Itinerary

Days 1-2 U.S./Tokyo
Fly US to Tokyo. Transfer to the hotel, with the
evening free. Overnight Park Hotel Tokyo

Day 3 Tokyo
This morning tour the lovely wooded grounds
of Meiji Shrine, the epitome of classical Shinto
architecture, with its huge torii gates at the
entrance. Attend a special performance of
sacred Kagura dance in the shrine’s inner
chamber. Then try your hand at an ancient
Japanese art form during a calligraphy lesson.
After lunch, we’ll venture by car to the Roppongi
Hills complex, a new redevelopment project and
a symbol of contemporary Japan. View the city
from the Skywalk Observatory. Inspect the miniaturized
model of Tokyo for an appreciation of
just how large Tokyo really is and tour the adjacent
contemporary art museum, Mori Art Center.
Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight
Park Hotel Tokyo (B,L,D)

Day 4 Tokyo
This morning we visit the Imperial Palace East
Garden (Kokyo Higashi Gyoen), part of the inner
palace area and the former site of Edo Castle’s
innermost circles of defense. Next we visit the
Hama-Rikyu Garden, located on Tokyo Bay at
the mouth of the Sumida River. Take a boat up
the Sumida River to one of Tokyo’s most traditional
areas, Asakusa, where Sensoji Temple
and its adjacent shopping street, Nakamise.
Then explore the Edo Tokyo Museum, designed
to resemble an ancient elevated grain storehouse.
The museum exhibits historical and
cultural objects from Edo’s beginnings 400
years ago to modern-day Tokyo. Next visit the
Imperial Palace Gardens, a showcase of classical
Japanese garden design. Dinner will be
on your own tonight, offering opportunities to
explore or relax at the hotel. Overnight Park
Hotel Tokyo (B,L)

Day 5 Tokyo/Kamakura/Hakone
Drive to Hakone, stopping en route in
Kamakura, a quiet town surrounded by
rolling hills and sandy beaches. This
town was the capital of Japan from 1192
to 1333. Kamakura’s most famous site is
Daibutsu, the Great Buddha. This bronze
figure was cast in 1252, and at one time was
enclosed in a massive wooden temple, which
was destroyed in 1494 by a colossal tsunami.
Kamakura and the temple were flattened, but
the Daibutsu remained and has braved the
elements ever since. Enjoy lunch then visit the
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the symbol
of the first Shogun Minamoto. View the arched
bridge, the Genji and Heike ponds. Walk along
Komachi Street, with time to browse its many
arts and crafts shops. Continue on to Hakone,
a popular resort area since the 16th century.
Our accommodations tonight are at a ryokan
(traditional Japanese inn)—its black river
stones, tatami mats, lacquer vases and teak
and cypress present an exquisite scene of old
Japan. The ryokan is built on the site of
a natural onsen (hot-springs). No trip to Japan
is complete without indulging in the relaxing
cleansing rituals of an onsen. Tonight enjoy
a delectable multi-course kaiseki banquet
of Japanese specialties at the inn. Overnight
Ashikari Ryokan (B,L,D)

Day 6 Hakone/Takayama or Koya-san
via Osaka
Take a boat ride across picturesque Lake
Ashi. The big, colorful boats tend to be amusingly
kitsch, sporting Disneyland-esque pirate
themes and indulging the Japanese affinity for
cartoon characters. Next, we use a variety of
local public transportation––a gondola, a cable
car, and a short switchback train—to traverse
through this beautiful mountainous area.
We’ll end our circuit with a visit to the worldrenowned
Hakone Open-Air Museum, focusing
on 19th and 20th century Japanese and Western
sculpture, including original pieces by Rodin,
Picasso and Kotaro. We’ll then ship our bags
(one per person) to our hotel in Kyoto and take a
small bag for our overnight excursion.
Spring departure: Catch a late afternoon train
to Takayama with a bento box dinner on the
train. Overnight Hotel Associa Takayama Resort
(B,L,D)
Fall departure: Catch a late train to Osaka for
an overnight before our journey to Koya-san.
Overnight Swiss Hotel Nankai, Osaka (B,L,D)

Day 7 Takayama or Koya-san
Spring departure: Takayama is a picture-
perfect town in a valley surrounded by the
Japanese Alps. This area retains much of the
atmosphere of old Japan, as for centuries it was
cut off from the rest of the country by the almost
impregnable encircling mountains. Visit the
Hida Folklore Village located on a hill overlooking
Takayama; its charming farmhouses date back
to the 1600s. Stroll through the San-machi Suji
district, a maze of old-world streets full of excellent
specialty shops and quaint museums. Then
join locals in celebrating the coming of spring
at the Sanno Matsuri (Takayama Festival). This
400-year-old festival is regarded as one of the
three most beautiful festivals in Japan, with
its 12 brilliantly decorated and majestic floats
and its magnificent marionette performances.
Overnight Hotel Associa Takayama Resort (B,L,D)
Fall departure: This morning we’ll take an early
train to Koya-san, arriving early afternoon. Koyasan
is a Buddhist sanctuary and pilgrimage
site, a sacred place with towering cypress trees
and myriad shrines and temples. We’ll soak up
the spiritual vibe and stroll through this spectacular
setting, visiting the most important sites
along the way, including Kongobuji Temple. Our
accommodation tonight is a tranquil monastery
resembling a ryokan. Enjoy a
traditional Buddhist dinner
tonight at our temple lodgings.
Overnight Sekisho-In (B,L,D)

Day 8 Takayama or
Koya-san/Kyoto
Spring departure: Visit the
lively riverside morning market.
Continue exploring Takayama
before catching the train to
Kyoto.
Fall departure: Continue exploring
Koya-san before catching
the train to Kyoto.
Both spring and fall departures: Lunch will be
on our own today. Dinner will be at a lively yakitori
restaurant, serving delicious grilled meats
and vegetables. Overnight Kyoto Okura Hotel
(B,D)

Day 9 Kyoto
See the 12th century Sanjusangendo Temple,
famous for its 1001 gold statues of Kannon (the
goddess of compassion). Continue to the fascinating
former residence and studio of renowned
potter, Kawai Kanjiro, one of the founders of
the Japan folk-art movement in the 1920s and
1930s. Visit Nijo Castle, built in 1603 for the
warrior Tokugawa, the first shogun of the Edo
Period: a historic drama of Shakespearean
proportions surrounds the samurai and his
ascent to power. Within the castle grounds is
the Ninomaru Palace, famous for its “nightingale
floors” that squeak when walked upon so
as to warn residents of invaders. After lunch
we continue to stroll Chawan-zaka, the quaint
old lane jam-packed with
pottery shops of all kinds
leading to the side entrance
of Kiyomizu, the temple of
“pure water.” The main
hall’s wooden veranda
is a nail-less miracle of
Japanese joinery, suspended
over a deep gorge.
Then take in a performance
of the Miyako Odori (The
Cherry Dances/Spring
Departure) or the Gion Odori
(Gion Dance/Fall Departure)
by the geisha and maiko
(geisha in training) of the
Gion Kobu hanamachi,
originally performed in 1872. Then walk through
the Gion District in hopes of spotting the elaborately
dressed geisha in their fabulous kimono.
Dinner will be on your own tonight, to sample
Kyoto’s famous culinary traditions. Overnight
Kyoto Okura Hotel (B,L)

Day 10 Kyoto
This morning visit the Tenryuji Temple, one of
the major temples of the Rinzai Zen school;
its gardens date from the 14th century. Enjoy
a walking tour of Kyoto’s western hills, with
wonderful bamboo groves, and stroll over the
Togetsukyo Bridge, crossing the Oi River. Then
explore the fabulous Saihoji Moss Gardens. This
place exudes a calming sense of serenity, and a
spiritual gravity: it can only be seen with prior
reservations. Dinner will be on your own tonight,
offering opportunities to explore or relax and rest
at our hotel. Overnight Kyoto Okura Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 11 Kyoto/Nara
Today we’ll take an excursion to Nara, the former
imperial capital (710-784). Amazingly, some
of the temples from that period still stand.
Nara boasts no fewer than eight UNESCO World
Heritage Sites, each considered a priceless
national treasure. Visit the Todaiji Temple, home
to the Great Buddha. At the Nara Deer Park, see
more than 1,000 tame deer roam freely in the
verdant 1,250-acre park, then see the famous
Kasuga Shinto Shrine. Enjoy lunch and return to
Kyoto for the evening free. Dinner will be on your
own tonight, offering opportunities to explore or
relax at our hotel. Overnight Kyoto Okura (B, L)

Day 12 Kyoto
See Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), with its exquisite
garden. Its 3-story pavilion is entirely
covered in gold foil with a golden phoenix
perched on the roof. Proceed to nearby Daitokuji,
Kyoto’s quintessential Zen monastery, with its
stone walkways, bamboo groves, temples and
classical rock gardens. Explore the gardens at
Zuiho-in, before participating in a private tea
ceremony. Its highly stylized, rehearsed movements
and calm, meditative air embody the
principles of Zen Buddhism. Enjoy a lunch of
shojin ryori, Zen style cuisine, within the temple
grounds. This afternoon visit the Silver Pavilion,
and stroll along the famed Philosopher’s Path.
Time permitting, see Nanzenji Zen Temple and
Ginkakuji Temple. Our celebratory farewell dinner
is at a beautiful local restaurant. Overnight
Kyoto Okura Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 13 Kyoto/USA
This morning is free before transferring to the
Osaka airport. Fly home or begin a private extension
to other great destinations in Asia or the
Pacific. (B)

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