Departure city
Valencia
Day 1: VALENCIA - ESTAMBUL - OSAKA.
Meeting at Manises Airport at 4:30 p.m. Check-in and boarding for the Turkish Airlines flight at 6:55 p.m. Layover at Istanbul Airport. Departure of the flight to Osaka. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 2
Arrival at 7:00 p.m. at Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Transfer to NARA. This city became the capital of Japan in 710 AD and remained so until 794 AD. The Buddhist religion had reached Japan shortly before and its clergy became so powerful that the emperor grew afraid and moved the capital to Kyoto to distance himself from them. Nara has preserved all its heritage and is one of the most traditional cities in the country. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 3
Breakfast. Visit to the historic center of NARA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. We will visit the TODAIJI TEMPLE, the most famous as it houses one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in Japan. This temple is set within the PARK OF SACRED DEER, protected and revered by Shintoists; these deer live around the temple and roam the grounds freely. We continue to the KOFUKU-JI TEMPLE and its GREAT FIVE-STORY PAGODA; this temple was founded by Kagaminookimi, the first wife of Emperor Tenji, who sought through this construction for her beloved husband to regain his health. In the afternoon, transfer to Kyoto. Its historical importance stems from the fact that between 794 and 1868 it was the capital of Japan, hosting the seat of the Imperial Court and other institutions. Although politically it was relegated to the background when the capital moved to Tokyo, historically it is the most relevant city in the country. We begin our visit with its most famous temple, KINKAKUJI, also called the Golden Pavilion because the temple is covered in gold leaf and its two upper floors are coated with pure gold leaf. It is one of the most beautiful temples in the country, both for its garden and its main temple built in 1397 as a rest villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 4
Breakfast. We begin the day with the famous ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO FOREST. In this spectacular forest we find around 50 varieties of bamboo that inhabit it. Some exceed 20 meters in height, filtering the entry of sunlight. The wind passes between the bamboo stalks, endowing the surroundings with a particular sound that makes the walk unforgettable. Later we will stroll through the MARUYAMA-KOEN garden and visit the YASAKA-JINJA shrine, one of the most revered in the city by Shintoists and the main temple of the GION district, one of Japan's most traditional geisha neighborhoods. Full of historic, ancient buildings, small parks, restaurants, and tea houses, walking through its streets is like returning to medieval Japan, where geishas stroll calmly through its alleyways.
Day 5
Breakfast. We will get to know one of the most charismatic places in the city of KYOTO. We start with the famous FUSHIMI INARI-TAISHA SHRINE, especially known for the thousands of red torii gates, the traditional Japanese arch, that delimit the path up the hill where the shrine is located. Shintoists climb to the top of the mountain to make wishes and enjoy its views. It is one of Kyoto's most beautiful places and one of Japan's symbols. We will head to the modern neighborhood around the NISHIKI market. Thousands of shops, each more striking and picturesque in this more modern and traditional area. Next, we will go to GION for free time to immerse ourselves in traditional Japan, where we can buy typical Japanese products or rent a kimono.
Day 6
Breakfast. In the morning, we will visit the GINKAKU-JI Buddhist temple. Planned as a retirement place around 1460, although the agreed purpose for the construction was to serve as a Buddhist temple. After this visit, we will continue to the KIYOMIZU-DERA Buddhist temple. Surrounded by an excellent forest, this UNESCO World Heritage temple is another of Kyoto's great beauties. The temple dates from 778, although the current buildings were constructed in 1633. From the mountain where the temple was built, we will have one of the best views of the city. In the afternoon, transfer to the city of HAMAMATSU, walk and dinner. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 7
Breakfast. Transfer to the city of HAKONE, where we will enjoy one of the natural spots most visited by the Japanese, LAKE ASHI. Its mountainous region where on clear days one can observe the magnificent view of the world's most photographed mountain, MOUNT FUJI. We will take the KOMAGATAKE mountain cable car to have the best views of the region and contemplate the smoke from the still active volcano. We will take a boat ride on LAKE ASHI while admiring the beauty of the nature surrounding us.
Day 8
Breakfast. Capital established in 1868 when during the Meiji Restoration the emperor moved to Edo Castle, present-day Tokyo, and turned it into the Imperial Palace of Japan. We start the day visiting ODAIBA, an artificial island with the most spectacular shopping centers and two truly curious elements that will make us wonder if we are in Japan's capital or New York: Tokyo's STATUE OF LIBERTY and the RAINBOW BRIDGE, a copy of the Brooklyn Bridge. We continue to the GINZA DISTRICT, one of the city's most exclusive areas on the way to the famous TSUKIJI FISH MARKET, the largest in the world where 3,000 tons of fish move daily. In the afternoon, we head to one of Tokyo's most traditional streets, NAKAMISE street, where time seems to have stopped to see the SENSOJI TEMPLE. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, dedicated to the goddess Kannon and the most visited in the country, with over 20 million Japanese visiting it each year, highlighted by its incredible 5-story pagoda 55 meters tall. We end the day ascending the TOKYO SKY TREE. At 634 meters tall, its silver exterior steel mesh structure transitions from a triangle at the base to a circle at 300 meters altitude. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 9
Breakfast. In the morning, we will visit RIKUGIEN GARDEN. Rikugien, one of Tokyo's most beautiful metropolitan parks, means Garden of the Six Principles of Poetry and was built between 1695 and 1702. This beautiful garden features a small pond, trees, and a hill. Later, we will go up to the viewpoint of the METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING, Tokyo's city hall, located at 202 meters high, offering a spectacular view of the city. In the afternoon, we head to the SHINJUKU neighborhood. Currently the most cosmopolitan and lively area of Tokyo, its streets are the epitome of modernity. To end the day, we will do a nighttime visit to the ROPPONGI neighborhood, one of Japan's capital's quintessential nightlife districts, where numerous restaurants and pubs await us, and which also houses the famous TOKYO TOWER modeled after the Eiffel Tower. Transfer to the hotel.
Day 10
Desayuno. Por la mañana visita del santuario sintoísta más grande de Tokyo, el MEIJI-JINGU. Dedicado al emperador Meiji y a la emperatriz Shoken, fue construido en 1920, bombardeado durante la II Guerra Mundial y reconstruido en 1958. La elevada torii (puerta del santuario) de madera de 12 mtrs que señala la entrada se creó con un ciprés taiwanés de 1500 años de antigüedad. Continuaremos por la calle TAKESHITA, una de las más curiosas de la capital, también llamada la calle de “Lady Gaga” por su originalidad y sus numerosas tiendas “frikis”. Tanto las tiendas, como las personas que lo visitan son de lo más original y variopinto. Continuaremos con el famoso cruce de SHIBUYA. La intersección de Shibuya se compone de cinco pasos de peatones sincronizados, es decir, todos los peatones cruzan a la vez, convirtiendo al lugar en el cruce más transitado del mundo. Ha sido inmortalizado en películas como “Lost in Translation”. Es también donde se encuentra la estatua del perro HACHIKO, que tras la muerte de su amo siguió yendo cada día a esperarle a la estación. Traslado al hotel.
Day 11
Breakfast. Free day or optional excursion to NIKKO. It is one of Japan's main tourist destinations, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, shortly before a Japanese National Park (1934) and much earlier (8th-17th centuries) one of Japan's most important Buddhism centers. We will visit the TOSHOGU SHRINE, mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, built in 1637 by his grandson Iemitsu, much more grandiose than the original idea. Eight of the buildings have been declared National Treasures. The temples are ornamented with polychrome sculptures with incredible details. The Yomeimon gate, 11 meters high and adorned with 500 natural and animal motifs, is Nikko's symbol. We continue our visit to NIKKO NATIONAL PARK, which spans 1,400 km². The most famous scenic spots are LAKE CHUZENJI and KEGON WATERFALLS with a 100-meter drop. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Day 12
Breakfast. We will head to the Chiyoda neighborhood where we will find the old Edo Castle, now the IMPERIAL PALACE, the official residence of the Emperor after the Meiji Restoration. Next, we will see the INTERNATIONAL FORUM. This impressive building by architect Rafael Viñoly is a privileged space for hosting international events and cultural exchanges. We will end the afternoon in the technological neighborhood of AKIHABARA where we will find the country's most important electronics stores and have free time for shopping. Transfer to catch our return flight to Valencia. Departure from Tokyo Narita at 9:55 p.m. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 13
Arrival at Istanbul International Airport and after a short layover, departure of our flight at 8:00 a.m. with arrival in Valencia at 11:00 a.m. End of the trip.
