13 Day Japan Gourmet & Spring Festival Tour 2010 - Platinum
Departure : Sun 11 April 2010                                                          
ex. Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney

This new 13 day tour is designed to give you a taste of luxury and experience of some very special parts of Japan. The tour includes a stay in Takayama at the prime time for viewing the spectacular Takayama festival and is designed to catch the cherry blossoms in the Japan Alps and Hida region at their best. Experience the past in a stay in a 350 year old Inn in the Kiso Valley. Enjoy the vibrant city life during a stay in Osaka and the poignant atomic bomb ruins during a stay in Hiroshima. In a unique offering, you will enjoy dining at famous Iron Chef restaurants and you will also experience a proper Kyoto style Kaiseki banquet with the special accompaniment of a Geisha and a traditional dance performance just for Janesco members. You will have the fantastic and quite rare opportunity to chat with a Geisha.

13 Day Japan Gourmet & Cherry Blossom Tours-Platinum
Joining from Brisbane, Perth, Sydney
Economy Class from $ 8,400.00+taxes
Business Class from - JAL Special Business Class Fare offered -
$ 13,490.00+taxes reduced to $12,490.00 + taxes
Single Room Supplement $ 1,440.00
Land-only, join the tour on Day 1 in Tokyo $ 7,455.00

Adelaide and Melbourne passengers:- Please add $250 p.p. for an additional air fare.
Fly to Sydney a day before to connect JAL flight for early morning departure.
Accommodation can be arranged at Sydney airport at your own expense
from approx. $130.00 / Single /Twin rooms for standard class accommodation
Perth Passengers:- Travel one day earlier via Singapore (Qantas & JAL), arriving Tokyo mid afternoon on Day 1

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

Accomodation: Imperial Hotel Kyoto

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 one of the famous Iron Chef restaurants. 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: Imperial Hotel Kyoto

Day 3 TOKYO - MT. FUJI & HAKONE
Travel to Mt. Fuji by chartered deluxe motor coach and enjoy picturesque views 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 HAKONE - TAKAYAMA
This Morning, travel to Takayama and join the Spring Festival. Festival Floats are displayed along the streets of Takayama, ready for a most spectacular evening parade this evening. This festival is considered to rank among the three most beautiful festivals in Japan. The highlight of the festival is a parade of majestic floats and ancient puppets. Check in at Takayama‘s mountain resort for 1 night. Enjoy a dip in the hot spring (Onsen) before early dinner at hotel. After dinner return to the festival to view the night parade.

Accommodation: Associa Takayama Resort

Day 5 TAKAYAMA - KANAZAWA
Enjoy morning market and some entertainment programs of the Festival. Takayama, whose isolation has allowed Edo period streets, lined with tiny shops, museums and eating places, to survive to this day. After enjoying strolling along the narrow old Sanmachi Street, travel to Shirakawago, a fascinating small world heritage listed village nestled in the mountains beside a pristine mountain river. We travel on to Kanazawa and check in at the luxury Nikko Hotel Kanazawa for 1 night. Remainder of the day is free.

Accommodation: Nikko Hotel Kanazawa

Day 6 KANAZAWA - HIROSHIMA
Morning sightseeing tour of Kanazawa including 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. Afternoon , travel to Hiroshima check in at Hiroshima hotel for 1 night. Dinner at hotel for the famous Hiroshima style ‘Okonomiyaki’ cuisine.

Accommodation: Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima

Day 7 HIROSHIMA -MIYAJIMA - OSAKA
Early morning, visit Miyajima Island, the famous floating Itsukushima Shrine and world famous Torii gate. Then take a cruise from the Island to the Peace Park and visit the Atomic Bomb Museum. Bullet train ride to Osaka, check in at the Imperial hotel Osaka Remainder of the day is free at leisure. Perhaps follow your tour escort to Dotonbori for Osaka night lights.

Accommodation: Osaka Imperial Hotel

DAY 8 - OSAKA - KYOTO
Leave Osaka and travel to Kyoto. Check in at the Kyoto Hotel Okura for 3 nights. Enjoy Teppan yaki lunch at hotel. After lunch, 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.Dinner at local restaurant.

Accommodation: The Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 9 - KYOTO
Full day sightseeing tour of Kyoto visiting the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Heian Shrine. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon, enjoy 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 & handmade clay bell specialist shops. Special dinner at traditional Japanese Restaurant, accompanied by Geisha. Enjoy chatting with Geisha and a special traditional dance. Strol
to Geisha district, familiar to many travellers from movies such as “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

Accommodation: The Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 10 - KYOTO
Free at leisure. Optional tours available with English speaking guides for additional fee:
Miho Museum ½ day, Nara Afternoon Tour ½ day Afternoon tea at hotel at your leisure. Evening free .

Accommodation: The Okura Hotel Kyoto

DAY 11 - KYOTO - TOKYO
Early afternoon, travel to Tokyo and transfer to the 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.

Accommodation: The Imperial Hotel Tokyo
DAY 12 - 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.
DAY13 AUSTRALIA
  

 

Deluxe Tour Package includes:

  • Fully Escorted Tour by Professionally Licensed staff
  • Return airfares by premier airlines and first class trains.
  • Accommodation including Luxury hotels or the best available
    in remote areas. This particular tour also allows you to
    experience temple accommodation and
    country village accommodation with 350 years of history.
  • Gourmet dining in a variety of styles including:-
    Welcome cocktail, Dining at Iron Chef restaurants, Traditional Kaiseki
    style dinner, Regional banquets, Organic home cooking.
    Breakfast daily, Lunch( 3 ) ,Afternoon Tea( 1 ) , Dinner( 7 ), Light Supper( 1 )
  • Sightseeing with local tour guides.
  • Special Luggage handling , all tipping.
  • Fresh mineral water is provided daily.