Osaka • Kyoto • Takayama Festival • Nikko Festival • Kamakura Festival • Tokyo
USD $2,299 per person (twin-share)
Tour prices DO NOT include International airfare and taxes.
From Buddhist monks of Koyasan to the high rollers of Tokyo, this adventure will show you many faces of Nippon. Feast on multi-course traditional Japanese meals and simple but flavorsome bowls of noodles. Drink sake while watching the sun set over the torii gate of Miyajima, and soak your well deserved bones in a natural onsen, or hot spring. For a quick-tempo taste of many things Japanese during this beautiful time of year, this is your trip.
Trip Prices
Prices in US Dollars and on per person basis
- USD $2,299 Twin
- USD $2,878 Single
Trip Dates
- Apr 10-20, 2010
Trip Itinerary
Day 01 / Arrive Osaka
Arrive in Osaka, known as “Japan’s kitchen”. Wander the streets sampling takoyaki, octopus balls, while you observe Japan’s friendly and funky youth in areas like Amerikamura.
Days 02-03 / Kyoto
We move today to Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan. Explore temples and teahouses, shrines and shops, and maybe even see a geisha! Throughout the month of April the Miyako Odori takes place in Kyoto- a rare chance to see geishas perform in public. You can take a short trip to Nara, enjoy wandering the streets with the local wild deer in the home of temples and Japanese Noh Theatre.
Days 04-05 / Takayama Festival
We travel by train today to Takayama to enjoy the world famous festival,widely considered to be one of the three most beautiful festivals in all Japan and rightly so. Famous for the majestic festival floats on which intricately controlled marionettes perform for stunned audiences, the Takayama Festival is a true highlight for any visitor to Japan. For music and culture fans, it also features gagaku, bugaku and kagura (Shinto music and dance). Such is the importance of this festival, it has been designated an important cultural asset by the government.
Days 06-09 / Tokyo (Nikko & Kamakura Festivals)
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the most modern cities in the world. However, if you look under the glossy surface, Tokyo is still very traditional, and there is time to explore this wonderful city and its neighbours during this festival season. In nearby Nikko, gaily decorated mikoshi representing 13 neighbouring towns are paraded around this historical city, celebrating the start of Spring. The Kamakura Festival commemorates the establishment of a bakufu (shogunate) government at Kamakura in the late 12th century. Events including Shinto dances, yabusame and mikoshi parades celebrating the ancient world of the Samurai.
Day 10 / Depart Tokyo
Inclusions
- Group Leader Tour Leader, local guides Accommodation Hotels (9 nights)
- Transport Taxi, local train, bullet train, subway
- Rail Pass 7-Day Japan Rail Pass
- Festivals Takayama, Nikko and Kamakura
- Meals No meals are included; allow USD $250 for meals not included
Notes
- Start/Finish Start in Osaka, end in Tokyo
- Group Size Average 10, Maximum 15
