Platinum East Asia’s Sun “Japan” (NRT-KIX) with THY: 6 nights Tokyo (3) – Hakone – Osaka (3) – Kyoto – Nara | All tours and entrance fees included

Platinum East Asia’s Sun “Japan” (HND-KIX) with THY

Tokyo (3 nights) – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Osaka (3 nights) – Kyoto – Kobe – Nara

6 nights 8 days | All tours and entrance fees included

Day 1 | Istanbul

Meeting at 22:55 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport. Overnight on the plane.

Day 2 | Istanbul – Tokyo

After ticket, baggage and passport procedures, flight to Tokyo at 01:55 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0300. Landing at Tokyo Narita Airport at 19:10 local time. After passport and baggage procedures, transfer from the airport to our hotel by our vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 3 | Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin the Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Asakusa Temple, also known as the Senso-Ji Temple, considered one of Tokyo’s oldest and most colorful temples and a Buddhist temple. The temple, also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), is highly popular with both tourists and locals. It is one of the rare temples in Tokyo that survived the bombings in the final year of World War II, and for this reason its original structure has remained intact. Built in 1649, the temple is said to have been constructed to honor three brothers who were deified after they supposedly found a statue of the goddess Kannon in a river. We will also see the shopping street in the area called Nakamise. After free time for lunch, we will visit the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. After that, we will tour Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most crowded districts. Shibuya, one of the city’s most important places for young people, stands out with its modern structure, cafes and world-famous stores. Return to our hotel after the tour. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 4 | Tokyo – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, departure for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. We will start our tour with Mount Fuji, 2.5 hours away. In 2013, Mount Fuji, which earned a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, 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 Honshu Island and on the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, Mount Fuji is only 100 kilometers from Tokyo and can be seen even from tall buildings in Tokyo on a clear day. After the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji, we will head to the town of Hakone. We begin our Hakone tour with the volcanic formation known as Owakudani Valley. Owakudani is a valley surrounding a crater formed about 3,000 years ago during the last eruption of Mount Hakone. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic region with sulfurous smoke, hot springs, and hot rivers. We will go up from Togendai by cable car and enjoy the view of this gorgeously beautiful valley. After free time for lunch, we will move on to Ashi Lake. After a pleasant boat ride on the lake, lasting about 30 minutes on 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.

Note: This morning, when leaving the hotel 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 Osaka before us and will reach us the next day.

Day 5 | Tokyo – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue the Tokyo tour. Our first stop 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 an old 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 area also became property of the royal family. Since most of the buildings were destroyed in World War II, the oldest items remaining in the palace today are only 50 years old. Then we 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 electronics stores of different kinds, from small street stalls to huge shopping malls. After our tour in Akihabara, also known as the city of electronics, we give free time for lunch. After free time, we continue our tour in 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 Shinagawa train station. With the world’s first high-speed train, Shinkansen, we arrive at Shin-Osaka train station after a journey of approximately 3 hours. From there, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Day 6 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, departure for the Kyoto tour. After about a 1-hour journey, our first stop will be the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. This three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf is one of the most famous and well-known historical structures in Kyoto and has been recognized worldwide as a perfect example of the art of Kitayama garden design. Thanks to these features, it was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural asset of the former capital Kyoto. 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 and maple trees that burst into a colorful sea in spring and autumn. The main hall, built without using any nails along with the stage, houses the temple’s main object of worship, a small statue of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon. After free time for lunch, we will tour the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and tourist attraction. Surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, the path is often used together with the similar road Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow sloping road filled with about 60 shops and restaurants selling Kyoto’s traditional products and foods. There are also important shops where visitors can closely experience Japanese culture, including Ochaya (tea houses) where tea ceremonies are held, Geiko (the name given to geishas in Kyoto), and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) makeup. 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 our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Day 7 | Osaka – Kobe – Nara – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, departure for the Kobe tour and Nara tour. Our first stop on the Kobe tour will be the Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum (subject to being open). At Kiku-Masamune, which has adhered to the tradition of producing only dry sake since the Edo Period, we will see the stages of sake production and also taste it. Almost all the equipment in the museum is classified as “national tangible folk cultural property,” allowing visitors to learn more about the lives and work of sake producers. Then we continue our tour with the 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 departure for 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. Founded 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 called the deer park of Nara. After the park, we will continue with the Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji is not only the world’s largest wooden structure, but also houses the world’s largest Buddha statue, known in Japanese as Daibutsu. At the end of our tour, return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Day 8 | Osaka – Istanbul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue with the Osaka tour . Our first stop will be the Osaka Castle, built in the 16th century and played an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located in a park covering an area of about two square kilometers, which includes abundant green spaces, sports facilities, a multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall), and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park often becomes one of Osaka’s most popular spots during cherry blossom season, which usually occurs in early April. After free time for lunch, we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka’s entertainment center. After the visits to Dotonbori and the city’s main shopping district Shinsaibashi, transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport. After ticket, baggage and passport procedures, flight to Istanbul at 22:45 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0087. Overnight on the plane.

Day 9 | Osaka – Istanbul

Landing at Istanbul Airport at 05:50 local time and the end of our tour. We say goodbye until we meet again on our next distinguished and enjoyable trip.

Abbreviations: [B] = Breakfast, [L] = Lunch, [D] = Dinner