Tokyo to Kyoto Summer Tour

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6 days 5 nights

fromUSD $1898.00

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Single Supplement: USD $300.00

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The Sensoji Temple located in Asakusa is one of the most popular Buddhist temples to visit. The temple was built and completed in the year 645 and is Tokyo’s oldest temple. The surrounding area offers shopping for souvenirs and food. The Sanja Festival is one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals and is held every May at Asakusa Temple.

The garden connected to the Imperial Palace is one the most beautiful in the cty, and was once the private gardens of the Imperial Family. The only part of the Inner Palace open for public enjoyment, the grounds includes some stone walls and tower foundations of Edo Castle - former home of the Tokugawa Shogun, as well as the Suwano Teahouse, and the Museum of Imperial Collections. Within the garden areas, wide variety of trees and flowers planted there provide visitors with scenes of colorful beauty in any season, including not only seasonal favorites like cherry, plum, or maple trees, but species of flowers from all across Japan.

Harajuku is known as the center for extreme fashion styles and teenage trends in Japan. The area is located between Shinjuku and Shibuya station on the Yamanote Line. The most famous street in front of Harajuku Station is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street). Along that road there are many trendy shops, secondhand clothes store, and fashion boutiques for shopping. While walking along the street you can see fashionistas dressed up. There are also crepe stands and fast food options for people to enjoy while exploring the street. South of Takeshita Street is Omotesando where more of the famous brand name shops are located. Omotesando is twice the length of Takeshita and is popular among urbanites. The Omotesando Hills is a complex where most of those brands are located including the famed Kiddy Land.

Shibuya Crossing is one of Tokyo's most famous and recognizable locations. Tokyo is a true megalopolis: a city that never sleeps, and the Shibuya Crossing is a perfect example of that endless activity that Tokyo has become known for. Shibuya Crossing sits next to Shibuya Station, and is a multi-directional "scramble crossing" often called the world's busiest intersection, suffering almost no loss of foot traffic no matter the time of day. The Crossing is so iconic that it has been featured in movies, such as Lost in Translation and Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The crossing is nearby another famous landmark - the statue of Hachiko the Dog sits on one of the corners. And the area has some other nearby attractions to enjoy - go shopping at Shibuya Scramble Square, take in the view from Shibuya Sky, or sit on the second floor of the Tsutaya Starbucks and sip coffee while you watch the bustling crowd on the Crossing below.

Mt. Fuji is a widely-known symbol of Japan. At 3,773 meters, Mount Fuji is Japan’s tallest mountain. “Station (gome)” is the unit representing one tenth of the length from the trail entrance to the top.The fifth station Mt. Fuji is the fifth point from the base at the height of 2,305 meter. Being the end of the Fuji Subaru Line toll road and the highest point that general cars can reach. From the observatory you can see below Komitake Shrine, an ancient place for prayer that has been visited by worshippers and disciplinant, and Yamanaka-ko, the largest lake among the five Fuji lakes.

Lake Ashinoko along with Mount Fuji in the background is the proud symbol of Hakone. One of the best views with the lake and Mount Fuji could be seen from one of the many sightseeing boats. There are a few boat cruises available, but the main two are ran by Hakone Sightseeing Boats and Izuhakone Sightseeing Boats. The best time to come is during the cherry blossom season and when the autumn colors are at its peak.

Owakudani is located in Hakone and is an area around a crater where gaseous fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers exist. Just like most of Hakone, on a clear day, it is possible to see Mount Fuji as well. There are hiking trails available for guests, but these trails are difficult for inexperience hikers.

The Fushimi Inari-Taisha Grand Shrine is located in southern Kyoto and is one of the most famous and visited shrines in Kyoto. This shrine is only five minutes away from Kyoto Station by train, and features over a thousand vermillion colored torii gates that brings many tourist to this shrine every year.

The Fushimi Sake District (伏見) is a charming, traditional sake brewing district along the willow-lined Horikawa River in southern Kyoto. Revered for the clean, soft water that flows in abundance from the river's underground springs, the district is home to nearly 40 sake breweries. Alongside Kobe's Nada District, Fushimi has been the leading sake brewing districts in the country. Among the local breweries is industry giant Gekkeikan which was founded here in 1637. Fushimi grew during the Azuchi- Momoyama Period at the base of Fushimi Castle, the retirement palace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the waning years of the Edo Period, Fushimi became a venue for the preparations and battleground leading to the Meiji Restoration. Sakamoto Ryoma, an important figure of the restoration, frequented the local Teradaya Inn where he barely survived an attack on his life on one occasion. At Fushimi's prime as a shipping port, flat-bottom, wooden boats plied the rivers, moving goods to and from the castle town. Wooden boats can still be seen on the river as sightseeing cruises.

The Gekkeikan Brewery is one of the leading sake breweries and one of the oldest family owned in Japan. The Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum is located in southern Kyoto in the famous Fushimi Sake District, which is home to around 40 sake breweries. The museum features the methods, traditional tools used, and history of sake brewing.

The Kiyomizu-Dera Temple is located only 15 minutes away by bus from Kyoto Station to the eastern side of Kyoto. This temple is one of the most popular temples in Kyoto and is listed as one of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The temple features a large wooden terrace that offers a fantastic view of the cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn colors during the fall season with the city of Kyoto in the background.

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka are two shopping streets near Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. The traditional ambience of these streets contain with shops and restaurants housed in old wooden buildings take visitors back to the Edo period. Most of the shops sell traditional treats, souvenirs, kimono rentals, and other items associated with old Kyoto, though there are a few modern shops found there as well, but even they are traditionally housed so as to never lose the illusion of having stepped back in time. The streets are narrow and the buildings are closely packed together, creating a more intimate atmosphere, and it is advised that visitors be careful of the odd rickshaw passing by, though the streets are forbidden to cars. Due to the streets' old- fashioned appeal, it's common to meet Japanese visitors dressed in yukata, or foreign visitors who rented a kimono for a day.

Located only 20 minutes away by bus from Kyoto Station, is the Gion Geisha District. The Gion Geisha District is one of the most famous and popular destinations for tourist visiting Kyoto. This area is filled with restaurants, teahouses, shops, and other attractions to entertain guests. The machiya merchant houses along with river and the occasional geisha walking around, brings visitors from everywhere to experience everything that this area has to offer.

Nishiki Market is the longest traditional food market in Kyoto. It specializes in locally grown and prepared foods of superior quality. Displayed so as to tempt the senses and make passing mouths water, such savory delights as chicken skewers, dried fish, pickled vegetables, tofu, tea, and many others are found in stall after stall. Additionally, specialty kitchen utensils from high-quality makers, including hand-crafted kitchen knives and engraved chopsticks, make Nishiki Market worthy to be called "Kyoto's Pantry".

In the northern part of central Kyoto is Nijo Castle, where it was once the former Kyoto residence of the shogun. This area is also listed as one of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This area was once home to the shogun when he would visit Kyoto. This place serves as the best examples of castle palace architecture from Japan’s feudal era because most of the buildings here survived since they were originally built.

The famous Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) Temple is located in northern Kyoto and is most known for the building covered in gold leaf. This famous building is the number one most popular destination for tourist visiting Kyoto. The Golden Pavilion sits overlooking a large pond and various small attractions and shops are available for visitors.

Arashiyama is located on the western outskirts of Kyoto and is a well-known destination for both the cherry blossoms and fall colors seasons. North of the famous Togetsukyo Bridge is Sagano, and together they make this place a nice little getaway from temples and shrines to enjoy nature. Popular destinations include the Togetsukyo Bridge and the Bamboo Forest of Arashiyama.

One of the most popular and well-known spots for visitors is the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. A nice walking path takes visitors through the groves of bamboos. The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is also one of the most famous and photographed places in all of Kyoto and brings many visitors every year during the autumn color season.

The Kimono Forest of Arashiyama is a dense bamboo- like "forest" of about 600 pillars next to Randen Tram Station on Kyoto's Keifuku Arashiyama line. It was designed by Japanese artist and interior designer Yasumichi Morita. The pillars are cleverly arranged in a fashion similar to Arashiyama's famous bamboo grove, and bisected by a walking path where visitors can enjoy the brightly colored poles. The path leads down to a small pond called Ryu no Atago (the "Dragon Pond"), where visitors make wishes for their future. The pillars themselves are clear Plexiglas with kimono fabric displayed inside. The kimono inside reflect Kyoto's history of fashionable textiles, as they include 32 kimono patterns in the traditional "Kyo-yuzuen" style. The evening is one of the best times to visit, as the pillars are illuminated with internal LED lights.

The Togetsukyo Bridge is located in the Arashiyama district in Kyoto and is the most iconic landmark of Arashiyama. It is a very popular spot to view the cherry blossoms during the spring and to view the autumn colors during the fall season. The bridge connects Arashiyama to Sagano and many shops, restaurants, and attractions are found nearby as well.