Tuesday, March 23 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA TO SEOUL, KOREA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the airport for baggage check in procedures. We will depart Honolulu for Narita International Airport. A meal and a snack will be served onboard the flight. On arrival at Narita Airport, we’ll transfer to check in for our flight to Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Wednesday, March 24 (Day 02)
ARRIVE SEOUL
We’ll arrive at the Incheon International Airport and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to spend the next four nights in our elegant hotel in the exciting city of Seoul.
Accommodations at SEOUL LOTTE HOTEL or similar
Thursday, March 25 (Day 03)
SEOUL (B)(L)(D)
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing - including a visit of Gyeongbokgung Palace - the most comprehensive and grandest of the five palaces of the Joseon Dynasty and the National Folk Museum of Korea - the only national museum focusing on folklore with items and exhibits displaying the traditional way of life. Standing high on Mt. Namsan is N Seoul Tower, the symbol of Seoul and the city’s most recognizable landmark. We’ll ride a cable car to the observation deck at the top of the tower to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city. Have fun shopping at Namdaemun Market - one of the oldest and largest retail shopping complex in Seoul and most popular among the local residents to shop for merchandise at discounted prices. This evening, we’ll enjoy a fabulous dinner show at the famous Korea House.
Accommodations at SEOUL LOTTE HOTEL or similar
Friday, March 26 (Day 04)
SEOUL (B)(L)(D)
This morning we’ll travel to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) - one of the most fascinating places in the world. We’ll visit The 3rd Tunnel - dug in 1978 by North Korea to infiltrate South Korean territory and the Dora Observatory - the only place in South Korea where visitors have a clear view of Gaeseong, the second largest city in North Korea through telescopic lenses. We’ll visit Imjingak Park - a park built to console the refugees who left North Korea during the Korean War; Mangbaedan - an alter set up for refugees so they could bow in the direction of their ancestral graveyards; and Freedom Bridge - a bridge used by prisoners of war to cross over to freedom in the south. We’ll visit the Korean Folk Village - a living museum displaying elements of traditional Korean life and culture, with replicas of traditional houses of different social classes, a street market, showcases of traditional woodworking and metal working techniques, and a traditional performance of the farmer’s dance.
Accommodations at SEOUL LOTTE HOTEL or similar
Saturday, March 27 (Day 05)
SEOUL (B)(L)(D)
More sightseeing of the highlights of Seoul is in store for you today. We’ll enjoy a stroll through Insadong Cultural Street and visit the Bukchon Old Village & Museum and the Ice Gallery. Enjoy an ice carving experience here at this gallery.
Accommodations at SEOUL LOTTEL HOTEL or similar
Sunday, March 28 (Day 06)
SEOUL - GYEONGJU - DAEGU (B)(L)(D)
This morning we’ll take a train to Gyeongju, once the capital city of the Silla Kingdom. Now boasting glorious historical and cultural remains, the city is known as the ‘museum without walls’. Enjoy a tour of Tumuli Park with an extensive collection of royal silla tombs, including the most famous Cheonmachong (Flying Horse Tomb). One of the tombs will be open for viewing and we’ll have an opportunity to see how these huge tombs were built and how various items were arranged in them. At the Gyeongju National Museum, precious relics of the Silla Kingdom are contained including magnificent gold crowns and Buddhist artifacts. In front of the main building stands another famous symbol of the Silla people’s artistic and religious spirit, the bronze Divine Bell of King Seongdeok. Bulguksa Temple is the representative relic of Gyeongju and was designated as a World Cultural Asset by UNESCO in 1995. The beauty of the temple itself and the artistic touch of the stone relics are known throughout the world. We’ll travel west to spend the night in the city of Daegu, Korea’s third largest city.
Accommodations at DAEGU INTERBURGO HOTEL or similar
Monday, March 29 (Day 07)
DAEGU - SEOUL - INCHEON - HIROSHIMA (B)
We’ll travel to the Incheon International Airport to check-in for our evening flight to Hiroshima, Japan. Enroute, we’ll visit Haegang Koryo Celadon, Korea’s first ceramic museum dedicated to ceramics. Displays feature ceramic crafted works including the celebrated celadon porcelain as well as punch’ong ware and white porcelain. Upon arrival in Hiroshma, we’ll transfer to our hotel to check-in for two nights.
Accommodations at HIROSHIMA GRANVIA HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, March 30 (Day 08)
HIROSHIMA (B)
This morning we’ll proceed to the pier at Miyajimaguchi and board a ferry for a short ride to Miyajima Island - famed for its scenic Itsukushima-jinja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a floating torii gate extending into the sea. The landscape - including the shrine - is one of the most photographed tourist attractions and with the island’s Misen-san as a backdrop, is classified as one of Japan’s three most beautiful sights. We’ll return to the main island by ferry then continue on to the city of Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. Exhibits within the museum relive the history of the atomic bomb and the destruction it brought on Hiroshima and its people. The most poignant monument in the Peace Memorial Park is the Children’s Peace Memorial inspired by leukemia victim Sadako Sasaki. Thousands of paper cranes brought by school children, various clubs and groups are displayed there. Dinner will be on your own this evening. Try some delicious okonomiyaki, the specialty of Hiroshima at one of the local restaurants near the hotel.
Accommodations at HIROSHIMA GRANVIA HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, March 31 (Day 09)
HIROSHIMA - BULLET TRAIN TO KYOTO (B)
This morning we’ll transfer to the train station adjacent to our hotel to board the shinkansen to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. On arrival, we’ll visit Kiyomizu-dera, an independent Buddhist temple and part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto - a UNESCO World site. Founded in the early Heian period and constructed in 1633, not one nail is used in the whole temple which takes its name from the waterfall within the complex. The name Kiyomizu means clear or pure water. We’ll visit Nijo-jo, a flatland castle built as the official residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. The castle is known for its ‘nightingale’ floors (floors that squeak at every move), a safeguard from intruders. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the Kyoto-style cuisine at one of the local restaurants in the city or at the train station located near our hotel.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Thursday, April 1 (Day 10)
KYOTO (B)(D)
This morning we’ll travel to the ancient city of Nara, located at the northern end of the Yamato Plain - a fertile valley where members of the Yamato clan rose to power as the original emperors of Japan. We’ll visit the Todai-ji Temple Complex, a magnificent Buddhist temple located in Nara-koen - a park that is home to many sacred deer roaming about. The Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha) is considered the largest wooden structure in the world and home to the Daibutsu, an enormous bronze statue of Buddha, perhaps the most famous sight in Nara. Within the hall is a large wooden pillar with a hole at its base. Local tradition has it that those who pass through the opening will find their way to an afterlife of paradise. We’ll return to Kyoto to visit more sites of this traditional city. We’ll visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), a magnificent golden structure sitting on a lake, providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. Enjoy a stroll through the magnificent gardens of Heian-jingu - a spacious garden with a large pond and Chinese-inspired bridge. We’ll have some time to browse through the Kyoto Handicraft Center - a five story shopping complex offering a nice selection of Japanese souvenirs, handicrafts, kimonos, toys, works of art and more. Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms should be in bloom at this time of the year.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Friday, April 2 (Day 11)
KYOTO - NAGOYA (B)
We’ll travel to Toyota City to visit one of the factories of the automobile giant - Toyota Motor Corporation. Observe the fascinating process of automobile manufacturing on a guided tour as we watch components being assembled to new cars on a moving assembly line. We’ll return to the castle town of Nagoya to spend the evening. Before checking into the hotel, we’ll visit Nagoya-jo, a restored castle with replicas of the famous shachi-hoko - dolphin-like sea creatures that stand at either end of the roof. Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom on the castle grounds. Dinner will be on your own to try some local style cuisine at one of the restaurants in the underground shopping mall near the hotel.
Accommodations at NAGOYA CASTLE PLAZA HOTEL or similar
Saturday, April 3 (Day 12)
NAGOYA - HAKONE (B)(D)
We’ll travel to Hakone - part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and famous for its volcanic hot springs and natural beauty. En route, we’ll enjoy picking and eating fresh and sweet strawberries at one of the orchards. Our drive takes us along the Pacific Coast and through Shizuoka prefecture, the largest tea producing region in Japan and once home to the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu. The scenery of Shizuoka offers a view of the southern Japan Alps, a breathtaking view of Fuji-san and miles of scenic coastline along Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean. On arrival in Hakone, we’ll enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on scenic Lake Ashino-ko - a crater lake that lies along the caldera of Mount Hakone and known for its breathtaking view of Mr. Fuji, Japan’s most sacred mountain (weather permitting). We’ll spend the night at a ryokan in Hakone.
Accommodations at HOTEL NANPUSO or similar
Sunday, April 4 (Day 13)
TOKYO (B)(L)
Our journey continues on to spend two nights in the exciting city of Tokyo. On arrival, we’ll visit the town of Asakusa - located in the center of shitamachi (old downtown). The highlight of this area is Sensoji - also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple - Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple built for the goddess of Kannon. Located adjacent to the temple is Nakamise-dori - a shopping street with many shops offering typical Japanese souvenirs and local snacks. We’ll enjoy a delicious tempura lunch at a famous tempura restaurant. Dinner will be on your own this evening at one of the restaurants located in the mall adjacent to our hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Monday, April 5 (Day 14)
TOKYO (B)
We’ll embark for more sightseeing of this exciting metropolitan city. We’ll drive by Ginza, the most exclusive entertainment and shopping district in Japan with upscale shops and restaurants. Enjoy shopping at Ameyokocho, a lively shopping area with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a variety of food products and various merchandise at discounted prices. In a wooded forest next to Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, we’ll visit Meiji Jingu, a Shinto Shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Mejiji - the first emperor of modern Japan and his wife, Empress Shoken. Constructed in 1915, the shrine was built in the traditional Nagarezukuri style and is composed of two major areas - the Naien (inner precinct) and the Gaien (outer precinct). At the entrance to the shrine stands a large torii.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, April 6 (Day 15)
TOKYO - NARITA TO HONOLULU (B)
The day is at your leisure for your own activities or to just relax until our mid-afternoon departure to the Narita Airport. Our evening flight will arrive Honolulu in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline. A meal will be served on board the flight.