CLASSICAL KOREA AND JAPAN - 18 DAYS

Meals

• Arrival at Incheon international airport, meet and greet by our driver.
• Transfer and check in to the hotel.
• Move to the morndern and efficient underground (we will be taught to use this public transport) to City Hall to see this building shaped like a tsunami.
• Then, visit the Deoksugung palace, which is lit up at night and which allows us to appreciate the tradition and modernity of this country together.
• Later, head to the district of Myeongdong (the largest and busiest shopping area in Korea) dinner is included in a local restaurant.
• Move to the hotel.
• Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, we have a city tour of Seoul (5 hours)
• Visit the Changdeokgung (This is a World Heritage Site formed by a group of palaces inside a large park).
• Then visit the Bukchon Hanok Village (a traditional historical neighbourhood with tiny houses) and visit War Memorial an impressive war museum that tells of the different conflicts suffered by Korea during its history.
• Later continue to Gangnam District, one of the busiest areas of the city, where there are numerous shopping and leisure centres.
• Then stop at Lotte World Tower, an impressive 550 m building where there will be time to climb the tower (entrance not included) or stroll in the park or around the luxury shopping centres (lunch included in a local restaurant).
• Return to the center, free time at leisure on your own.
• Move to the hotel.
• Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• Proceed to Gyeongbokgung Palace (an impressive palace that is 600 years old)
• Move to the city of SUWON, then visit the World Heritage Site famous for its walls Heritage of Mankind.
• Proceed to the Samsung innovation Museum (to learn about the history of this famous technological company
• Proceed to the Hwaseon Haenggung (the summer palace).
• Post lunch, proceed to JEONJU and explore the fascinating old town with its tiny houses, traditional shops, and art galleries.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.
• Note: - The visit to the Samsung Innovation Museum is not always guaranteed. In case it is not possible, Samsung D´Light will be visited instead.

Meals

• Post breakfast, proceed to Haeinsa (a Buddhist temple built in the year 802 where we discover the Tripitaka).
• Then visit the temple and the museum on the Tripitaka.
• Proceed to DAEGU where we see the market of traditional medicines with its different herbs, and the museum of oriental medicine (Lunch included).
• Head to Busan (the second largest city in Korea), Spending time in the Doosan Haeundae complex (its more than 300 m skyscraper and its sports marina)
• Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
• Proceed to the Haedong Yonggung (14th century Buddhist temple located by the sea).
• Return to Busan. Then visit the memorial to the United Nations with its cemetery where people from numerous countries are buried.
• Then explore the largest fish market in the country, which is alongside Nampo port (lunch included).
• Later, walk from there to Yongdusan park with its immense 120m pagoda.
• Free afternoon to explore at your own.
• Later, crossing the Sea of Japan by a ferry.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.
• Note: we occasionally take a quick ferry leaving Busan at 15:00 and arriving in Fukuoka at 17:30 due to the vessel's restricted capacity in double cabins. border crossing.

Meals

• Today we cross the border after docking at Shimoneseki’s port (breakfast is not included).
• Proceed to the Iwakuni, enroute stop at the stunning Kintai-Kyo Bridge.
• Continue the journey to Miyajimaguchi, then board a ferry to Miyajima (where we take a ferry to Miyajima)
• visit the temple, and walk through the town’s charming centre.
• Post lunch, proceed to Hiroshima (the place where an atomic bomb detonated in 1945, destroying the whole city).
• Dinner at local Restaurant.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• Move to the Shikoku Island by ferry.
• We will ride the cable car to Matsuyama’s beautiful castle.
• Later, visit to Ishiteji (a beautiful Buddhist temple and a place of pilgrimage).
• Lunch is included.
• Move to DOGO ONSEN (admission included), a traditional Japanese bath facility built in the 19th century.
• Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• Head to Kotohira, then visit Shinto shrine (dedicated to the God of sailors and a place of pilgrimage) which is on Mount Zosu and is reached by climbing 785 steps.
• Arrival at Takamatsu, then visit the Ritsurin (one of the most beautiful gardens)
• Post lunch, proceed to NARUTO (cross a stunning sea bridge, route to admire the building and walk on its glass floor with the water 45 metres below us)
• Wonderful landscape surrounds our roads as it travels across long seaside bridges connecting islands
• Arrival at Kobe
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
• Proceed to the Earthquake Memorial Museum in Kobe (place to remind the tragic seism that devastated the city in 1995 and its perfect reconstruction)
• Move to Osaka.
• Upon arrival proceed to Mount Koya (one of Japan's holiest mountains and the country's principal Shingon Buddhist centre).
• Visit the Okuno Mausoleum (a huge cemetery in the middle of nowhere with more than 200,000 burials)
• Head to the 1593-built Kongobuji Temple
• Spending time at Buddhist monastery (we will have Zen meditation session with Monks) dinner is included (vegetarian food).
• If you want, there is a religious service in the morning at the temple.
• Note: We consider the sojourn at the monastery as an experience of great existential value. The rooms at this place are modest, without bathrooms, in the traditional Japanese style with tatamis. Bathrooms are communal.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Japanese temple.
• Move to Kyoto.
• Then visit Marvellous Shinto Shrine of Fushimi Inari, The Imperial Palace and Kinkakuji Temple, the golden pavilion” and its wonderful gardens.
• Free time, then visit to the Gion (a busy traditional quarter famous for its Geisha)
• Free time at leisure on your own (Note: If you already visited Kyoto on your circuit, our guide would offer you information and advice on visiting the other parts of the city unaccompanied.)
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, transfer to Tokyo by Bullet train.
• Later afternoon, visit to the Shinjuku district by taking a trip on the metro (tickets included), Observe the effective collective transportation system in the Shinjuku district. One of the most significant areas for nightlife is Shinjuku.
• Dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• After breakfast, proceed to a city tour of Tokyo and visit the Zojoji Temple (take a beautiful photograph of the Tokyo Tower) and the hundreds of Jizos.
• Then, we head to the junction of Shibuya (junction that is said to be the most crowded in the world).
• Move to the Meiji Temple (dedicated to the emperor Meiji, his wife, and their spirits).
• We continue to the elegant street of Omotesando, then walk around the gardens and the most stunning area of the Imperial Palace.
• Then, visit the famous Nijubashi Bridge.
• Head our journey through the district of Akihabara, the “electric town” then move to Kokugikan, the Sumo stadium, home of this Japanese sport.
• Then, visit the Buddhist temple of Sensoji, the oldest and most important temple in Tokyo.
• Later, we will have some free time to visit the traditional commercial street of Nakamise in the district of Asakusa (Lunch included).
• Return to hotel. Afternoon free time at your own.
• Overnight stay at hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, arrival at Nikko and visit the impressive Nikko Toshogu Shrine with the room of the crying dragon.
• Then visit the Taiyuinbyo Mausoleum, followed by a walk near the river in Kannaga Fuchi.
• Free time in City Centre at your own.
• Later, procced to the Sendai, (a modern, thriving metropolis with a population of over 1 million).
• Dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, arrival at the City of Matshushima on the “thousand Island” (one of the most attractive cities in Japan and Bay in the Pacific Ocean).
• Proceed to the “tea house” (overlooking the sea and enjoy a cup of traditional tea). Then proceed to 50-minute cruise (lunch included).
• Continue to HiraizumI to visit its temples and the UNESCO World Heritage
• Then we visit the magnificent Buddhist temples of Chusonji
• Free time in the garden of Motsuiji temple, where passengers can take part in a Zen ceremony.
• Visit the site of Takkoku no Iwaya (carved in the rock in 801)
• Later, we proceed to Morioko the pleasant capital of Iwate province, where we settle in at the hotel.
• Free time to explore at your own.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, Head to Hiroaki (region of beautiful scenery).
• Then, move to Aomori (the provincial capital of the Bay of Mutsu).
• Visit the Nebuta Museum, will learn about the Japanese traditional parties that remind us of carnival, with their painted and lit up floats (lunch included in a local restaurant).
• Then we go through the ferry to Hokkaido Island (crossing takes just over three and a half hours).
• Arrival at Hakodate, we will ascend Mount Hakodate which has wonderful views by cable car.
• Spend some time admiring the influence of diverse cultures on the city's vibrant pedestrian zone (Russian Orthodox and Christian churches).
• Move to the hotel.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, proceed to the impressive and crowded fish market.
• Then we climb, the Guryokaku Tower (which offers breath-taking views and allows us to see Hakodate's star-shaped citadel)
• Proceed to stroll through castle area, then move on to Onuma.
• Free time to explore the various little islands in this fantastic tourist destination, take a boat cruise (Lunch included).
• Post lunch, proceed to the coast and NOBORIBETSU, a stunning volcano site.
• Then explore Jigoku Dani (Hell’s Valley).
• Follow the route close to the hot spring the footbath area after admiring the Oyunuma hot spring lake.
• End of the day arrival at Sapporo (the capital of north Japan).
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Post breakfast, we have a city tour(included), stopping at the clock tower and Odori Koen avenue-park, dominated by the telecommunications tower.
• Proceed to the beautiful Shinto shrine of Hokkaido Jingu, then visit the ceremonial Kito (prayer session).
• Move to Sapporo, Hill Of Buddha (The huge Buddha statue is kept on a hill covered in lavenders, and inside the compound are duplicates of the Moai statues)
• Then we continue to Otaru, a small city with a European air and streets filled with shops, an old canal, and tiny museums, (Lunch included).
• Post lunch, Return to Sapporo.
• Free time and leisure to explore at your own.
• Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Meals

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• check out and transfer to the airport to board the flight back home with beautiful memories.

• Europamundo General Services: Travel by bus with English speaking guide, basic travel insurance and breakfast buffet.
• Includes arrival transfer
• City tour in: Seoul, Kyoto, Tokyo, Sapporo
• Excursion: Otaru and Hill of Buddha
• Boat: Cruise in Matshushima
• Evening transfer: Myeongdong quarter in Seoul, Traditional quarter of Gion , Shinjuku
• Ticket admission: Metro, Changdeokgung Palace, War Memorial in Seoul , Qyeongbokgung Palace , Hwaseong Haenggung, Samsung Innovation Museum not always guaranteed; , Hanok Village , Buddhist Temple , Haedong Yonggung, U.N. Memorial and Yongdusan Park , Kintaikyo in Iwakuni , Itsukushima Temple , Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima , Dogo Onsen, Ishiteji Temple , Shinto shrine , Ritsurin Garden , Naruto Brigde , Earthquake Memorial Museum , Okuno Mausoleum,Kongobuji Temple and Ajikan or Zazen meditation in Mount Koya , Shrine of Fushimi Inari, Imperial Palace, Kinkaku-ji Temple , Metro , Zojoji Temple, Meiji Temple, Sensoji Temple , Tshogu Temple in Nikko, Taiyuinbyo Mausoleum , Traditional tea in Matshushima , Chusonji, Zen practice in Montsuiji, Takkoku no Iwaya Temple , Castle , Nebuta Museum in Aomori , Goryokaku Tower in Hakodate , Sanctuary of Hokkaido Jingu and Kito prayer session , Ainu Village Museum (Pirko Kotan)
• Ferry: Busan Shimonoseki (night ferry), Hiroshima- Miyajima , Hiroshima- Matsuyama , Aomori  Hakodate (Hokkaido Island)
• Funicular: Matsuyama castle, Hakodate Mountain
• High speed train: Kyoto-Tokyo
• 11 Lunch included in: Seoul, Suwon, Daegu, Busan, Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Tokyo, Matsushima, Aomori, Onuma, Sapporo
• 4 dinners included in: Seoul, Hiroshima, Mount Koya, Tokyo.

• Any airfares.
• GST 5 % and TCS 5% on the total billing. 
• Any increase in the rate of exchange leading to an increase in all land arrangements may come into effect prior to departure. 
• Cost of extension of the validity or deviation from route of your air ticket. 
• Porterage, Tips, laundry, telephone charges, all items of personal nature, and food and drinks not forming part of the group menus. 
• Anything not specifically mentioned in the ‘What your Tour Price includes box. 
• Taxes as applicable are to be paid extra on the total tour price. 
• If the payment is through Credit Card, extra charges 2.5% on the total billing. 
• Meals which are not mentioned in the itinerary.
• Anything which is not mentioned in the itinerary.
• Visa
• Please note in case you require us to reapply for a visa - charges will be additional. Kindly contact us for exact details.