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- Platinum East Asia’s Flower and Sun “South Korea and Japan” (ICN-NRT) with Turkish Airlines, 8 nights Seoul (2) – Osaka (3) – Nara – Kyoto – Tokyo (3) – Hakone | All tours and entrance fees included
Platinum East Asia’s Flower and Sun “South Korea and Japan” (ICN-NRT) with Turkish Airlines, 8 nights Seoul (2) – Osaka (3) – Nara – Kyoto – Tokyo (3) – Hakone | All tours and entrance fees included
Tour Detail
Platinum East Asia’s Flower and Sun “South Korea and Japan” (ICN-NRT) with THY
Seoul (2 nights) – Osaka (3 nights) – Kyoto – Kobe – Nara – Tokyo (3 nights) – Mount Fuji – Hakone
8 nights 10 days | All tours and entrance fees included
Day 1 | Istanbul
Meeting at 14.05 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at Istanbul Airport international departures terminal. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, flight to Seoul at 17.05 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0020. Overnight on the plane.
Day 2 | Istanbul – Seoul
Landing at Seoul Incheon Airport at 08.55 local time. After our passport and baggage procedures, we depart by vehicle for the Seoul tour. Our first stop on the tour will be Gyeongbokgung Palace. Built in 1395, the palace is considered the largest, most beautiful, and most magnificent of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. Inside the palace, we will also have the opportunity to see the National Folk Museum. Our next stop will be Namsangol Hanok Village. A residential area of modern Seoul, this village is famous for its many restored traditional Korean houses called Hanok. After our visit here, we continue our tour with Myeong-dong, Korea's most famous shopping and fashion district. After seeing this street filled with many shops and restaurants, our next stop will be the Insa-dong district. The lively center of Insa-dong is the main street closed to vehicle traffic. The street is filled with tea houses and Korean restaurants, as well as shops selling traditional products such as pottery, tea, and handmade "hanji" paper. The unusual Ssamziegil Complex has cafés and stairs leading up to the rooftop terrace, with its walls decorated with paintings. The Hakgojae Gallery exhibits modern works of art. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel. After check-in, we settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Samjung Gangnam (or similar) hotel in Seoul.
Day 3 | Seoul | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we continue with the Seoul tour. Our first stop will be the N Seoul Tower, a communication tower and observatory. After reaching the tower by cable car, we will be able to view the city from Seoul’s highest point. Our next stop will be the Bongeunsa Temple, which has a history of 1,200 years. Considered a cornerstone of Korean Buddhism, Bongeunsa is among the structures attracting tourists to the region with Maitreya, one of Seoul’s largest statues, and its library housing 3,479 sacred Buddhist texts. After this, we will see the Starfield Library and the Gangnam Style Statue located within the same complex. At the end of our tour, return to our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Samjung Gangnam (or similar) hotel in Seoul.
Day 4 | Seoul – Osaka | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and transfer to Seoul Incheon Airport. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, flight to Osaka at 18.45 with Korean Air flight KE721. Landing at Osaka Kansai Airport at 20.45 local time. After our passport and baggage procedures, transfer from the airport to our hotel by vehicle. After check-in, we settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.
Day 5 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kyoto tour. After approximately a 1-hour journey, our first stop will be the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. Covered in gold leaf, this three-story pavilion is one of Kyoto's most famous and well-known historical structures and has been recognized worldwide as a perfect example of Kitayama garden design art. Thanks to these features, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural property of Kyoto, the former capital. We will continue our tour with the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as the pure water monastery. The temple offers beautiful views of the distant city of Kyoto, as well as numerous cherry trees and maples that burst into a colorful sea in spring and autumn. The main hall, built without nails together with the stage, houses the temple's main object of worship, a small statue of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon. After the free time we will give for lunch, we will tour the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and a tourist attraction. Surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, the path is usually used together with the similar Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow sloping road filled with around 60 shops and restaurants selling Kyoto's traditional products and foods. There are also important shops where visitors can experience Japanese culture up close, including Ochaya (tea houses) where tea ceremonies are held, and makeup for Geiko (the name given to geishas in Kyoto) and Maiko (Geiko apprentices). In the final part of the tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. At the end of the tour, return to Osaka and to our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.
Day 6 | Osaka – Kobe – Nara – Osaka | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kobe tour and Nara tour. Our first stop on the Kobe tour will be the Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum (depending on whether it is open). At Kiku-Masamune, which has remained committed to producing only dry sake since the Edo Period, we will both see the stages of sake production and taste it. Nearly all the equipment in the museum is classified as a "national tangible folk cultural property" and allows visitors to learn more about the lives and work of sake producers. Then we continue our tour with Kobe Nunobiki Botanical Garden, Japan's largest botanical garden with seasonal flowers and magnificent mountain views. After the park, we will go to the Kobe Harborland Umie shopping center, where we will give free time for lunch. After lunch, we head to Nara. We begin our Nara tour with a visit to Nara Park. Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of Japan's oldest parks. More than 1,200 wild Sika deer roam freely in the park. Because of these deer, it is also known as the deer park of Nara. After the park, we continue with Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji is not only the world's largest wooden structure, but also houses the world's largest Buddha statue, called Daibutsu in Japanese. At the end of our tour, return to Osaka and to our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.
Note: When leaving the hotel this morning for the tour, we must leave a small overnight bag in our room. The large suitcases we leave at the hotel will be transferred to our hotel in Tokyo before us and will reach us the next day.
Day 7 | Osaka – Tokyo | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and begin the Osaka tour. Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, built in the 16th century and playing an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located in a park that covers an area of about two square kilometers in total and includes plenty of green space, sports facilities, a multipurpose arena (Osakajo Hall), and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park becomes one of Osaka's most popular spots during the cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in early April. Then we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka's entertainment center. After visiting Dotonbori and the city's main shopping district Shinsaibashi, we will give free time for lunch. After free time, transfer to Shin-Osaka train station. We arrive at Tokyo Shinagawa train station after an approximately 3-hour journey with Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed train. From here, transfer to our hotel by vehicle. After check-in, we settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.
Day 8 | Tokyo | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we begin the Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Asakusa Temple or, by another name, the Senso-Ji Temple, considered one of Tokyo’s oldest and most colorful temples and a Buddhist temple. Also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), the temple attracts great interest from both tourists and locals. It is one of the few temples in Tokyo that survived the bombings in the final year of World War II, and for this reason the building’s original structure has not been altered. Built in 1649, the temple was reportedly made to honor the three brothers who were deified after finding a statue of the goddess Kannon in a river. We will also see the shopping street called Nakamise in the area. After the free time we will give for lunch, we will visit the Meiji Temple, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. After this, we will tour Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most crowded districts. One of the city’s most important places for young people, Shibuya stands out with its developed structure, cafés, and world-famous shops. After our tour, return to our hotel. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.
Day 9 | Tokyo – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. We will begin our tour with Mount Fuji, 2.5 hours away. Mount Fuji, which qualified for UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2013, is considered Japan's highest mountain and the country's sacred symbol. Although Mount Fuji is generally thought of as a single mountain, it actually consists of three separate volcanoes. Located on the island of Honshu and positioned on the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, Mount Fuji is only 100 kilometers from Tokyo and can even be seen from tall buildings in Tokyo on a clear day. After the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji, we will head toward the town of Hakone. We start our Hakone tour with Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley around a crater formed during the last eruption of Mount Hakone about 3,000 years ago. Today, a large part of the region is an active volcanic area with sulfurous fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers. We will take a cable car up from Togendai and enjoy the view of this gorgeously beautiful valley. After the free time for lunch, we will move on to Ashi Lake. After an enjoyable approximately 30-minute boat ride on the lake with a wooden pirate ship, we will return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.
Day 10 | Tokyo – Istanbul | [B]
After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue with the Tokyo tour. The first place we will see on our tour will be the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which includes many buildings such as the Main Palace, the private residences of the Imperial family, archives, a museum, and administrative offices. The Tokyo Imperial Palace was built on the site of a former castle where the Shogun resided in the 15th century. In the 19th century, when Emperor Meiji moved the royal household from Kyoto to Tokyo, this place also became property of the royal family. Since most of the buildings were destroyed in World War II, the oldest items remaining from the palace today are only 50 years old. Then we will continue our tour with a visit to Akihabara, one of Tokyo’s world-famous neighborhoods. Akihabara is an extremely crowded shopping district famous for its electronic stores of different types, from small street stalls to very large shopping centers. After our tour of Akihabara, also known as the electronics city, we give free time for lunch. After free time, we continue our tour with the Ginza district, one of the city’s most popular shopping areas, filled with luxury boutiques as well as first-class cocktail and sushi bars. At the end of our tour, transfer to Tokyo Narita Airport. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, flight to Istanbul at 22.25 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0301. Overnight on the plane.
Day 11 | Tokyo – Istanbul
Landing at Istanbul Airport at 06.15 local time and the end of our tour. We bid farewell, hoping to meet again on our next distinguished and enjoyable trip.
Abbreviations: [B] = Breakfast, [L] = Lunch, [D] = Dinner
What's Included
- Round-trip economy class airline ticket on Turkish Airlines scheduled flights on the IST-ICN and NRT-IST routes
- One-way economy class airline ticket on the ICN-KIX route on Korean Air flights
- Airport taxes
- Economy class high-speed train ticket between Osaka and Tokyo
- 2 nights in Seoul with bed and breakfast accommodation at a 4* hotel
- 3 nights in Osaka with bed and breakfast accommodation at a 4* hotel
- 3 nights in Tokyo with bed and breakfast accommodation at a 3* hotel
- All airport – hotel – airport transfers
- All tours and entrance fees specified in the program
- Turkish-speaking guide service
- Professional liability insurance (in accordance with Law No. 1618)
Not Included
- K-ETA Korean electronic travel authorization
- Overseas خروج fee
- All museum and archaeological site entrance fees not stated as included
- Meals and drinks during meals not stated as included
- Tours specified as optional
- Personal expenses
- Tour guarantee and travel health insurance
- All services not explicitly stated as included in the tour program
- Tips for local guide, hotel staff, and driver (Optional 5 EUR per person per day will be collected by the guide)