Wednesday, June 10 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the Japan Airlines lobby at the airport for check in procedures. We will depart Honolulu on Japan Airlines for Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Thursday, June 11 (Day 02)
ARRIVE NARITA - TOKYO (D)
We will arrive Narita Airport in the early afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to our hotel in Tokyo to spend the next two nights. A welcome dinner is planned for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Friday, June 12 (Day 03)
TOKYO (B)(L)
This morning we’ll travel to Asakusa - located in the center of shitamachi (old downtown). The highlight of this area is Senso-ji, 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 small shops offering typical Japanese souvenirs and local snacks. We’ll drive by Ginza, the most exclusive entertainment and shopping area in Japan with many upscale shops and restaurants. Enjoy shopping at Ameyokocho, a lively shopping area with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a wide variety of food products and various merchandise at discounted prices. We’ll take a tour of the Edo-Tokyo Museum showcasing exhibits and artifacts relating to the historical heritage of Edo-Tokyo. The museum is divided into three major sections, the ‘Edo Zone’, the ‘Tokyo Zone’, and the ‘History Zone’. At the entrance to the museum is a replica of the ‘Nihonbashi Bridge’. This evening, enjoy dinner on your own at one of the restaurants in the shopping mall located adjacent to the hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Saturday, June 13 (Day 04)
TOKYO - HAKONE - FUJI FIVE LAKES - LAKE YAMANAKA (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. Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on scenic Lake Ashino-ko, a crater lake with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji - Japan’s highest and most sacred mountain. (weather permitting) Hakone was also once an important checkpoint for the ‘Old Tokaido Highway’ - the old road that linked the ancient capital Kyoto to Edo (now known as Tokyo) during the Edo period. We’ll continue past the scenic area of Fuji-go-ko (Fuji Five Lakes) scattered around Mt. Fuji and spend the night at a hotel overlooking Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes offering a close-up view of the mountain. (weather permitting) Dinner will provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at HOTEL MT. FUJI or similar
Sunday, June 14 (Day 05)
LAKE YAMANAKA - SHIZUOKA - NAGOYA (B)(D)
We’ll drive half-way up Mt. Fuji to the ‘go-go-me’ (Fifth Station) to enjoy a fantastic view of this majestic mountain and the surrounding valleys. (weather permitting) Enjoy a spectacular display of flowers in bloom at the Fuji International Garden before we continue on our drive along the Pacific Coast through Shizuoka prefecture, the largest tea producing region in Japan. The most noted history of this area is that is was once home to the first Tokugawa Shogun - Ieyasu. The scenery of Shizuoka prefecture provides a view of the Southern Alps, a breathtaking view of Fuji-san, and miles of scenic coastline along Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean. We’ll arrive at the castle town of Nagoya - capital of Aichi prefecture to spend the night. The people from Nagoya are famed for their displays of wealth, lavish weddings, and love of pachinko (Japanese pinball). Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at NAGOYA CASTLE PLAZA HOTEL or similar
Monday, June 15 (Day 06)
NAGOYA - SHINKANSEN - KYOTO (B)(L)
This morning, enjoy a stroll through the ichiba - an interesting morning market located on the back streets of our hotel with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a variety of fresh and dried food products and other merchandise. We’ll travel to Toyota City to enjoy a guided tour of a Toyota Car Factory. Observe the fascinating process of automobile manufacturing as we watch components being assembled to new cars on a moving assembly line. We’ll return to the Nagoya Train Station and board the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital. A delicious bento will be provided for you to enjoy on board the train. On arrival at the Kyoto Station, we’ll transfer to our hotel to check in for the next three nights. The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to browse through some of the shops at the train station located near the hotel. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local cuisine at one of the restaurants located at the train station.
Accommodations at RHIGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, June 16 (Day 07)
KYOTO (B)(D)
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 in Nara Koen, a park that is home for many sacred deer roaming freely 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 and local tradition has said that those who pass through the opening will find their way to an afterlife paradise. We’ll visit Kasuga Shrine, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with hundreds of stone lanterns lined along the approach way to the shrine. We’ll return to the city of Kyoto and visit Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), a magnificent golden structure sitting on a lake providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. Enjoy shopping at the Kyoto Handicraft Center - a five story shopping complex offering a wide selection of Japanese souvenirs, handicrafts, works of art and more. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at RHIGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, June 17 (Day 08)
KYOTO (B)
We’ll enjoy more sightseeing of this traditional city visiting Nijo-jo - a castle built as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. The castle is known for its ‘nightingale’ floors (floors that sing and squeak at every move) as a safeguard against intruders. The Nishijin Textile Center is famous for weaving the superb Nishijin silk and time permitting, we may have an opportunity to enjoy an elegant fashion show with beautiful ladies modeling fashionable kimonos. We’ll have some time to browse through this facility offering a nice selection of silk related merchandise - material, handbags, handkerchiefs and more. The afternoon is at your leisure to stroll through the shops in the arcade in downtown Kyoto. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local delicacies at one of the restaurants in the city.
Accommodations at RHIGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Thursday, June 18 (Day 09)
KYOTO - KANSAI TO HONOLULU (B)
After breakfast, you’ll have some free time for your own activities until our early afternoon departure to the Kansai International Airport. Our evening flight to Honolulu will arrive in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline. A late dinner will be served on board the flight.