Best of Tokyo and Beyond Tour
9 Days/7 Nights
- Introduction •
- Itinerary •
- Map •
- Inclusions •
- Gallery
- 2010 Dates & Prices •
- 2011 Dates & Prices •
- Download Tour PDF
- Optional Cultural Activities
Best of Tokyo 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 Tokyo
Depart home for Tokyo's Narita Airport. No meals are included.
(Travel: 12 hours; Walking: Light)
Day 2: Arrive Tokyo
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 Tokyo's Narita Airport by a meeting service, who escorts you to the ryokan where you will be staying. No meals are included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 hours; Walking: Light)
Day 3: Tokyo
In the morning, we visit the Tokyo Tower, the Japanese version of the Eiffel Tower. From here you will have a spectacular view of Tokyo, and get an idea of just how large Tokyo really is. We then spend time at the Rikugien Garden - built in the 18th century by a retainer of the Tokugawa Shoguns - followed by a visit to the Yanaka District near Ueno Park. There are buildings dating back more than 150 years here that were not damaged during the huge Kanto earthquake in 1923 or during bombing in World War II. We will also visit a cemetery where the final Tokugawa Shogun is buried. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 1 hour; Walking: Heavy)
Day 4: Kamakura
Today we visit the Kamakura area. After traveling by train to Kamakura, we arrive at Hokoku-ji, a lovely little Zen temple built in 1334, where we can sip powdered green tea and nibble Japanese sweets in the bamboo garden. We then walk to the Komachi-dori for window-shopping and lunch. After lunch, we travel by train to see the Daibutsu. This 37-foot-tall bronze statue of the Amida Buddha was created in 1252. We then pilgrimage to the Hase Temple, one of the most beautiful and saddest temples in Kamakura. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 3 hours; Walking: Heavy)
Day 5: Tokyo
After breakfast, we will tour the Tsukiji fish market. This fish market is the largest in the world, and it is estimated that 20-percent of all of the fish caught in the world pass through this market. After the market, we will tour central Tokyo on an open-air double-decker bus. The bus will visit the Imperial Palace, the Diet building, the Marunouchi business district and the Ginza. Afterwards, we will visit the famous Ginza district. Here you can wander through the department stores and boutiques before and after we stop for a lunch of Kushiage (fried meat and vegetables on bamboo skewers). Later in the afternoon, we take a relaxing cruise on the Sumida River and visit the Nakamise-dori and Senso-ji Buddhist Temple where we will discuss Buddhist and Shinto Japanese religious practices. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 hours; Walking: Heavy)
Day 6: Hakone
We will travel by train to Hakone, where, weather-permitting, we will get a chance to see famous Mt. Fuji. We travel around the Hakone area by many different methods including train, funicular, tramway, boat, and bus. There will be many opportunities to see Mt. Fuji, weather-permitting. We also have time to stop briefly at the Owaku-dani, which is a reminder that Japan is a chain of volcanic islands. Here we find boiling mud pots and vents spewing sulfurous steam. Be sure to try the "black" eggs that have been boiled in the natural hot mineral water. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 4 hours; Walking: Medium)
Day 7: Tokyo
The entire day is free to explore on your own. Go shopping for that perfect souvenir, visit the Meiji Shrine dedicated to the Japanese emperor of the 19th century, or wander through the trendy Shibuya or Harajuku districts where you will more than likely see interesting and far-out fashions. In the evening, you can visit the Kabuki-cho entertainment district to see how the Japanese businessmen let off steam. Breakfast at the ryokan is included.
(Travel: To be determined; Walking: To be determined)
Day 8: Nikko
We will travel by train to Nikko, where the Tosho-gu Shrine is located. This shrine built by his grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu, is a dedication to the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. (James Clavell's fictional Shogun in his novel Shogun was based on this person.) This is one of the most elaborate shrines in Japan, and no expense was spared in its construction. We will have our sayonara dinner at a local restaurant. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch and dinner at a local restaurant are included.
(Travel: 4 1/2 Hours; Walking: Heavy)
Day 9: Home
It's time to say "sayonara" (goodbye). You will be escroted to the train station where you will take the express train to Tokyo's Narita Airport on your own. Breakfast at the ryokan is included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Light)