class

Day 4

Matsumoto (Matsumoto Castle), Takayama (Old Town / Takayama Jinya)

After breakfast, we will head to Matsumoto, where we will visit the photogenic Matsumoto Castle (Black Crow Castle), dating back over 400 years. Then, we will continue our tour to Takayama. This city is located amongst the Japanese Alps and is sometimes called "Little Kyoto" for its preserved historical structures and environment. Due to its remote position in the mountains, it was cut off from the rest of Japan for most of its history and thus has maintained a very unique and traditional atmosphere. As we explore the old town of Takayama, you may notice huge cedar balls hanging from the eaves of several shops. These indicate that the shops are sake breweries. Next, visit Takayama Jinya, a former local government office that now serves as a public museum. It features an interesting interrogation room and official documents of past feudal lords.

Breakfast / Dinner

Hotel Associa Takayama Resort or similar class

Day 5

Takayama (Morning Market), Shirakawa-go (Shiroyama Viewpoint - Gassho- zukuri Minkaen), Kanazawa (Kenrokuen), Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride from Maibara to Kyoto

This morning, we will stop by the lively city market before heading to the rural area of Shirakawa- go. Shirakawa- go is home of the UNESCO designated gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Gassho-zukuri translates to "prayer hands", in which the roofs resemble hands in prayer. Visitors can see great views of Ogimachi Village from the Shiroyama Viewpoint. We will also tour the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, an open air museum of farmhouses and other structures. Afterwards, we will travel to Kanazawa to visit the Kenrokuen Garden, one of three most beautiful landscape gardens of Japan. Here, you can find the oldest fountain in Japan and Kotoji-toro, an iconic two- legged stone lantern. Next, experience a Shinkansen bullet train ride from Maibara to Kyoto, which can reach speeds of up to 300 km/hr. We will stay two nights in Kyoto, an ancient city known for its historic values.

Breakfast / Lunch

Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 6

Kyoto (Arashiyama - Tenryuji Temple Zen Garden - Sagano Bamboo Forest / Golden Pavilion / Nishijin Kimono Show / Kiyomizu Temple / Maruyama Park / Gion Geisha District)

We will spend the day touring Kyoto, which once served as Japan's capital from 794 until 1868. It is considered Japan's cultural center, even being spared from the bombings of WWII due to its historically priceless structures. Our group will first visit Arashiyama, a scenic area particularly popular during the spring and autumn seasons. Visit a traditional Zen garden at Tenryuji Temple before enjoying a stroll through the Sagano Bamboo Forest. Continue to the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), distinguished for its two top floors completely covered with 18 carat gold leaf. It was originally built as a retirment villa by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397. Then, our group will get experience an elegant kimono fashion show and learn how they are made at the Nishijin Textile Center. Our next attraction is the famous Kiyomizu Temple, best known for its wooden stage that extends from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice view of numerous cherry and maple trees below, as well as a beautiful scene of Kyoto in the distance. From Kiyomizu Temple, we will head to Maruyama Park, which is one of the most popular places for cherry blossom viewing (hanami) in Kyoto. Lastly, we will tour Gion, the city's most famous geisha district. It is filled with exclusive ochaya (teahouses) where maiko and geisha entertain, and is also recognized for its traditional wooden machiya merchant houses.

Breakfast / Dinner

Grand Prince Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 7

Kyoto (Green Tea Ceremony with Maiko Interaction / Fushimi Inari Shrine), Nara (Todaiji Temple / Deer Park), Osaka (Dotonbori - Shinsaibashi)

Today, we will get to experience a traditional green tea ceremony. There will also be a meet-and-greet with a maiko, who is simply an apprentice geisha. Photo-taking opportunities will be available as well. Our day continues to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its 4km long tunnel of vermillion colored torii gates, which was also featured in the film "Memoirs of a Geisha". Next, travel to Nara to visit the Todaiji Temple, one of Japan's most historically significant temples. Its main hall is the largest wooden building in Japan, and it also houses one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha at 16.3 meters high. Outside the temple grounds is the Nara Deer Park, filled with over 1,000 Sika deer. Our final stop of the day will be in Osaka. We will spend some time in Dotonbori, a popular shopping, entertainment, and food district. It is known for the hundreds of neon and mechanized signs that line its streets. Our group will also stop by Shinasaibashi, one of Osaka's oldest shopping destinations.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport or similar class
Hotel Elsereine Osaka or similar class (NOTE 5 & 6)

NOTE 5: If you wish to stay in the center of Osaka for the last night instead of Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport, we can arrange for you to stay at Hotel Elsereine Osaka (or similar class). In this case, airport transfer is not included, but we will provide full instructions for you to get to the airport in advance.

NOTE 6: If you will be flying out from Itami Airport (ITM) instead of Kansai International Airport (KIX), we can arrange for you to stay at Hotel Elsereine Osaka (or similar class) instead of Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport. In this case, airport transfer is not included but we will provide full instructions for you to get to the airport in advance.

Day 8

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Checkout time is 11 am and Osaka Kansai Airport can be reached in a three minute walk.

Breakfast

NOTE 7: If you would like to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.