After breakfast,  we will embark on a day trip to the town of Nikko, where we will explore the national park, an area known for its scenic mountain landscapes, lakes, waterfalls and hot springs. Nikko is well known for its beautiful autumn colours.

• Toshogu Shrine – while in Nikko, we will visit what it is most famous for – Toshogu, Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine. The shrine was built in the 1600s, however Nikko had been a place of Shinto / Buddhist worship for many centuries before.  
• Lake Chuzenji –  which is a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko. It is located at the food of Nikko’s sacred volcano, Mount Nantai.
• Kegon Waterfall – The national park of Nikko is also famous for its waterfalls. Here we will visit Kegon waterfall. Kegon waterfall is almost a 100 meters and is one of the most beautiful of several waterfalls around the Nikko national park. In fact Kegon waterfall is ranked amongst the top three most beautiful waterfalls in Japan.

Hotel: HOTEL SUN ROUTE PLAZA SHINJUKU or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guided tour and all entrances.

Today we will explore the city of Tokyo, Japan’s capital and largest city which is the the world’s most populous metropolis. When someone think of sushi and sashimi, they automatically think Japan. Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, and one of the most popular dishes among the Japanese.

• Tsukiji Fish Market –  is a foodie wonderland, especially for seafood lovers and we will start today’s adventure by getting lost and wandering around the numerous food stalls to taste local delicacies (not only fish products) and souvenirs for those guests who enjoy their time in the kitchen and appreciate their kitchen gadgets. In this fish market tuna auctions take place, which is a spectacle, however, this usually takes place early in the morning. 
• Sushi Making Class – What’s better than learning how to make sushi in Japan? Ready to roll your very own sushi? Learn everything there is to know about this Japanese dish – from its multiple variants to the proper ways of cooking rice, slicing fish and rolling. 
• Asakusa Senso-ji & Nakamise Street – Asakusa is the centre of Tokyo’s shitamachi (literally “low city”), where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives. Here we will experience an unparalleled contrast between modern part of Tokyo and the historic part.  Asakusa’s main attraction is Sensoji, a very popular Buddhist temple, built in the 7th century. The temple is approached via Nakamise, a shopping street which runs 250 metres and provides temple visitors  a variety of traditional souvenirs, snacks, and sweets.

Hotel: HOTEL SUN ROUTE PLAZA SHINJUKU or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guided tour and Sushi Making Class (LUNCH)

With so much to do around Tokyo but so little time, we decided to include a  free day giving you the choice to pick what you would like to do.

Option 1 – Disneyland (at an additional cost and subject to availability) – approx €100

Option 2 – Gyoza & Ramen Making Class (at an additional cost) – approx €100

Option 3 – It’s your day, so you could decide to relax and do whatever it is you would like to do 

At the end of the day, depending on what time each group finishes, we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing

Hotel: HOTEL SUN ROUTE PLAZA SHINJUKU or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast

On this day we leave Japan’s capital and head towards Matsumoto for an overnight stay at a highly rated onsen ryokan, which is a highly recommended experience to any visitor of Japan. Before arriving, we will spend explore the area around the legendary Mt.Fuji.

Lake Kawaguchiko – we will arrive right at the base of Mt.Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko, which is the most easily accessible of the Fuji five lakes. The best views of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from the lake and are breathtaking during the time we will be visiting, in autumn season, due to the changing colors of leaves. Trees that were once green explode into beautiful hues of gold, red, and orange. Please note views of mount Fuji are always subject to the weather conditions on that day.

Chureito Pagoda – Another great view point that we will visit is the Chureito Pagoda, which is a five storied pagoda on the mountainside overlooking Mt.Fuji and the Fujiyoshida city. The location offers a combination of great views of the Pagoda and Mt.Fuji.

Hoto Noodles – we will also have the opportunity to eat Hoto Noodles for lunch which is a hearty hot pot dish local to this region. It is commonly believed to have been eaten by Takeda Shingen, the regional warlord during the era of warring states, and his samurai before going into battle. The dish consists of thick wheat noodles in a miso based soup and is often served in an iron pot. While hoto noodles resemble extra thick udon noodles, they are prepared more like dumplings, and lend a heartier quality to the dish than udon would. The soup is traditionally a miso based broth with pumpkin and other seasonal vegetables added.

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guided tour and all entrances.

After recharging our batteries at the highly rated onsen, we will head to  Takayama to add a rural element into our itinerary and preserves one of Japan’s nicest old towns. Takayama is a perfect destination for travellers who are looking to experience old Japan’s rural life, history, and culture. 

• Takayama Morning Market – We will start off the day by wandering arounf Jinya-mae Market in front of the Takayama Jinya. With an array of products that shifts with the seasons, you will find only the freshest fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other items at the stalls along the market. Unlike regular souvenir stores, shops at the morning market exclusively stock products that were conceived and grown by the people running them. The locals who run these shops are friendly as can be, and are always looking to engage customers in conversation.
• Takayama Jinya – since the market is in front of the Takayama Jinya, we will pass by  before heading off for lunch. The Takayama Jinya is a museum, previously serving as the local government office

Lunch

After lunch, we will travel (1 hour) to Shirakawa-go, which is a mountainous region and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995. This region is famous for their traditional ‘gassho-zukuri’ farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. ‘Gassho-zukuri’, literally means “like praying hands.” Each house is a masterpiece of carpentry. They are built without nails—every beam slots neatly into the next.

• The Wada House – is the largest traditional ‘gassho-style’ farmhouse in Shirakawa-go, which was built in the Edo period (1603–1867). The house reflects the wealth and status of the Wada family, which for centuries was the largest landowner in the village of Ogimachi.  
• Ogimachi Viewpoint – we will walk to the popular spot to overlook the village of Ogimachi in Shirakawa, sprinkled with thatched ‘gassho-zukuri’ houses amidst a tranquil rural scene.

After a day well spent discovering the rural side of Japan, we will have to Kanazawa (1.5 hours). Here we will check-in to our new hotel and we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing.

Hotel: ANA CROWNE PLAZA KANAZAWA or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guided tour and all entrances.

Kanazawa has a different feel to the busy metropolis cities in Japan, the elegant garden city of Kanazawa is a quieter alternative to Kyoto for those seeking traditional Japanese culture. Kanazawa avoided bombing in World War II and is now one of the best-preserved Edo-period cities in Japan.

As a former castle town and home to a powerful samurai family, Kanazawa is full of beautifully groomed gardens and open spaces to enjoy. Autumn presents the perfect time to enjoy them as the once-green summer foliage explodes in fiery fall colours. 

Kanazawa Castle -In Kanazawa we will visit parts of the old castle that survived through the war in pretty good condition

Kenroku-un -is justifiably classified as one of Japan’s “three most beautiful landscape gardens” .The spacious grounds used to be the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle. The garden’s name means: Garden of the six sublimities”, the properties that have to be a perfect garden, it means: spaciousness, antiquity, seclusion, elaborate use of water, scenic charm, and artifice.

Lunch

Higashi Chaya District – discover one of Kanazawa’s largest geisha districts. In Japanese culture, geisha houses have been traditional places for feasts and entertainment since the Edo period. Also referred to as “chaya”, they are where geishas entertained wealthy nobility and rich merchants. Geishas are female Japanese entertainers who perform dances and play traditional Japanese instruments.

Once we depart from the hotel (8am/9am) we will head to Kanazawa station to board the bullet train to Kyoto (2 hours).

Kyoto served as Japan’s capital and the emperor’s residence from 794 until 1868. Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its exceptional historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and escaped destruction during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.

Kyoto offers a rich culinary tradition and our first stop will be:

Nishiki Market –  Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”, Nishiki Market has a pleasant but busy atmosphere that is inviting to those who want to explore the variety of culinary delights that Kyoto is famous for. The stores range from small narrow stalls to larger two story shops. Most specialise in a particular type of food, and almost everything sold at the market is locally produced and procured.

LUNCH

After lunch we will be visiting the the Higashiyama District, which  is one of the city’s best preserved historic districts. It is a great place to experience traditional old Kyoto, where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city. 

• Gion – Kyoto’s most famous geisha district
• Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka – a short walk away from Gion, we will come by the sloping stone-paved streets of Ninenzaka and Sannensaka which were built in 807 and 808, respectively. The old cobblestone streets of  Ninenzaka, and Sannenzaka have prospered since ancient times. These sloping streets are lined with historic Japanese-style buildings that typify Kyoto, even including many souvenir shops. Nearby Kodaiji Temple and Yasaka Shrine also make these narrow streets part of a popular sightseeing route centering on Kiyomizu Temple.

After a day well spent discovering the geisha districts in Kyoto. Here we will check-in to our new hotel and we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing.

Hotel: Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guided tour and all entrances.

After spending the day in Nara, we will head back to our accommodation in Kyoto. Once back in Kyoto, we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing.  

1. Arashiyama – We will start by exploring a district on the outskirts of Kyoto – the picturesque district of Arashiyama, which particularly popular during Autumn season due to the colour of the foliage. Arashiyama is the second most important sightseeing district in Kyoto. It’s filled with temples and shrines, but the star attraction is the famed Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We will walk through thousands of bamboo plants in the bamboo valley.

2. Kinkakuji (Golden pavilion) – Next up we will visit the zen Buddhist temple, Kinkakuj. which is one of Kyotos most important buildings and a heritage site.
3. Fushimi Ina – One of the most important sites that we will visit on this day will be Fushimi Ina, which is one of the most famous shrines in all Japan,  famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates. 
4. Kiyomizudera Temple – Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside. The stage offers nice views of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of colour in spring and fall.

After spending the day sightseeing, we will head back to our accommodation in Kyoto. Once back in Kyoto, we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing.

Hotel: Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers & Guided tour throughout the day

1. Before going into central Kobe, we will check out Nunobiki Falls. Which are a set of waterfall near by the downtown of Kobe.
2. For lunch we will head into central Kobe for the Kobe beef experience. The experience consists of a full course lunch, with Kobe beef as the main dish. The experience is done to make sure that we get a taste of the highest quality beaf meat and also a true taste of Japan.
3. Chinatown (Nankinmachi) – After our lunch we will have time to roam around the streets of China town in Kobe. Nankinmachi is a popular attraction known for its shopping and dining district. Two main streets run through the district, meeting each other at a small plaza in the centre. They are packed with shops, restaurants and food stands that sell popular items such as steamed buns (manju), ramen, tapioca drinks and various other Chinese dishes, many of which have been ‘Japanized’ to a certain degree.

After a day spent in Kobe, we will continue our journey to Osaka, where we will check-in to our new hotel and we could go for dinner as a group or who wants could do their own thing.

Hotel: PLAZA OSAKA HOTEL or similar class ★ Hotel

Included: Breakfast, Transfers, Guide & Kobe Beef Experience. 

Travel time : Kyoto to Kobe (1 hour) & Kobe to Osaka (35 mins)

This is the last day of our adventure in Japan. We still have a full day ahead of us where we could roam the streets and markets together or do individual activities. To finish off, we will re-group for an included Japanese lunch before heading to the airport to fly back home or two South Korea.

Osaka, Kansai International Airport 

• Option 1: Osaka – Seoul – departure at 6pm
• Option 2 : Osaka – Malta – departure at 9.50pm

Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Transfer to airport.

Every client is required to have a travel insurance package. This needs to be presented to us.

Accommodation will be hand selected, highly rated,  3* to 4* hotels. The price includes accommodation in a shared private double room, however, if one wishes to have a private room that sleeps (1 person) this is possible at an additional cost at 950 euro. 

For Japan there are two associated plug types, A and B. Plug type A is the plug which has two flat parallel pins and plug type B is the plug which has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin.

Maltese and most European citizens  do not need a tourist visa when travelling to Japan in 2023. Maltese passport holders can stay in Japan for a short period of time (for 90 days). However please inform us if you do not hold a Maltese passport and we will help you check regarding your visa.

The Japanese yen is the official currency in Japan. Most establishments accept payments by Visa or Debit card, however traditional establishments may prefer cash payments. Travellers may exchange to Japanese yen on our first day in Tokyo, our group leader will help you out. Another option is to exchange to Japanese yen in your home country, however do not worry as we will help you out if you prefer to exchange when in Japan.