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

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

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

6 nights 8 days | All tours and entrance fees included

Day 1 | Istanbul

Meeting at 23:25 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport. Overnight on the plane.

Day 2 | Istanbul – Osaka

After ticketing, baggage and passport procedures, departure to Osaka at 02:25 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0086. Arrival at Osaka Kansai Airport at 19:05 local time. After our 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 hotel in Osaka.

Day 3 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, depart for the Kyoto tour. With about a 1-hour journey, our first stop in Kyoto 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 has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994 as an important cultural property of Kyoto's 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 Kyoto city in the distance, as well as numerous cherry and maple trees that burst into a colorful sea in spring and autumn. The main hall, built without using nails together with the stage, houses the temple's main object of worship, a small statue of Kannon with eleven faces and a thousand arms. After free time for lunch, we will visit the streets of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, which lead up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and a tourist attraction. Surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, it is often used together with a similar road, Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow sloping street 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, as well as Geiko (the name given to geishas in Kyoto) and Maiko (geiko apprentices) make-up. In the final part of our tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. At the end of our tour, return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Osaka.

Day 4 | Osaka – Nara – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, depart for the Nara tour. We start 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 the oldest parks in Japan. There are more than 1,200 wild Sika deer roaming freely in the park. Due to these deer, it is also known as the deer park of Nara. After the park, we will continue with Todai-ji Temple. Todai-ji is not only the world's largest wooden structure, but also houses the world's largest Buddha statue, called Daibutsu in Japanese. After free time for lunch, we will proceed to Kasuga-taisha Temple, our next stop in Nara. The temple was founded in 768 and has been rebuilt several times over the centuries. Its interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns as well as numerous stone lanterns. After that, we will go to Naramachi, Nara's old traditional district. The old wooden Japanese houses called Machiya, lined along narrow streets, now host museums, souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. At the end of our tour, return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Osaka.

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 Tokyo before us and will reach us the next day.

Day 5 | Osaka – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete check-out and begin the Osaka tour. Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, built in the 16th century and having played an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located within a park that covers an area of approximately two square kilometers in total and includes plenty of green space, 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 takes place in early April. Then we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka's entertainment center. After visits to Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, the city's main shopping district, we will give free time for lunch. After free time, transfer to Shin-Osaka train station. We arrive at Tokyo Shinagawa train station after approximately a 3-hour journey on the Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed train. From here, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our hotel in Tokyo.

Day 6 | Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin the Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Asakusa Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as the Senso-Ji Temple, considered one of Tokyo's oldest and most colorful temples. The temple, also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), is highly popular with both tourists and locals. It is one of the few temples in Tokyo that survived the bombing raids in the final year of World War II, and for this reason the original structure of the building has still not been altered. Built in 1649, the temple was reportedly made to honor the three brothers who were deified after they 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 the Shibuya district, one of Tokyo's busiest areas. One of the city's most important places for young people, Shibuya stands out with its developed structure, cafes, and world-famous stores. After our tour, return to the hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Tokyo.

Day 7 | Tokyo – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, depart for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. We will begin our tour with Mount Fuji, which is 2.5 hours away. In 2013, Mount Fuji, which earned the right to be included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, is regarded as Japan's highest mountain and the country's sacred symbol. Although Mount Fuji is generally thought of as a single mountain, it is actually composed of three separate volcanoes. Located on Honshu Island and situated 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, which we will reach using the fifth station (use of the fifth station may vary depending on weather conditions or may be completely canceled), we will set off toward the town of Hakone. We begin our Hakone tour with Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley located around a crater formed about 3,000 years ago during the last eruption of Mount Hakone. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic zone with sulfurous smoke, hot springs, and hot rivers. By taking the ropeway up from Togendai, we will enjoy the view of this magnificently beautiful valley. After free time for lunch, we will move on to Ashi Lake. After a pleasant boat trip lasting about 30 minutes on the lake aboard a wooden pirate ship, we will return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Overnight at our hotel in Tokyo.

Day 8 | Tokyo – Istanbul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete check-out 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 Imperial family's private residences, archives, museum and administrative offices. 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 place also became the 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 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 various electronics stores, from small street stalls to very large shopping centers. After our tour in Akihabara, also known as the electronic 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, full of luxury boutiques as well as first-class cocktail and sushi bars. At the end of our tour , transfer to Tokyo Haneda Airport. After our ticketing, baggage and passport procedures, departure to Istanbul at 21:45 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0199. Overnight on the plane.

Day 9 | Tokyo – Istanbul

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

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