SPRINGBREAK IN JAPAN
March 10 - 18, 2012 (9 days and 7 nights)
$100 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT
(Deposit must be made by 8/01/2011)
Narita, Tokyo (2 Nights), Asakusa Kannon Temple, Nakamise-dori, Kappabashi, Ameyokocho, Hakone, Lake Ashinoko, Mt. Fuji Visitor Center, Shiraito-no-Taki, Greenpia Makinohara, Nagoya, Toyota Car Factory, Iga Ninja Museum, Shinkansen, Kyoto (3 Nights), Kinkakuji, Nishijin Textile Center, Nijo Castle, Kaiyukan Aquarrium, Tempozan Harbor Village, Dotombori, Kuroman Market, Kansai
| Twin Rate |
Single Supplement |
Land Only |
| $ 4095 per person |
$ 495 per person |
$ 2995 per person |
(All arrangements to meet the group are not included)
Saturday, March 10 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble in the check-in lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures. We will depart Honolulu to Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Sunday, March 11 (Day 02)
ARRIVE NARITA - TOKYO (D)
We’ll arrive Narita Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to our hotel in Tokyo to check-in for two nights. A dinner is planned for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Monday, March 12 (Day 03)
TOKYO (B)(L)
After breakfast, we’ll embark on a full day of sightseeing in this exciting metropolitan city. We’ll travel to Asakusa - located in the center of shitamachi (old downtown). The main attraction is to visit the Asakusa Kannon Temple - Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple built for the goddess of Kannon. Located adjacent to the temple is Nakamise-dori - a lively shopping street with many shops offering typical Japanese souvenirs and traditional local snacks. A delicious tempura lunch will be provided for us at a well-known tempura restaurant in Asakusa. Enjoy a visit to Kappabashi-dori (Kitchen Town), a street populated entirely with shops supplying the restaurant trade. These shops offer everything that you will find in restaurant kitchens, including plastic food samples that you see on display outside of some Japanese restaurants. We’ll enjoy a hands-on experience to participate in the production of these food imposters. Enjoy a shopping adventure at Ameyokocho, a lively area with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a variety of food products and various merchandise at discounted prices. Weather permitting, enjoy a breathtaking view of the city from the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening at one of the many restaurants available in the mall adjacent to our hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, March 13 (Day 04)
TOKYO - HAKONE - MT. FUJI - YAMANAKA-KO (B)(D)
On to Hakone - a region that is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and noted as one of Japan’s most popular hot spring resorts with its volcanic hot springs and natural beauty. Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on scenic Lake Ashino-ko, a beautiful crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone. Weather permitting, we may be able to view Mt. Fuji - Japan’s most sacred mountain. We’ll visit the Mt. Fuji Visitor Center to enjoy an interesting video presentation that explains the history of Mt. Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes. The center is located at the entrance of the Subaru Line - the toll road leading up the slopes of Mt. Fuji. We’ll spend the night at a beautiful hotel overlooking Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes. Enjoy dinner and relax in the hot spring at our elegant hotel this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL MT. FUJI or similar
Wednesday, March 14 (Day 05)YAMANAKA-KO - SHIZUOKA - BULLET TRAIN TO NAGOYA (B)
Our journey continues to visit Shiraito-no-taki (White Thread Waterfall), a picturesque waterfall located just inside of the Yamanashi border on the lower slopes of Mt. Fuji. Hundreds of small streams trickle down from the rocks in a large arch, creating a vast white cascade. The falls are particularly attractive at this time of the year as the snows of the mountain melt and strengthen the flow. We’ll continue our drive along the Pacific Coast through Shizuoka prefecture, the largest tea producing region in Japan and once home to the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu. Enjoy a tour of the Greenpia Makinohara Tea Factory. Learn all about the production of tea and take a close-up view of tea growing in the fields. Enjoy picking and eating fresh delicious strawberries off the vines at a local orchard. The scenery of Shizuoka prefecture provides 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. We’ll continue on to the Kakegawa Train Station to board a bullet train to Nagoya, capital city of Aichi prefecture. On arrival, we’ll transfer to our hotel to spend the night. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at NAGOYA HOTEL CASTLE PLAZA or similar
Thursday, March 15 (Day 06)
NAGOYA - TOYOTA CITY - IGA - KYOTO (B)L)(D)
Early this morning, enjoy a stroll through the exciting ichiba (morning market) located along the back streets near our hotel. Enjoy browsing through the indoor and outdoor vendors, offering a variety of fresh and dried food products and other merchandise. We’ll travel to Toyota City to visit one of the factories of this automobile giant - Toyota Motor Corporation. Observe the fascinating process of automobile manufacturing on a guided tour as we watch workmen and robots assemble components to new cars on a moving assembly line. Ninja were the spies of Japan’s feudal ages, gathering information about the enemy and conducting various other acts of espionage. In the city of Iga, we’ll visit the Iga Ninja Museum, a small museum consisting of a ninja residence with revolving walls, trap doors and hidden compartments, and an exhibition hall displaying ninja tools, gadgets and weapons. We’ll continue on to the cultural city of Kyoto to spend the next three nights. Before checking in, we’ll make a stop at the Kyoto Handicraft Center, to provide you some time to shop at this five-story complex, offering a nice selection of souvenirs, handicrafts, jewelry, kimonos, and more. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at a local restaurant.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Friday, March 16 (Day 07)
KYOTO (B)We’ll visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), an impressive Zen Buddhist temple, designated as a National Special Historic Site. This magnificent golden structure overlooks a lake, providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. We’ll continue on to visit the Nishijin Textile Center - displaying some of their elegant silk products produced with the superb Nishijin silk. Time permitting, we may have an opportunity to enjoy a kimono fashion show with elegant young ladies modeling some of the most fashionable silk kimonos. Nijo-jo is a flatland castle built as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. We’ll enjoy a visit of one of the main buildings - Ninomaru Palace. One of the features of the palace are the nightingale floors in the corridors that squeak like birds - built as a safeguard against intruders. This afternoon, we’ll enjoy a hands-on experience to make some delicious Japanese sweets. Dinner will be on your own tonight to try some Kyoto-style cuisine at one of the restaurants at the train station located near our hotel.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Saturday, March 17 (Day 08)
KYOTO - OSAKA - KYOTO (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to the commercial city of Osaka to enjoy some sightseeing. We’ll visit the Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest public aquariums in the world. Focusing on the Ring of Fire (Pan Pacific Volcanic Zone), the aquarium has selected 15 regions along this zone and reproduced the bountiful nature and various living things in the Pacific Ocean. Main displays of marine life include fishes, plants, reptiles, birds, and a Japan Forest where you can feel the beautiful sunshine and fresh air. The name kaiyukan literally means “Playing in the Sea Pavilion” and you can enjoy watching these creatures as if they are playing together in the sea. Some free time will be provided for you to explore the Tempozan Harbor Village located adjacent to the aquarium. In the afternoon, we’ll visit Dotombori, a single street running alongside the Dotombori Canal located in the Namba ward of Osaka. Dotombori is famous for its shops, restaurants, and neon signs, making this an exciting street to visit. Located near the east end of Dotombori, we’ll visit Kuromon Market - the most active and busiest food market in Osaka, lined with specialty shops and general-purpose stores. This lively local market supplies local restaurants as well as residents of the city. You can experience the true spirit of Japanese cuisine here. We’ll return to Kyoto to enjoy our farewell dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Sunday, March 18 (Day 09)
KYOTO - KANSAI TO HONOLULU (B)
After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the Kansai Airport to check-in for our evening flight home to Honolulu, arriving in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A meal will be served on board the flight.
The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 20 passengers. Fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or under. The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 5/01/11. Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare increase and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency. In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.
Land portion based on 90 Yen = $1.00 U.S.