Day 1 SYDNEY/NARITA
Day flight to Narita airport and on arrival transfer to a 5 star hotel, The Imperial Hotel Tokyo, and check-in for 2 nights. A light supper will be served in your room.

Accommodation: The Imperial Hotel Tokyo

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. Visit Akihabara and Ueno. Lunch at local restaurant. Remainder of the day is free. Welcome cocktail with light dinner at a private lounge at the hotel overlooking the Imperial Palace at sunset.

Accommodation: The Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Day 3 MT. FUJI & HAKONE
Travel to Mt. Fuji by deluxe motor coach and enjoy picturesque Hakone including a Lake Ashi cruise and ropeway ride. Visit the Hakone Open-Air Art Museum, the first such museum in Japan. Exhibits approx. 120 works by well-known modern and contemporary sculptors. Lunch at the museum. Stay at hotel by the lake. Dinner at hotel

Accommodation: The Prince Hotel Hakone

Day 4 FUJI & HAKONE - TSUMAGO
Travel to Magome & Tsumago villages in the Kiso valley, 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, stay at a historic inn. Enjoy a traditional organic dinner and breakfast.

Accommodation: Old Country Inn - Ohtsumago

Day 5 TSUMAGO - ATSUMOTO TAKAYAMA
Travel to Matsumoto and see the famous Matsumoto castle. Travel on to another old town, Takayama, whose isolation has allowed Edo period streets, lined with tiny shops, museums and eating places, to survive to this day. Stay at Mountain resort. Dinner at Hotel.

Accommodation: Associa Takayama Resort

Day 6 TAKAYAMA - SHIRAKAWAGO - KANAZAWA
Enjoy Takayama’s morning market. Travel to Shirakawago, a small world heritage listed village, nestled in the mountains beside a pristine mountain river. After strolling around this fascinating village, visit a Japanese traditional rice paper work shop. Travel on to Kanazawa, check in at the luxury Nikko Hotel Kanazawa for 2 nights. Enjoy afternoon tea at the hotel at your leisure. Remainder of the day is free.

Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa

Day 7 KANAZAWA
Morning sightseeing tour of Kanazawa includes the old district of Higashiyama; a Geisha house; Kutani pottery workshops where you can see a demonstration by a master potter; the former samurai residential area and the Kenrokuen garden which is one of Japan’s most famous gardens. Lunch at hotel. In the afternoon experience a proper tea ceremony at a private garden. Dinner at local restaurant.

Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa

DAY 8 - KANAZAWA - MT KOYA
Leave Kanazawa by train for Osaka and travel on to Mt. Koya by chartered motorcoach. Visit Kongobuji temple and see Banryu-tei, the largest rock garden in Japan. Visit Okuno-in where it is believed that Kobo-taishi is still in eternal meditation after almost 1,200 years. Japanese style accommodation with high quality, traditional rooms. (or a limited number of western style rooms with garden views are available for an extra fee – please enquire) This evening you will enjoy a vegetarian dinner.

Accommodation: Traditional Monastery

DAY 9 - Mt.KOYA- KYOTO
Morning, travel from Mt. Koya to Kyoto’s south-west Sagano Arashiyama district by coach, getting a taste of the Kyoto countryside visiting moss gardens, bamboo forest walkway, specialty handcraft shops including pottery, Japanese rice paper, bamboo craft and handmade clay bell specialist shops. Check in at the Kyoto Hotel Okura for 5 nights. Dinner at local restaurant.

Accomodation: Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 10 - KYOTO
Full day sightseeing tour of Kyoto visiting the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Heian Shrine. Lunch at hotel. 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 atmospheric old Higashiyama Gion district.

Accomodation: Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 11 - KYOTO - HIROSHIMA - KYOTO
Early morning, catch a Bullet train to visit Miyajima Island, the famous floating Itsukushima Shrine and world famous Torii gate. Travel then to Hiroshima to view the Peace Park (Atomic Bomb Museum). Late afternoon return to Kyoto. Dinner at local restaurant.

Accomodation: Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 12 - KYOTO - HIMEJI - KYOTO
Morning, travel by bullet train to Himeji, to visit the famous and beautiful Himeji Castle which is the best preserved castle in all of Japan. Afternoon, visit Fushimi-inari Shrine which serves as the head of 40,000 Inari shrines all over Japan. Red torii shrine gates line the path, so close together that they form what resembles a tunnel leading all the way to the top of Mt. Inari. Late afternoon, return to Hotel.

Accomodation: Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 13 KYOTO
Day free at leisure. Optional tours available with English speaking guides for additional fee.
1.Miho Museum ½ day , 2. Nara Afternoon Tour ½ day Special dinner at traditional Japanese Restaurant, accompanied by Geisha. Enjoy chatting with Geisha and a special traditional dance performance. After dinner, stroll to the Gion Geisha district, familiar to many travelers from movies such as “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

Accomodation: Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 14 TOKYO
This morning enjoy the philosopher’s walk (Tetsugaku no Michi), a stone path following the cherry tree lined canal through the northern part of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. In the afternoon travel to Tokyo and transfer to the 5 star Imperial Hotel Tokyo and check in for 1 night. Remainder of the day is free. Your tour coordinator will help organise your activity. Farewell dinner at one of the famous Iron Chef restaurants in Ginza.

Accomodation: Imperial Hotel Kyoto

DAY 15 TOKYO-AUSTRALIA
Enjoy your last day in Japan with some last minute souvenir hunting or an optional half day activity. Perhaps follow your escort to the Meiji shrine and Omotesando promenade of Harajuku, where Tokyo’s old & new cultures meet. Late afternoon, leave hotel for Narita by chartered motorcoach. Depart for Australia.

Accomodation: Imperial Hotel Kyoto