16 Day Cherry Blossom Dreams - Eastward Course
Fri.03 April 2009                                                                               
ex. Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Economy Class Twin Share $ 10,267 cost per person
Business Class Twin Share $ 15,207 cost per person
(plus Airport Taxes & Charges)
Single supplement $ 1,522

This Deluxe Cherry Blossom Dreams Tour has been
designed for our customers to not only catch the cherry blossoms at their best and to experience some new features which have never been offered before by anyone else, but to enjoy a level of luxury that only Japan can offer. Experience a proper Kyoto style Kaiseki multi-course dinner at a traditional restaurant with accompaniment of a young geisha and a special traditional dance performance just for JANESCO members. Stay in the best hotels, experience luxury lakeside and mountain resorts, and enjoy exquisite meals. Stroll through exotic locations in Kyoto familiar to many travellers from movies such as “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Visit hidden places which other package tours do not offer.

Day 1 SYDNEY/NARITA
Day flight to Narita airport and transfer to Tokyo Hotel.

Day 2 TOKYO
Morning sightseeing tour of Tokyo by chartered coach. Visit Tokyo Tower and Asakusa temple and stroll down the colourful Nakamise shopping street, Ueno and lunch at local restaurant. Remainder of the day is free. Welcome cocktail with light dinner at private lounge at the hotel overlooking the Imperial Palace at sunset.
Day 3 MT. FUJI & HAKONE
Travel to Mt. Fuji by chartered deluxe motor coach and enjoy picturesque Hakone including the lake Ashi cruise and ropeway. Stay at hotel by the lake and wake up to a view of Mt. Fuji. Dinner at hotel

Day 4 TOKYO-KYOTO
Travel on to Kyoto by Bullet train. Afternoon, visit Kiyomizu temple overlooking the city. Part of the fun of visiting Kiyomizu temple is the approach to the temple along the steep and busy lanes of Kyoto’s old atmospheric Higashiyama district Special dinner at traditional Japanese Restaurant, accompanied by geisha. Enjoy chatting and special performance. After dinner, stroll to Gion Geisha district.
Day 5 KYOTO
Full day sightseeing tour of Kyoto visiting the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Heian Shrine. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon, Kyoto’s south-west Sagano Arashiyama district by motor coach, including moss gardens, bamboo forest walk-way, small farm houses, a pottery, Japanese rice paper and hand made clay bell specialist shop, a bamboo craft shop, and a taste of the Kyoto countryside.

Day 6 HIMEJI-KURASHIKI
Full day tour Travel by a Bullet train to Himeji, to visit the famous and beautiful Himeji Castle which is the best preserved castle in all of Japan. Travel then to Kurashiki,
a well preserved Edo period mercantile town. Enjoy a stroll through this fascinating town. Then travel back to Kyoto by Bullet train.
Day 7 KYOTO
Free at leisure. Optional tours available with English speaking guides.
1. Hiroshima Miyajima 1 day —$130.00 min 2 people
2. Nara Afternoon Tour half day—$ 70.00 min 1 person.
Afternoon tea at hotel at your leisure.
DAY 8 - KYOTO
Morning, travel to Mt. Koya, visit Kongobuji, Banryu-tei, and kuno-in where it is believed that Kobo-taishi is still in eternal meditation after almost 1,200 years. Japanese style accommodation at this Buddhist Monastery with vegetarian meals.
DAY 9 - Mt.KOYA- KANAZAWA
Travel from Mt. Koya to Osaka and on to Kanazawa by express train. After check in at hotel visit the famous 21st Century Art Museum or the local bustling Omichi Market.
DAY 10 - KANAZAWA
Sightseeing tour to Kanazawa’s old geisha district, Gold Leaf and Kutani pottery workshops , Kanazawa’s Kaga Yuzen Silk Kimono painting workshop and museum, the former samurai residential area and the Kenrokuen garden which is one of Japan’s most famous gardens.
DAY 11 - KANAZAWA - TAKAYAMA
Travel to an old town, Takayama, whose isolation has allowed Edo period streets, lined with tiny shops, museums and eating places, to survive to this day. You will enjoy the colourful atmosphere and large floats of the Takayama festival.
DAY 12 - TAKAYAMA - SHIRAKAWAGO
Travel to Shirakawago Ogimachi, a small world heritage listed village, nestled in the mountains beside a pristine mountain river. Enjoy a traditional home dinner and breakfast, during your stay overnight in a centuries old thatched roof farm house, including sleeping Japanese style on futon and a traditional Japanese bath.
DAY13 SHIRAKAWAGO - TAKAYAMA - TOKYO
Travel by motorcoach to Tsumago village in the Kiso valley, a town seldom visited by group tours, where cars are banned and signs of modernity such as power lines are hidden to maintain the old style ambiance. After strolling
along the old streets and soaking up the atmosphere, travel on to Nagoya to catch bullet train to Tokyo.
DAY14 TOKYO
Day at leisure. Do some shopping at Ginza or at electrical town of Akihabara, visit Mt. Fuji or Nikko perhaps visit Tokyo Disneyland. Your tour coordinator will assist your activity. Farewell dinner at Hotel.
DAY 15 TOKYO-AUSTRALIA
5:00am, World renowned Tsukiji Fish market for tuna auction viewing. Remainder of the day is free. Enjoy your last day in Japan with some last minute souvenir hunting or some optional half day activity. Or follow your tour coordinator to Meiji shrine and fascinating Omotesando promenade of Harajyuku district where Tokyo’s old & new cultures meet. Late afternoon, leave for Narita from hotel by coach. Depart for Australia.
Day 16 AUSTRALIA
Morning Arrival. Interstate passengers connecting flight. 		 

 

Deluxe Tour Package includes:

  • Return airfares Sydney to Narita /Tokyo
  • First class 7 Day Japan Rail pass. ( including first class seats on Bullet trains)
  • All transfers and admissions for sightseeing as specified
  • Luxury 5 STAR accommodation: The Imperial Hotel Tokyo & The Kyoto Hotel Okura and the best available (4 star or better) in the region
  • Lake side resort hotel with view of Mt. Fuji, Mountain Resort hotel in Takayama, Buddhist Monastery and Old Farm House stay experience.
  • Total of 27 meals included - Breakfast (15) Lunch (3) Afternoon tea (1) Dinner(8)
  • Welcome drinks at Imperial Hotel private lounge, overlooking Imperial Palace at sunset.
  • Baggage porterage — one piece.
  • Tokyo morning sightseeing tour with English speaking guides and half day tours (Day15).
  • Mt. Fuji & Hakone tours with Lake Ashi cruise and Ropeway ride. Stay by Lake Ashi
  • Takayama sightseeing including Takayama’s famous morning market.
  • Tsumago (Kiso) sightseeing.
  • Shirakawago ( World Heritage) Ogimachi, sightseeing of the village, farm house stay with home cooked meals.
  • Kanazawa half day tour of Kenrokuen Garden, Samurai residential area and visit to Kimono silk painting house.
  • Visit to Mt. Koya Sightseeing tour and Monastery accommodation with vegetarian meals.
  • Kyoto full day sightseeing tour to visit Golden Pavilion, Heian Shrine, Philosopher’s walk and Kiyomizu temple. Teppan Yaki lunch at hotel.
  • Visit to Fushimi Inari shrine and to Nishiki food arcade and down-town area.
  • Kyoto half day sightseeing tour to Sagano-Arashiyama districts.
    Special traditional dinner at Japanese Restaurant with accompaniment of young Geisha , traditional dance performance and chatting.
  • Evening walking tour of Gion geisha district of Kyoto
  • Day trip to Himeji Castle and Kurashiki area of ancient preserved kura-yashiki (residences with storehouses).