Traditional Japan Tour, 16 days

16 day Traditional Japan tour: day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 Flight Kyoto
On day 1 you depart from Schiphol and fly to former capital of Japan, Kyoto.

Day 2 Kyoto
After an 11 hour flight, you arrive in Kansai International Airport in the bay of Osaka. You will stay in Kyoto where you have the choice between a stay in a hotel or a traditional Japanese house. The remaining part of the day you are free to take rest or explore the area.

Day 3 Kyoto
Kyoto has remained virtually untouched by World War II. Many old temples and houses are perfectly well preserved. Absolutely worth visiting is the Nijo castle and the 300 years old Nijo Jinya Inn, a former inn used by feudal lords. The Kinkakuji or Golden Pavilion temple is one of the main attractions in Japan, as well as the Zen temple Ryoanji with its magnificent rock gardens. Are you looking for some delicious Kyoto food, then the Nishiki food Market is the place to go.

Day 4 Kyoto
After breakfast you might head to the Heian Temple. This Shinto temple with its vermilion coated gate is very popular with honeymooners, particularly on their wedding day. The Kiyomizu temple, a wooden Buddhist temple from the 8^th century is also worth a visit. How about picking up some Japanese cooking skills while in Kyoto? Today you can join a cooking class and learn to cook some Japanese dishes (optional).

Day 5 Kyoto – Nara – Kyoto
Today you go by train to Nara, the home of Japan’s first permanent capital. Nara has many shrines and temples that have been registered as World Heritage sites. Visit the Todaiji temple, a Buddhist temple originally built in the mid-700s, housing Japan’s largest bronzed Buddha statue. In addition to that, the picturesque landscaped gardens, designed by a Japanese landscape architect are a good places to relax (optional).

Day 6 Kyoto – Kurashiki
You get to the village of Kurashiki by train. The name “Kurashiki” can roughly be translated as “town of storehouses”, which refers to the storehouses in which rice was kept. Located along the main canal, these original storehouses can be recognized by their white walls and black tiled roofs. Here you can visit the Ohara Museum of Art. It houses an impressive collection of Western masterpieces by artists such as Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin and Matisse.

Day 7 Kurashiki – Naoshima
From the Uno station you travel by ferry to Naoshima. This island in the Seto Inland Sea is like an open-air museum. There is even a James Bond 007 museum. Go and have a look inside the Chichu Museum. The museum building, designed by Ando Tadao, is itself a work of art and perfectly blends in with the surrounding natural environment.

Day 8 Naoshima – Hiroshima
Today the Shinkansen (bullet train) zips you to Hiroshima. Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered atomic attacks. The many different monuments and expositions at the Peace Memorial Park and the Peace Museum commemorate the atrocities of this nuclear bomb explosion towards the end of World War II.

Day 9 Hiroshima – Miyajima – Hiroshima
The island of Miyajima can be reached by local train and ferry boat. The island houses the Itsukushima temple, famous for its giant torri gates, which at high tide seem to float on water. For Japanese this sight is ranked as one of Japan’s three main attractions. A ropeway leads up to the Mount Misen, where you will be welcomed by its local inhabitants: the macaque monkeys.

Near Misen’s summit you will find several temple structures which belong to Daisho-in Temple at the base of the mountain. By the end of the day, take the ferry boat back to Hiroshima. Here you have the option to spend the night in Miyajima instead of Hiroshima (at extra cost).

Day 10 Hiroshima – Osaka
Using the Shinkansen you will get to Osaka, where you can go and visit the Umeda Sky Building, a spectacular high rise building. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa, which was once (between 4th-8th century) Japan’s capital city, the first one ever known. Osaka’s castle and world’s biggest aquarium are definitely worth a visit.

Day 11 Osaka – Kiso
Another train journey brings you to the Kiso Valley. Here you get the feeling of being transported back to the time of the Samurai. The Kiso Valley was part of the ancient Nakasendo Trail. This trail used to serve as the main mountain route connecting Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo). Weather permitting, you can walk part of this ancient trail to the old “post towns” of Magome Toge and Tsumago. The scenery along the way is beautiful. From here it’s a short walk back to your minshuku.

Day 12 Kiso – Obuse – Yudanaka
By local bus and train you travel onwards to Obuse. This old town is renowned for its many museums and famous for its local sake. Obuse houses a Japanese lantern museum, a ceramic museum and the museum of Hokusai, one of Japan’s greatest artists. Hokusai spent several years toward the end of his life in Obuse as the guest of a wealthy salt merchant. It is believed that during this period, he made some of his best paintings. After your train journey to Yudanaka, you can lower yourself into the bubbling hot baths of your ryokan.

Day 13 Yudanaka
A twenty minute walk takes you to the Jigokudani Hot Spring. It’s a real delight to watch wild monkeys play and bathe in the hot waters along the river. This area is very nice for walking and enjoying peaceful village life. Relax and get ready to head back to the city jungle of Tokyo.

Day 14 Yudanaka – Tokyo
Today you travel back to Tokyo. Upon arrival at your hotel you can immediately go and explore the city. For a bird’s eye view of this sprawling metropolis, head to the top of the Tokyo Tower. You might even be able to spot Mount Fuji in the distance.

Day 15 Tokyo
Tokyo has it all!!! In this gigantic modern metropolis pleasant surprises wait around every corner. A visit to the Edo Museum illustrates the past of Tokyo from the Edo period to recent modern times. The Asakusa Kannon Temple, also called the Senso-Ji, is Japan’s oldest Buddhist temple, built in 628. Electric city, or Akihabara is famous for its many electronic discount shops. For any tourists that visit Japan’s capital city, a walk around Tokyo at night is a top priority.

Day 16 Tokyo – Amsterdam
After breakfast, departure to Narita Airport for check-in and return flight home. After a ± 11 hours flight, you probably arrive on the very same day at Schiphol.

Traditional Japan trip day to day schedule

Price 16 days Traditional Japan tour

This tour package can be booked from € 1.980,- per person, based on double occupancy and depending on your chosen travel dates.

Different ways of traveling

Many people, many preferences, many different ways of traveling. One traveler prefers simple, yet good, another one prefers good, yet also a bit more luxurious. We therefore offer tours in different price categories.

Included:

– All accommodation, including breakfast
– 3 dinners, more particularly in Kiso en Yudanaka
– All train journeys as per itinerary, including the high-speed shinkansen
– A two week Japan Rail pass
– A detailed information brochure, including maps and translations.

Not included:

– International flight to/from Japan
– Transfers to/from the airport
– Ferries, local buses and subways, local busses and metro
– Entrance fees, services of local guides
– Travel and Cancellation insurance
– Administration cost € 25,– p.p. (Max € 50,– per file)
– Calamity Fund € 2,50 per file