Your Small Group Discovery tour begins! Welcome to Tokyo, Japan’s capital city. Hotel check-in is available mid-afternoon
Monumental Metropolis Hop on Tokyo’s subway system to explore this fascinating city with guided sightseeing, featuring the Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Kannon Temple, and Nakamise shopping arcade. Tonight, join your travel companions at a welcome dinner hosted by your Tour Director. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
SMALL GROUP EXCLUSIVE Exploring Tokyo on the metro starts with a visit to Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a man-made forest. Then, visit Asakusa Kannon Temple and Nakamise shopping arcade, the oldest of their kind in Tokyo.
ENHANCED FREE TIME
EXPLORE MORE Tokyo has something for everyone so visit one of the city’s unique neighborhoods like Ginza or Shibuya districts, dine at the street food markets, or catch a game at the Tokyo Dome
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Fourth with a Bullet Today, travel by shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya, Japan’s fourth-largest city. Visit Nagoya Castle, a proud symbol of the city, then enjoy a [LF] sake tasting. Later, continue to Kyoto by motorcoach. (B)
LOCAL FAVORITE
SMALL GROUP EXCLUSIVE Celebrate with your small group with a sake tasting in Nagoya’s yokocho, traditional Japanese alleyways, today hosting many small restaurants, pubs, and shops
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Cruise by Sand & Sea Travel outside the city to the stunning coastal region of Amanohashidate. Cruise on the tranquil waters surrounding this picturesque pine-covered sandbar, home to one of Japan’s three most scenic views. Return to Kyoto where your evening is at your leisure. (B)
ENHANCED FREE TIME
EXPLORE MORE Join your Tour Director for a walking tour through Gion this evening or venture out to savor delectable noodles at one of Kyoto’s many ramen houses
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
A Golden Gift This morning, visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, renowned for the thousands of brightly hued Torii Gates, and stunning Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Later, partake in a [LF] tea ceremony. (B,L)
LOCAL FAVORITE
PLANNED TO A TEA Participate in a tea ceremony, the ancient tradition and carefully choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Palace Aisles & Pottery Styles Travel to Himeji to visit Himeji Castle, then drive south to Bizen, where you’ll visit a traditional pottery workshop to learn more about Bizen-yaki, one of Japan’s six ancient pottery styles dating back over 1,000 years. Continue to Okayama. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SIGHTS Known as White Heron Castle, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Himeji Castle is a marvel in white, standing as it did centuries ago as a strategic fortification consisting of over 80 stunning structures connected by a series of gates and winding pathways. Explore this finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture—a national treasure of Japan
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Garden Sights & City Whites This morning, visit Koraku-en Garden. Journey to Kurashiki, to visit the Ohara Museum and Bikan Historical Quarter, once the political and commercial center of the city. The canal-lined, white-washed, stone streets reflect the Edo period (1603-1867) and are quintessentially Japanese. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
THE POWER OF TRANQUILITY The 30-acre Koraku-en Garden features ponds, plum groves, and tea fields, earning its place as one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” The wide lawns, believed to uplift the spirit and promote open mindedness, are unique to Koraku-en and not a traditional feature of Japanese gardens
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Picturing Japan Drive northwest to Matsue and visit Matsue Castle on the shores of Lake Shinji. After lunch, continue to the Adachi Museum of Art to view the renowned work of artist, Yokoyama Taikan. Your hotel tonight is in the city of Yonago on the coast of the Sea of Japan. (B,L)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARTISTRY Revel in the Japanese-style gardens of the Adachi Museum of Art and admire the revolutionary style of painter Yokoyama Taikan. Considered one of Japan’s greatest painters, this major figure in pre-WWII Japanese painting helped create the stunning technique of Nihonga—ink and mineral pigments on silk or paper canvas
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Serenity & Solemnity Drive south to Hiroshima this morning. Upon arrival, visit the 400-year-old Shukkei-en Garden, where natural landscapes are represented in miniature form. Also visit the moving Peace Memorial Park. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
MONUMENTS & MEMORIALS Peace Memorial Park is home to the Peace Memorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been preserved just as it was on August 6, 1945, immediately after the devastating bombing. You will also visit the Memorial Museum and Memorial Hall, which commemorate the lives lost that day
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Sacred Spaces & Sea Views Travel by ferry to Miyajima Island. Visit Itsukushima Shrine and take cable-car ride to the top of Mount Misen for panoramic views of the Seto Island Sea, and on a clear day, Hiroshima city. Participate in a [LF] Japanese cooking class for lunch. Return to Hiroshima for some time on your own. Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner to celebrate your discovery of Japan. (B,L,D)
LOCAL FAVORITE
SMALL GROUP EXCLUSIVE Learn how to make Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, delicious savory pancake layered with ingredients as you choose. This legendary dish of Japan comes from the words okonomi (as you like it)and yaki (to grill)
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Say it Ain’t Sayonara Your tour ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
