Japan First Impressions

DAY 1: TOKYO
Arrival in Tokyo and presentation at the hotel on your own. Accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

Rest of the day free for independent activities.

Tokyo is a city of contrasts. Famous for its pioneering modernity, iconic neon landscapes, and tall skyscrapers, it's dotted with parks, shrines, temples, and adored gardens. This characteristic further distinguishes its ancient heritage, evident in the temples and shrines scattered and distant from the energetic centers.


DAY 2: TOKYO
Breakfast at the hotel. Private English-guided tour of the Tsukiji Outdoor Market, an adjoining district that consists of a few blocks of wholesale and retail stores, as well as restaurants along the narrow streets.

Next, visit the Hamarikyu Garden from the Edo period, where saltwater lakes change with the tides, and Asakusa, where the Sensoji Temple, a very popular and colorful Buddhist temple, is located. Walk along Nakamise Street, filled with boutiques, souvenir shops, and street food kiosks.

Next to the Tokyo Skytree Tower, with a height of 634 meters, it is the tallest structure in Japan and the second tallest in the world at the time of its completion.


DAY 3: TOKYO - KANAZAWA
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, show up on your own at Tokyo Station to board a bullet train bound for Kanazawa.

Arrival and presentation at your own expense at the hotel. Accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.

Private tour, with an English-speaking guide, to the Museum of Contemporary Art of the 21st Century (admission included), founded with the objectives of fostering a new culture and revitalizing the local area.

Then, visit the D.T. Suzuki Museum (ticket included), which pays homage to the life and contributions of this renowned Buddhist philosopher. He wrote primarily about Zen Buddhism and its relationship and impact on everyday life, as he spent a significant part of his early years living and learning at the Engakuji Temple in Kamakura.


DAY 4: KANAZAWA
Breakfast at the hotel. Free day for independent activities.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Tour to Omicho Market, Higashi Chaya Gai District, Kenrokuen Garden, and Samurai Nagamichi District.

DAY 5: KANAZAWA - KYOTO
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Self-drive to Kanazawa Station for boarding a bullet train to Tsuruga, followed by an express train to Kyoto.

Arrival and presentation at your own expense at the hotel. Accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.

Rest of the day free for independent activities.

Kyoto, located in the Kansai region, was Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years, leaving a profound legacy of historic temples, palaces, traditional gardens, and cultural festivals.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Participation in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

DAY 6 AND 7: KYOTO
Breakfast at the hotel. Free day for independent activities.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Tour to Kinkakuji Temple, Ryoan-ji Temple, Arashiyama, Togetsukyo Bridge, and Tenryuji;
• Tour to Fushimi Inari Shrine, Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

DAY 8: KYOTO - HAKONE
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Self-drive to Kyoto Station to board a bullet train bound for Odawara.

Arrival and presentation at your own expense at the hotel. Accommodation for 1 night, with half board.

Opportunity to enjoy a thermal bath. Traditional dinner at the ryokan.


DAY 9: HAKONE - TOKYO
Breakfast and ryokan check-out. Self-drive to Odawara Station for boarding a bullet train bound for Tokyo.

Arrival and presentation at your own expense at the hotel. Accommodation for 1 night, with breakfast.

Rest of the day free for independent activities.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Tour to Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya.

DAY 10: TOKYO
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Self-presentation at Tokyo airport.