Itinerary
- Day 1
Frankfurt to Osaka
Landmarks Kansai International Airport 
- Day 2
Osaka to Kyoto
Included Activities
- Airport transfer from Osaka/Kansai airport to hotel in Kyoto by coach
- Day 3
Kyoto
- Meals
- Dinner (First group dinner with typical Japanese cuisine)
Included Activities
- Visit to Kiyomizu Temple with 16th-century main hall
- Arashiyama Bamboo Grove visit
- Visit to Tenryuji Zen Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Visit to Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion
- Visit to Gosho Imperial Palace (or Nijo Castle on closed days)
- Introduction to Japanese tea ceremony with tea master, matcha and tea sweets included
- Group dinner with typical Japanese cuisine
Optional Activities
- Walk through Nishiki market in Kyoto city centre to explore Japanese cuisine
Landmarks Kiyomizu Temple Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Tenryuji Zen Temple Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion Gosho Imperial Palace Nishiki Market - Day 4
Kyoto to Nara
Included Activities
- Stop at Fushimi-Inari Shrine with red shrine gate galleries
- Visit to Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Experience with city's free-roaming sika deer
- Visit to Yakushiji Temple
- Visit to Kyoto railroad station
Optional Activities
- Artistically illuminated temple garden visit (spring and fall, subject to change)
- Japanese evening with geisha dances and shabushabu dinner - includes shabushabu meat fondue with tender meat, vegetables, tofu and wheat noodles, and visit from young Kyoto maiko with artistic dances and souvenir photo opportunity
Landmarks Fushimi-Inari Shrine Todaiji Temple Yakushiji Temple 
- Day 5
Kyoto to Koya-san
- Meals
- Dinner (Vegetarian dinner at temple accommodation)
Included Activities
- Visit to Sanjusangendo temple hall with 1,001 wooden Kannon statues
- Walk through Koya-san cemetery with ancient tombs and cypress trees
- Overnight stay at temple accommodation with monks
Landmarks Sanjusangendo Koya-san - Day 6
Koya-san to Okayama to Kagoshima
- Meals
- Breakfast (Vegetarian breakfast at Koya-san)
Included Activities
- Monks chanting and Shingon ritual prayer participation
- Vegetarian breakfast at Koya-san
- Day 7
Kagoshima and Chiran
Included Activities
- Visit to Isotei-en landscape garden
- Ferry crossing to volcanic island of Sakurajima
- Bus excursion to Chiran with samurai gardens
- Visit to kamikaze pilots museum
Landmarks Isotei-en Sakurajima Chiran - Day 8
Kagoshima to Fukuoka to Arita to Nagasaki
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in a traditional restaurant with Arita dishes)
Included Activities
- Visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Grand Shrine
- Lunch in traditional restaurant with Arita dishes
- Visit to Okawachiyama pottery village
- Visit to Hatayama Toen manufactory
Landmarks Dazaifu Tenmangu Grand Shrine Arita Okawachiyama - Day 9
Nagasaki
Included Activities
- Streetcar tour of Nagasaki
- Visit to Sofukuji temple (Ming period style)
- Visit to Dejima artificial peninsula with former Dutch East India Company trading post
- Tour of Glover Garden settlement
Landmarks Sofukuji Temple Dejima Glover Garden - Day 10
Nagasaki to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
Included Activities
- Regional train and ferry journey to Miyajima island
- Visit to Itsukushima Shrine with famous gate
- Visit to Hiroshima Peace Park
- Visit to Atomic Bomb Dome
- Visit to Peace Museum
Optional Activities
- Dinner at okonomiyaki restaurants for "Japanese pizza"
Landmarks Itsukushima Shrine Atomic Bomb Dome Hiroshima Peace Park Peace Memorial Museum 
- Day 11
Hiroshima to Takayama
Included Activities
- Visit to Himeji Castle ("White Heron Castle", UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landmarks Himeji Castle - Day 12
Takayama and Shirakawa-go
Included Activities
- Visit to Takayama morning market
- Visit to old provincial administration
- Walk through old town streets with sake breweries and miso stores
- Visit to Shirakawa-go village (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landmarks Takayama Morning Market Shirakawa-go - Day 13
Takayama to Matsumoto to Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Included Activities
- Bus journey through Japanese Alps
- Visit to Matsumoto Castle
- Journey through Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
- Visit to ryokan's onsen (hot spring bath)
Landmarks Matsumoto Castle Fuji-san Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park 
- Day 14
Hakone to Kamakura to Tokyo
Included Activities
- Boat trip through Hakone mountain world (weather permitting)
- Visit to Hasedera Temple with gardens and Kannon statues
- Visit to Great Buddha of Kamakura
Landmarks Hasedera Temple Great Buddha of Kamakura 
- Day 15
Tokyo
Included Activities
- Tour of historic Asakusa district
- Visit to Sensoji Temple with Kannon statue
- Visit to Meiji Shrine
- Exploration of Harajuku fashion district and Takeshitadori shopping street
- Visit to Shibuya district and world's busiest intersection
- Viewing platform visit at Tocho in Shinjuku (or alternative Mori Tower on closing days)
Optional Activities
- Learn story of Hachiko, world's most loyal dog
Landmarks Sensoji Temple SKYTREE Meiji Shrine Harajuku Takeshitadori Shibuya Shinjuku - Day 16
Tokyo
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Public transport tour of Tokyo (subway and suburban trains)
- Visit to Ueno Park
- Visit to Museum of Western Art (Le Corbusier building, UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Curator meeting at Museum of Western Art
- Stroll through Ameya-yokocho open-air market
Optional Activities
- Sumo dinner with professional wrestlers - includes introduction to ritual wrestling history, professional wrestler training observation, exciting wrestling matches, optional challenge fight, Chanko-nabe meal (hearty Japanese stew with meat and vegetables), and souvenir photo with wrestler
Landmarks Ueno Park Museum of Western Art Ameya-yokocho - Day 17
Tokyo
- Meals
- Dinner (Typical Japanese group dinner in Tokyo)
Included Activities
- Transfer to Tokyo Airport
- Final group dinner with typical Japanese cuisine
Optional Activities
- Bus excursion to Nikko - includes visit to Toshogu Shrine (UNESCO World Heritage Site), exploration of shrine and temple district, visit to 97m-high Kegon waterfall on Lake Chuzenji (depending on traffic and weather conditions), return to Tokyo hotel
Landmarks Toshogu Shrine Nikko National Park Kegon waterfall Lake Chuzenji - Day 18
Tokyo to Frankfurt
Landmarks Tokyo-Haneda Airport
