Dreams Series
Japan Autumn Dreams Tour 2022
17 Days
Departs
Thursday, 13 October 2022
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Price (Land Only)
13 October from $9,790
15 November from $9,980
(Twin share/person)
A deluxe tour along the “Golden Route.” 16 days in Japan visiting vibrant Tokyo, majestic Mt. Fuji and scenic Lake Kawaguchi, the traditional capital Kyoto with its famous temples and gardens, historic Hiroshima and the floating shrine of Miyajima. Visit the historic Samurai residential district of Kanazawa and see one of the most beautifully designed gardens, Kenrokuen. Stroll through Shirakawago and Gokayama villages with their delightful traditional thatched cottages. Travel to Arita & Imari pottery villages and visit the national treasure and world heritage sites.
Stay in deluxe hotels, finishing in the famous 5 star Imperial Hotel Tokyo in Ginza.
Tour Highlights
Tokyo
It is difficult to believe that the thronging city of Tokyo, grew from what had been a small, little-known fishing village in 1457 into the largest metropolis in the world with an estimated population of 1,000,000 by 1721. It was the centre of the Shogun regime from the 17th century until Japan was opened up to the west in the late 19th century. No other place in Japan shows the contrast between the historical culture of the samurai period and the modern technical miracle better than bustling Tokyo, with everything from high tech shopping and outrageous fashion districts to the traditional Imperial Palace.
Kyoto
Kyoto is the spiritual heart of Japan and is home some 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the stunning Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and Nijo Castle. It was the main centre for the evolution of religious and secular architecture and of garden design for almost a thousand years. Famous for its classical Buddhist temples, imperial palaces, Zen gardens and traditional wooden houses, it the cultural centre of Japan and with its 2,000 religious places – 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture intact – it is also one of the best preserved cities in Japan.
Hiroshima & Miyajima Island
Hiroshima’s 1500 year history as a trading port and centre of shogunate power has largely been usurped by the devastating atomic bomb dropped on the city during the final months of the 2nd World War. The city, once a centre of Imperial power is now dedicated to teaching humanity about the folly of nuclear war. The poignant Hiroshima Peace museum showing the impact of the bomb on the victims is not to be missed. Not far from Hiroshima city lies Miyajima Island in The Inland Sea, where you can find the Sacred Goddess Miyajima Floating Shrine and the world famous Torii gate.
Kanazawa
The samurai town of Kanazawa or ‘little Kyoto’ is known for its well-preserved streets and buildings that evoke the ambiance of the Edo Period centuries ago. It has a long history of traditional arts and culture and historical city streets lined with preserved geisha houses that once formed the entertainment district coexist with modernistic buildings. It is home to the beautiful gardens of Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroku-en Garden, museums, gold leaf workshop and the Nagamachi Samurai District located at the foot of the former Kanazawa Castle.
Osaka
Japan’s second largest city after Tokyo, Osaka with its 42 municipalities has a population of more than 8.8 million – around 7% of all of Japan. With 1400 years of history, this port city has long been a centre of commerce. Situated in the heart of Osaka is Osaka Castle which towers over the city and whose public park grounds cover 60,000 square meters. Osaka is also famous with foodies and many a tasty morsel is to be found among the vivid neon lights of the Dotonbori area.
Itinerary
Arrive in Tokyo and check in at The Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa for 2 nights. The hotel is located close to Shinagawa
Station, which is a great staging point for exploring Tokyo or getting to those famous Tokyo shopping areas by train.
Note: There are various options for transferring from airport to hotel. Please contact JANESCO
This morning we travel to Mount Fuji and Hakone National Park. It is difficult to really get a feel for the massive mountain from pictures alone. Today (weather permitting) you will see Mt. Fuji from far enough away to appreciate its amazing symmetry and close enough to experience the awe its presence has instilled in the Japanese people and begin to understand its place in their culture. On our way to view the mountain from another vantage point, we will take a cruise across Lake Ashi in the Hakone National park and then board the ropeway (gondola). Get to know your fellow travellers at our welcome dinner at the Hakone Onsen hot
pring resort.
Accommodation: Hakone Kowakien Tenryu or similar
This morning we travel to the tranquil Kiso Valley with its quaint historical post towns, Magome & Tsumago, where cars are banned and signs of modernity such as power lines are hidden to maintain the old-style ambience. Kiso is surrounded by Japan’s foremost high mountains, the Ontake mountain range to the west and the Central Alps to the east. Prior to the Edo period, Kiso prospered as a key junction for transportation and as a production area of Japanese cypress, the main building material for shrines and temples. Deep mountain gorges and clear streams have been fostering Japanese cypress plantations for over 300 years. The post towns also used to offer lodging for weary travelers and merchants on the trail from Osaka to Tokyo. Traditions and cultures in Tsumago have changed little and the streetscape of the old highroad has been largely preserved. A stroll through the streets evokes an image of a simpler life, far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern Tokyo. After soaking up the atmosphere we travel on to the castle town of Kanazawa where we will stay for 3 nights.
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Kanazawa Sky or similar
We start the day with a morning tour of Kanazawa. Enjoy sightseeing of the Nagamachi Samurai District located at the foot of the former Kanazawa Castle. Well preserved streets and buildings evoke the ambiance of the Edo Period before Japan was opened to the western world. We will visit Nomura House, a restored samurai residence displaying the lifestyle and artefacts of the era when samurai were prosperous. We will also visit the Geisha district Higashi Chayagai and Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. The morning tour ends at Kanazawa’s fish market. The Afternoon is free at leisure.
This morning we visit the nearby historic town of Takayama. Once a castle town whose isolation protected it to some extent from the Shoguns, the town has worked hard to retain its links with the feudal past in the “Old Town” district. There we will find Edo period streets lined with tiny shops and eating places, much as they were hundreds of years ago. We will visit Takayama’s famous morning market, where we get to mingle with the locals as they stroll through the stalls selling foods, produce and bric-a-brac. Not too far from Takayama is the ancient World Heritage listed village of Shirakawago, nestled in the mountains beside a pristine mountain river. We take some time to stroll around this fascinating and picturesque little village with its famous thatched roofed huts, rice paddies and archaic farming relics, before heading back to Kanazawa.
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa or similar
This morning we travel by express train to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan and home to the finest art, crafts and culture in the country. We will be making Kyoto our hub for the next few days.
In the afternoon, we will enjoy a walking tour of the Kiyomizu Temple, nestled in a mountain on the east of the city and 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 old atmospheric Higashiyama district, as you share the winding and narrow lanes with pilgrims and local Japanese tourists.
Accommodation: Miyako Hotel Hachijo or similar
Today we take a Kyoto sightseeing tour, this morning visiting the UNESCO world heritage sites, the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and Nijo Castle. Kinkakuji is a beautiful Zen temple once the retirement villa of the Shogun Ashikaga in northern Kyoto, and whose top two storeys are completely covered in gold leaf. Nijo castle (built in 1603) was the Kyoto residence of the first Shogun, Tokugawa, and is one of the best surviving examples of feudal Japan’s castle palace architecture. Afternoon is at leisure. There is an optional tour of the Sagano bamboo forest this afternoon and there is an optional traditional Kyoto Geisha dinner this evening. If you are interested in exploring these opportunities further, please see our optional tours section below for more information.
Accommodation: Miyako Hotel Hachijo or similar
One of the most iconic images of Kyoto is that of the vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari and we begin our day today with a visit to this shrine by local trains. There we will explore the array of almost 10,000 vermilion torii gates wending their way through the hills behind Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. We then head back down to the city, to visit historic Nishiki Arcade where you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of this market whose owners have been provedores to Kyoto’s leading restaurants for centuries.
Accommodation: Miyako Hotel Hachijo or similar
Today, we travel to Hiroshima by Bullet Train. We will visit Miyajima Island in The Inland Sea, to enjoy sightseeing around the Sacred Goddess Miyajima Floating Shrine and the world famous Torii gate, officially one of Japan’s ”Top 3 Views”. The shrine itself is built over the water on pylons, to give the impression of floating on water. We travel back to Hiroshima and check in at hotel for 2 nights.
Accommodation: Hiroshima Granvia Hotel or similar
Guests will have this morning at leisure. In the afternoon, we visit the Peace Memorial Park and the poignant Hiroshima Peace Museum. The museum
has displays on life before and after the atomic bomb and is dedicated to those who lost their lives or loved ones.
Accommodation: Hiroshima Granvia Hotel or similar
Today we travel on to Kyushu Island, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. The volcanic activity which has done so much to shape the Japanese culture and psyche is on clear display in Kyushu, with everything from hot springs to active volcanos. We don’t plan to be seeing any active volcanos, but we will be visiting some spectacular hot mud springs in Beppu. Beppu is home to over 2,900 hot spring vents discharging around 130,000 tonnes of hot spring water a day. Perhaps the most famous among them are the hot mud springs, known as the “Hells of Beppu”. Each mud spring has a different mix of minerals resulting in characteristic colours. We will join the Beppu Hells Tour or Jigoku Meguri which is probably the most popular attraction in Beppu, to visit several of these primeval springs. Late afternoon, we hop on a train for Hakata/Fukuoka where we stay for 2 nights.
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Fukuoka or similar
Travel to Arita & Imari pottery villages. Centuries ago, a potter from Korea discovered a fine-quality white porcelain mineral nearby in Mt. Arita-Izumi-yama leading to the development of the pottery village, Arita. Now the cradle of porcelain manufacturing in Japan, Arita is a quiet town hidden away in the mountains. We will visit a master potter’s workshop for an insight into this delicate craft. Enjoy exquisite traditional Japanese lunch, served in beautiful Arita porcelain box.
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Fukuoka or similar
Today, we travel to Osaka by Bullet train, subway on to Midosuji in the heart of Osaka. Check in at our hotel for 1 night. Enjoy an evening walk around the colourful and famous Dotonbori area and try local street foods escorted by your guide.
Accommodation: Hotel Nikko Osaka or similar
Today, we travel back to Tokyo by Bullet Train. Upon arrival we change trains to Ginza Yurakucho. Check in at 5-star luxury Imperial Hotel Tokyo for 2 nights. The remainder of the day is free to either relax or explore a bit of Ginza. Your tour coordinator will help you organise your activities. Relax this evening with Farewell Cocktail and a light dinner at a lounge in the hotel overlooking the Imperial Palace at sunset.
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel Tokyo or similar
Today is a day at leisure
Accommodation: Imperial Hotel Tokyo or similar
Today is our last day in Japan, so you might wish to do some last minute souvenir hunting or an optional half day activity. Midday, tour concludes at 12:00 noon, we check out from the hotel and leave for Haneda or Narita airport.
We are happy to assist you with your airport transfer arrangements. Please contact JANESCO.
Dreams Series Tours
Enjoy the cool Autumn ambiance and gentle Spring air as you wander through rustic villages, majestic castles and ancient temples. Wonder at the majesty of Mt Fuji and the beautiful Cherry Blossom trees. Follow the Golden Route and visit places off the beaten track, from the Northern island of Hokkaido to the Southern islands of Okinawa and Kyushu. Our Dreams Series of tours are fully escorted and offer a deluxe service that’s great value for money.
Enquire nowTour Inclusions
Your Japan Autumn Dreams Tour package includes:
- Small group tour, from 8 up to 16
- Fully Escorted tour by experienced licensed guide
- Golden route featuring Japan’s famous sites
- Deluxe accommodation and finishing at 5 star Imperial Hotel Tokyo for 2 nights.
- All transfers and admissions for sightseeing as specified
- Baggage porterage service – 1 piece/person
- All sightseeing and transportation as specified
- Welcome dinner and farewell drinks
- Total of 20 meals included – Breakfast (15), Lunch (2),
Dinner (3). Your guide will assist ordering meals not
included.
Tour Price:
Thu 13 OCTOBER
From $ 9,790 twin share/person
From $12,200 Single room
Tue 15 NOVEMBER
From $ 9,980 twin share/person
From $12,500 Single room
Exclusions – Airfares, airport transfers, travel insurance,
beverages during meals, medical testing.
Optional Tours
Available with English speaking guides:
- Day 7 Optional Afternoon Tour of Sagano Bamboo Forest: The Kyoto countryside area of Sagano is famous for its iconic bamboo groves and specialty handcraft shops including pottery, Japanese rice paper, bamboo craft and handmade clay bell shops. *Price: $70pp. Minimum requirement of 5 people.
- Day 7 Kyoto Geisha Dinner (evening activity): Traditional Japanese Kaiseki dinner with Geisha accompaniment & traditional dance performances. The opportunity of a lifetime. *Price: $270pp. Minimum requirement of 6 people for dinner. Please register your interest at the time of booking.
Make an Enquiry