Cultural Japan

9 days - A holiday that includes visiting a wealth of scenic & cultural sites across Japan...

• Tokyo: city tour (3 nights)
• Mt Fuji & Hakone tour
• Bullet Train
• Hiroshima (2 nights)
• Miyajima tour
• Kyoto: city tour (2 nights)
• Nara (optional)

View details below...

Day 1
Depart from Heathrow or your preferred airport for a scheduled flight to Tokyo. Meals on board.

Day 2 Tokyo
Arrive at Narita Airport in Tokyo, you are met by your tour assistant and transferred to your hotel for a 3 nights stay. The rest day is at your leisure to adjust to the 9 hours time difference.

Day 3 Tokyo
Morning City tour of Tokyo visiting a number of the main highlights of this magnificent City. The tour includes a visit to the Tokyo Tower where you can enjoy panorama views across the city from the observation tower. We proceed to the peaceful picturesque setting of the Meiji Shrine considered to be one of the finest example of Shinto Architecture set in thick woodland. Next we visit the 'Akasaka Guest House' for a photo opportunity. The Guest House is a magnificent 'Western Style Palace' built in the Baroque Architectural style. We then drive alongside the imposing National Diet Building, which is home to the Japanese House of Parliament. Our tour continues across Tokyo to the Imperial Palace East Garden, where we enjoy a pleasant walk in the East Garden of the Imperial Palace, which is filled with scenic and historic beauty. (Alternatively for tours on Monday & Friday we will visit the Imperial Palace plaza and famous Double bridge instead of the East Garden, including a visit to the inner moat and towering Palace walls surrounded by pine trees). Our tour will continue with a drive and stroll along Ginza high street, the famous shopping area of Tokyo. Our tour will disband at Ginza giving you the opportunity for shopping (we also recommend you visit the Sony Centre building to see the futuristic electronics on display. Ginza is also convenient for the subway to explore further.

Afternoon - free at leisure or take optional afternoon city tour, which includes Asakusa Kannon Temple and Sumida river cruise. (ask for details at time of booking).

Day 4 Tokyo - Hakone
You shall be picked up from your hotel and driven by deluxe motorcoach to the the 5th station on Mount Fuji. Along the way you will enjoy scenery of rural Japan, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and mountainous peaks. From our vantage point on the 5th station on Mt Fuji, we will enjoy spectacular views (weather permitting). Lunch will be provided at a Hotel/Restaurant in Hakone. In the afternoon we proceed to the Hakone National Park where we will take a cable car ride with the opportunity to see the magnificent volcanic Hakone mountain range below. We will then travel to the Owakudani Boiling Valley where you will see ancient volcanic craters where sulfurous fumes and clouds of steam spiral from crevasses across the mountain side giving a truly mystical image. We then proceed with our tour for a boat cruise on Lake Ashi, which is set in serene natural beauty, where weather permitting spectacular views of Mount Fuji can be seen silhouetted in the lake. Return to hotel in Tokyo (includes: Lunch).

Day 5 Tokyo - Hiroshima
Proceed to Shinagawa station on foot (3 minutes walk). Leave Tokyo for Hiroshima by Bullet train (280min). We provide free hotel to hotel luggage transfer service from Tokyo to Kyoto. Upon arrival self transfer to your hotel, which is conveniently located near the station. The rest of the day is free at your leisure to explore this facinating City.

Day 6 Hiroshima - Miyajima
A full day tour includes visiting Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima with its breathtaking beauty and tranquil atmosphere. Then we explore the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, near the epicenter where the Atomic bomb exploded. We also visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, featuring exhibitions of items related to the nuclear bomb.

Day 7 Hiroshima - Kyoto
Slelf Transfer to Hiroshima station and leave Hiroshima by Bullet train to Kyoto (114min approx) and upon arrival self transfer to your hotel, which is conveniently located near the station. Rest of the day free at leisure.

Day 8 Kyoto
Morning site seeing tour of Kyoto including a visit to the Kinkakuji temple (Golden Pavilion) centred around one of the best examples of a Japanese Zen gardens in the world, Nijo Castle residence of the Tokugawa Shogun built in 1603, Nijo Castle is noted for its Ornate interior and 'nightingale floor' designed to sing when stepped upon to warn of Ninja assassins.(When closed visit Ryoanji temple). We then travel to the Old Kyoto Imperial Palace (on Sat/Sun & national holidays visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine or Hagashi Honganji temple instead). Finally we explore the Kyoto Handicraft Center where we enjoy demonstrations of Japanese traditional arts and crafts. Tour ends at the handycraft centre who provide an optional free return to your hotel in Kyoto or take optional tour to Nara (enquire at time of booking to include this tour in your itinerary). The optional afternoon tour included lunch at the Kyoto handicraft centre, visit to the Todaiji temple housing the Great Buddha, Kasuga Shinto Shrine with 3,000 lanterns and Nara Deer Park.

Day 9 Osaka to UK
Transfer to the futuristic Kansai International Airport in Osaka for departure to UK. Arriving UK later the same day.

Group Departure Dates & Price 2007 (£)

Departure Dates & Price 2008 (£)

The 2008 price may be different around the bank holidays in the UK, and the festivals period in Japan. Please contact us for confirmation. The single supplement is based on 3 people in 1 group. The hotel upgrade price is based on twin share for the whole trip, for single room upgrade please contact us.

We also arrange private tour or tailor made departure according to this itinerary, please contact us to discuss your requirement.

Price Includes (The prices shown above are 'per person')

• All flights including airport tax. We can also arrange your local airport departure from £50. Please enquire at the time of your booking.
• Airport/hotel transfers.
• Sightseeing tours by professional English-speaking tour guide.
• Selections of quality accommodation in well furnished hotel rooms with private facilities.
• Meals as specified in the itinerary.
• Free luggage transfer from hotel to hotel between Tokyo & Kyoto.

Price Does Not Include

• Optional tours.
• Travel Insurance.

Flights As agent of many airline consolidators, we can obtain flights in various class, with reputable airlines such as BA, Virgin, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair etc. We will book airline ticket according to availability unless you specify at the booking stage. We can also provide land-only tours if you prefer to organise your own flights and save airmiles.

Your Accommodation for this tour Carefully selected quality accommodations in ideal locations, with upgrade to deluxe level available.

Your Meals Breakfast at hotel can be booked in advance at £13 per person per day. Alternatively, there are many places around the hotels that you can buy meals from.

Other fact of our tour arrangement Upon arrival at Tokyo Airport, you will be met by our assistant and directed to the limousine bus terminal. For each day of your itinerary (excluding fee time), you will be met by English speaking guides at your hotel for escorted tour. You will be met and transfered from hotel in Kyoto to Osaka Airport by private transportation.

To ensure our travellers have a relexing and enjoyable holiday, a hotel to hotel luggage transfer service (1 piece of luggage per person) is provided Tokyo - Kyoto.

The tour itineraries are regularly checked and provides an ideal length of time to show you some main sights in Japan, with free time to explore and enjoy according to own interests.

Magical Japan operates with top quality tour guide service. We also recommend Ryokan experience (Japanese guest house) on the last day while you in Kyoto. The supplement starts from £160 per person for 1 night with Japanese Dinner included.

Nijo Castle (Kyoto) is closed (Tue in Jul & Aug), therefore if your tour falls on these dates, we will visit Ryoanji Temple instead. Kyoto Imperial Palace is closed on weekends and national holidays, we will visit Kitano Tenmangu, or Ryoanji Temple instead.

Suitable for all age travellers. Add on tours and city extension available, for details visit optional tours page.

The itinerary is designed according to the most updated information of flights schedules available, although occasionally the sequence in which cities are visited and duration of time spent in each city can change due to local conditions which are out of our control. The above itinerary highlights the main attractions that are to be visited each day. MT Fuji - Hakone - We reserve the right to change or amend our tour itinerary due to heavy traffic conditions or bad weather.We reserve the right to change, amend or alter the itinerary, although we will act in your best interests to handle any amendments. Please refer to the booking form for detailed terms & conditions.