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DAY 1
Overnight flight
DAY 2
Arrival in Osaka
Welcome to Japan! After clearing customs, you’ll meet your full-time tour guide and the rest of your group. Did you know that over 90 percent of the Japanese population buys a comic magazine every day?
Okonomiyaki dinner
Okonomiyaki dinner
Get to know the other travelers in your group over a welcome dinner. You’ll enjoy a Japanese specialty called okonomiyaki, a savory pancake cooked with any number of ingredients, from cabbage to pork to shrimp.
DAY 3
Transfer via Himeji Castle
Transfer via Himeji Castle
En route to Hiroshima, stop for a visit to Himeji Castle, called the “White Herron” castle because of its white plaster walls. The white plaster protects the castle from fire damage, and it has done a good job—Himeji Castle has never been destroyed by fires and looks much like it did when it was built in 1609. Himeji Castle was featured in You Only Live Twice and The Last Samurai.
Arrival in Hiroshima
Continue on to Hiroshima, the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the biggest of Japan’s islands.
DAY 4
Excursion to Miyajima Park
Excursion to Miyajima Park
Explore the amazing Miyajima, or Shrine Island. It is most famous for its “floating” torii. This gate guards the entrance to the Istukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to the god who protects against sea disasters and war. The park is also home to hundreds of deer, a five-story pagoda dating from 1407 and multiple Shinto temples.
Sightseeing of Hiroshima (local guide)
Sightseeing of Hiroshima (local guide)
A local guide will introduce you to Hiroshima, where the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, killing thousands both from the immediate blast and from radiation sickness in the months following. First visit Peace Memorial Park, which contains the Atomic Bomb Dome, all that remains of the Industrial Promotion Hall after receiving a near-direct hit by the atomic bomb. Also visit the Peace Memorial Museum, which focuses on the devastation of the nuclear attack and its toll on the community.
DAY 5
Transfer to Kyoto
Transfer to Kyoto
Travel on to Kyoto. Did you know that Kyoto was the national capital for more than a thousand years?
Free time in Kyoto (afternoon)
Top 5 free time suggestions:
1. Tanzan Shuzo – This sake brewery is famous for having the first woman sake master brewer in Japan; visit its cave and sample the sake.
2. Kyoto Craft Center – Check out paper, pottery, glass, wood and more at this gallery exhibiting products of more than 100 workshops.
3. Nishiki-köji Market – Browse the vast array of strange and often delicious foods used in Kyoto cuisine.
4. Funaoka Onsen – Take a bath at the best bath house in Kyoto, which includes panel carvings made during Japan's invasion of Manchuria.
5. Kyoto Station – More than just a train station, this steel and glass behemoth unveiled in 1997 has many levels to explore and an observation deck on the 15th floor.
DAY 6
Sightseeing of Kyoto (local guide)
Sightseeing of Kyoto (local guide)
Learn all about Kyoto's past and present with a local guide. Visit the stunning Nijo Castle, made almost entirely out of Japanese cypress. Then visit Heian Shrine, constructed in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto's founding. Finally go inside the Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji Temples. Also known as the Silver and Gold Pavilions, these centuries-old structures are considered two of the most beautiful in Kyoto and are certainly the most well-known.
DAY 7
Optional excursion to Nara (extra cost)
Optional excursion to Nara ($85 pre-booked)
Opt to visit Nara, another of Japan's ancient capitals. See the world's largest bronze statue of a Buddha and engage with the large deer population in Nara Park. Also visit Kasuga Shrine, one of the most famous Shinto shrines in the country.
DAY 8
Bullet train to Hakone
Bullet train to Hakone
Ride the famed shinkansen at speeds of up to 180 mph. Arrive in Hakone, one of Japan's most popular inland resort cities.
Tour of Hakone National Park
Tour of Hakone National Park
Take a guided tour through one of the country's best-loved parks. Enjoy hot springs, lakes, historic sites and up-close views of Mount Fuji. Savor the beautiful scenery on a boat cruise of Lake Hakone, and ride a cable car up Mount Komagatake for incredible mountaintop views.
DAY 9
Transfer via Kamakura
Transfer via Kamakura
Stop in this small town for a photo op at the Great Image of Buddha. This is the second largest statue of its kind, topping out at more than 37 feet tall.
Arrival in Tokyo
Continue on to Japan's capital city, home to 12 million residents. Did you know that most streets in Tokyo have no name?
DAY 10
Sightseeing tour of Tokyo (local guide)
Sightseeing tour of Tokyo (local guide)
Explore Japan's largest city with a local guide. View the Meiji Shinto Shrine with its elaborate wooded Inner Garden. Then pass through trendy Harajaku, a district popular with young Tokyoites, and continue through the Shopping District. Visit the Imperial Palace, with its gigantic stone walls, spacious plaza and large public garden. Take a cruise on the Sumida River and visit the Asakusa Kannon Temple. Dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, this 7th-century temple is a five-story pagoda surrounded by shops, restaurants, theaters, and cinemas.
Free time in Tokyo (daytime)
Top 5 free time suggestions:
1. Tokyo National Museum – See a huge collection of Japanese art and antiques in the largest and oldest museum in the country.
2. Shopping in Shibuya – This is where you'll find the latest trendy and inexpensive fashions.
3. Ueno Park – This large area, very popular with Japanese families on a day out, has museums, shrines, a zoo, and much more.
4. NHK Broadcast Museum – Check out this unique museum, featuring high-def broadcast systems, earlier broadcast equipment, and an experience studio.
5. Sensoji Temple – Visit the city's oldest and most popular temple, which, according to legend, was built to honor the Buddhist goddess of mercy and happiness.
For more ideas and details, see our Tokyo city guide.
DAY 11
Optional excursion to Nikko (extra cost)
Optional excursion to Nikko ($105 pre-booked)
Opt for a visit to a national park, where natural beauty is the order of the day. Rivers, lakes, wooded areas, and the 300-foot Kegon Waterfall are nature at its best. You'll also check out the five-story pagoda of Toshugo Shrine and the Bonsai Garden.
Included tempura dinner
Included tempura dinner
Savor the traditional Japanese delicacy. Seafood and veggies dipped in batter and cooked in vegetable and sesame oil will make your taste buds smile. Don't be afraid to experiment—tempura can be anything from shrimp to squid to eggplant to sweet potato.
DAY 12
Flight home