12-Nights Splendors of Japan with Hiroshima and Takayama Festival

Japan

Trafalgar

Deluxe

Vacation Offer ID 1562627

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From $7,250

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Overview

Trafalgar

Splendors Of Japan With Hiroshima And Takayama Festival
Celebrate the changing seasons as the jangle of bells and boom-boom-bang of drums accompany a captivating parade of festival floats on the streets of hillside Takayama. The Activity Level of this tour is Dynamic, meaning this journey features 4+ miles of walking on some days and may involve steep hills.

Dining Summary

12 Breakfast (B)
4 Lunch (L)
4 Dinner (D)
1 Regional Dinner (RD)
1 Farewell Dinner (FD)

Be My Guest

Kyoto: Meet Nakamura Family for a kaiseki lunch at a traditional Japanese Restaurant near Kyoto and learn about local customs.

Dive Into Culture

Ginza: With the guidance of your professional sushi chef, make your own selection of sushi specialties. Afterwards enjoy the fruits of your labor with a delicious lunch.
Takayama: Join the locals at the Takayama Festival.
Hiroshima: Sample the famous Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.

Iconic Experience

Tokyo: Visit Tokyo's renowned landmarks and gain insight into how this modern city preserves its ancient roots.
Tokyo: Visit the Tokyo National Museum to browse collections of Japanese art and archaeological objects.
Mt Fuji: Start your day by visiting the small rural village of Oshino Hakkai which is home to eight natural spring water ponds. Next on your travels is a 2,300-meter winding road to Mt. Fuji 5th Station. To end your day, you will ride up to Mt. Tenjo by ropeway and bask in the breath-taking views.
Kanazawa: Learn about the delicacy of the 16th-century craft gold leaf painting with your Local Specialist.
Gokayama: Take some time to admire the peaceful mountain village of Gokayama. Discover their unique homes that have been built without the use of nails and their sloped thatched roofs.
Kanazawa: Enjoy a stroll through Omicho market before making your way to the beautiful Gardens of Kenrokuen which have been shaped over the past one hundred years.
Kyoto: Admire the beautiful golden pavilion of Kinkakuji Temple.
Kyoto: Your city tour takes you to the orange gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Admire this sacred site before visiting Sanjeusangen-do-Hall, where you can view the 1,001 "thousand-handed" goddesses of mercy statues. Continue your exploration of Kyoto with a walking tour through the Gion district.
Kotohira: Bask in the breath-taking views as we visit Kotohiragu Shrine.
Hiroshima: Admire the islands of the Seto Inland Sea as you travel across the Shimanami Kaido Expressway.
Hiroshima: Spend some time admiring the majestic Itsukushima Shrine.
Osaka: Hop aboard the bullet train to Osaka before visiting the sixteenth century Osaka Castle.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Gokayama: Help support a local business with a visit to a washi paper workshop. You'll watch the family at work and test your paper-making skills for yourself. Your experience directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Must-see Highlights

Explore Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima
Visit the Sensoji Temple, the Skytree Observation Tower, the Edo Tokyo Museum in Tokyo, Mt. Fuji 5th Station, the Kinkakuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto, the Water Temple on Awaji Island, Zentsuji Temple, the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, the Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima and Osaka Castle
View Mt. Fuji
See the traditional Gassho-zukuri houses in Gokayama, the beautiful gardens of Kenrokuen in Kanazawa

Trafalgar Difference

Kyoto: Enjoy genuine Japanese hospitality at a traditional ryokan in the mountain hot springs village of Kotohira.

Whats Included

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
All porterage and restaurant gratuities
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
Optional Experiences and free time
On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

Featured Destinations

Kotohira Kotohira This small town in the Kagawa Prefecture is famously known for having the largest shrine in Japan’s fourth largest island of Shikoku called Kompirasan. Kompirasan formally known as Kotohiragu is a shrine dedicated to sailors and seafarers. Another historical landmark sits in Kotohira. Built in 1835, Kanamaruza is the oldest surviving kabuki playhouse that stages kabuki performances every so often. The theater is open to visitors for exploration.
Lake Yamanaka
Osaka Osaka This large, bustling port is the starting point for tours to the ancient cities of Kyoto and Nara, the cultural fountainheads of classical Japan. Kyoto's Old Imperial Palace and the shogunal Nijo Castle remain glorious symbols of the power the city held for over 1,000 years. Until 1868, Kyoto was the capital of Japan, filled with elegant timber buildings and, perhaps more than any other Japanese city, imbued with Kami, the divine spirit. You'll sense it everywhere, for there are hundreds of Shinto shrines and over a thousand Buddhist temples, as well as sacred treasure-houses of religious sculpture, painting and exquisite gardens. Nara, City of the Seven Great Temples, lies in an idyllic setting.	Destination Guide
Hiroshima Hiroshima Hiroshima in southwestern Honshu has grown rapidly as a commercial city, and after 1868 it was developed as a military base. Every August 6 since 1947, thousands participate in multidenominational services in the Peace Memorial Park built on the site where the bomb exploded. After the war the city was largely rebuilt, and commercial activity gradually resumed. Visit the Peace Park but also explore Miyajima Island and its colourful shrines and mysterious forests.	Destination Guide
Kyoto Kyoto If you can visit only one city in Japan, Kyoto is the one. This ancient city, 30 mi/50 km northeast of Osaka, was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and still is considered the country's spiritual capital. Thousands of shrines and temples dot the city, including more than a dozen on the UNESCO World Heritage list. That list is far from all-inclusive, and many excellent places that might be the star attractions of other cities crowd the streets of Kyoto. It is a center of Japanese Zen and has several huge monastery complexes where serious students still sit in meditation. Kyoto is also the nation's capital of traditional arts. Whether your interest be in pottery, textiles, dance, the tea ceremony or any of the other innumerable arts, Kyoto has excellent galleries, museums, shops and tea houses. Japanese people from the countryside and foreign students flock there to learn under the great masters. Much of what is considered Japanese haute cuisine was developed there too, as an offshoot of the tea ceremony. Kyoto is Japan's heartland of history. With 1,300 years of tumultuous existence, the city's past intrudes upon the present day as in few other Japanese cities. In Gion, you can spot a geisha (or geiko, as they are called in Kyoto), one of the last hundred or so in Japan, slipping down a side-street to entertain rich guests with witty conversation, dance or music. A shopping arcade may suddenly fill with discordant clanging music as a shrine festival passes among the shoppers, or you may hear the long chant as Zen monks pass through the neighborhood, calling for alms. Kyoto is an understated city that might disappoint visitors at first (at first glance, it is a large city with modern buildings that might not align with one's original perception); its charm lies in small details, pocket gardens, tiny traditional restaurants and refined artwork.	Destination Guide
Kanazawa Kanazawa Kanazawa's importance grew in the 15th century, when the powerful and militant Ikko sect established its new headquarters there after being chased out of Kyoto by the monks of Mt.Hiei. During the Edo Period, Kanazawa was the seat of the Maeda clan, the second most powerful clan after the Tokugawa in terms of rice production and fief size. Accordingly, Kanazawa grew to become a town of great cultural achievements, rivaling Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). In World War Two, Kanazawa was Japan's second largest city (after Kyoto) to escape destruction by air raids. Consequently, parts of the old castle town, such as samurai, temple and pleasure districts, have survived in pretty good condition. Kanazawa is capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, a prefecture along the Sea of Japan.	Destination Guide
Takayama
Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo, Japan, presents a different view at every turn. It's one of the world's main economic centers and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn. Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan in the city, but there's plenty of New Japan to take its place. The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to answer questions. Visitors to Tokyo represent both business and leisure travelers. And despite its past reputation, Tokyo is no longer fearsomely expensive. It's relatively easy to visit Tokyo on a budget.	Destination Guide

View Full Itinerary

Valid Date Ranges

Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply. Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

12-Nights Splendors of Japan with Hiroshima and Takayama Festival

Trafalgar

Featured Destinations

Kotohira

Osaka

Hiroshima

Kyoto

Kanazawa

Tokyo

Valid Date Ranges