12 Days Highlights of Japan Tour（Private Guide and Driver）- Umetravel

Today you will fly to Tokyo. On arrival, your driver will welcome you at the arrival hall and transfer you to your hotel with a private car to ensure your arrival is worry-free.

• Blossom Season in Various Regions of Japan
• 【Honshu】: Late March~Mid-April
• 【Central Japan】: Early April ~ Mid-April
• 【Kansai】: Late March ~ Early April
• 【Kanto】: Late March ~ Early April
• 【Shikoku】: Late March ~ Early April
• 【Hokkaido】: Late April ~ Mid-May
• 【Kyushu】: Mid-March ~ Late March
• 【Tohoku】: Mid-April ~ Late April
• ------------------------------------------------------
• Maple Leaf Season in Various Regions of Japan
• 【Honshu】: Mid - October ~ Late November
• 【Central Japan】: Mid - October ~ Mid - November
• 【Kansai】: Mid - October ~ Early November
• 【Kanto】: Mid - October ~ Early November
• 【Shikoku】: Mid - October ~ Early November
• 【Hokkaido】: Mid - September ~ Mid - October
• 【Kyushu】: Early October ~ Late October
• 【Tohoku】: Late September ~ Mid - October

one of Japan's unofficial landmarks, the Hachiko statue in Shibuya is a homage to the faithful Akita dog who waited at Shibuya Station every day for his master, even after his death. Today, it’s one of the most popular meeting places in Tokyo.Shibuya Sky Observation Deck on the rooftop, observe Tokyo from the "Sky Edge," where you can look down at the cityscape without any obstruction.Harajuku refers to the area around Tokyo's Harajuku Station, which is between Shinjuku and Shibuya on the Yamanote Line. It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for adults and some historical sites of interest.Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line's busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

Accomodation：

-Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nihombashi Kayabacho

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

On this full-day walking tour in Tokyo...

You'll visit the majestic, 1400-year-old Senso-Ji Buddhist Temple is a symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo.

You'll embark on an Asakusa Street Food Tour, where you'll get to eat delicious delicacies such as tempura and ningyoyaki.

*Most traditional snack bars in Japan only accept cash.

Then, you'll get to go on a cruise aboard the Tokyo Mizube Line's water bus. On this cruise, you'll get to see glimpses of the Tokyo Sky Tree, Tsukiji Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, and more! This cruise can be done in under an hour allowing you to use your free time to explore more of Asakusa or Odaiba.

You'll visit Odaiba Marine Park a public park that stretches around the Tokyo Bay which offers fantastic views of Tokyo's iconic Rainbow Bridge.

You'll get to ride the New Transit Yurikamome, a futuristic railway which traverses the Rainbow bridge and provides scenic views of Tokyo Bay and the city below.

Accomodation：

-Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nihombashi Kayabacho

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

One way transfer between Tokyo and Osaka by Shinkansen（2.5hrs）

­ 

Please go to the Shinkansen station by yourself, the hotel is not far from the station, you can call a taxi or make a reservation of the hotel shuttle bus at the hotel front desk to get to the Shinkansen station, please arrive at the station at least 20 minutes in advance.

Accomodation：

-Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Osaka Kitahama

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Explore Osaka's rich history at Osaka Castle, built in 1583 on the historic site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. Embrace a unique experienceAt Ninja-do, dressing up as a ninja and learning traditional techniques. Marvel at the world's largest ovular Ferris wheel, reopened in 2018 outside the famous Don Quixote store in Dotonbori, a lively hub for shopping, entertainment, and food, illuminated by neon lights at night. Enjoy diverse local delicacies like Takoyaki, Kobe Beef, and Okonomiyaki. Visit Kani Doraku, a renowned crab restaurant known for its iconic giant crab billboards and a wide array of exquisite crab dishes. 

­ 

*Tis:Dotonbori street most traditional snack bars only accept cash, please have some cash on hand.

Accomodation：

-Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Osaka Kitahama

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Koyasan Okunoin The heart of Mt. Koya. Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered persons in the religious history of Japan, rests here. Also, many prominent personalities' graves line by the approach to Okunoin for several hundred meters through the forest.Kongobu-ji TempleThe main headquarters for the Shingon Sect, which has 4,000 temples throughout Japan and more than 10 million followers worldwide. Visitors can see religious artifact, fusuma sliding door paintings, as well as a beautiful rock garden representing two dragons flying amongst the clouds.Koyasan Danjo Garan One of the two most sacred sites in Mt. Koya. In the 9th century, Mt. Koya was founded on this very ground. At that time, Kobo Daishi held a groundbreaking ceremony and then dedicated his life to the construction of Danjo Garan.Koyasan Reihokan Museum The Reihokan Museum was built to house and preserve the religious and cultural treasures of Koyasan. The museum's collection consists of thousands of religious works of art. The permanent exhibition displays statues, mandala (paintings representing metaphysical maps of the cosmos), and various other religious tools and paintings, the most notable of which is the scroll depicting the "Reclining Image of Sakyamuni Buddha on His Last Day". Koyasan Daishi Kyokai Daishi Kyokai is the administrative center of Shingon Buddhism, and is responsible for spreading the teachings of Kobo Daishi, the sect's founder. The complex consists of two buildings: Henjoden, a traditional temple hall, that was built in 1915 and is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, and a modern building for administration, lectures and training. An English information desk is available in this building. Visitors can participate in a few activities at Daishi Kyokai, such as receiving Buddhist precepts (jukai) or copying Buddhist scriptures (shakyo). No advance reservations are required.Tokugawa's Mausoleum The mausoleum's two identical buildings took twenty years to be completed and were built in the extravagant style of the early Edo Period with graceful sloping roofs, rich ornamentation, intricate carvings, lacquer and gold leaf. The two buildings stand side by side. The one on the right enshrines Ieyasu and the one on the left Hidetada.

­ ­Accomodation：

-Koyasan Shukubo Ryusenin

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Fushimi Inari Shrine/Red Torii Gates is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto.  It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings.  The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. Nara Park it is also home to hundreds of freely roaming deer.  Considered the messengers of the gods, Nara's over 1000 deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure.   Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed. Nara's deer are surprisingly tame, although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them, so make sure not to tease them with food.Todaiji is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved away from Nara in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.Until recently, Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall).Kasuga Taisha is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the tutelary shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan's most powerful family clan during most of the Nara and Heian Periods. Like the Ise Shrines, Kasuga Taisha had been periodically rebuilt every 20 years for many centuries. In the case of Kasuga Taisha, however, the custom was discontinued at the end of the Edo Period.

Accomodation：

-Hotel Elcient Kyoto Hachijoguchi

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Kyoto Full Day with private English-speaking tour guide by public transportation

Sagano Bamboo Forest:Sagano Bamboo Forest and listen to the unique sounds of the wind.

Tenryu-ji:Tenryuji is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.

Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama:If you want to check out Japan's famous monkeys, we strongly recommend this great little monkey park in Arashiyama. It's a short walk from central Arashiyama and it's great. If you want to see Japan's famous monkeys, you can easily do so at the Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto's Arashiyama district.*The climb takes 20 minutes one way and your guide will be waiting for you at the bottom of the mountain.

Accomodation：

- Hotel Elcient Kyoto Hachijoguchi 

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Kodaiji is an outstanding temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama District.     It was established in 1606 in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan's greatest historical figures, by Hideyoshi's wife Nene who is also enshrined at the temple.Its main buildings were constructed in the lavish style of the era of Japan's unification with the financial support of Hideyoshi's successor Tokugawa Ieyasu.They feature richly decorated interiors and are surrounded by beautiful Zen gardens.Located in Higashiyama Ward, along one of the main tourist corridors in eastern Kyoto, Nene no Michi retains the look of a Kyoto that for the most part no longer exists.  The street scape of Nene no Michi is unique in that it adheres to Kyoto building codes.  In Kyoto, that makes it both beautiful and very unusual.Yasaka Shrine is well known for its summer festival, the Gion Matsuri, which is celebrated every July.Arguably the most famous festival in the whole country, the Gion Matsuri dates back over a thousand years and involves a procession with massive floats and hundreds of participants.Hanamikoji Geisha District In The Evening The best place to see geisha in Kyoto is Hanami-koji on the south side of Shijo-dori.A stroll through in the evening will usually yield at least one sighting.Japanese traditional culture performance garden gion kobu kaburenjo theater in the small theater, maiko in kyomai, including Kyogen (farce played during a noh cycle), bugaku, sado, kado sokyoku (koto music), bunraku and amongst others You can watch Japan's world-class traditional culture and performing arts in a one-hour digest.which offer a more comfortable viewing experience and come with a digital tablet that provides detailed information and translations throughout the performance.

Accomodation：

- Hotel Elcient Kyoto Hachijoguchi 

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

Shinkansen/Bullet train experience between Odawara and Kyoto（Ticket Included）

­ 

Please go to the Shinkansen station by yourself, the hotel is not far from the station, you can call a taxi or make a reservation of the hotel shuttle bus at the hotel front desk to get to the Shinkansen station, please arrive at the station at least 20 minutes in advance.

­ 

·English-speaking guide by private car

­ 

Hakone Sightseeing cruise:At Lake Ashi, a serene lake surrounded by mountains, a pirate ship cruise runs between the three ports of Hakonemachi-ko, Motohakone-ko and Togendai-ko. Three ships with different designs sail on the lake, and the visitors can enjoy the grand view of the ships passing by each other. During the cruise, there will be a spot where the passengers can view Mt. Fuji, the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine and the lake all at once, so have your cameras ready.

­ 

Lake Ashi:Lake Ashinoko was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago.  Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone.  The lake's shores are mostly undeveloped except for small towns in the east and north and a couple of lakeside resort hotels.

Accomodation：

-Tenseien Odawara Station Annex

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

English-speaking guide by private car

­ 

Kotokuin Great Buddha Of Kamakura:The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 11.4 meters, it has long been the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara 's Todaiji Temple and some recent creations.

­ 

Enoshima Electric Railway:Eight years (1902 to 1910) of work was needed to build the 10 km railway that connects the city of Kamakura to Fujisawa over 15 stations (39 at the time) and 34 minutes. A single track that winds through local neughborhoods, travels through old tunnels, runs along part of the coast bordering the Shonan Sagami Bay, and whose ancient looking cars stop at small stations each more picturesque than the other.

­ 

Enoshima Island:Only a short train ride west of Kamakura, Enoshima is a pleasantly touristy island just off the coast but connected by bridge with the mainland. The island offers a variety of attractions, including a shrine, park, observation tower and caves. Views of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed on days with good visibility.

Accomodation：

-Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nihombashi Kayabacho

­ 

Meals Included：

- Breakfast

After breakfast, end of our services.Self-arrangment by your own