Day 1: ARRIVAL IN TOKYO

You land today at gleaming New Tokyo International Airport (Narita). Our representative will be on hand to meet you after you clear customs, and see you to board the airport coach for your transfer .

Welcome to Tokyo! Your van ride to your hotel will provide a first view of the Japanese capital, so modern and familiar, and yet so different. Streets are busy but orderly and neat, lights and signs glitter everywhere, alternating with serene green oases.

You'll check in at the Takanawa Prince Hotel .
Then it's time to get to know Tokyo on your own, and appreciate its urban life: spotless streets, a pace that's fast but always in control, bicycles left unlocked, vending machines dispensing superb hot coffee in cans (or whiskey, if you wish), and signs in English.

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Day 2: TOKYO (Lunch included - Western Style)

We'll call for you in the morning not only to show you the sights of Tokyo, but also to encounter the Japanese way of life. You'll ascend the Tokyo Tower to the observatory level for a commanding view of the city. Then you'll experience the ritual of a tea ceremony in a traditionally designed harmonious Japanese garden. We'll continue to the Imperial Palace Plaza, then take a Japanese barbecue lunch at Chinzanso. It's more than just a hibachi! Then it's on to see Tokyo from a different perspective, as we cruise along the Sumida River. We'll also visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, for an understanding of Japanese spirituality, so closely tied to the physical environment.

Day 3: TOKYO - NIKKO - TOKYO (Lunch included - Japanese Style)

We'll leave Tokyo this morning by coach for the short journey into another world at Nikko , We'll take lunch at a local restaurant, then return to Tokyo and Ginza shopping district , where you'll be on your own to enjoy the rest of the day in Tokyo. The guide will be on hand to assist with any direction you may need in regard to returning to the hotel .

Extraordinary beauty awaits within easy reach of Tokyo, as we'll see in our travels today. Our coach will call for us this morning, and take us toward the Shinto pilgrimage center of Nikko, considered by many the indispensable destination outside the capital. We'll pay a morning visit to the Toshogu Shrine, one of the most spectacular temple complexes in Japan. You'll marvel at the intricately carved details. Then we'll follow the Irohazaka road with its notorious hairpin turns upward into the mountains, where we'll stop to take a traditional Japanese lunch. We'll visit Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls, where a viewing platform is sited for the perfect photo. We'll return to Tokyo to conclude our day in the exciting Ginza district or Shinjyuku, each full of restaurants, electronic showcases, and avant-garde shops on every level of glittering buildings. Return to Tokyo & Ginza. Guests are on their own to shop or dine. If you need assistance with directions on how to get back to your hotel , please let's know in advance

Day 4: TOKYO - MT. FUJI - HAKONE (Lunch included - Western Style)

Your motor coach will pick you up in the morning, and before long, you'll be out past the suburbs and into the neatly tended countryside beyond. Mount Fuji with its perfect, snow-capped conical shape will hover into view, ever more impressive as we approach. We'll continue right onto the slopes of Japan's highest mountain, and ascend to the halfway point at 2300 meters (7600 feet) for spectacular views of rolling fields, orchards, lakes, and streams. We'll take our lunch at the Highland Resort, then continue with a relaxing cruise on Lake Ashi, and a breathtaking ride on the Mt. Komagatake aerial tramway. A comfortable bed will be waiting in nearby Hakone at the Hotel Kowaki-en, where you can delight in a relaxing hot-springs bath.
Please note that your luggage will be sent separate by land from Tokyo to Kyoto today .
For tonight make sure that you have a carry on ( overnight small bag ) with you .

Mt.Fuji & Komagatake Aerial cableway

Day 5: HAKONE - KYOTO - NARA - KYOTO (Lunch included - Buffet Style)

We'll set out in the morning to drive down to Odawara station on the main railway line, and board the ultra-modern Shinkansen (Bullet Train) for the speedy trip into Kyoto. We'll take our lunch at the New Miyako Hotel, our lodging place for the next three days.

Then it's off to nearby Nara, the first capital of a united Japan. Highlights will include the Todaiji Temple with its huge Buddha; the 3000 lanterns of the Kasuga Shrine, and the Deer Park, where the animals are free to roam.
Hotel : Kyoto Tokyu Hotel.

Todaiji Temple

Day 6: KYOTO (Lunch included - Buffet Style)

We'll tour the major sites of the ancient capital of Japan this morning, including the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle with its exquisite interiors, and the ancient Imperial Palace. (On Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, we'll take in the Higashi Honganji Temple instead.) After lunch at Kyoto's Handicraft Center, we'll visit Sanjusangendo Hall with its 1,001 impressive images of Buddha, vermilion-hued Heian Shrine, and Kiyomizu Temple with its wooden verandah. Take the rest of the day to relax, or to wander the charming traditional sections of Kyoto. Perhaps you'll head for Fushimi, in the south of the city, where you'll find charming canals, sake breweries, and, among others, the Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine, with its thousands of bright gates, all an expected surprise. We can arrange tours to the Imperial Palace, the Katsura Imperial Villa, or the Shugakuin Imperial Villa.

Day 7: KYOTO - HIROSHIMA - KYOTO

In the morning, we'll board the Bullet Train once again, and set out for Hiroshima. The city was totally rebuilt after the atomic bombing of 1945, but relics remain as solemn reminders, along with traditional temples. Among other sites, we'll see the venerable Itsukushima Shrine complex, in Miyajima , dating from more than a thousand years ago. Beyond the Otorii (Grand Gate), it appears to float above the surface of the sea. Our visit will include the Peace Memorial Park, before we return to Kyoto by the Bullet Train. ( around 20:30 in hotel in Kyoto)

Day 8: KYOTO - DEPARTURE FROM OSAKA ( For return from Tokyo please click here )

In accordance with your flight schedule, we'll see you to Osaka's Kansai International Airport to begin your homeward journey. With advance notice, we can also arrange connections to Tokyo's Narita Airport for departure via Bullet Train .

This tour departs on Tuesdays & Sundays : From Jan 8 to March 4 and DEc 7 - 19 : 2006
Then from March 5 to Dec 6 : 2006 : Weekly on : Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays.

This tour will not operate on : April 26- 30, May 2, 3, July 12, 19 , August 9 , September 13 , October 4, 7, 15 , Nov 1, Dec 9 , 13 , 16 , 8, 15 and Nov 1.

Rate per person in US$

Special Winter Rate per person in US$ valid only for Jan & Feb :
Please deduct $ 200 per person from any of the listed rates

Rate includes:

* Transportation from Tokyo Airport to your hotel and from Kyoto to Kansai Airport * Airport    greeting

* Hotel accommodations as described, including taxes and service charge

* Ground transportation to Mount Fuji by motor coach

* Train transportation as indicated, including Bullet Train to Kyoto and Hiroshima . Very limited luggage    space, suggest you take an overnight or carry on bag.

* Tours as listed, including entrance fees and guide service

* Lunches with set menu (L) , as listed

Not Included:

* Air transportation

* Trip interruption and cancellation insurance (please see our insurance brochure).

* Gratuities

* Breakfasts . Dinners

* Meals or beverages other than two lunches * Baggage handling beyond first bag ($20 per   extra item between Tokyo and Kyoto collected locally)

Concerning your visit to Mount Fuji, please note:

1. The ride on the Mt. Komagatake Aerial Cableway might be omitted, depending on traffic conditions.

2. Due to winter and spring road closures, we will ascend to the highest accessible point on Mount Fuji, and not necessarily the Fifth Station.

3. Weather and operational conditions could cause other changes or substitutions due to conditions beyond our control.

4. With advance notice, we'll be pleased to arrange audio tour tapes in French, German, Spanish, Korean, or Chinese at no charge.