Tokyo
Arrival in Tokyo at Narita or Haneda airport. Meeting with a Japanese driver at the airport and transfer to the hotel by shuttle bus with other tourists (without a guide). Self check-in at the hotel of the chosen category. Please note that in most Japanese hotels, check-in takes place after 15:00/16:00. If you wish, you can order an early check-in for a fee, but this must be done in advance, at the stage of booking the tour.
Optional tour (for tourists arriving in Tokyo no later than 13:00) - an evening tour of Tokyo with a Russian-speaking guide (approximate time of the excursion is from 17:00 to 20:00).
In the evening, when the lights are on, the city is transformed. You will visit the world famous luxury shopping district of Ginza, cross Tokyo Bay on the picturesque Rainbow Bridge, visit the artificial island of Odaiba, which offers stunning views of Tokyo and the Bay, and see the recognized symbol of the city - Tokyo Tower. You will also visit the Shibuya area, where the famous monument is located. faithful dog Hachiko and the busiest intersection in the world - about 3,000 people cross it at the same time during rush hours.
Day 2
Tokyo, Ashikaga
Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion to Ashikaga wisteria park with Russian-speaking guide.
Transfer to Ashikaga city. Visit to the famous Ashikaga Flower Park. The wisterias that bloom in May in this park are considered the most beautiful in the world. Classic lilac, light pink, yellow and white wisterias form fragrant tunnels, alleys and gazebos, and the vines of the three main wisterias of the garden are so wide that they occupy an area of 1000 square meters... Next to the park is the Ashikaga School (now a museum) - the first higher education in Japan educational institution, whose history goes back to the Middle Ages.
Return to your hotel in Tokyo.
Day 3
Tokyo, Osaka
Breakfast in the hotel. Sightseeing tour of Tokyo with a Russian-speaking guide.
The tour will begin with a walk around Shinjuku Gyoen Park... It was founded in 1906 and originally belonged to the imperial family, now it is one of the most famous parks in Tokyo.
Then you will visit the observation deck of the world's tallest television tower - SkyTree(634 meters), from where you can admire the breathtaking panoramas of Tokyo from a height of 350 meters.
Having moved to Asakusa area- one of the few places where the spirit of old Tokyo has been preserved - you will visit the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo Sensoji and walk along the Nakamise shopping street, where the largest number of souvenir shops in Tokyo is located.
At the end of the excursion you will visit square near the Imperial Palace- here since 1869 is the official residence of the Emperors of Japan, the oldest ruling dynasty in the world.
Transfer to the railway station. Transfer to Osaka by Shinkansen high-speed train. Meeting with the coordinator at the Shin-Osaka station near the car. Accommodation in a hotel of the chosen category.
Day 4
Osaka, Kyoto
Breakfast in the hotel. Tour of Kyoto with Russian speaking guide.
Kyoto, which was the imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years, is still considered the main center of the country's traditional culture. The bombing of the Second World War did not touch Kyoto, therefore it is here that the richest cultural and historical heritage has been preserved, many of which are included in the UNESCO List.
Inspection of one of the main attractions of Kyoto - the world famous Of the Golden Pavilion(Kinkakuji) - a temple clad in gold, resting over the waters of the Lake of Mirror.
Further transfer and visit to the famous philosophical garden of 15 stones at the Zen-Buddhist temple Ryoanji, in which the stones are arranged in such a way that wherever you look at the garden, one of the stones invariably escapes the eye. Dinner.
Visit Temple pure water (Kiyomizu), named after the waterfall inside the temple itself. The temple is located on a hill, and a wonderful panorama of Kyoto opens from its observation deck.
Walking the Geisha Quarter of Gion... Return to your hotel in Osaka.
Day 5
Osaka
Breakfast in the hotel. Free day in Osaka. We recommend booking excursions for an additional fee.
Optional tour: excursion to Hiroshima and Miyajima with a Russian-speaking guide (by public transport, including lunch).
One of the most famous landscapes in Japan is the bright red gate of a Shinto shrine, right in the sea. The sacred island of Miyajima is the place where you can see the famous landscape with your own eyes. The gate itself belongs to the ancient Shinto shrine Itsukushima located here ( World heritage UNESCO). The island's green mountains, the surrounding sea and the temple built over 1400 years ago, merge in an amazing harmony so characteristic of traditional Japanese architecture. Deer (sacred animals according to Japanese beliefs) roam the streets freely - they are not at all afraid of people and, on the contrary, show an active interest in guests. Dinner. The tour will end with a visit to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.
Day 6
Osaka, Tokyo
Breakfast in the hotel. Free time in Osaka. Independent transfer to the railway station.
19:00 - 21:30 Transfer to Tokyo by high-speed Shinkansen train. Meeting with the coordinator at the Tokyo station by the carriage. Accommodation in a hotel of the chosen category.
* Indicated approximate time. Train tickets to Tokyo will be issued to you in advance. If you wish, you can also leave at other times, a guided transfer to the hotel upon arrival in Tokyo will be organized according to the arrival time indicated on the ticket.
Optional tour - excursion to Nara and Osaka with a Russian-speaking guide.
This is an excursion of contrasts: in one day you will visit the ancient capital of Japan, Nara, where the spirit of old, traditional Japan is still preserved, and the dynamic commercial and industrial city of Osaka, which is second only to Tokyo in importance.
In Nara, you will visit the ancient Todaiji temple complex (UNESCO World Heritage Site), inside which a majestic 15-meter statue of Buddha sits on the petals of a sacred lotus, and stroll through the park, which is home to over a thousand tame deer.
Back in Osaka, you will stroll through Dotonbori, a vibrant and vibrant neighborhood steeped in the eccentric spirit of Osaka. At the end of the excursion, you can enjoy the panorama of the city and its environs from the observation deck of the tallest building in Japan, Abeno Harukas (300 m).
Day 7
Tokyo
Breakfast in the hotel. Free time in Tokyo.
Optional tour - excursion to Kamakura with a Russian-speaking guide.
The ancient city of Kamakura, located on the coast of the ocean, is the first capital of the military rulers of Japan, the shoguns, a city of ancient temples, sanctuaries, magnificent gardens, picturesque hills and coastlines.
The excursion includes a visit to the Shinto shrine of Hachimangu, built in 1063 and dedicated to Emperor Ojin, who is popularly considered the patron deity of the samurai class, as well as the Hasedera shrine, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy Kannon, from where a wonderful panorama of the city and the coast opens, and the Kotokuin temple, where the Kamakura's symbol is the 11-meter high bronze statue of the Great Buddha (Daibutsu), the second largest in Japan. Return to the hotel.
Day 8
Tokyo, Russia
Breakfast. Self check-out from the hotel. Meeting with a Japanese driver in the hotel lobby. Transfer to Narita / Haneda Airport by shuttle bus with other tourists (no guide). Departure to Russia.
Travel to the May holidays, in the lush flowering season of wisterias, azaleas, peonies and roses.
The program is based on the idea of a trip to the westernmost of the largest Japanese islands - Kyushu, which is simultaneously the cradle of Japanese civilization, and the birthplace of modern modern Japan, and a deep province, allowing visitors to this country to see it for what it really is. Kyushu is not just one of the Japanese islands, it is the quintessence of the Japanese character, the Japanese spirit, and at the same time, it is the island from which the "discovery" of Japan by Europeans once began, a place where many traces of the first collision of the East are still preserved and the West, the point where they nevertheless came together, blowing up Japanese history and changing the face of Japan forever.
The time has come for us to set foot on the trail of pioneers and to "rediscover" Japan, which is still not very well known and not fully understood in the modern Western world.
27.04.2018 Departure
28.04.2018 Arrival. Tokyo - TakeoOnsen Resort
Arrival to Narita. Self-passage through passport control and baggage claim.
Meeting with a guide. Guided domestic flight to Nagasaki (from Haneda Airport). Arrival in Nagasaki.
Transfer to a Japanese-style hotel (40 minutes). Check-in, rest in hot springs.
Japanese-style room.
The hotel is located in a hot spring resort with a history of 1300 years, surrounded by a picturesque garden. The Rakuen Garden was opened in 1845 and was visited by the Imperial family on several occasions.
Garden near sacred mountain Mifune is beautiful at any time of the year, but at the end of April - beginning of May it is a special time - 200,000 bright azaleas, as well as spreading wisterias, bloom in the garden. In the evening, the lighting creates a special mysterious and romantic atmosphere.
Rest in hot springs. Dinner.
29.04.2018 Takeo Onsen - Nagasaki - Takeo Onsen
Breakfast. Excursion to Nagasaki (lunch during the excursion).
Nagasaki is a city with a remarkably warm atmosphere, a bit provincial in a good way. Unfortunately, its rich and extremely interesting story is in the shadow of a relatively recent past: the atomic bombing of August 9, 1945. One cannot but remember this tragedy while in Nagasaki, but one should not forget about other events that took place here and had a huge impact on the fate of the entire Land of the Rising Sun.
Nagasaki and its immediate surroundings are one of the main places of action of the so-called. The "Christian century" of Japan. It began in 1549 with the arrival in Kagoshima (a city in the south of Kyushu) of Catholic missionaries led by St. Francis Xavier, and ended soon after the peasant-Rhonin uprising in Shimabara province (1637-1638), which was provoked, in particular , the intensification of the persecution of Christians, who at that time constituted the majority of the inhabitants of the province.
Simultaneously with the end of the "Christian century" Nagasaki for more than two hundred years became the only point of contact between the Japanese and the Western world represented by the Dutch and the British.
After the "discovery" of Japan by the American commander Perry in 1854, Nagasaki, not without the help of the enterprising Europeans who settled here, turned into the engine of the country's economic development and the center of the new Japanese shipbuilding, which ultimately led to the tragic events of August 9, 1945.
Fortunately, thanks to the terrain and the inaccuracy of the bombardment due to dense clouds over the city of Nagasaki, it was not completely wiped off the face of the earth like Hiroshima, and in the south, Buddhist temples, unique for Japan, dating back to the early 17th century, built by a rather large Chinese community at that time, have survived.
Glover's garden... In essence, this is an open-air museum - a fairly skillfully recreated settlement of Europeans (mainly Englishmen) who risked immediately after the opening of the borders of Japan in the middle of the 19th century. start a business here, settle down and move families.
A large part of the garden is dedicated to Madame Butterfly. There is a monument to Tamaki Miura, the most famous performer of the role of Cio-Cio-san, as well as a statue of Puccini. The garden also contains the remains of Japan's first asphalt road and the first tennis court. The most interesting residential buildings in the Garden are the homes of British merchants William Alt (built in 1864) and Frederick Ringer (built in 1856), as well as the house of Thomas Glover himself.
Glover's home, who was also an avid gardener, was home to Japan's first greenhouse. Glover's favorite orchids still bloom there. A huge 300-year-old sago palm tree grows near the house, a gift from the head of the Satsuma province (modern Kagoshima).
Oura Church was built in 1864 by Japanese craftsmen according to the project of a French priest and is considered the oldest surviving Christian temple in Japan. It is dedicated to 26 martyrs who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597 by the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Chinatown Nagasaki - the oldest and most authentic in Japan. It was founded in the 17th century. Chinese merchants, for whom Nagasaki was at that time the only open port in Japan. The area is now best known for its Chinese restaurants, from small eateries with plastic displays to chic establishments decorated with gilded dragons.
Dejima - a bulk island at the mouth of the Nakashima River, which was built in 1636 as a kind of ghetto for the Portuguese living in Nagasaki in order to limit their missionary influence on local residents. In 1856, two years after the signing of the US-Japan Treaty of Friendship and Trade, a similar treaty was signed by the Japanese and the Netherlands. The need for Dejima as a ghetto for foreigners has disappeared. The island first became the location of the Dutch embassy, and by 1866 merged with the new foreign settlement of Nagasaki that had sprung up nearby.
"One-legged torii" (gate) of the Sanno Shinto Shrine. A kind of monument atomic bombing Nagasaki. The second "leg" of this gate was blown off by an explosion.
Inasa-yama - the mountain above the "Russian village" of Inas, where in the second half of the 19th century the crews of Russian warships lived for months, where stories took place that became the basis for romantic stories and plays, where in 1891 Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the future ruler of Russia, put himself a mark, which, as some believe, changed the fate of Russia. Evening view From Inasa-yama to Nagasaki, it ranks as one of the top three cityscapes in Japan.
30.04.2018 TakeoOnsen - Yanagawa - Yame - Fukuoka
Breakfast. Check-out.
Moving to Yanagawa - a 16th century castle town with a nostalgic atmosphere. Yanagawa was called "water castle" because of the ramified system of water-filled ditches and canals with a total length of about 470 kilometers.
The best way to see the city today is to take a 1-hour cruise through the moats in a small boat, sailing through the old water gates of the city, under the branches of trees hanging over the water along the walls of Namako, reminiscent of bygone times. local poet Hakushu Kitahara.
The precious historical heritage was created by people living in inextricable link with water.
Preventing flooding by temporarily storing rainwater during stormy seasons, supplying water for agricultural use or in case of firefighting, waterways are deeply connected to the daily lives of people in Yanagawa to this day.
Also of interest is the Yanagawa Ohana estate - the villa of the Tachibana family, which ruled Yanagawa from about 1600 to 1868. The building is a western style mansion dating back to the early 20th century. Directly behind it is a Japanese building with a pond and lovely garden Shotoen.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant.
Excursion to Yame tea plantations with a rare elite variety of green tea, which is called “tea for connoisseurs”.
Drive to Dazaifu, Komyozenji Temple, founded in the Kamakura era (1192-1333).
Dazaifu Temmangu Shrine. Among the hundreds of Temmangu shrines throughout Japan, Dazaifu Temmangu is the most important along with Kitano Temmangu of Kyoto. The shrines are dedicated to the spirit of Sugawara Michizane, a scientist and politician of the Heian period (lived in the late 9th - early 10th centuries). Because of his excellent teaching, Michizane was associated with Tendzin, a Shinto deity of education, popular with his students.
Michizane has shown his amazing talents from a young age and has already started writing poetry at the age of eleven. His political career developed rapidly and he was able to gain great influence in the imperial court, which was then dominated by the Fujiwara clan. However, his rise to power led to a rivalry between Michizane and Fujiwara, which ultimately led to the expulsion of Michizane from the capital city of Kyoto to the distant province of Dazaifu.
Michizane died in Dazaifu in 903, just a few years after he was sent into exile. The country was ravaged shortly after his death. natural disasters and the people came to believe that these calamities were caused by the angry spirit of Michizane, who was still outraged by injustice and exile. To appease the spirit, they began to build the Temmangu shrines. The Temmangu Temple in Dazaifu was built on the site of his grave.
Transfer to Fukuoka, check-in at the hotel. Recreation.
01.05.2018 Fukuoka - Kawachi Fuji - Fukuoka
Excursion to private garden Kawachi Fuji. Fuji in Japanese is wisteria. 20 species of wisteria bloom on 1000 square meters of the park, winding through tunnels and arches and enveloping everything with a fabulous scent. The view of the tunnel with 150 wisteria trees has made the little-known garden in the Japanese province famous and attracts more and more visitors every year. To preserve the garden, the number of visitors is strictly limited and it is impossible to get here without pre-ordering tickets.
Return to Fukuoka.
Master class of Japanese taiko drums in a Buddhist temple... The lesson will begin with a closed-eye "mokuso" meditation before martial arts practice or drumming for concentration and "thoughtlessness." After explaining the basics of drumming a bit, you will practice playing simple rhythms all together. This is not only an informative but also a fun lesson that checks how much the group has already become friends! :)
Dinner - Kaiseki gourmet cuisine in a traditional restaurant in the company of a geisha or maiko student.
02.05.2018 Fukuoka - Yabakei - Beppu - Fukuoka
Excursion with a Russian guide. Lunch during the excursion.
Transfer to the Kokonoe suspension bridge and walk 173 meters above the river. View of the Sindo Falls.
Transfer to the Yabakei gorge with bizarre rocks. Panoramic view of 8 cliffs from Hitome Hakkei.
Visit to the Rakanji temple with 3000 stone statues of arhats.
Moving to Beppu
In Beppu, you will witness an amazing phenomenon: steam rises from craters and from the ground, confirming that this place is one of the most active geothermal zones in the world. More than 100 million liters per day are poured from over 3000 sources.
Visit to Jigoku - nine circles of hell ("Blood Pond Hell", "Golden Dragon Hell", etc.). The most popular attractions are the nine jigoku, or "underworlds", which spew fumes, sulfur mud and form crimson, boiling lakes.
Return to Fukuoka.
03.05.2018 Fukuoka - Miyajima - Beppu
Breakfast. Check-out.
Sending the main baggage by mail to Kyoto (payment on the spot, about $ 20 per suitcase, delivery the next day). Transfer by train to Hiroshima. Ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima. Island tour with lunch.
Miyajima(Itsukushima) - small island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Japan. Its most striking attraction is the bright red torii (temple gate) of Itsukushima Shrine, which seems to be swaying on high waves - one of Japan's most famous landscapes. In addition to this wonderful view, there are many hiking trails, temples and impudent deer on Miyajima that roam the streets and strive to steal something from the gape of tourists.
Itsukushima-jinja- A Shinto shrine dating back to the 6th century is the main symbol of the island. The modern temple dates back to 1168 when it was rebuilt. Its design is a result of the island's holy status: the commoners were not allowed to approach the temple on foot, and they had to get to it by boat through the floating torii (at high tide) in the bay.
Mount Misen, which you will visit by climbing to the top using the cable car - the most high mountain(530 m.) Miyajima Island offers fantastic views and the Shikoku peaks on clear days. It burns here Eternal flame which Kobo Dicei lit 1200 years ago.
Moving to Kyoto. Check into a hotel. Recreation.
04.05.2018 Kyoto
Tour of Kyoto with lunch.
For most of its history, Kyoto has been Japan. The old capital of Kyoto is a city that won't take even a month to see the sights. The city is incredibly loved and visited not only by foreign tourists, but also by the Japanese themselves.
Fushimi Inari shrine with many red torii gates.
The Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion is one of the most popular attractions in Kyoto.
Ryoanji Rock Garden - 15 stones floating among the sea of pebbles and sand.
05.05.2018 Kyoto
Free day in Kyoto. Or optional excursions.
We will help you plan this day according to your wishes and interests.
If you are traveling with children, then on this day we recommend visiting the amusement parkUniversalStudio or film studioToei with ninja and samurai shows, workshops and the opportunity to dress up in traditional costumes, in addition, Kyoto is very interesting museum trains.
06.05.2018 Kyoto - Nara - Tokyo
Check-out. Transfer to Nara by train (we leave luggage in the storage room at Kyoto station).
Nara is the ancient capital of Japan, the city is more than 1300 years old. Of course, Nara is famous for its ancient temples: Todaiji, Kasugataisha and the Big Buddha, which you will certainly see.
But the greatest delight for everyone who gets to Nara is the sacred deer. It is believed that the first mythical emperor of Japan, Jimmu, descended from the heavens and arrived in Nara on horseback. It is believed that all the deer of Nara are the descendants of that deer.
There are more than a thousand of them, they freely walk around the city and not only are not afraid of tourists, but also beg for food!
To feed them, special deer biscuits are sold everywhere.
Return to Kyoto. Transfer by train to Tokyo.
Transfer to the hotel. Check-in. Recreation.
07.05.2018 Tokyo
Tour of Tokyo.
- Fish market.
- Edo-Tokyo Museum. The museum presents the history of Tokyo from its inception to today... There are a lot of layouts, including interactive ones. Children will be able to climb into an old palanquin, sit on an old bicycle, see what Tokyo looked like several centuries ago, go into old houses, they will probably like moving models (the walls of the building models move aside to show the interiors, a glass floor under their feet, carriages move under it etc.).
- Viewpoint in the Morey Tower building
- Shinjuku Skyscraper District. Skyscrapers and office clerks in formal suits hurrying to work. But the area also has a long history of catering to basic human passions. A day or evening here will give a good glimpse of Tokyo's best or worst, from its date houses and hostess bars in the Kabuki-cho district to three-person bars, luxurious department stores and towering high-tech skyscrapers.
- The Harajuku Youth Fashion District, where you can meet unusually dressed youth (including "cosplay" - dressed as the heroes of your favorite anime)
08.05.2018 Tokyo
Free day in Tokyo or optional excursion.
Your hotel is ideally located for independent walks. Near Hamarikyu Garden, 5 minutes walk from Ginza ( best shops and Tokyo restaurants), across the bridge from Odaiba island (monorail stop to Odaiba island near the hotel).
1
day
Tokyo
Arrival at Narita International Airport at 08:50, located near Tokyo. A Russian-speaking guide will meet you at the airport.
You will visit the Imperial Palace Square and stroll through the central Ginza quarter, world famous for its many boutiques. You will drive to the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, where the popular new shopping and entertainment complex Aqua City is located. You will see with your own eyes the Shinjuku skyscraper district - the second center of Tokyo, where the buildings of the Tokyo Administration are located. The tour will end with a walk through the traditional Asakusa quarter with its many souvenir shops and the oldest Sensoji temple in Tokyo.
Transfer to Tokyo and check-in at the hotel. Recreation.
2
day
Kamakura
Breakfast in the hotel.
Excursion to the ancient capital of Kamakura. This town is called a temple town for a reason, because it was here that there was a religious center during the time of the first shogunate. You will visit the Hasedera Temple, world famous for its moss garden. See with your own eyes the statue of the Great Buddha "Daibutsu", reaching 13 meters in height. Maybe you will even have the opportunity to find out what is inside him. Next, you will try to comprehend Zen philosophy by visiting one of the five main Zen temples in Kamakura - Kenchoji. The excursion will end with a visit to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Shrine - the Temple on Crane Hill, which is dedicated to the God of War Hachiman. The temple was built during the time of the Kamakura shogunate, and in it you will find, in addition to the temple buildings, two ponds, one of which blooms only with white lotuses, and the other - red. This reminds temple visitors of the power struggle between two clans - Taira and Minamoto.
3
day
Nikko
Breakfast in the hotel. Full day excursion to Nikko with Russian speaking guide.
You will visit the historical and architectural complex, the pearl of which is the Shinto Shrine Toshogu.
Toshogu Shrine (the Tokugawa shogun's mausoleum) was built in about two years. Around 15,000 artisans gathered throughout Japan labored, built, carved, gilded and varnished to create this vibrant complex. Everything that can be decorated is decorated here. Transformed into a shrine during the Meiji era, Toshogu Temple retains many of its Buddhist features, including an unusual pagoda, a sutra repository, and the Niomon Gate. Chuzenji Lakes, one of the three beautiful Kegon Falls, named after the Buddhist principle of universal unity, cascade 96m down to the Daiya River below. You will also see the unique Japanese serpentine Iroha, along which the groves are stretched - the houses of the most real monkeys who love to receive guests.
4
day
Osaka
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer by Shinkansen Super Speed Express to Osaka. Meeting with a Russian-speaking guide and transfer to the hotel.
Full day tour of Osaka with Russian speaking guide. You will visit Osaka Castle, the Kaiyukan Aquarium and the observation deck on the 40th floor of the building in the Umeda Sky Building entertainment district.
5
day
Kyoto
Breakfast in the hotel. Full day excursion to Kyoto with Russian speaking guide.
While traveling through the ancient capital of Kyoto, you will visit the real shogunal Nijo Castle, named after the quarter in which it is located. The castle is best known for its "singing" floorboards, which prevented nighttime invasion by enemies. Next, you will see the symbol of Kyoto - the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion, a precious heritage of medieval Japan, immortalized in one of the novels of the famous Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima. You will know what it is to disbelieve your eyes. Indeed, there are 15 stones in the Ryoanji rock garden, but only 14 are visible from any point. It is believed that only enlightened buddha who knows the essence of things can see the fifteenth stone. The tour ends at the Temple of Thirty-Three Spans - Sanjusangendo. Here you will see ancient statues of Japanese deities and a three-meter statue of the eleven-faced, thousand-handed goddess Kannon, which is located in the very center of the giant hall.
6
day
Nara
Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion to Nara with a Russian-speaking guide for the whole day.
You will walk through the park, which is home to over 1000 tame deer, considered the messengers of the gods. Deer also live on the way to the Todaiji temple, in which the Big Buddha (Daibutsu) sits. This Buddha is considered the largest of all the seated Buddhas in the world. Todaiji Temple was built in 725 by order of Emperor Shomu to strengthen the position of the city of Nara as the capital and powerful center of Buddhism. Today the ancient image of the Great Buddha is kept there. You will also visit the Kofukuji Temple, built in 710. Now only a few pagodas have survived from the ancient temple buildings, one of which - the famous Five-Level Pagoda - is a symbol of Japan and one of the highest ancient structures in the country. The tour will culminate in a visit to one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Japan - the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The structure of the temple includes four small sanctuaries, a botanical garden, in which truly ancient plants grow: eight-hundred-year-old wisteria and a thousand-year-old cryptomeria. Currently, the temple is actively visited by members of the imperial family and the country's leadership.
7
day
Flight to about. Kyushu
Breakfast in the hotel.
Meeting with the guide at 7:00 at the hotel reception. Transfer to the airport Osaka. Departure at 8.00. Flight 65-85 min.
Arrival at Kumamoto airport. Guided tour of Kumamoto.
Kumamoto is a large, energetic modern city and is home to the headquarters of NEC, the largest chip manufacturer. See Kumamoto Castle, which burned to the ground in 1877 during the siege of Takamori Saigo. It has now been restored. Today, it houses a remarkable collection of treasures from the Hosekawa clan that ruled this city. You will visit landscaped garden Shuizenji-koen, famous for its miniature copy of Mount Fuji, and Kirishima National Park.
Transfer to Takachiho. Check in at the hotel.
8
day
Takachiho
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day guided tour.
You will see with your own eyes the unique Yasugawara Cave, where, according to Japanese myths, the sun goddess Amaterasu was hiding. You will also see the statue of the heroic goddess who helped to summon Amaterasu from the grotto - Ame no Izume. The statue is located in the Amanoiwato Shrine, famous for traditional yokagura dances. The Takatiho Gorge is also nearby. It is a sacred place for the Japanese, and the most outcast admirers of the ancient pantheon of gods and goddesses will make a pilgrimage here, bringing stones from their native lands as a gift to the deities. You will have the opportunity to walk up to the 17-meter Manai-no-taki waterfall and swim along the Gokasho River by boat.
Further transfer to Ibusuki.
10
day
Ibusuki
Breakfast in the hotel.
Trip to Kagoshima:
You will visit the Iso Garden: here, against the backdrop of the magnificent Sakurajima volcano, the Shimazu clan, whose residence Kagoshima has been for centuries, built their villa. You can see the halls, decorated with gold paintings, where the hosts received foreign guests. There is an interesting historical museum on the territory of the villa.
Ferry travel to Sakurajima ("Island cherry blossoms») - the most interesting excursion to Kagoshima. You will see an active volcano that erupts every day. (During the 1914 eruption, so much lava escaped from the volcano that the island merged with Kyushu). The island has several observation decks offering fabulous views, as well as special shelters in case of a new eruption.
Tirana, despite the name, is a charming little town with many samurai houses. There is a garden near each house with beautiful stones, stone lanterns and miniature trees. The tyrant was the base from which the kamikaze pilots departed in the last months of the Second World War. You will have a chance to learn military stories on your own at the Museum of the World of Commemoration of Kamikaze Pilots, which contains numerous materials about them, including their personal belongings, letters, photographs, etc.
Return to the hotel at 15.00.
11
day
Breakfast lunch
Ibusuki
Breakfast in the hotel. Meeting with the guide at 10:00 at the hotel reception.
A visit to the Jungle bath - a place where, surrounded by tropical vegetation, there are many interconnected pools. Here, in addition to the pools, you will be buried up to your neck in hot sand, which has a good effect on your health.
Lunch at the Satsuma aji restaurant.
Visit to the Museum of Modern Art (Iwasaki Bijutsukan). The museum building was built by one of Japan's leading architects, Fumihiko Maki.
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Cancellation
Cancellations or changes to the tour must be sent to us by email. Your application will be accepted only during company working hours: Monday-Friday from 10.00 to 18.00.
In case of cancellation of the application or any changes in the application for a tour to Japan, the CUSTOMER undertakes, at the request of the TOURFIRM, to pay the actual costs incurred by the latter in the amount of:
- 14-9 days before the start of the provision of travel services - 25% of the total cost of travel services,
- 8-4 days before the start of the provision of travel services - 50% of the total cost of travel services,
- 3-2 days before the start of the provision of travel services - 80% of the total cost of travel services,
- 1 day before the start of the provision of travel services (or in case of no-show for the flight) - 100% of the total cost of travel services.
Tour itinerary: Tokyo - Hakone - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka - Kyoto - Tokyo - Ashikaga Park - Tokyo.
Large clusters of fragrant wisterias bloom in Japan at the end of April and give their beauty and aroma for a very short time - usually the first week of May. The largest number of wisterias are concentrated in Ashikaga Park, which you will enter on this private tour. You will walk through an 80-meter tunnel of fragrant flowers: snow-white blooming brushes, similar to tiny butterflies, and a sweet delicate aroma. No wonder the Japanese call the passage through the tunnel the road of happiness! In addition, we have prepared a rich program of individual excursions for you. In Hakone, you will visit the secluded beach of Lake Soji, which offers a magnificent view of Mount Fuji, in Kyoto, see the Temple of Pure Water and one of the most beautiful temples in the country - Fushimi Inari, meet tame deer in Nara Park, see Shogun Castle in Osaka and go to the artificial island of Odaiba, located in Tokyo Bay. During the journey, you will stay at unique hotels and ryokans.
If this route did not suit you, we suggest you create your own individual trip together with our specialists.
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Individual tour to the May wisteria bloom
Tour duration: 10 days / 9 nights.
Tour dates in 2019: upon request.
The cost of the program per person: from $ 4900. *
Tour program
1st day. Tokyo
Arrival in Tokyo (Narita airport), meeting with a Russian-speaking escort. Transfer to the Japanese Alps, to the foot of the legendary Mount Fuji. These places are famous for their natural thermal springs.
The journey to Hakone will not follow the standard tourist route; unique trails await you. For example, you will visit the secluded beach of Lake Soji, which offers magnificent views of Mount Fuji, and in the evening you can relax in the hot springs.
2nd day. Hakone - Kyoto
In the morning, you will go to the Open Air Sculpture Museum, and then by cable car you will reach the Valley of Geysers, famous for its truly cosmic landscapes. The adventure-packed excursion will end with a trip to the picturesque lake on a pirate ship.
After lunch, transfer on the super high-speed Shinkansen train to Kyoto - a city that is now full of entertainment the youth capital of Japan, but contains incredibly ancient sights. They remind that Kyoto was the imperial capital of the country for many centuries. Until now, the city continues to be the center of traditional Japanese culture.
Hakone, Japan
3rd day. Kyoto
Individual sightseeing tour of Kyoto. You will reach the famous geisha quarter of Gion. We recommend that you definitely arrange a photo session here in national costumes.
In addition, you will see the Kiyomizu Temple (VIII century), or the Temple of Pure Water. It is interesting for its main hall, towering on a rock, and a ritual waterfall. Most of its buildings were reconstructed in the 17th century, but they still reflect the unique architectural style characteristic of the 7th-8th centuries.
After - tea ceremony.
4th day. Kyoto - Nara
In the morning, you will see one of the most beautiful temples in the country - Fushimi Inari, see his altar with a thousand red torii gates that form a large labyrinth. Walk along the corridors and take colorful memorable photos.
Moving to a city that has preserved the atmosphere and traditions of old Japan - Nara to this day. In the VIII century, it was the capital of the empire and carefully preserved many unique attractions, some of which are under the protection of UNESCO. Here you will see numerous pagodas, a huge Buddha and, most importantly, meet hundreds of deer that roam the park and gladly take crackers from the hands of tourists!
Nara, Japan
Day 5. Osaka
Arrival in the gastronomic capital of the country - Osaka. A great lunch and city tour awaits you there. You will see the most recognizable symbol of the city - the Shogun's Castle. It was built four centuries ago, but was destroyed several times during military battles. From the observation deck of one of the castle towers open magnificent views to mountain peaks and a picturesque park.
If you wish and for a separate fee, on this day you can visit the Oceanarium, which is considered one of the best on the planet.
Day 6. Kyoto - Tokyo
Independent rest in Kyoto. You can stroll the city streets, go shopping or relax in the hot spring onsen.
After lunch - return to Tokyo for an evening excursion around the metropolis. You will go up to the observation deck, which is located on the 44th floor of the city hall building.
Days 7-8. Tokyo
Two bright and memorable days in Tokyo await you. You will see the throbbing heart of the city at the Tsukidze Fish Market and arrive at the artificial island of Odaiba located in Tokyo Bay. It offers magnificent views of the city and the picturesque bay
Fushimi Inari Shrine - Kyoto, Japan
In addition, explore the busiest intersection on the planet, located in the business district of Shibuya. Then you will see the legendary symbol of the Japanese metropolis - the Tokyo Tower built in 1958. Walk to the temple in the garden of the beloved Emperor Meiji and explore the Ginza shopping area.
Day 9. Tokyo - Ashikaga Park - Tokyo
Free time in Tokyo and walking around famous park Ashikaga. At this time, wisterias bloom here and you can admire the beautiful garlands of these delicate flowers in sunlight, at sunset, and in mesmerizing evening illumination. Return to Tokyo in the evening.
Day 10. Tokyo
International flight.
Ashikaga Park - Tokyo, Japan
Kawachi Fuji Garden Wisteria Tunnel is a wisteria garden near Kitayushu city. Two tunnels with wisteria and some old wisteria "trees" with a beautifully distributed crown. Photos from the Internet look completely unusual and very beautiful - in life it is no less striking and in itself can become a reason for a trip to Kyushu.
The blooming time of the wisteria in Kawachi Fiji Park is challenging to get to know. We started planning a trip from the new year and periodically found out "how is it with the forecast" - it blooms every year in different time... Not to say that with a difference of 2 weeks, but anyway - if you want to catch the whole garden in bloom, it makes sense to find out “when the garden blooms this spring”. On the Kitakyushu website - http://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/ there will definitely be information about all this. Photos on May 6, 2014 - this is how we saw the garden.
Kawachi Fiji Park is not easy to find in the area. It is not at all long to drive from the city - I would recommend taking a taxi, which can either wait to take you back, or agree on "in 2 hours" - the way back is also how it should be done.
If there is a desire to save money and not rush to much, you can try to find Bus No. 56, which takes you to Kawachi Elementary School (on Google maps it is available), walk from there no more than 20 minutes. It is better to immediately study the map in this case, if you have a navigator with you, then you will simply be guided by the terrain right away.
They also write about the option of taking a free shuttle from JR Yahata station to Ajisai no yu onsen. The stop is also not easy to find - from the station we turn left in the direction of the bus stop, the shuttle to the onsen stops near the lawn with grass next to the bus stop number 56. When you get to the onsen - we go up the hill - the garden will be about 5 minutes later.
We took a taxi. In the morning Kitakyushu, there is practically no one on the streets, even despite the "golden week".
Drive from the center for about 20 minutes, we pass the city almost immediately.
Houses and roads quickly become shallow.
There will be a lake on the left side. This is the Kawachi Reservoir - we did not stop, but if you are not in a hurry, you can relax here on the shore after the park.
Have arrived. The entrance is paid - but not expensive. The famous wisteria tunnels in Park 2, however, have not yet been allowed into one of them - something like a movie was being filmed there.
We turn right into the first of the tunnels. When I looked at pictures on the Internet, I thought there was a lot of Photoshop. In fact, the sight is very unusual and very similar to these pictures. This is the first of two tunnels with wisteria - the frame is entwined with vines and the flowers hang down freely, forming solid arrays of white, pink and purple. On the bench you can sit in the place you like.
Wisteria smells very good. The bunches hang down like grapes.
Tunnel arch.
Do not forget the camera - a photo for memory must be taken - people are busy with this.
The first tunnel is slightly smaller than the second. But the meaning is the same - wisterias of different colors grow in stripes.
If you look into the gap - you can see the second tunnel - also planted with wisteria of different colors.
We walk - then a white stripe.
That is lilac. A sunny day adds to the pleasantness well - all this is illuminated from above and looks guaranteed better than in cloudy weather.
We pass the first tunnel and go to the old wisteria, the crowns of which are distributed in a different way - on props - here the size of the plants allows you to “cover the area”. Very beautiful red maples with small carved leaves.
At the exit from the tunnel there is a parking lot below, the second tunnel. Around mountains / hills and bamboo forest.
Here wisterias are old and look like trees - I never imagined that they reach that size.
There is a pleasant shade under the crowns.
It's a lovely sunny day. The weather in May in Kyushu is great - neither heat nor cold - very comfortable temperature.
There is also a place to sit here.
If there is nothing to compare with, the spectacle is really unusual. We saw such a garden for the first time - it felt like that.
One of the old wisterias - I think they are a hundred years old
It is imperative to sit for half an hour. There is no hurry.
There is a feeling of "rest" if you take your time.
There are people, but not to say that there are crowds around. Nobody screams or runs.
There are 15-20 meters between the trees - every tree covers such an area with its watercolor crown.
The stone was probably specially placed in this way - there are many who want to be photographed inside the flower clouds.
But, anyway, this is a vine.
Despite the impressive "woody look".
Lilac shadow.
We also climbed a stone. The flowers are full of bees and smell great.
Definitely there is something from the photos - then print it for yourself in the office.
The white is a bit out of color, or hasn't grown enough yet.
People like to climb headlong into flowers - apparently, something subconscious.
Photos of the sea, but all of them, of course, can not be posted.
Kawachi Fuji Garden - top view. There is a cool shade, and it's sunny outside - a warm spring in Kyushu. This time is quite rightly called "golden week".
Bees also have a golden week.
We go around this part of the garden. We also want to get into the first tunnel where the movies are filmed.
A very beautiful place.
We went down to the first tunnel. Just a window appeared in the filming - everyone was allowed to walk there too. They apologized in every possible way.
Here, too, everything is photographed. This tunnel is wider - it is he who can most often be seen in the photographs of the Kawachi Fuji garden.
The plots in the pictures are practically the same - but there is absolutely no feeling that all this is "one and the same".
From the other side, they started filming again - we successfully passed the place that they liked.
In general, everyone's faces are joyful, everything is fine.
Everything shines with some kind of positive.
More than once I thought about those who keep all this beauty in order.
We returned to the exit - in an hour we walked around both tunnels and a large park with old wisteria.
We looked again into the smaller tunnel.
We stood at the entrance - I don’t want to leave.
But it's time to say goodbye to the Kawachi Fuji garden - a car is already waiting for us, on which we will return to the city.
I really liked the Kawachi Fuji Garden and in itself is a great reason to visit Kyushu. Wonderful wisteria, calm atmosphere, peace and quiet make this place unique in many ways.