Cherry Blossom small group tour from Vancouver

AC3 Depart from Vancouver (YVR), March 20, 2024 at 14:05
Arrive at Narita (NRT), March 21, 2024 at 16:2

AIRPORT TRANSFER
Upon arrival at Narita International Airport (NRT), transfer by airport bus to the group hotel in central Tokyo.

Enjoy the day at leisure.

TOKYO FULL DAY TOUR
Today the group will spend the day exploring Tokyo like a local would. You will ride local trains and subways to efficiently get around the city visiting the neighbourhoods of Shibuya, Asakusa and Ginza.
Learn how to purify yourself at the entrance of Meiji-jingu shrine. Stroll down colorful Takeshita street in Harajuku with its youthful fashionable atmosphere and Kawaii culture. You may even run into some cosplayers all decked out as their favourite anime character. Next is the elegant tree lined neighbourhood of Omotesando with its high style buildings and unique architecture housing designer luxury boutiques.
The Asakusa traditional district in the northwest section of the city boasts the magnificent Senso-ji temple and its five story pagoda. Here, incense burning worshippers are oblivious to the selfie taking tourists. Let our guide help translate the good fortunes printed on your Omikuji and save as a souvenir of Tokyo. Some shopping time for souvenirs or Japanese rice crackers is in order along Nakamise shopping street which leads to the outer gate of the temple. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in the neighbouhood.
A short walk, with magnificent views of the Tokyo Skytree in the background, leads you to the Sumida river where you will board a water taxi and enjoy views of Tokyo on both river banks as you cruise down the river. The group disembarks at Hamrikyu gardens where you will take the subway to the entertainment, dining and upmarket shopping district of Ginza. Here you will find the flagship stores of major Japanese and International brands. After exploring Ginza, you will head back to your hotel.
After a short rest and refresh at the hotel, the group will head out on foot to a local restaurant where you will enjoy a welcome dinner.

FULL DAY EXCURSION TO MT. FUJI AND HAKONE
This morning our group will head South West of Tokyo by train for about 100km to Hakone, part of the Fuji, Hakone, Izu National Park. Hakone is famous amongst the locals for its hot springs and magnificent views of Mount Fuji.
From Odawara station, board the scenic Hakone Tozan train which climbs the steep mountainside through numerous switchbacks. The tracks end at Gora station where you now switch to a cable car to continue the climb to our highest point at Sounzan. Next you will board the Hakone Ropeway gondola traversing the Okuwadani valley with views of the active sulphuric hotsprings below. The 30-minute gondola ride ends at Togendai station on the shores of lake Ashinoko.
You continue your exploration of the area on a scenic boat ride across Lake Ashinoko with spectacular views of Mount Fuji (weather permitting). After disembarking, you will head back by bus to Odawara and connect onto the train back to Tokyo.

DAY AT LEISURE
Free day to explore on your own.

TOKYO EVENING TOUR
Tokyo comes alive as the sun sets and takes on a totally different atmosphere. Tonight our group will head out for an evening guided tour of Tokyo.
First stop will be Shibuya where you will get to join the thousands of people who cross the Shibuya scramble crossing each time the pedestrian light turns green. You will then head to Shinjuku and explore the neon lit streets of Kabukicho where you may even spot Godzilla, the eating alleys of Omoide Yokocho and the drinking alleys of Golden Gai.
For dinner tonight, you will enjoy one of Japan’s quintessential experience at a local Izakaya which is loosely defined as a casual drinking establishment, similar to a tapas bar where customers order a variety of small dishes of food that can be shared at the table.

BULLET TRAIN FROM TOKYO TO KANAZAWA
You say goodbye to Tokyo today as you travel by bullet train for the approximately 3-hour ride to Kanazawa.

KANAZAWA HALF DAY TOUR
Upon arrival in Kanazawa, the group will visit Omicho market with its many stalls full of sea creatures fresh out of the Sea of Japan. Omicho market has over 170 shops providing the locals including restaurant chefs with fresh fish, meat, oysters, pickles, produce, sweets, sake, coffee and more. Lunch will be at a local restaurant by the market.
Next stop is the well preserved historic Higashi Chaya district. The beautiful wooden chayas (tea houses) were the venues where Geishas once entertained nobility and rich merchants. The number of Geishas have dwindled over the years but there remains a few active tea houses here where Geishas still entertain their well off clients on a nightly basis. Our tour director will point them out to you.
One of the symbols of Ishikawa is the gold leaf, extremely thin leaves of gold used decoratively on handicrafts or ornaments. You will have the opportunity to learn about the gold leaf process and get hands on and decorate own choice of chopsticks, small plate or mirror with gold leaf as a unique souvenir of Kanazawa.

KANAZAWA FULL DAY TOUR
Together with our local guide, you will spend the day exploring Kanazawa by local transportation including hopping on and off a loop bus.
Kenrokuen Garden is a strolling park-like Japanese landscape garden. The garden invokes all six design elements of spaciousness, seclusion, serenity, subtleness, panoramas and water courses. Take in the historic atmosphere of the Nagamachi Samurai District as you walk the narrow lanes flanked by the traditional residences where the Samurais and their families lived during the Edo period. Visit the restored Nomura Samurai house and its exquisite tiny garden best viewed from the second floor tea room. Explore the outdoor installations of the futuristic looking 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.
Lunch is included today at a local restaurant.

VISIT SHIRAKAWAGO AND TRANSFER TO KAGA ONSEN
The group will leave Kanazawa this morning and head to the mountains to visit Shirakawago. The village contains 114 thatched roofed gassho style houses and was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995. The house are called gassho style houses because the steep triangular roof resembles “gassho” - hands meeting in prayer. You will have some free time to meander around the paths and rice fields surrounding the houses.
After Shirakawago, you will travel to the hotspring town of Kaga. If time allows, the group will visit Kakusenkyo Gorge before checking in to your Ryokan. Now is relaxation time, change into your yukata and enjoy the hotspring baths. Dinner tonight will be a feast for you eyes and your palate of traditional Japanese fare sourced from local ingredients.

TRAVEL TO KYOTO BY TRAIN
Upon checking out, board the Ryokan’s shuttle bus to the station and board the train for the approximately 2-hour ride to Kyoto.

KYOTO HALF DAY TOUR
Upon arrival in Kyoto, you will head south to Fushimi Inari Taisha. This shrine dedicated to the Shinto God of rice is famous for its thousands of vermillion colored torii gates leading through the wooded forest to Mount Inari. Next, you will visit Kiyomizudera (pure water) temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. Make your way up to the wooden stage of the main hall with beautiful views of city of Kyoto and the surrounding mountains.
The tour ends in Gion, the most famous Geisha neighborhood of Kyoto. Here you will see the many well preserved traditional wooden houses (machiya) of old Japan, many of which are tea houses where Geishas entertain their well to do clientele.
After the tour you can head back to the hotel with the tour director or you can remain in the area and further explore the area around Gion. You will be given instructions on how to get back to the hotel on your own.

FULL DAY EXCURSION TO HIROSHIMA
Our guide will meet you upon arrival in Hiroshima, then take a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island. Walk around the island and visit Itsukushima Shrine. The name Itsukushima literally means ’island of worship’ and from ancient times the island itself was worshipped as a god. The mystical Itsukushima Shrine built on the water was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1996. After exploring Miyajima, back to Hiroshima and visit the Atomic Bomb Dome with the Peace and Memorial park. For lunch, your guide will take you to a local Okonomiyaki restaurant. Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) is the most famous as Hiroshima’s soul food.

KYOTO FULL DAY TOUR
Today the group will spend the day in the foothills of Northern and Western Kyoto. You will visit Kinkaku-ji, a Zen temple also known as the Golden Pavilion. The top two floors of the building completely covered in gold leaf. The tour director will lead you through the beautiful gardens to the tea house where you will exit the temple.
A short walk down the street is Ryoan-ji. The attraction of this temple is its famous rock garden with its deceptively simple and clever arrangement of 15 stones. After some contemplative moments at the rock garden, you will leave the area and travel to the western side of Kyoto.
In Arashiyama, you will tour Tenryu-ji Zen temple with one of the finest gardens in Kyoto. You will exit the temple by the north gate which brings you right onto the famous verdant bamboo groves of Arashiyama.

Take the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo Narita airport for your flight home.

AC4 Depart from Narita (NRT), April 1st, 2024 at 16:40
Arrive at Vancouver (YVR), April 1st, 2024 at 09:25