DAY 1: Haneda / Narita Airport →Tokyo

Welcome to Japan! Upon arrival Arrival at the airport, after passport control and baggage reclaim, transfer to Tokyo, the current capital.
*Rooms are available from 15:00.
English-speaking assistant available from the airport to the hotel to give information and help with check-in once at the hotel. Airport-hotel transfer by public transport.
Telephone assistance in English for the duration of the stay. Assistance on arrival and transfer may be shared with other tour participants 

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Sunshine City Prince Hotel, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro, or similar

DAY 2: Tokyo 

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day dedicated to visiting Tokyo with an  English-speaking guide.
We start with a splendid view of the megalopolis from the observatory of the Bunkyo Civic Center. Then we will visit the Edo Fukagawa musem where we find a life-size representation of daily life in the area at the time. Finally, we will take you to visit the picturesque Asakusa district, Senso-ji Temple, the oldest in the city, and the long Nakamise-dori boulevard with its traditional shops. Finally, a walk to the Ginza district where the visit ends.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Sunshine City Prince Hotel, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3: Tokyo 
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel followed by a full day to explore Tokyo at your leisure.

- Optional guided tour of Tokyo *Not bookable on site -
*A "CROSSING" INTO THE PAST*
Full day dedicated to visiting some of Tokyo's most historic districts. We will start by visiting Tsukiji Fish Market, the outer market. Although a new location
for the fish market has recently been created, the original location is still there, alive and full of excellent places selling and cooking excellent fresh fish. We will continue
to explore the picturesque Yanaka district and in particular the folkloristic Yanaka Ginza street full of local restaurants, street food, and small shops and where you can
breathe in a bygone era. Finally, transfer to the popular Shibuya district, famous for its impressive intersection with what is said to be the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. Meals not included.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Sunshine City Prince Hotel, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4: Kyoto → Kanazawa

*Luggage will be transported separately to Tokyo by courier****
(Please remember to prepare hand luggage for one overnight stays in Kanazawa)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day without assistance. Departure for Kanazawa by express train (2nd class) using the Japan Rail Pass (approx. 2.5 hours).
In Kanazawa, we recommend a visit to Kenroku-en Park, considered one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan; the Omicho-ichiba market, renowned especially for its fish products; and the Nagamachi Yuzenkan, where splendid kimonos made of Kaga Yuzen silk, the traditional technique of the area, are on display.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Kanazawa New Grand Hotel Premier, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5: Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go→ Takayama

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day without assistance. Scheduled coach between Kanazawa/Shirakawa-go/Takayama. Departure for Shirakawa-go, the village with characteristic thatched-roof houses, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then on to Takayama, where we
recommend a visit to the Sanmachi-suji district, the heart of the old town, strolling among saké factories and characteristic houses converted into craft shops. Traditional dinner at the ryokan included.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Takayama - Hoshokaku (Ryokan), or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6: Takayama → Nagoya → Hiroshima

**Your luggage will be transported separately to Kyoto by courier. Please remember to pack hand luggage for two nights in Hiroshima**

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day without assistance. Before departure, a visit to the morning markets and the Takayama Jin'ya, former residence
of the lord of the Kanamori clan and later seat of the governor of the ancient province of Hida, is recommended. 

Travel to Hiroshima via Nagoya with your Japan Rail  Pass. (bought separately) 

Takayama - Nagoya (JR express 2.5 hours)
Hiroshima (JR shinkansen 2.5 hours)

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Daiwa Roynet Hotel Hiroshima, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Rhiga Royal Hotel Hiroshima, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7: Hiroshima

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day free at leisure in Hiroshima. We recommend a trip to the island of Miyajima by boat (covered by the Japan Rail Pass), to
discover the splendid Itsukushima Shrine, consisting of a series of stilted structures dating back to the 6th century, known mainly
for its majestic torii, a sacred gateway that rises in the shoreline. In Hiroshima, on the other hand, it is possible to visit the Peace
Memorial Museum and Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Daiwa Roynet Hotel Hiroshima, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Rhiga Royal Hotel Hiroshima, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 8: Hiroshima → Himeji → Kyoto

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day without assistance. Departure from Hiroshima for Kyoto with the Japan Rail Pass. If you wish, you can stop at Himeji
(Hiroshima - Himeji approx. 1 hour by shinkansen), where the castle of the same name stands. Nicknamed 'White Heron
Castle', it underwent restoration work that was completed in 2015. This castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site not only for its
beauty, but also because it is a rare example of an original structure that has remained intact to this day. Continue to Kyoto (Himeji - Kyoto approx. 1 hour by shinkansen).

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Hotel Elcient Kyoto, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Rhiga Royal Hotel Kyoto, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 9: Kyoto

Full day dedicated to visiting Kyoto with an English-speaking guide. The visit includes the Kiyomizu-dera temple, founded in 798 (the current buildings are reconstructions from 1633) and
its surroundings (Ninen-zaka and Sannenzaka), the Ryoan-ji temple with its Zen garden of rocks, the Golden Pavilion of
Kinkaku-ji, the symbol of the city, and the Sanjusangen-do temple, a building housing 1,001 wooden Kannon statues.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Hotel Elcient Kyoto, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Rhiga Royal Hotel Kyoto, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 10: Kyoto, Nara and Fushimi-Inari

Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure from Kyoto for Nara by fast regional train. Full day dedicated to visiting Nara with guide in English. Visit Todai-ji, a temple housing the Great Buddha, one of the world's largest
bronze statues, and the large Shinto shrine Kasuga, surrounded by some 10,000 lanterns. Both buildings are located in Nara
Park, where numerous deer live in semifreedom. Return to Kyoto, stopping en route at the Fushimi Inari Taisha to admire its
endless red portals.

Hotel: ★★★☆☆ Hotel Elcient Kyoto, or similar
Hotel: ★★★★☆ Rhiga Royal Hotel Kyoto, or similar
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7: Kyoto → Osaka → Kansai Airport 

*Rooms are available until 11:00*.
Breakfast at the hotel. Independent transfer without assistance to the airport by public transport subject to availability (separate fee).
Departure from Kansai Airport.
* S A Y O N A R A *