Highlights of Japan: Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Tokyo

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Osaka

  Honshu, Japan's largest island and home to more than 80% of its total population, is the birthplace of the Yamato people and Japanese culture. This Honshu Discovery will present to you all the essence of this exotic nation and its people.

  On arrival at Osaka airport, you will be met by an airport assistant who will give you your trip documents and direct you to the shuttle bus to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax or go on light adventures around your hotel.

  • Osaka

• Day 2: Osaka, Free Day to Kobe and Himeji

  It is a free day at your disposal. You may like to take a train to Kobe to visit Japan's top sake (rice wine) producing Nada Sake District and Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum and take a troll around Kobe Harborland. Those loving history and architecture may continue to Himeji with another train ride to see the UNESCO-listed Himeji Castle, one of the finest examples of ancient Japanese architecture surviving typhoons, earthquakes, and wars. For its brilliant white appearance looking like an elegant white heron extending its wings in flight, people nicknamed it White Heron Castle.

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  • Osaka

• Day 3: Osaka - Hiroshima, Osaka City Walking Tour

  Today, you will be escorted to visit the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living for a glimpse of the urban landscapes of Osaka during the Edo period. Then, stroll around Osaka Castle to enjoy the scenic grounds and surrounding park. If you're a history lover, you can even explore its rich history in the museum for an additional fee. Later, if time permits, walk around Kuromon Ichiba Market for a glance at the local life of today and try some local food.

  In the afternoon, be escorted to the railway station for the train to Hiroshima. On arrival, head to your hotel on your own and relax.

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  • Hiroshima

• Day 4: Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

  Home to the three goddesses of the seas and storms, Itsukushima Shrine has been a holy place of Shintoism since the 6th century. Today, its striking red torii has become one of the iconic images of Japan. At high tide, when drifting on the boundless sea, suddenly, an outstanding red torii floating calmly on the water comes into your sight. Behind it are the otherworldly palaces and mountain peaks of the forest. No wonder the ancient people believed that they were getting close to an immortal land.

  In the afternoon, return to Hiroshima by ferry and visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, the museum inside it, and the Atomic Bomb Dome - the only structure left near the bomb's hypocenter. Facing up to the disasters brought by war may be too cruel, but it always makes us cherish the hard-won peace even more.

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  • Hiroshima

• Day 5: Hiroshima - Kyoto

  For over 1,000 years, Kyoto in Western Honshu was the capital of Japan until Tokyo took the throne in 1868. Millenarian accumulation has made it a charming city rich in historical relics and Japanese traditions.

  Arrive in Kyoto by train and have the rest of the day at your disposal. Why not stroll around the historic entertainment quarter, Gion, for chances to encounter finicky-dressed Geisha, the very embodiment of old Kyoto?

  If you wish for a more immersive experience, we can help book a fantastic Geisha show with a traditional tea ceremony at your request.

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  • Kyoto

• Day 6: Kyoto: Ancient Castle, Temple, and Shrine

  As the spiritual heart of Japan, Kyoto is home to some 2,000 temples and shrines. How can you leave Kyoto without visiting some masterpieces of its religious architecture?

  See what we picked up for you: Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the oldest one with a large veranda jutting out over the hillside and offering an outstanding panorama of Kyoto; Tokugawa Shogun's residence- the Nijo Castle that is famed for its spacious grounds, Chinese-style Karamon Gate, and the so-called nightingale floors; and the most outstanding Fushimi Inari-Taisha dedicated to the god of rice and wine, featuring a 2.5 miles path lined with thousands of vermilions torii gates.

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  • Kyoto

• Day 7: Kyoto - Tokyo

  Bid Kyoto this morning and head to the modern capital Tokyo by Shinkansen, which was once the envy of the world in traffic history.

  Settle down in your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure. You may like to lounge in a green space nearby your hotel, explore the huge department store in Ginza, or check out the restaurants and pubs in Shinjuku. If you are into anime, Akihabara Electric Town will be to your liking.

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  • Tokyo

• Day 8: Tokyo, City Tour & Tea Ceremony

  For helping Japan cast off its feudal cloak and grow into a rich modern country, Emperor Meiji has won the adoration of Japanese people for centuries, which can be testified by the devotional worshipers you will see in Meiji Shrine. Though with a rare chance to see the residence and office of this beloved ruler, you can always take a stroll through the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. It is a place baptized by the years but with verdant green and colorful flowers blooming all year round. Get out of the imperial garden and walk into a low-profile tea house, where a traditional and artistic Japanese Tea Ceremony will give you a moment of spiritual purity. Later on, at Sensoji Temple, pay your respect to Kannon - the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, and then spend some time exploring its market street Nakamise Dori where visitors have been searching for religious offerings and snacks for centuries.

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  • Tokyo

• Day 9: Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko

  No Japan tour is complete without Mt. Fuji, so let's focus the day on this mountain that the Japanese are proud of. Today, a 2.5-hour drive will take you to an idyllic world to enjoy the beauty of Mt. Fuji from different angles. Here you will visit Oshino Hakkai and Arakurayama Sengen Shrine (Chureito Pagoda). Afterward, you'll take a cruise on Lake Kawaguchiko or get to a vantage view platform by Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway. Seen from a distance, Mt. Fuji looks like an elegant madam intoxicated in the scenic setting around it.

  After the tour, return to Tokyo for the night.

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  • Tokyo

• Day 10: Tokyo, Departure

  Bid farewell to Japan! The jolly good holiday has come to an end, but traditional and open Japan is always here to welcome you again.

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