DAY 1 - OCTOBER 4th. KYOTO: ARRIVAL IN THE COUNTRY OF THE RISING SUN.
Upon arrival at Kansai Airport in Kyoto, you’ll be received and transferred to the hotel. We will have a first briefing on the activities of the next few days. Later in the evening will go for dinner in one of our favorite restaurants.
DAY 2- OCTOBER 5th. KYOTO –ANCIENT JAPAN
To start the day we will go to the most traditional part of the city and we will begin to walk through the old neighborhood of Higashiyama. Our first destination is the Temple of Shoren. It will be our first encounter with the zen side of Japan. We will continue our photographic exploration, entering picturesque streets. There will be many photographic opportunities and a set of photographic sessions with locals in traditional dresses.
DAY 3 - OCTOBER 6th. KYOTO: GOLDEN AGE
We will have the opportunity to witness the imposing Nijo Castle, built by the unifier of Japan, the Tokugawa shogun. We will walk photograph the immense gardens of what has been the emperor's palace for more than 11 centuries. Finally, we will visit the Kinkaku-ji where we will contemplate the beauty of the well-known Golden Palace. The day will end with a well-deserved dinner in one of the restaurants on the gastronomic route.
DAY 4 - OCTOBER 7th. KYOTO: CITY OF GARDENS
How can you start the day better than taking a walk along a wonderful path, on the edge of a calm water channel and surrounded by lush vegetation? This is the path of the philosopher in Kyoto that we will walk first thing in the morning. The end of the walk will take us directly to the Buddhist complex of Nanzen-ji. At noon we will try one of the restaurants on the gastronomic route, a place of great beauty. We will also visit the old house of Murin-an and its characteristic Japanese garden, a jewel that was donated to the Kyoto government so that everyone could enjoy it.
DAY 5 - OCTOBER 8th. KYOTO. ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE
This is the day for a visit to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. An Incredible bamboo forest with beautiful alleys and paths alongside the torii passages of Fushimi Inari -Taisha shrine. It's one of the most captured sites in the city
DAY 6 - OCTOBER 9th. HIMEJI AND MOUNT SHOSHA
Early in the morning we will move to the city of Himeji where the largest of the twelve original Japanese castles is located, known as “The White Heron”. Himeji Castle, declared a World Heritage Site, has kept its original structure and sites unchanged, surviving wars, bombings and natural disasters. After a meticulous restoration, today we can see it as in the 14th century. Then we will visit Mount Shosha where we will tour the mountain walking through the Engyō-ji complex, a thousand-year-old set of temples in a unique environment.
DAY 7- OCTOBER 10th. NARA LAND OF DEER. BACK TO KYOTO
On the seventh day we will make an excursion to the neighboring city of Nara. On the way we will stop to see one of the most famous shrines in Japan. Fushimi Inari is known for the thousands of orange Toris (Shinto gates) that are scattered around the mountain. We will visit Nara on foot. We will walk through its large park full of deer, we will see one of the largest pagodas in all of Japan and the huge Todai-ji temple were the largest bronze Buddha in the world is housed. We will finish the route at the viewpoint of the Nigatsu-do temple from where we will have a beautiful view of the city.
DAY 8 - OCTOBER 11th. HIROSHIMA AND MIYAJIMA.
The morning of this day we will spend in the city of Hiroshima where we will visit the peace park, the atomic bomb museum and ground zero. Then we will head to Miyajima where we will have a snack at the typical street food stalls. Then we will take a walk through the Momijidani Park, known for its unique natural beauty, and we will go up by cable car to the top of Mount Misen, from where we will contemplate impressive views of the island. Finally, we will spend the night in a traditional style Ryokan hotel and enjoy an authentic hot spring onsen
DAY 9 - OCTOBER 12th . MIYAJIMA SACRED ISLAND , AFTERNOON IN TOKYO.
Early in the morning we will visit the Utsukushima shrine, the only one in Japan built on water. Then we will arrive at the Daisho-in temple located in an unprecedented natural space. Before leaving the island, we will pass by the viewpoint of the Senjoukaku temple from which we will contemplate one of the best views of the area. From Miyajima, we will get on the bullet train to go to Tokyo and have our first contact with the big city visiting the impressive Shibuya neighborhood where we will have dinner in one of the restaurants on the gastronomic route.
DAY 10 - OCTOBER 13th. TOKYO: MODERN JAPAN
We will start the day in the Harajuku neighborhood where we will walk the famous Takeshita Street where we will hopefully see some of the quirky urban tribes of Tokyo. Then we will take a walk through Omotesando, one of the most chic neighborhoods of the city, crossing the great avenue of Meiji Dori. Our next destination will be the Shinjuku neighborhood where we will go up to the viewpoint of the city hall to contemplate some impressive views. After lunch, we will visit Gyoen Park, a place of great natural beauty surrounded by large skyscrapers. From there we will reach the eastern part of Shinjuku, the corner of Tokyo where the night never ends. There you will have a little free time to enjoy it to your liking after taking a tour with the guide. We will end the day in Ikebukuro having dinner at one of the restaurants on the gastronomic route.
DAY 11 - OCTOBER 14th. TOKYO: FREE DAY
This day travelers will have free time to visit the city at their leisure. You can take the opportunity to see all those things that you want to cross off your list of places to visit or simply follow the indications of one of our suggested routes. Enjoy some of the many activities that the city offers, take the opportunity to do the last shopping or take an excursion to the outskirts of the city such as a visit to the city of Kamakura, the modern city of Yokohama or the historic Nikko are some of the options to enjoy this last day in Japan.
DAY 12 - OCTOBER 15th. FLIGHTS. RETURN HOME
Transfer to Airport, International departures. End of our services.