Japan Highlights Holiday

FLY TO TOKYO

Fly from Auckland to Tokyo Narita with Air New Zealand.

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private car.

TOKYO - FULL DAY TOUR

Enjoy an efficient, one-day tour of Tokyo accompanied by an English-speaking government-licensed guide. Your guide will introduce both modern and traditional aspects of Japan's dynamic capital.

Today's time with your guide can be tailored to suit you, so the itinerary outlined here is just a suggested one and can be altered to fit your interests. We will put you in touch with your guide well in advance of travel so you can liaise with the guide directly by email.

Begin your day at Senso-ji Temple, one of the most famous temples in Japan and an icon of the city. Senso-ji is 1,300 years old and is famous for its spectacular entrance gate called Kaminarimon. The oldest shopping street in Japan, Nakamise Dori leads to the temple and although is quite touristy, is a great place to try local snacks and for people watching.

From here, take the Ginza Line from Asakusa to Nihombashi (15 minutes) to explore the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, a garden attached to the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan. The East Gardens are where most administrative buildings are situated along with the remains of the former Edo Castle.

From here, you can walk down to Tokyo Station, itself a remarkable historic building. From the station, walk through the Ginza District, famous for its department stores and historic retail outlets.

From Ginza, walk down to Tsukiji Outer Market, the location of the former fish auction market which moved to Toyosu in 2018. It's a great spot for lunch at one of the local restaurants and there is plenty to choose from, not only seafood.

From the market you can walk to Hamarikyu Gardens nearby. The gardens were created on the site of a 17th century villa of the Shogun Tokugawa family. The main attraction of the gardens is the beautiful Shiori Pond and its teahouse where visitors can enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets served in tea-ceremony style.

From Hamarikyu you can walk to Shiodome Station and catch the Yurikamome Line across the Rainbow Bridge into Odaiba, a redeveloped area overlooking Tokyo Bay. It's a nice contrast here to the morning's sights.

Finally, head on to teamLab Planets, a very popular modern art museum with interactive walk-through exhibits.

TOKYO - SELF GUIDED EXCURSION

This is a suggested day of exploring based on using the Yamanote Line - the main JR Line which circles Tokyo. It makes navigation on this day easy and stops at many major sights in the city. It's a long day if you try to do everything, so perhaps pick and choose what you're interested in. Get your Suica Card ready and off you go!

We've suggested you kick off your day in Ueno, an older part of Tokyo. You can spend the morning exploring the museums and galleries in Ueno Park and pottering about on Ameyoko a historic shopping/market street near Ueno Station.

From Ueno head clockwise and hop off at Akihabara, a mecca for geeks and gamers. Get off at Hamamatsucho to see Tokyo Tower and Zojoji Temple.

Back on the Yamanote Line, jump off at Harajuku Station and pay a visit to the Meiji Shrine, just a short walk from Harajuku Station. It's one of the most important shrines in Japan. Yoyogi Park is great for strolling and people watching. The old Olympic Park is located here also.

From the Meiji Shrine, walk back to Harajuku where you can explore this shopping and fashion mecca. It's great for people watching, strolling down luxurious Omotesando, hunting for fashion bargains on Takeshita Street or browsing boutiques along Cat Street.

You could walk on and have lunch in Shibuya and spend some time in this area. Shibuya Parco is a great place for retail therapy. Shibuya Crossing is an icon of Tokyo - the busiest street crossing in the world. Grab a Starbucks, take a seat and admire the view. Cross over the street and visit the famous Hachiko Statue.

For amazing views over Tokyo, head up Shibuya Sky which is a bit more relaxed than Tokyo Skytree and is a great place to rest your feet and enjoy amazing city views. You'll need to book in advance for Shibuya Sky tickets.

Later you could head to Shinjuku and spend some time in lovely Gyoen National Garden for a bit of a change of pace from busy Harajuku and Shibuya. Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the largest parks in Tokyo and features three different garden styles: a traditional Japanese garden, French garden and English lawn garden.

Tokyo Metropolitan Building on the west side of Shinjuku Station has a free observation platform with great city views and is often illuminated outside.

There are so many places to eat in Shinjuku but for something traditional, head to Omoide Yokocho, a historic alley consisting of small Izakaya restaurants. Shinjuku comes to life in the evenings with the bright lights of the big city.

TRAVEL TO HAKONE

Today you will need to make your own way to Shinjuku Station in order to catch the Romance Car directly to Hakone-Yumoto Station.

Armed with your Hakone Free Pass you will be able to travel by Funicular Railway, Cable Car, Bus and even by Pirate Ship to explore this beautiful area of hot springs, pine clad hills and lakes in the shadow of Mount Fuji.

TRAVEL TO KYOTO

This morning, make your way to the Railway Station and on to Kyoto by Bullet Train.

On arrival in Kyoto make your own way to the hotel.

This evening, make your own way to Gion and meet your guide in front of Gion Omoide Museum (connected to the Izutsu Yatsuhashi pastry shop) for a walking tour of Gion.

Experience one of the most popular walking tours in Kyoto, joined by nearly 5,000 guests annually. This 100-minute guided walk is led by a licensed English-speaking guide and takes you through nighttime Gion.

The tour begins at Gion Omoide Museum, connected to a traditional pastry shop.

Walk down the classic cobblestoned streets next to the Shirakawa River, and admire the scenery that was featured in the book and film, Memoirs of a Geisha.

As you walk beside this beautiful stream, the guide will tell you about the history of geisha and give you a detailed explanation in regards to their kimono, hairstyle, traditional rules, and what their daily life is like.

Although it is not guaranteed, during the walking tour guests often encounter geisha walking along the street.

KYOTO - FULL DAY TOUR

Temples, shrines, and tea ceremonies. The traditions of ancient Japan are still alive and well in the old capitol, Kyoto.

Walking around this beautiful city can feel like you are in a time machine as its architecture has been preserved for centuries.

Today's tour, accompanied by an English-speaking guide is flexible to suit your interests. Choose 3 to 4 spots that you wish to visit and your guide will plan a personalised itinerary for you.

We have suggested some of the best things to see in Kyoto.

KYOTO - DAY AT LEISURE

Enjoy the day at leisure.

NARA - SELF GUIDED EXCURSION

Today you could make a visit to nearby Nara. From Nara Kintentsu Station, on the way to Nara park, stands a famous mochi shop called Nakatanidou, where crowds of visitors flock to daily.

Nakatanidou's pride and claim to fame is their dramatic mochi-pounding process, a tradition known as mochitsuki in Japanese. They perform high-speed mochitsuki every day at the shop, churning out hundreds of pieces of mochi, fresh and warm from the pounding.

Kofukuji Temple is an easy five-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.

During the Heian period, Kofukuji was the temple of the most powerful family in Japan, the Fujiwara's. It was established in Nara in 710, at the same time as the capital. If you pay to enter only one of the buildings here, make it the Kofukuji Kofukuji National Treasure Museum which contains many extremely valuable documents and treasures from Nara 's history as the capital of Japan.

From here you could take a stroll to pretty Yoshikien Garden, with a pond, moss garden and tea ceremony garden which is free to visit. Neighbouring Isuien Garden is als great, but there is a fee to enter.

Next up, head on to Todai-ji Temple which houses the Great Buddha statue designated as a national treasure, and the world's largest wooden structure.

For a great view over Nara, hike up the stairs to Nigatsudo. At Mount Wakakusa you can pay to enter an enclosed deer park if you wish.

Nara's grandest shrine houses four main deities and many lucky gods Kasuga Taisha is considered one of the most sacred sites in all of Japan. As a place where numerous gods are enshrined, it attracts both devotees and tourists seeking an iconic Shinto experience. It is famous for its beautifully lit bronze lanterns.

There is another area of Nara you may want to explore at Nishinokyo, to the West of Nara Park. This is home to Yakushi-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Horyuji Temple.

TRAVEL BY TRAIN TO NARITA AIRPORT 

Check in for flight to New Zealand