Day 1 - Los Angeles/Tokyo
Depart the USA via Singapore Airlines trans-Pacific flight for Tokyo. Cross the International Date Line en route.
Day 2 - Tokyo
Arrive at Narita Airport and transfer to your hotel. (Keio Plaza)
Day 3 - Tokyo
Half-day excursion includes a walk at the Imperial Palace Plaza, a drive-by through National Diet Building, a panoramic view of the city from Tokyo Tower's main deck, and visits to Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise shopping street. Remainder of the day at leisure to explore the city on your own. (B)
Day 4 - Tokyo
Full-day free for sightseeing on your own. (B)
Day 5 - Tokyo/Mt. Fuji/Hakone/Odawara
Depart via motorcoach for a scenic drive up the slope of Mt. Fuji to the Fifth Station and enjoy a spectacular view above the clouds at 7,546 feet above sea level. After lunch (Japanese-style set menu), drive to Lake Ashi, where you can take a short boat ride. Then take a ride up the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway to the mountaintop, the highest peak in Hakone, for a bird’s-eye view. Overnight stay in the coastal Odawara area. (Tenseien Odawara Station Annex) (B/L)
Day 6 - Odawara/Kyoto
Board a train to Kyoto. Lunch (Western-style) at a hotel. Afternoon, Kyoto tour that includes the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine; Sanjusangen-do Temple, which houses 1,001 life-size statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy; and Kyomizu-dera Temple, a World Heritage Site, with a superb view of Kyoto and a historic shopping lane leading to the temple. Overnight in Kyoto. (Rihga Royal) (B/L)
Day 7 - Kyoto and Nara
Full-day tour tour of Kyoto and Nara begins with the historic castle of Nijo, completed in 1626 and built to provide lodging for the powerful Tokugawa shogun. The elaborate carvings and decors in the Ninomaru Palace are a must-see. Also, see Kinkaku-ji Temple (known as the Golden Pavilion) and the Kyoto Imperial Palace. After lunch (a Western-style set menu), continue to Nara Park and visit Kasuga Taisha Shrine. This Nara Period shrine is designated as a Workd Heritage Site, and the deer of Nara Park are thought to be the shrine messengers. Transfer to Todaiji Temple, one of the world's lagest wooden structures, famous for its huge main hall, which houses an impressive bronze Great Buddha. After tour ends at Kyoto Station, return to your hotel. (B/L)
Day 8 - Hiroshima
Board a bullet train to Hiroshima. By ferry, head to scenic Myajima, a mountainous island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The ride offers an up-close view of Itsukushima Shrine's giant red torii gate. Continue to Itsukushima Shrine, established in the 6th century and one of Japan's finest. After lunch (not included), visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Travel back to Kyoto by bullet train. Transfer to your hotel in Kyoto. (B)
Day 9 – Kyoto/Tokyo
Today, transfer to train station and board a bullet train to Tokyo. Arrive and transfer to your hotel. (Keio Plaza) (B)
Day 10 - Tokyo/Los Angeles
Transfer to the airport for a flight to Los Angeles. Arrive home the same day. (B)
