Highlights of Taiwan and Japan Tour Summer

Day 1

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

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

Amba Taipei Zhongshan Hotel or similar class

NOTE 1: The meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, please contact us for the transfer if needed.

NOTE 2: If you wish to stay extra nights before the tour starts, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Day 2

Taroko National Park (Qingshui Cliff)

Begin the day with breakfast at your hotel, then take a drive to Taroko National Park. On the way, we will drive along Qingshui Cliffs, a Taiwan natural wonder stretching along the gorgeous Pacific coastline. Then we will take time to explore the Taroko National Park, taking in its incredible features. The star attraction is breathtaking Taroko Gorge, a beautiful gorge lined in marble stone, with a river rushing through a tree-lined canyon. Another must-see is the shrine of the Eternal Spring, one of the park's most stunning locations, where a charming shrine building sits prettily atop a waterfall, making for a picturesque scene.

Breakfast / Lunch

Taroko Liiko Hotels or similar class

Day 3

Sun Moon Lake (Shuttle Boat Tour / Maolanshan Tea Plantation Tea Tour)

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then we depart Hualien and travel to majestic Sun Moon Lake. Taiwan's largest lake, Sun Moon Lake is so-called for it's shape, which has a rounded eastern shore like the sun, and a curved crescent western shore like the moon. Embark on a shuttle boat tour around the lake, which includes views of Lalu Island. The lake's only island is reserved for special religious practices and so cannot be visited, but the panoramic views of the lake are wonderful to behold. If the weather is clear, look out for the elegant spire of Ci En Pagoda. After lunch, we take a special tea tour of the nearby Maolanshan Tea Plantation, where we can walk around the local hiking trail and stop for a sip of refreshing Maolanshan tea. Then we return to our lakeside accommodation for a relaxing evening.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Del Lago Sun Moon Lake or similar class

Day 4

Fenqihu (Old Market Street), Alishan National Forest (Forest Hike / Scenic Alishan Forest Railway)

Today, enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing Sun Moon Lake for Chiayi. On the way, we stop in Fenqihu for the old market street. While strolling through the old market filled with charming restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops, take time to find some delicious local snacks or a native souvenir before we stop for a traditional lunch. This afternoon, our focus turns to Taiwan's astounding natural beauty as we are heading to Alishan Mountain nestled in the ancient cypress forest. Hike through the verdant Alishan National Forest, an exhilarating walk that features breathtaking mountain scenery. Then we enjoy a relaxing ride through the mountains on the Alishan Forest Railway before heading to our hotel in Chiayi and a relaxing evening.

Breakfast / Lunch

Yuh Tong Hotel or similar class

Day 5

Taichung (Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden / Rainbow Village / National Taichung Theater / Gao-mei Wetland / Fengjia Night Market)

Start off with breakfast at the hotel before we depart Chiayi and head to Taichung. We visit the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden. Built in the 1800s, this palatial mansion was home to one of Taiwan's most influential families, and included such buildings as a Tower of Prospective Fragrance, a Great Flower Hall, and a Hibiscus-Mirror Studio. Nearby is the Lin Family Garden, which is one of the island's prettiest, with a number of little picturesque features to search for while on your relaxing stroll. Enjoy a delightful lunch before we discover the beautiful Rainbow Village - a little town of surprising street art, with houses painted in a colorful, psychedelic style. From there we visit the National Taichung Theater, built in an ultra-modern architectural style which the architect envisioned as a grand whirlpool, where the construction acts as artistic complement to the galleries on display. Then we take in views of the Pacific at Gao-mei Wetland. This wetland preserve on the coast of Taichung city has a great strolling boardwalk offering sweeping views of the pacific coast. After, we explore Fengjia Night Market, Taiwan's largest night market, before a relaxing night at the hotel.

Breakfast / Lunch

In Sky Hotel Taichung or similar class

Day 6

Taipei (Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall / National Palace Museum / Taipei 101)

After breakfast, we continue our route back to Taipei. Our first stop is the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, which is one of Taiwan's major monuments. Considered a Founding Father of the modern state of Taiwan, Chiang Kai-Shek was a famed military general and president of China who administered his government from Taiwan. Many Taiwanese people hold him in especially high regard, and his memorial is a grand reflection of his legacy, with a large bronze statue seated under an opulent pagoda. After lunch, we visit the National Palace Museum, a magnificent museum complex boasting an expansive collection peering back through 8,000 years of Chinese art. Finally, the tour proceeds to the Taipei 101 shopping mall, which is located in the tallest tower in the city and at one time tallest in the world. The shopping mall on the lower levels offers a perfect chance at finding that perfect memento from your vacation. After, we return to the hotel for a last relaxing night in Taipei.

Breakfast / Lunch

Amba Taipei Zhongshan Hotel or similar class

Day 7

Taiwan Taoyuan Airport - Osaka Kansai Airport

After breakfast, free for leisure until your transfer to Taoyuan International Airport for your flight to Japan. Upon arrival Osaka, an AJT representative will meet you at the arrival gate holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Breakfast

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport or similar class
Hotel Elsereine Osaka or similar class (NOTE 4)

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

NOTE 4: If you wish to stay in the center of Osaka 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 you directions to get to your hotel in advance.

Day 8

Osaka (Osaka Castle), Nara (Todaiji Temple / Deer Park), Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Shrine)

In the morning, 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 Nara, the oldest capital city of Japan. We will visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden building in Japan. The temple also houses the largest bronze statue of Buddha at 15 meters (49 feet) meters high, and the surrounding park is filled with over 1,000 Sika deer. In the afternoon we will travel to Kyoto, a historical city that was spared from air raids and saved from the atomic bomb during World War II for its cultural and historical value. We will visit to the stunning vermilion colored Fushimi Inari Shrine, whose 4 km (2.5 mile) long tunnel of scarlet torii gates was featured in the film Memoirs of a Geisha. This complex wraps around a bamboo wilderness that includes mountains, streams, and ponds, the perfect backdrop for a scenic hike. We will stay two nights in Kyoto.

Breakfast / Lunch

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel or similar class

Day 9

Kyoto (Arashiyama - Tenryuji Temple & Garden - Sagano Bamboo Forest - Togetsukyo Bridge / Golden Pavilion / Green Tea Ceremony with a Maiko / Gion Geisha District)

Today we will continue our tour of Kyoto, once the capital of Japan and still considered its cultural center. First is a visit to Arashiyama to see Tenryuji Temple where you can have a glimpse of traditional Zen landscape garden design. Then proceed through a dense bamboo forest, past several small shrines, tea shops and private houses before arriving at the Togetsukyo Bridge over Hozu River. Continue on to Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) covered with 18-karat gold leaf. This three-story structure was originally built by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397. Then, enjoy a relaxing Green Tea Ceremony. This activity was once only available for the social elite. Today, it will be even more special as your host will be an apprentice Geisha, known as a Maiko. We will end our day in the Gion Geisha District, where its streets are lined with ochaya (teahouses), exclusive establishments where guests are entertained by Geisha and Maiko.

Breakfast / Dinner

Kyoto Tokyu Hotel or similar class

Day 10

Kyoto (Kiyomizu Temple), Koka (Miho Museum / Koka Ninja Mansion), Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride

Continue your tour of the historic city of Kyoto at Kiyomizu- dera – a famous temple in Japan that is best known for its large wooden stage that overlooks a hillside of natural scenery. We will then continue to the famous Miho Museum. The Miho Museum has stunning architecture that accentuates the surrounding nature while exhibiting a variety of items from different ancient civilizations. It was designed by the renowned architect, I. M. Pei, and is named after Koyama Mihoko, one of the richest women in Japan and the founder of the museum. This museum is also listed as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die". From there, visit Koka Ninja Mansion. This mansion used to be resided in by ninja, equipped with many ingenious traps and devices, designed to prevent intruders and to provide a means of escape in times of need. Next, we will experience a Shinkansen bullet train ride, which can reach speeds of up to 300 km/hr. We will stay at the Onsen Hotel at Hamanako Kanzanji onsen, where you can soak in the therapeutic waters of a spa bath and feast on a traditional Japanese Kaiseki banquet dinner.

Breakfast / Dinner

The Hamanako or similar class

Note: If Miho Museum is close, we will visit Kyoto National Museum or Sagawa Art Museum instead.

Day 11

Hakone (Hakone Ropeway / Owakudani), Mt Fuji, Tokyo (Shibuya - Shibuya Crossing - Hachiko Statue)

After enjoying Japanese breakfast at the hotel, we will travel to Hakone and take a 20 minute ropeway from Togendai to Owakundani. Much of the area here is considered an active volcanic zone since its creation from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago. There, you can experience hot springs and hot rivers, where sulfurous fumes still linger. Owakundani also has splendid views of Mount Fuji in good weather. From Hakone we will proceed to Mt. Fuji on our private coach. Along the way, enjoy the changing scenery, from thick vegetation to lowlands and rolling clouds. We will stop at Mt. Fuji 5th station (depending on weather) to admire the world famous peak. In the afternoon we will travel to Tokyo. Our last visit for this day is Shibuya. We will be able to see the famed Shibuya Crossing in action and cross the street with the crowd. We will then take photos with the Hachiko Statue at the crossing, which is a monument dedicated to a loyal dog that waited even after his master passed away.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

Day 12

Tokyo (Tsukiji Outer Market / Drive by Imperial Palace / Sushi Making Experience / Asakusa Sensoji Temple / Tokyo Skytree)

Today, you will visit Tsukiji Outer Market – a bustling outdoor street market known for its fresh and delicious seafood, produce, and kitchenware. From there, we drive by the Imperial Palace, which offers splendid views of the meticulously maintained front lawn and garden areas, the moat, and the old stone walls. Next, enjoy a fun and simple Sushi-Making Experience, where you can enjoy creating your own sushi, and eating it afterwards! Then, we visit Tokyo’s oldest temple complex – Asakusa Sensoji Temple, featuring the Kaminarimon Gate, in which hangs an enormous red lantern. Leading up to the temple is Nakamise Street, which is lined with shops selling all manner of Japanese souvenirs. At the end of the day, we ascend Tokyo Skytree to the observation deck, which offers a panoramic 360-degree view of the Tokyo cityscape.
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 Mystays Premier Narita or similar class
Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class (NOTE 5 & 6)

NOTE 5: If you wish to stay in the center of Tokyo for the last 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 full instructions for you to get to the airport in advance, or we can arrange shared shuttle service for you at US$65.00 per person per way.

NOTE 6: If you will be flying out from Haneda Airport (HND) instead of Narita Airport (NRT), we can arrange for you to stay at Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro (or similar class) instead of Hotel Mystays Premier Narita. In this case, airport transfer is not include. We will provide full instructions for you to get to the airport in advance, or we can arrange shared shuttle service for you at US$60.00 per person per way.

Day 13

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Checkout time is 11 am and Narita Airport can be reached by hotel shuttle bus.

Breakfast

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