Get to see all the highlights of Japan’s main island Honshu, such as the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto and make a stopover at Yudanaka, famous for its bathing snow monkeys! Visit the beautiful gardens in Okayama and behold the iconic torii gate of Miyajima. Enjoy the lovely scenery in the Kiso Valley, where you can stroll over the old hiking trails. This travel is an excellent starting point for creating your own itinerary. Of course we can arrange extras to your travel, such as tours, tickets and activities, to make it even more authentic or exciting. Every aspect can be adjusted to your preferences.
Itinerary Overview:
DEPARTURE/RETURN: | Departure: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Narita/Haneda Airport (Tokyo). Return: Kansai International Airport (Osaka) to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. |
BASED ON: | 2 Travelers |
INCLUDED: | Accommodation |
OPTIONAL: | Flights |
1
You arrive in the sprawling capital of Japan: Tokyo! On your first day in the country you can explore the older areas of Tokyo:
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Today you will visit the modern part of Tokyo by train and/or subway. For example:
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Today you can take your time and visit the places you have not been able to visit yet, or take a day trip to one of the nearby places of interest:
4
Yudanaka will offer you a true onsen experience. This beautiful village lies on a hill and will gradually introduce to the older parts of the surroundings. The onsen in the area date back to periods hundreds of years ago and will give you the opportunity to completely relax. In addition to the onsen, you will also visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park. The monkeys that live there regurlarly take a bath in the hot water springs in the park. This makes for the beautiful view in the mountain area. The valley is known to prpvide visitors with an unforgettable experience during the winter.
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You will take the train to Nakatsugawa, which will take about 3 hours, after which you will continue your journey by bus to Magome. You can then walk through the old picturesque streets of Magome and Tsumago, villages situated in the Kiso Valley. Alongside this hiking trail there are many monuments, temples, shrines, ravines and you can relive various legends. Narrow alleys, mysterious sideroads and beautiful buildings will all be part of your unique experience. After this hike you will stay in a local minshuku where you can experience the real authentic sphere.
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After travelling for about 2 hours by train, you will arrive in the historical city of Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Areas such as the famous Gion will take you back to this time, and if you’re lucky you will see a Maiko, or Geisha, hurrying off to an appointment in the early evening. Visit the awe-inspiring Kiyomizudera Temple and wander around the surrounding little streets leading up to it to experience more of Kyoto’s traditional atmosphere. In the evening, the Kawaramachi and Sanjo areas are the best place to find a multitude of local bars and restaurants, as well as plenty of Karaoke opportunities and Gamecenters.
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Today you can visit the following places:
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Make a day trip to one of the following places of interest in the area:
10
Today you will make a trip to Nara: another former capital city of Japan, and home to many beautiful temples (including the Todaiji temple, one of the oldest temples in Japan, naturally on the UNESCO World Heritage list). Be sure to buy some deer crackers to feed to one of the many deer freely wandering around Nara Park.
11
In Hiroshima you will visit the Peace Memorial Museum and Park. This special park is a reminder of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Previously, this area used to be the commercial and political centre of Hiroshima, but was changed to become a memorial park after the bomb. You can also visit the A-Bomb Dome that lies near the park. This is one of the few buildings that survived the explosion. At the same time it also functions as a ‘tomb’ to the people who died of the explosion or of the consequences hereof.
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On your second in Hiroshima you will use the ferry and your JR pass to travel to the extraordinary Miyajima island, where you will find the Itsukushima shrine. The view on this shrine that is partially in the water is known as 1 of the 3 most beautiful views of Japan. After visiting this shrine you will have plenty opportunity to visit the little shops and restaurants to take in the unique island atmosphere.
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Today you will have a look around the historical city of Kurashiki. This city functioned as a very important rice distribution centre during the Edo period. Even the name of the city refers back to this period, as Kurashiki roughly means ‘city of storage houses’, what of course refers to the many rice storage houses that used to be there. Many of these storage houses have nowadays been converted into shops, museums and cafes. You will also bring a visit to Korakuen, a beautiful landscape garden in Okayama. Here you will find ponds, mysterious paths and viewpoints. The unique thing about this garden is that there are also vast fields stretching across the garden, which is very rare in Japanese gardens.
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In Himeji you will visit the imposing Himeji Castle. This castle is known for its beautiful white exterior, its size, and for the fact that it is one of the 12 castles that remains intact. This means that the castle has never been destroyed, rebuild or burnt. Next to the castle itself, there are also the beautiful castle grounds to visit. These castle grounds have also been well preserved and are a nice example of what the surroundings looked like in the past.
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On your last day in Japan you will reach Osaka in about half an hour by train. You will close off your trip by visiting the lively Shinsaibashi district and Osaka Castle. In and around Shinsaibashi there is a lot to explore. You can visit numerous shopping streets where there are a lot of different products and dishes for purchase. It is also possible to visit Dotonbori, which is located a little bit south of Shinsaibashi. There are huge screens there that projects a variety of things and of course you can take a picture with the famous Glico man.
Osaka Castle is also a must-see when visiting Osaka. Though it has been rebuilt, the exterior has been faithfully reconstructed to the original from 1583, and is that of a classic Japanese castle. The interior has been made into a museum, and you can go all the way to the top of the castle for an incredible view of the surroundings.
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On this final day of your journey, you will fly back home from Osaka’s nearby Kansai International Airport.
Prices depend on the season in which you would like to travel. Prices in the low season (December, January, February) will be different from prices in the high season (March, April, August, Holidays).
Low season | from €1599,- p.p. | |
Mid-high season | from €1749,- p.p. | |
High season | from €1999,- p.p. |