Platinum East Asia’s Red Dragon and Sun “China and Japan” (PEK-HND) with Turkish Airlines 10 nights Beijing (2) - Shanghai (2) - Osaka (3) - Kyoto - Kobe - Nara - Tokyo (3) - Hakone - Mount Fuji | All tours and entrance fees included | 1 dinner and 4 lunches included

The Platinum Red Dragon and Sun of East Asia “China and Japan” (PEK-HND) with THY

Beijing (2 nights) – Shanghai (2 nights) – Osaka (3 nights) – Kyoto – Nara – Kobe –Tokyo (3 nights) – Hakone – Mount Fuji

10 nights 12 days | All tours and entrance fees included | 1 dinner and 4 lunches included

 

Day 1 | Istanbul

Meeting at 22:40 in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport. Overnight on the plane.

 

Day 2 | Istanbul – Beijing | [D]

After our ticket, baggage and passport procedures, we fly to Beijing at 01:40 on Turkish Airlines flight TK0088. Arrival at Beijing Airport at 11:35 local time. After our passport and baggage procedures, we begin our Beijing tour with our vehicle from the airport. Our first stop will be Tiananmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world, located in the center of Beijing. It takes its name from the Gate of Heavenly Peace to the north, and China’s national ceremonies, flag-raising ceremony and various official events are held here. Around the square, which is a symbolic center in Chinese history both politically and culturally, are important structures such as the National Museum, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum and the Qianmen Gate in the south. After the tour, we head to a local restaurant where we will have dinner. At the end of our dinner, transfer to our hotel. We complete our check-in and settle into our rooms. Overnight in Beijing at our 4* Howard Johnson by Wyndham Paragon Hotel (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 3 | Beijing | [B, L]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our Beijing and Great Wall tour. We will go by vehicle to the Juyong Pass (Juyongguan Great Wall), one of the Great Wall sections closest to Beijing. The pass was used historically as an important military gateway and is located in a strategic valley. Because its scenery is surrounded by greenery, it is especially enjoyable in spring and autumn. Although it offers easier climbing options compared to other sections, some parts are quite steep. After our visit here, we will have lunch at a local restaurant in this area. After the meal, on our return to Beijing city center, we will go to the Olympic Stadium. After seeing and examining the stadium from the outside, we return to our hotel. Overnight in Beijing at our 4* Howard Johnson by Wyndham Paragon Hotel (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 4 | Beijing – Shanghai | [B, L]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Beijing tour. Our first stop will be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, completed in 1420 and known as the Forbidden City because public entry was prohibited for centuries. The place where Chinese emperors lived and ruled the country for 500 years is the world’s largest palace complex, with approximately 980 buildings and more than 8,700 rooms. At the end of our tour, we head to a local restaurant where we will have lunch. After the meal, transfer to the train station. With a high-speed train journey of approximately 5 hours, we arrive at Shanghai train station. From here, transfer to our hotel with our vehicle. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight in Shanghai at our 4* Starr Hotel Shanghai (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 5 | Shanghai | [B, L]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our Shanghai tour. Our first stop will be the Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai’s most important Buddhist temple. The temple was founded in 1882 and takes its name from two precious white jade Buddha statues, one seated and one reclining. Because these statues were brought to Shanghai from Myanmar, the temple has special significance. The temple architecture is in traditional Chinese Buddhist style, and it is still an active monastery used by monks. After our visit here, we will go to Yu Garden, a famous classical Chinese garden from the Ming Dynasty located in the city’s Old City area. The garden was built between 1559 and 1577 by an official named Pan Yunduan as a peaceful retreat for his family. It is full of ponds, bridges, stone structures, traditional pavilions and old trees, and contains the famous Exquisite Jade Rock. After this visit, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. After the meal, we continue our tour with The Bund, the famous waterfront along Shanghai’s Huangpu River. While known for its early 20th-century European-style colonial buildings, it also offers the city’s most iconic view together with the modern skyline of Pudong on the opposite bank. Our final stop on the tour will be Shanghai Tower. The tower was completed in 2015 and stands out with its rotating spiral design. At 632 meters high, it is China’s tallest building and one of the tallest in the world. It contains offices, hotels and some of the world’s fastest elevators. After viewing the panoramic cityscape from the observation areas on the 119th floors, we return to our hotel. Overnight in Shanghai at our 4* Starr Hotel Shanghai (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 6 | Shanghai – Osaka | [B, L]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Shanghai tour. First on our tour, we will go to Xintiandi, a stylish living and entertainment district where old Shikumen houses have been modernly restored. The area, an elegant and tourist-friendly place where historical texture blends with modern architecture, is full of cafes, restaurants, bars and boutique shops. Our next stop is Tianzifang, which offers a more bohemian and artistic atmosphere. After this creative neighborhood, famous for its narrow streets, art workshops, design shops and small cafes, our final stop is Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s most famous shopping street. With a wide range of shopping options from luxury brands to affordable stores, the street is also known as “China’s 5th Avenue.” At the end of our tour, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. After the meal, transfer to Shanghai Airport. After our ticket, baggage and passport procedures, flight to Osaka with Local Airlines. Arrival at Osaka Airport. After our passport and baggage procedures, transfer from the airport to our hotel. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight in Osaka at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 7 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our Kyoto tour. After approximately 1 hour of travel, 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 is recognized worldwide as a perfect example of Kitayama garden design art. Thanks to these features, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural asset of the ancient 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 Kyoto city in the distance, as well as many 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 the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon. After free time for lunch, we will stroll through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, the streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and tourist attraction. Surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, the road is often used together with a similar road, Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow sloping road lined 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, 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 our hotel. Overnight in Osaka at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 8 | Osaka – Kobe – Nara – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our Kobe tour and our 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. Almost 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 the meal, 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 the oldest parks in Japan. There are more than 1,200 wild Sika deer roaming freely in the park. Because of these deer, it is also known as Deer Park. After the park, we will continue with Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji is the world’s largest wooden structure and 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 in Osaka at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (or similar) hotel.

Note: This morning, when leaving the hotel for the tour, we need to 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 9 | Osaka – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Osaka tour . Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, built in the 16th century and which played an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located within a park covering an area of about two square kilometers in total and containing plenty of green space, sports facilities, a multi-purpose 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. 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 Shin-Osaka train station. With a journey of approximately 3 hours on the Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed train, we arrive at Tokyo Shinagawa station. From here, transfer to our hotel with our vehicle. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight in Tokyo at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 10 | Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin our Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Buddhist temple Asakusa Temple, also known as Senso-Ji Temple, considered one of Tokyo’s oldest and most colorful temples. Also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), the temple is highly popular with both tourists and locals. It is one of the few temples in Tokyo that survived the bombing attacks in the final year of World War II, and for this reason the original structure of the building has not been altered. Built in 1649, the temple was reportedly made to honor 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 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 busiest districts. Shibuya, one of the city’s most important places for young people, stands out with its developed structure, cafes and world-famous stores. After our tour, return to our hotel. Overnight in Tokyo at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 11 | Tokyo – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Mount Fuji and our Hakone tour. We will start our tour with Mount Fuji, 2.5 hours away. In 2013, Mount Fuji, which qualified to enter UNESCO’s World Heritage List, is considered the highest mountain in Japan and the country’s sacred symbol. Although Mount Fuji is generally thought of as a single mountain, it is actually made up of three separate volcanoes. Located on the island of Honshu and on the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, Mount Fuji is only 100 kilometers from Tokyo and can even be seen from high-rise buildings in Tokyo on a cloudless day. After the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji, we head toward the town of Hakone. We begin our Hakone tour with the volcanic formation Owakudani Valley. Owakudani is the valley 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 fumes, hot springs and hot rivers. We will take a cable car up from Togendai and enjoy the magnificent view of this beautiful valley. After free time for lunch, we move on to Lake Ashi. After a pleasant boat ride lasting about 30 minutes on the lake with a wooden pirate ship, we return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Overnight in Tokyo at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel.

 

Day 12 | Tokyo – Istanbul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we continue our Tokyo tour by completing our check-out procedures. 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, 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 place also became property of the royal family. Since most of the buildings were destroyed in World War II, the oldest remaining items 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 electronic stores of different kinds, from small street stalls to huge shopping centers. After our tour in Akihabara, also known as the city of electronics, we give free time for lunch. After the 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, depart for Tokyo Haneda Airport. After our ticket, baggage and passport procedures, flight to Istanbul at 21:45 on Turkish Airlines flight TK0199. Overnight on the plane.

 

Day 13 | Tokyo – Istanbul

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

 

Explanation of abbreviations: [B] = Breakfast, [L] = Lunch, [D] = Dinner