Best of Kyoto and Beyond Tour
9 Days/7 Nights
- Introduction •
- Itinerary •
- Map •
- Inclusions •
- Gallery
- 2010 Dates & Prices •
- 2011 Dates & Prices •
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- Optional Cultural Activities
Best of Kyoto and Beyond Tour Detailed Itinerary
| Walking Level | Distance |
|---|---|
| Light | 0-2 miles in flat areas or 0-1 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
| Medium | 2-4 miles in flat areas or 1-3 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
| Heavy | 4-6 miles in flat areas or 3-5 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
Day 1: To Osaka
Depart home for Osaka's Kansai Airport. (If you wish to fly to Tokyo's Narita Airport instead, please let us know and we can make the arrangements for you.) No meals are included.
(Travel: 12 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 2: Arrive Osaka
You lose a day flying to Japan due to crossing the International Dateline, but you will gain the day back when you fly home. You will be met at Osaka's Kansai airport by a meeting service, who will escort you to the ryokan where you will be staying. No meals are included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 3: Kyoto
We start the start the day by traveling to Ryoanji by bus. One of the most famous gardens in Japan, Ryoan-ji is part of the Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism. There is considerable debate concerning the origins and evolution of Ryoanji's famous rock garden. The garden's designer is unknown, and left no explanation of the meaning of the garden. The garden is an example of karesansui (dry landscape) garden in its purest form. The dry-style garden consists of three groupings of 15 rocks surrounded by raked sand, and the garden is enclosed on three sides by a blank clay wall and on a fourth side by a veranda. From the viewing point on the veranda, only 14 rocks can be seen at one time. Move slightly and another rock appears at the same time that one of the original 14 rocks disappears. In Buddhism, the number 15 denotes completeness. You must have a total view of the garden to make a meaningful experience. And yet, as in the conditions of the real world, that's not possible. Next, we take a bus to Kinkakuji. Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, was originally built in 1393 as a retirement villa by Yoshimitsu Ashikage, the fifth Ashikage Shogun. After his death, his son converted the villa to a Buddhist temple. The gleaming building covered in gold leaf seems to float on the aptly named Mirror Pond. In the Shinden style of the Heian Period, the pavilion sits on the edge of the pond, surrounded by a Chinese-influenced garden whose focus is the pond studded with rocks and pine-covered islands. Each floor of the three-story structure has a different architectural style, with a golden-colored phoenix standing on the roof. The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1950 set by a mentally-ill monk with metaphysical aspirations. The copy, as seen today, was quickly rebuilt in five years. The exterior of the building was regilded in 1987 at great expense. Yoshimitsu lived his retirement years here in seamless luxury while the rest of the country and Kyoto suffered from a series of famines, earthquakes and plagues. It is thought the local Kyoto death toll alone reached 1,000 people per day during this time. It is unknown, however, if he told his aides to "Let them eat cake". Yoshimitsu designed the garden on the basis of earlier Heian Period gardens, with the pond as the focus of the garden. Though there is a path around the pond, the garden was designed to be viewed from a boat or from the Golden Pavilion itself. The banks of the pond are planted with bushes and pruned trees, whose size in the foreground, near the pavilion, is small. Taller trees and bushes on the further bank lie in front of even larger trees to create the illusion of considerable space, augmented by the borrowed mountain scenery in the distance. Before continuing, we will take a short walk to a nearby noodle shop for lunch. After lunch, we take a bus to Nijo Castle. Built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, its ostentatious style of construction was intended as a demonstration of the Shogun's prestige and to signal the demise of the Emperor's power. The garden next to the Nijo Castle is a perfect example of a Warrior's Garden, meaning it was designed by a Samurai. After finishing the tour of the Nijo Castle garden, we will walk to the nearby Shinsen-en Garden. Shinsen-en is the remnant of a garden that was exclusively used by the Imperial family during the Heian Period (8th to 12th centuries). Afterwards, we will return by bus to the ryokan. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Heavy)
Day 4: Osaka, Fushimi
After breakfast, we travel to the nearby city of Osaka to visit Osaka Castle. In its day, Osaka Castle was one of the largest and most important castles in Japan. It was the home of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the son of a farmer who unified Japan after a 100-year civil war. At the top of the castle, you will get an excellent bird's-eye-view of Osaka. At the museum inside the castle, we will learn about the castle's colorful history. Then, we travel to the city of Fushimi. The city of Fushimi is known for it's excellent water, which is an important element of making sake. Because of this, Fushimi is Japan's second largest producer of sake. Here we will visit the Gekkaikan Okura Sake Museum. The museum will introduce you to the fascinating history and process of sake brewing. And best of all, there is a tasting station at the end of the museum tour. Next, we will tour the nearby Fushimi Inari Shrine. This Shinto shrine was established in the 8th century, and is dedicated to Inari, the Goddess of Cereal (Rice). The Fushimi Inari Taisha serves as the headquarters of the more than 30,000 Inari shrines located throughout Japan. Spread out over the expansive hillside location are more than 10,000 vermillion-colored torii gates, donated by thankful followers and the local sake breweries. These torii gates form kilometers-long tunnels of vermillion winding through the quiet woods and past many smaller shrines. Throughout the complex, many fox statues can be found. The fox is considered to be a messenger of Inari, and is also a sacred, somewhat mysterious figure capable of "possessing" humans. The favored point of entry is under the fingernails. The key often seen in the fox's mouth is for the rice granary. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Heavy)
Day 5: Kyoto
We start the day by visiting the Imperial Palace, the Kyoto home of the Emperor of Japan. Afterwards, we will stroll through the Nishiki-koji open-air market where you will see many different and wonderful foods, and where the variety of foods is staggering. Also known as Kyoto's Kitchen, the Nishiki-koji covered shopping arcade was established 400 years ago. This is where many restaurants and ryokans come to buy that day's meals. Later we will take a relaxing stroll through the Higashiyama district where you can find many traditional handicrafts in small stores located along the narrow, stone-paved lanes winding through the traditional homes, shops and restaurants. After visiting the Yasaka Shrine, a favorite of the Geishas from the Gion Geisha District, we will attend an authentic tea ceremony. The stylized and regimented Japanese tea ceremony has been performed the same way for over 400 years. Once considered standard training for Samurais, today the tea ceremony is enjoyed by the modern Japanese as a means of relaxation. Afterwards, we walk to the Gion Geisha District to attend a "Meet a Maiko" (a Maiko is a geisha in training) session. Here you will meet an actual Maiko face to face, who will serve you tea and sweets, perform a traditional Geisha dance, pose for pictures with you, and answer any of your questions. Then we explore the famous Gion Geisha district, where we will see the tea houses and geisha houses where the Geisha live and work, to learn more about this mysterious world. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 1 Hour; Walking: Heavy)
Day 6: Arashiyama
We travel by train to the nearby town of Arashiyama. Once a favorite relaxation spot of the Emperors, Arashiyama is located on the hillsides bordering the banks of the Katsura River northwest of Kyoto. We will first visit the bamboo gardens which Arashiyama is famous for, located just outside the north gate of Tenryu-ji. This dense bamboo forest, with its rows upon rows of long, ringed, smooth stems, provide a feeling of composure and tranquility. The sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo, the stems knocking against each other and the rustling of the leaves is revered in Japan. Next, we visit Tenryuji Temple. Tenryu-ji is part of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, and was originally built in 1339 on the former site of Emperor Go-Daigo's villa. A priest had dreamt of a dragon rising from the nearby river, hence the name which means "Heavenly Dragon". The garden represents a transition between earlier pond gardens and the karesansui (dry landscape) gardens that later became popular in Zen temples. The focus of the garden is a pond that lies at the base of the hills rising to Mount Arashi, which is incorporated in to the design of the garden in the earliest known example of borrowed scenery (shakkei). At the far end of the pond are two rock groupings. These rock groupings are orientated on a vertical alignment, which was a departure from the horizontal alignments in earlier gardens. After finishing the tour of the temple and garden, we will enjoy a Shojin-ryori lunch (Buddhist vegetarian diet with no garlic or onions) at the temple. After lunch, we will visit Saihoji (commonly known as Kokedera, or "Moss Temple"). Saiho-ji is considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best garden in Japan. Created in 1339, the garden uses over 100 different types of moss creating waves of varying green colors. The moss is contrasted with trees, rocks and a small pond only. The garden is large (about 4 1/2 acres), and moss covers every ground surface and even some of the vegetation, creating a serene environment. The designer of the garden believed firmly in the value of gardens as a meditation aid, writing that the garden could be a means of reaching enlightenment. In addition to exploring the garden, the monks at the temple ask visitors to copy a sutra (a Buddhist scripture), giving you an opportunity to practice your calligraphy skills. Breakfast at the ryokan and Shojin-ryori lunch at Tenryuji is included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Medium)
Day 7: Nara
We take a train to the original capital of Japan, Nara. Nara was the capital of Japan in the 8th century before it was moved to Kyoto. We will first visit Kasuga Shrine. This shrine was first established in the 8th century, and was completely rebuilt every 20 years according to Shinto tradition until the 19th century. There are thousands of stone lanterns lining the entrance to the shrine. We then walk through Nara Park on our way to Todai-ji. Along the way, you will run into the famous Nara deer. These deer have been here since the 7th century, and roam at their free will protected by Buddhist traditions. Todai-ji is the largest wooden building in the world, and houses the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Medium)
Day 8: Kyoto
Today is a free day. Visit the famous Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple), or walk along the Philosopher's Walk and enjoy one of the many tea shops along the way. Visit the Kyoto Train Station, which has won numerous design awards. Or visit the city of Fushimi, a famous sake-producing area. Fushimi is also home to the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, which contains tunnels of vermillion-colored Torii kilometers long. In the evening we will have our sayonara dinner at a local restaurant. Breakfast at the ryokan and dinner at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: To be determined; Walking: To be determined)
Day 9: Home
It's time to say "sayonara" (goodbye). You will be escorted to the Kyoto train station, and then take the Express train on your own to the Kansai International Airport, just outside Osaka. Breakfast at the ryokan is included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Light)