Day 1: ARRIVAL IN TOKYO

You land today at gleaming New Tokyo International Airport (Narita). After clearing immigration, you'll retrieve your baggage and make your way to the shuttle van counter in the arrivals lobby on the first floor. . Welcome to Tokyo! Your ride 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 into the fine ANA Hotel Tokyo, where you'll stay for three nights, and proceed to discover some of Tokyo on your own.

Day 2: TOKYO

We'll call for you in the morning to show you the sights of Tokyo. You'll ascend the Tokyo Tower to the observatory level for a commanding view of the city, and visit the Imperial Palace Plaza. Then it's on to the Asakusa Kannon Temple, a harmonious melding of design and spirituality. We'll also include time at the Tasaki Pearl Gallery, a multi-level emporium of pearls and much more, a must for visitors with fine taste, and you'll see the latest consumer marvels at the Nakamise shopping arcade. Your afternoon will be yours, to rest or to explore further on your own. Perhaps you'll take a cruise on Tokyo Bay, or browse remarkable modern electronics, or stroll the exciting neon-lit streets of Ginza. Feel free to wander in one of the safest cities anywhere. Of course, we're at your service to arrange excursions.

Day 3: TOKYO

Now that you've spent some time in Tokyo, you're ready to explore on your own. The public transport system is easy to manage, with many directional signs in English, and in many restaurants, you can order simply by pointing at pictures. With guidebook in hand, you'll visit shopping areas filled with items both familiar and marvelous. You'll explore the parks of Tokyo, or perhaps take a cruise on Tokyo Bay, or head to a charming residential neighborhood to get an idea of how people really live. We also offer a range of optional tours to take advantage of your time exactly in the way you choose.

Day 4: TOKYO - SENDAI

We're northward bound, this morning. We'll speed out of Tokyo on the Bullet Train in tourist class, and in a few hours we'll be in the bustling city of Sendai, one of the fastest-growing in the country, but still one of the most charming. Sendai is associated with the Samurai Masamune, and we'll be visiting his tomb to admire its brightly colored carved details. We'll also see the Castle ruins and the city's museum, with its display of armor. We'll check into the Hotel Metropolitan Sendai, where we'll stay for two nights.

Day 5: SENDAI - MATSUSHIMA - SENDAI

We'll board a train this morning for the short ride to Matsushima Kaigan, just up the coast, where we'll stroll around. Matsushima is one of the most charming towns of Japan, set on one of its most attractive bays, sprinkled with hundreds of pine-covered islands. Our stops will include thousand-year-old Zuiganji, one of the most beautiful Zen temples, with notable painted doors; Kanrantei Villa, originally a teahouse on the grounds of Fushimi Castle in Kyoto; and Godaido Temple, a charming temple on an island just offshore, which is the very emblem of the city. In the afternoon, we'll have a different view of Matsushima, from a cruise boat on the bay, before we return by train to Sendai.

Day 6: SENDAI - SAPPORO

We'll continue our northward journey today, by plane to Shin-Chitose, and connecting to Sapporo by airport train. We'll check into the Sapporo Korakuen Hotel for two nights. Now's your chance to enjoy a full-fledged winter city, Japanese style. You'll find an orderly, modern town, only 150 years old, with restaurants serving famous local noodles as well as cuisines from around the world.

Day 7: SAPPORO

We'll tour Sapporo this morning and get to know what makes it tick. A lift up Mount Moiwa will be a prelude to spectacular views, not only of the city, but of its setting among green (or snow-clad) mountains. And we'll have a different point of view from the lookout in the green highlands of Hitsujigaoka. We'll stop at the Clock Tower, one of the most charming and unexpected little buildings around, and continue with a tour of the Sapporo Brewery. Once we reach Sapporo Station, you'll be free to continue your meanderings in town. Perhaps you'll stop in the Nijo Market to gaze at foods familiar and exotic, or take a look at the Olympic ski jump at Okurayama, or sample the chocolate in Shiroi Koibito Park. There's no end of resort amusements in Sapporo, all with an exotic local twist.

Day 8: SAPPORO - OTARU - NOBORIBETSU (D)

It's a short drive this morning via the airport to Otaru, on the coast. We'll visit the old part of town, where stone warehouses from the nineteenth century are set along canals. There's plenty of time to linger, stroll the streets, and poke into charming shops. Later, we'll continue to Noboribetsu spa, amidst natural hot springs in forests dotted with ponds and steam vents. We'll find dinner waiting along with a comfortable bed in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), the Park Hotel Miyabitei, or a similar establishment. You may choose a western-style room or a traditional Japanese room, with futon for sleeping. Of course, you'll take advantage of the opportunity to soak in the spa waters.

Day 9: NOBORIBETSU - USUZAN - HAKODATE (B,L,D)

We'll start from a spa and end at a spa today. Breakfast will be at our inn, after which we'll set out for Mount Usu , an active volcano that erupted as recently as 2000. We'll take a lift to the summit, where an observation deck affords spectacular views of Lake Toya, the third largest of its kind in Japan, in the collapsed crater. We'll take our lunch at a local restaurant, then continue to Onuma Quasi-National Park, to enjoy vistas of lakes and forest, and the sight and songs of colorful birds. We'll conclude the day on the coast at Hakodate, where we'll nighttime vistas of the port from Mount Hakodate. Our dinner will be taken at Yunokawa Spa in the Yunokawa Kanko Hotel or another ryokan, where Japanese- and western-style rooms will be available.

Day 10: HAKODATE (B)

After breakfast at the ryokan, we'll get to know Hakodate, a most unusual town closely tied with the early Russian trade-the wooden buildings in parts of town could have been transplanted from Siberia. We'll walk through the morning market, full of fresh seafood, and visit the fortress of Goryokaku. In the Motomachi area, we'll take note of the Russian Orthodox church and British consulate. We'll even visit the Trappist monastery, the first in Japan, founded by a Frenchman who made Japan his home. Depending on your onward travel plans, your visit will conclude at the Hakodate train station in the early afternoon, or at the Hakodate airport later in the day.

This tour departs April 10, 17, May 1, 15, 29, June 12, September 4, 18, and October 2, 16, and 30.

Rate per person in US$ :

Rate per person in US $2649 in double occupancy.
Children rate : $2511 per child 6-11 sharing parents' room.
Rate per person in US$ Single occupancy is not available.

Rate includes:

* Transportation from Narita Airport to your hotel in Tokyo

* Airport greeting

* Hotel accommodations as described, including taxes and service charge

* All ground transportation by motor coach, train, and Bullet Train

* Tours as listed, including entrance fees and guide service

* Two breakfasts (B), one lunch (L) and two dinners (D) with set menu

Not included:

* Air transportation

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

* Gratuities

* Meals or beverages other than three lunches

* Baggage handling beyond first bag (extra charges collected locally)

Note: Casual attire and comfortable are recommended for walking tours, slong with warm clothing during visits in March, April, October and November. We'll join with Japanese travelers for sightseeing, accompanied by an English-speaking guide.