New Year's trip to the country of Wa

Your third Tokyo day begins with a trip to Ginza, the most luxurious district of Tokyo. Ginza’s vibes are the mix of “high fashion” and “haute cuisine”.. The hieroglyphs “Gin-Za” mean “Silver Workshop”, because once upon a time silver coins had been minted here... You will enjoy watching plenty of fancy flagship stores by leading Western and Japanese fashion brands, such as Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Mikimoto, designed by famous architects. Ginza is also home to luxurious, elegant restaurants, some of them are marked with Michelin stars. By the way, Tokyo ranks first in the world in the number of such “star” restaurants, ahead of Paris!

Choose from one of these restaurants for a gourmet afternoon lunch in Ginza.

After lunch, you will transfer to the trendy Harajuku and Omotesando Boulevard. These areas challenge Ginza in a fashionable way, with multi-storey boutiques lined up there. It would be a good idea to visit Omotesando Hills shopping center, too. You will come back to your hotel after the excursion.

Kawagoe, a small town about an hour's drive from Tokyo, is also known as "Little Edo" because it resembles the historical Edo with its wooden blocks. Kawagoe is famous for its ancient black houses with black tiles and... purple potato ice cream!

The Kawagoe tour starts from its main street, full of historical black buildings. The famous town hall with a clock, a city symbol, is also located here. Next, your path will lie to one of the city's most famous buildings, the architectural museum "Medieval Merchant House." It is a carefully preserved example of commercial development from the Edo era. Another spot to see is the Museum of the annual city festival, "Kawagoe Matsuri."

You'll find plenty of local sweets that Kawagoe is famous for, such as Japanese ume-glazed plums and purple potato ice cream. Of course, like everything else, the Hikawa-jinja Shinto shrine is not far away; it also deserves attention. After this, it's worth visiting Kawagoe Castle.
You will wrap up your tour with a visit to another local landmark, the Buddhist temple of Kita-in. There is a picturesque traditional Japanese garden with a temple inside. You will return to your Tokyo hotel after the tour.

You will arrive in Kyoto by Shinkansen and enjoy a New Year day trip with lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant.

Kyoto is the ancient imperial capital of Japan, one of the oldest cities in the country, the entire historical part of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kyoto was founded in the 8th century and served as the Imperial residence for almost twelve centuries. Among its numerous temples and sacred sites in Kyoto, one can highlight the Sanjusan-gendo temple, built back in 1164. Even today, it is the longest wooden structure in the world. In the long central hall, in the twilight, there are 1001 statues of the goddess Kannon the Merciful. You will have a lunch break then at a traditional Japanese restaurant.

You will walk down the open veranda of Kiyomizudera, or the Temple of Pure Water. You will enjoy a stunning Kyoto panoramic view. The local legend says that if you take three sips from the adjacent spring, your wish will come true! You will wrap up your Kyoto’s experience by visiting the legendary Geisha Gion quarter, which has been a center of entertainment since ancient times.

You will attend a tea ceremony or cha-no-yu, a Zen ritual. The venue is a tea house, cha-niva, and each part is very symbolic. The purpose of the ceremony is not tea drinking as such, but peace, reasoning, meditation, reflection before making an important decision. There are several types of tea ceremony, for example, morning, afternoon or evening. Entering the tea house symbolizes detachment from the bustle of the world and full concentration on the ceremony. The tea itself is prepared in accordance with strict rules. Crockery is also of great importance: usually it is aged, discreetly colored ceramics. The master of the tea ceremony whips thick green tea from the powder with a special brush, after which the bowl with the drink is passed from hand to hand in a circle. At this time, you should evaluate the quality of the drink. At the end of the ceremony, omogashi, traditional desserts, are served. Then, you will enjoy a traditional Japanese lunch at a fine restaurant.

Another Kyoto gem is the Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavilion, an elegant three-level temple with its roof covered with thin sheets of gold. The building is also topped with a traditional bronze phoenix. The temple is located in a magnificent garden from the Muromachi period. Nearby is the world-famous Zen rock garden of Ryoanji: fifteen stones seem to be randomly scattered on the white gravel, but from any point only fourteen are visible...

The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji, is another architectural masterpiece. The temple is gracefully reflected in the adjacent lake, making it a classic Kyoto view... You will come back to your ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel, after that.

You will meet your guide for a day trip to see Himeji-jo, which is considered the finest surviving example of Japanese classical castle architecture. Local residents respectfully call it Hime-Sama, or Madam Princess. A castle-fortress is usually associated with men, but not this one. For its dazzling white color and multi-tiered roofs, reminiscent of the wings of a huge bird, the fortress is also called the Castle of the White Heron.

The history of the fortress dates back to 1346, but it acquired its current architectural splendor in 1609, when ruler of the local lands, Prince Ikeda Terumasa, married a beautiful princess, Great Shogun Tokugawa’s eldest daughter.
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You will have an opportunity to see the interiors of the largest surviving watchtower in Japan. The gigantic structure, designed to protect the city, is surprisingly harmonious and elegant.

In spring, sakura flowers dominate the landscape. There is so much white Yoshino with large petals that the sky and earth are almost invisible. Cascades of pink flowers on the Weeping Sakura and whole streams of Sakura-Waterfall branches fall into the smooth mirrors of the ponds. In the evening, when the torches are burning, the castle and the gardens are illuminated, forming a truly mystical sight!

You will see the place of the sacred ceremony of seppuku, the Kiku well. One can still hear a gentle voice in the night. At all times, Himeji-jo has been protecting the city, and the city repaid her handsomely. You will learn an amazing story about the rescue of the Princess.
In December 1993, Himeji-jo was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the excursion is finished, you will come back to your hotel in Osaka.

The city is very close to Kyoto, just half an hour away. During its foundation, several majestic temples have been built here. For example, the Todaiji Temple, which was completed in 725. This is one the greatest wooden structures on Earth. Todaiji now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This temple is dedicated to the Buddha of Infinite Light incarnation, embodied in the sun. Inside, there is a gigantic bronze Buddha statue, the largest in Japan.

Near Todaiji, another Buddhist temple, Kofukuji, is located; it was built in the 7th century. Its pagoda, Goju-no-to, is one of the tallest in the country. This "skyscraper from the past" is 55-meter high! The Goju-no-Pagoda is the most famous graphic symbol of Nara.

Thanks to Nara's compact site, people usually come here for half a day.

Then, you will relocate to Osaka, Japan's second-largest city and the Kansai's region capital. Osaka has been playing a major role in Japan’s history even since it was founded. Osaka’s most famous landmark, a city that rivals Tokyo, is Osaka-jo, or the Osaka Castle. It is a majestic eighth-floor structure, three of which are underground. The castle was erected in 1586 as a Shogun Toytomi Hedeyoshi’s stronghold, and the main castle of Japan of the time. In the lower floors there is a museum, exposing a medieval collection of armor, artifacts, and documents.

The next part of the trip will be visiting Osaka downtown. You will check out the famous Umeda Sky skyscraper, with its Sky Gardens observation deck located on the roof. Its unique architecture resembles hanging gardens. A must have for any Osaka tour is walking down the legendary Dotonbori Street, the local “Broadway”. This central street of the city is famous for its exquisite restaurants and boutiques, representing world's leading fashion brands.

At the end of the day, you will check in to your hotel.

This day you will learn Kanazawa’s history in all its variety. Your first stop will be at Nomura Samurai Home, with its beautiful tea ceremony room, a small traditional garden, and artifacts from the Edo Period.

Afterwards, you will visit Kaburaki Kutani Porcelain Museum to enjoy its fine antique pieces. You will discover Kutani-yaki, a traditional style of porcelain famous for its vivid colors and highly detailed and elaborate floral and birdy designs.

Then it would be great to discover the local cuisine, Omicho Ichiba. There are dozens of stores providing various fresh seafood from the Japan Sea, a gourmet’s paradise! You won’t forget the taste of their delicious choice of shrimp, crab, and yellowtail amberjack!
Your ultimate point of the Kanazawa trip will be visiting the world-famous Kenrokuen Garden. It is considered one of Japan's ‘three most beautiful landscape gardens.’ This beautiful garden features a great floral variety, such as plum trees, cherry trees, and maple trees, which provide the garden with a different look for every season change.


Return to the hotel in Osaka.

After breakfast at the hotel, hyou will enjoy a transfer to Shin-Osaka station and to ride a high-speed train to Yokohama. This day will be a combined tour Kamakura + Yokohama + Aqualine.

You will start your excursion to Kamakura, the ancient military capital of Japan. The city is located on the Pacific coast and surrounded by picturesque mountains, making it an impregnable fortress for enemies. You will see the Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, which is dedicated to the god of war. Then, you will walk the famous Wakamiya Oji road, which splits the city and leads to the shrine. The road runs between two ponds: one is called ‘Genji,’ which means life, and another is ‘Heike,’ which means death.

The next spot, the Kotoku family temple, includes the Great Bronze Buddha Daibutsu, which is 13.5 meters high. The shrine was created in 1252 and survived severe fires, powerful earthquakes, and tsunami. Then, you will see the three-level Hasedera temple. On top of a sacred hill is the famous gilded sculpture of the eleven-faced goddess Kannon, the tallest wooden sculpture in Japan, 9.5 meters high. Buddhist monks carved The sculpture from a single trunk of a camphor tree. Then you will enjoy your lunch.

After that, you will relocate to Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city, and a source of new trends and ideas.

You will stroll down Minato Mirai 21, meaning the Port of Future 21, full of modern architectural masterpieces. Minato Mirai’s centerpiece is the Landmark Tower, built in 1993 by the American Hugh Stubbinson bureau. It is a 300-meter-high skyscraper, one the tallest buildings in the country. You will walk through Yamashita Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the city. From its observation deck, you will enjoy an unforgettable view of Yokohama Bay and the 890-meter long bridge. You will also check out  "Hikawa Maru" (Queen of the Pacific Ocean) ship, now a museum, forever moored to the pier. And the Marine Tower building – “Sea Lighthouse”, located near Minato Mirai, is the tallest structure of its kind in the world.

The next part of this rather long day trip will be a 9.5 km long ride along the Aqualine super tunnel at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. After the drive, you will enjoy watching the sunset on the Sea Firefly artificial island. It is situated in the middle of the ocean; you can choose what city to enjoy viewing: Tokyo, Yokohama, or both!

Then, you will visit the hot springs resort only to be dressed in a yukata to enjoy a variety of local onsen spots there. The place has a cave with the so-called Source of fidelity. You can enjoy a romantic dinner at a local oceanfront restaurant with stunning views of the world outside. After dinner, at approximately 10 pm, you will come back to the hotel.

You will then transfer to the hotel in Tokyo.

Enjoy your free day in Tokyo!

Breakfast in the hotel. Check out from the hotel. The driver will meet you in the hotel lobby with a sign with your name. Transfer to Narita or Haneda airport.