Platinum East Asia’s Sun and Flower “Japan and South Korea” (HND-ICN) with Turkish Airlines, 9 nights Tokyo (3) - Hakone - Osaka (3) - Kyoto - Nara - Seoul (3) | All tours and entrance fees included

Platinum East Asia’s Sun and Flower “Japan and South Korea” (HND-ICN) with THY

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

9 nights 11 days | All tours and entrance fees included

 

Day 1 | Istanbul

Meeting at 23:30 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport. Our overnight stay will be on the plane.

 

Day 2 | Istanbul – Tokyo

After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we depart for Tokyo at 02:30 on Turkish Airlines flight TK0198. Landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport at 19:45 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. Our overnight stay in Tokyo will be at the 4* Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel (or similar).

 

Day 3 | Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin our Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be Asakusa Temple, also known as Senso-Ji Temple, a Buddhist temple considered one of Tokyo’s oldest and most colorful temples. The temple, also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), attracts great interest from both tourists and locals. It is one of the few temples that survived the bombings in the final year of World War II, and for this reason, the original structure of the building has remained unchanged. Built in 1649, the temple is said to have been constructed to honor the three brothers who were deified for allegedly finding a statue of the goddess Kannon in a river. We will also see the shopping street called Nakamise in the area. After free time for lunch, we will visit 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. Known as one of the city’s most important areas for young people, Shibuya stands out with its modern structure, cafés, and world-famous stores. Return to our hotel after the tour. Our overnight stay in Tokyo will be at the 4* Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel (or similar).

 

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

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. We start our tour with Mount Fuji, about 2.5 hours away. In 2013, Mount Fuji was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List and 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 even be seen from tall buildings in Tokyo on a clear day. After the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji, we head toward the town of Hakone. We begin our Hakone tour with Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is the valley around a crater formed about 3,000 years ago during the last eruption of Mount Hakone. Today, much of the region is an active volcanic area with sulfurous fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers. Taking the cable car up from Togendai, we will enjoy the view of this wonderfully beautiful valley. After free time for lunch, we proceed to Lake Ashi. After an enjoyable boat ride of about 30 minutes on the lake by wooden pirate boat, we return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Our overnight stay in Tokyo will be at the 4* Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel (or similar).

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 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, 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. After that, we continue our tour with a visit to Akihabara, one of Tokyo’s world-famous districts. Akihabara is an extremely crowded shopping district known for its electronics stores of various 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 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 Shinagawa train station. With the world’s first high-speed train, Shinkansen, we arrive at Shin-Osaka train station after a journey of about 3 hours. From here, transfer to our hotel by vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. Our overnight stay in Osaka will be at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 6 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kyoto tour. After about a 1-hour journey, our first stop will be 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 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural asset of the former capital Kyoto. We will continue our tour with 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 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 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 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. It also has important shops where visitors can closely experience Japanese culture, including Ochaya (tea houses) where tea ceremonies are held, and 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. Our overnight stay in Osaka will be at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel.

 

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

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kobe tour and Nara tour. On our Kobe tour, our first stop will be the Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum (subject to being open). At Kiku-Masamune, which has maintained the tradition of producing only dry sake since the Edo Period, we will both see the stages of sake production and taste it. Nearly all of the equipment in the museum is classified as a “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 have free time for lunch. After lunch, we depart 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. 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 called Deer Park Nara. After the park, we will continue with 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. Our overnight stay in Osaka will be at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 8 | Osaka – Seoul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out and continue with 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 covering an area of about two square kilometers, including abundant green spaces, 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 cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in early April. After free time for lunch, we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka’s entertainment center. At the end of the Dotonbori and the city’s main shopping district Shinsaibashi visits, transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we depart for Seoul at 18:10 on Korean Air flight KE726. Landing at Seoul Incheon Airport at 20:25 local time. After our passport and baggage procedures, transfer to our hotel by vehicle. We complete check-in and settle into our rooms. Our overnight stay in Seoul will be at the 4* Hotel Samjung Gangnam (or similar).

 

Day 9 | Seoul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Seoul tour. Our first stop will be Gyeongbokgung Palace. Built in 1395, the palace is considered the largest, as well as the most beautiful and 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. This village, a residential area of expanding Seoul, is famous for 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, which has many shops and restaurants, our next stop will be the Insa-dong district. The lively Insa-dong centers on the main street closed to vehicle traffic. The street is full of tea houses and Korean restaurants, as well as shops selling traditional items such as pottery, tea, and handmade “hanji” paper. In the unusual Ssamziegil Complex, there are cafés and stairs leading to a rooftop terrace, with the walls decorated with paintings. At Hakgojae Gallery, modern art works are exhibited. At the end of our tour, return to our hotel. Our overnight stay in Seoul will be at the 4* Hotel Samjung Gangnam (or similar).

 

Day 10 | Seoul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart to complete our DMZ (Korean Demilitarized Zone) tour. On this tour, where we will visit the military zone established on the border between North and South Korea, we will learn about Korean history and culture. After the military zone, Imjingak Park will be our second stop. Following the Freedom Bridge inside the park, used by North Korean prisoners of war who were sent back to their country, we will visit the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, discovered in 1978 and dug by North Korea 73 meters below the border. After exiting the tunnel, we will head toward the slope of Dora Mountain and visit the Dorasan Observatory built there. From the observatory, we will be able to see North Korean territory and the border line. Return to Seoul at the end of our visit. Following our return, our first stop will be N Seoul Tower, a communications 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 Bongeunsa Temple, which has a history of 1,200 years. Bongeunsa, considered a cornerstone of Korean Buddhism, is among the structures attracting tourists to the area with one of Seoul’s largest statues, Maitreya, and its library housing 3,479 sacred Buddhist texts. After that, 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. Our overnight stay in Seoul will be at the 4* Hotel Samjung Gangnam (or similar).

Note: Since the Korean Demilitarized Zone is a military area, there is a possibility that it may be closed on the day of the tour without prior notice. In this case, an alternative program will be arranged instead.

 

Day 11 | Seoul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and have free time until transfer time. Transfer to Seoul Incheon Airport at the transfer time announced by our guide. Our overnight stay will be on the plane.

 

Day 12 | Seoul – Istanbul

After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we depart for Istanbul at 00:10 on Turkish Airlines flight TK0091. Landing at Istanbul Airport at 05:55 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