Monday, April 19 (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. A meal and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Tuesday, April 20 (Day 02)
ARRIVE NARITA - YOKOHAMA (D)
We’ll arrive Narita International Airport in the early afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll proceed to Yokohama, the capital city of Kanagawa prefecture - Japan’s second largest city to spend two nights. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers or similar
Wednesday, April 21 (Day 03)
YOKOHAMA (B)(D)
We’ll embark on a full day of sightseeing, visiting some of the major highlights, including Yokohama Chukagai, Japan’s largest Chinatown. A large number of Chinese stores and restaurants can be found in the narrow and colorful streets and located in the center of Chinatown is a gaudily colored temple - Kanteibyo - dedicated to the Chinese god of good business and prosperity. Enjoy a stroll through Sankeien - a spacious Japanese-style garden featuring ponds, streams, and many historic buildings transplanted from around Japan including the three-story pagoda of Kyoto’s old Tomyoji Temple. Built largely on reclaimed land, Minato Mirai 21 is a large urban development located in central Yokohama and features the Landmark Tower - one of Japan’s tallest buildings.
Accommodations at Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers or similar
Thursday, April 22 (Day 04)
YOKOHAMA - KANAGAWA - HAKONE - LAKE YAMANAKA (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to Kamakura, renowned for the Great Buddha, a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha, one of the famous icons of Japan located at the Kotoku-in Temple. 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 and weather permitting, we’ll take an exciting ride on the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway, an aerial lift climbing Mount Komagatake from the lakeside of Lake Ashi - offering a breathtaking view of the area. We’ll continue on to the scenic Fuji Five Lake region in Yamanashi prefecture to spend the night at a beautiful hotel overlooking Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes with a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji, Japan’s highest and most sacred mountain.
Accommodations at Hotel Mt. Fuji or similar
Friday, April 23 (Day 05)
LAKE YAMANAKA - MT. MINOBU - KOFU (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll visit the Fuji International Flower Garden to enjoy the spectacular display of flowers in bloom. We’ll visit the breathtaking Shira-ito-no-taki (White Thread Falls), a picturesque waterfall with small streams of water trickling down the rocks in a wide arch, creating a vast white cascade. We’ll visit Takeda Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Kofu city that houses the kami of Takeda Shingen Ko, the renowned general of the civil war period in the 16th century. We’ll spend the night at a hotel in Kofu city, capital of Yamanashi prefecture. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at KOFU FUJIYA HOTEL or similar
Saturday, April 24 (Day 06)
KOFU - MATSUMOTO - NAGANO (B)(D)
Enjoy a visit to Mitake Shosenkyo Gorge - noted as Japan’s most beautiful gorge offering spectacular scenery with its forested valley, beautiful waterfalls, and numerous shaped rocks and odd formed stones, including “Saru iwa” (monkey rock) and “Neko iwa (cat rock). Located along the middle of Arakawa River and part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, the highlight of the gorge is the giant rock “Kakuenbo” and Sengataki Fall”, whose water drops 30 meters into the gorge. We’ll proceed to Takato Castle and weather permitting, we may be able to view beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom on the grounds of the castle - Takato Joshi Koen Park. We’ll continue on to the town of Hodaka and visit the Daio Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish) Farm, Japan’s largest wasabi farm to see the production of this root. A nice selection of wasabi themed products are available in the shops including fresh wasabi and wasabi flavored ice cream. Enjoy a visit of one of Japan’s finest historic castles - Matsumoto-jo - listed as a National Treasure of Japan in the city of Matsumoto. We’ll continue on to spend the evening in Nagano, known for its beautiful mountainous terrain consisting of the northern, central and southern ranges of the breathtaking Japan Alps.
Accommodations at HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO or similar
Sunday, April 25 (Day 07)
NAGANO - YUDANAKA ONSEN (B)(D)
Our drive continues on to Oshu city, visiting Shoboji Temple, one of the three main temples of the Soto sect of Buddhism. The main hall, residential quarters, and front gate of the temple have been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese Government.. Enjoy the view of blossom-filled corridors created by the local residents who decorate the main approach to Zenkoji Temple as well as the narrow streets and plazas with flowers in hanging baskets and planters. Weather permitting, we may be able to see shidare-zakura (weeping cherry blossoms) at Takayama Village. We’ll make a photo stop at Kawanakajima, the location where five epic battles took place to secure the northern territory of Nagano. We’ll proceed to spend the evening at Yudanaka Onsen, a prominent hot spring resort in northern Nagano prefecture. The area is most famous for its wild Japanese monkeys who enjoy the naturally hot waters just like the human visitors.
Accommodations at ISSA no KOMICHI BIYU no YADO or similar
Monday, April 26 (Day 08)
YUDANAKA ONSEN - KUSATSU ONSEN (B)(D)\
This morning we’ll visit the Jigokudani Yaen Koen (Jigokudani Monkey Park), the chosen home for more than a hundred Japanese Macaques, Japan’s indigenous monkeys. The park is located in a valley named “Hell Valley” for the volcanic activities observed there and features a hot spring pool for exclusive use by the monkeys. These monkeys, commonly referred to as Snow Monkeys, descend from the steep cliffs and forest to sit in the warm waters of the onsen, then return to the forest in the evenings. We’ll drive through the snow corridor at Shibu Pass to enter Kusatsu Onsen - one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resort to spend the night. Enjoy a yumomi performance - a traditional method of cooling down hot spring water to bathing temperature by stirring the water with large wooden paddles. The process is accompanied by the singing of a local folk song. Kusatsu is blessed with large volumes of high quality hot spring water. The sulfurous, highly acidic water has been considered among Japan’s best as a treatment for ailments that include arthritis, fatigue and skin diseases. Enjoy dinner and relax in the hot springs this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL NAKAZAWA VILLAGE or similar
Tuesday, April 27 (Day 09)
KUSATSU ONSEN - TAKASAKI (B)(D)
In the foothills of Mount Akagi lies the fantastic Gunma Flower Park with its beautifully manicured gardens. The inner gardens of the park displays flowers spread out in exciting shapes and colorful patterns centered around a strip of fountains and an intriguing Park Tower. Weather permitting, cherry blossoms should be in bloom at the Akagi Nanmen Senbon-zakura - a tunnel of cherry trees planted on the southern foothills of Mount Akagi. We’ll continue on to spend the night in Takasaki, a city located in Gunma prefecture and famous as the hometown of the popular Daruma doll.
Accommodations at TAKASAKI VIEW HOTEL or similar
Wednesday, April 28 (Day 10)
TAKASAKI - SAITAMA - TOCHIGI - GUNMA - TOKYO (B)(D)
Moss phlox flowers should be in full bloom at Hitsujiyama Park in the city of Chichibu in Saitama prefecture. Thousands of pink, white and purple shiba-zakura (lawn cherry blossoms) are spread out on the ground, a beautiful patchwork of flowers. Ashikaga Flower Park is famous for its one-hundred-year-old wisteria and we’ll enjoy a visit to see this breathtaking display of wisteria, including beautiful azaleas and hydrangeas. We’ll visit Tsutsujigaoka Park with its thousands of azaleas representing over fifty varieties in bloom within the park around Tatebayashi Jonuma Pond. We’ll continue on to the exciting city of Tokyo to spend our last night. Dinner will be provided for you at the hotel this evening.
Accommodations at SHINAGAWA PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Thursday, April 29 (Day 11)
TOKYO - NARITA TO HONOLULU (B)
The day is free at your leisure for independent activities until our departure to the airport. We’ll depart in the early afternoon to check in for our evening flight home to Honolulu, arriving in the morning of the same day due to the crossing of the International Dateline. A light meal will be served on board the flight.