- Day
- 1
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| Transfer by coach to hotel. Meet with guide. Late afternoon, a visit to Shinjuku district, Metropolitan Tower. |
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- Day
- 2
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| In the morning take part in a Tokyo city morning tour, drive by Imperial Palace, visit Yasukuni Jinja shrine, Akihabara, Kokugikan – the Sumo stadium and Sensoji temple in Asakusa. Afternoon free. |
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- Day
- 3
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| Today embark on a tour to Nikko visiting, Toshogu Shrine, Taiyuinbyo Mausoleum, followed by a walk near the river in Kanmanga Fuchi. Free time in the city centre before leaving for Sendai, a modern bustling city. Tonight explore Sendai, thriving city centre. |
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- Day
- 4
| Sendai – Matshushima – Hiraizumi – Morioka |
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| Depart for the marvellous city of Matsushima “Thousand Islands” Bay in the Pacific Ocean and considered one of the most attractive cities in Japan. Visit a tea house overlooking the sea, then take a cruise on the bay. Free time to visit the historical museum, temples or take a walk to the islands which are connected by pedestrian bridges. Continue to Hiraizumi to visit its temples and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Takkoku no Iwaya, followed by a visit to the magnificent Buddhist temples of Chusonji. Take time to relax in the gardens of Motsuji temple and part take in a Zen ceremony. Then carry onto Morioka, the capital of Iwate province. |
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- Day
- 5
| Morioka – Towada – Aomori – Hakodate |
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| Travel through beautiful scenery to Towada and visit the Towada Art Center. Then continue onto Aomori. Time for a visit to Nebuta Museum where we will learn about the Japanese festival tradition. Board the ferry to Hokkaido Island and ascend Mount Hakodate. |
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- Day
- 6
| Hakodate – Onuma – Noboribetsu – Sapporo |
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| Morning fish market visit then climb the Goryokaku Tower. Take a stroll through the castle area before continuing onto Onuma. In the afternoon journey towards the ocean and Noboribetsu, an impressive volcano site, admire the hot spring lake of Oyunuma and follow the path next to the hot spring to the site of the footbath. Then onto Sapporo. |
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- Day
- 7
Sapporo – Otaru – Sapporo
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| City tour of Sapporo city visiting the clock tower and Odori Koen avenue-park, Shinto shrine of Hokkaido Jingu, Shiroi Koibito, an attractive theme park and chocolate factory. Continue to Otaru, a small city with a European air and streets filled with shops, an old canal and tiny museums. Afternoon free. |
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- Day
- 8
| Sapporo – Toyako Onsen – Shiraoi – Tomakomai |
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| Amidst beautiful scenery in the interior of Hokkaido Island, pass lakes and mountains and eventually come to the spa city of Toyako, at the foot of an impressive volcano. Take a cable car to the summit of the Usu Volcano, then continue to journey along the coast to Shiraoi and visit Porotokotan, an open-air museum with information about the Ainu culture, a people of Eskimo origin that lived in the North of Japan. Here have the chance to see a traditional dance performance. Carry on to Tomakomai and take a modern ferry for a night crossing. Spend the night onboard crossing the Pacific Ocean. |
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- Day
- 9
Sendai – Bandai Plateau – Aizuwakamatsu
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| Reach Sendai port in the morning and continue to the Bandai Plateau, a beautiful National Park. Visit Goshiki Numa, with its five-coloured lakes. Continue to Aizuwakamatsu and visit the Samurai Mansion Aizu Bukeyashiki. |
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- Day
- 10
| Aizuwakamatsu – Ouchijuku – Nikko – Tokyo |
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| Continue through Ouchijuku, a pretty village with traditional thatched roof houses. Then continue back to Nikko and visit Edo Wonderland, a theme park that recreates life during the Edo period. Free time in the city centre before returning to Tokyo where the tour will conclude. |
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