Grand tour. May

Day 1; London - Tokyo.

Day 2; Tokyo.

15:55 - Arrival to Tokyo airport.

Meeting with English speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Tokyo.

18:00 - Arrival to Tokyo, check-in at hotel.

Day 3; Tokyo.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

09:30 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, starting the tour excursion around Tokyo.

- Visiting Hamarikyu Park.
A Park located in Tokyo's special Chuo district. It is located at the mouth of the Sumida river and is surrounded by a moat filled with the waters of Tokyo Bay. In the 17th century, these lands belonged to the Tokugawa clan.

- Sumida river cruise from Hamarikyu park to Asakusa.

- Arrival to Asakusa, vistiing Asakusa Kanon Shrine, Nakamise shopping arcade.
One of the areas of Tokyo where the atmosphere of the past decades lives. For centuries, Asakusa has been the city 's leading entertainment district. It is always noisy, crowded and festive, at any time of the year. The narrow streets are full of restaurants, shops, playgrounds and parks.

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Imperial Palace brief stop for photo at Niju Bashi area.
For a quarter of a Millennium, the flags of the Tokugawa clan flew over Japan. The center of his possessions was the small fishing village of Edo. Here, in the 15 th century, Tokugawa Ieyasu built the castle that is currently in operation. It is surrounded by well-fortified walls, and the Palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens - Higashi-geen and Kitanomaru.

- Shinjuku Municipal Observation building.

- Meiji shrine visit.
The Meiji period was marked by Japan's rejection of self-isolation and its emergence as a world power, which Emperor Mutsuhito strongly promoted. In memory of his significant role in the "Restoration", the Parliament decided to establish a temple, now known as the Meiji temple, and dedicate it to the Imperial couple.

- Harajuku area visit.
The history of Harajuku began at the end of world war II. American soldiers and their families began to occupy the area where Harajuku is now located. Since young Japanese people could join the Western culture in this area, this place became its symbol.

- Coming back to hotel.

*Overnight at Tokyo hotel.

Day 4; Tokyo.

07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.

* Free day!
Excursions are available for an extra fee.

Day 5; mt. Fuji.

Day 6; Nagano-Matsumoto.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

08:00 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Tokyo Railway Station.

09:20 - Departure Tokyo for Nagano by Shinkansen.

10:47 - Arrival to Nagano, accommodation at bus, transfer for excursion around Nagano.

- Visiting Zenkoji temple.
The temple was built in the 7th century. The modern city of Nagano began as a town built around the temple. The temple contains a statue of Binzuru, a physician who was said to be Buddha's follower. Visitors to the temple touch the statue in order to cure their ailments. The temple also contains an inner prayer chamber, accessible to visitors. 

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Matsumoto Castle.
Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji Castle and Kumamoto Castle. The building is also known as the "Crow Castle" due to its black exterior.

- Nakamachi district visit.
Nakamachi District is a preserved district with several old buildings and many warehouse (kura) buildings that have been converted into various shops. Nakamachi was the former merchant district of Matsumoto and can be recognized by the row of white painted buildings. Back then it was center of the castle town and thrived as the business section of the city. Some of the buildings in the area are more than 100 years old. 

- Transfer to hotel in Matsumoto, check-in.

Day 7; Takayama.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

10:00 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Takayama.

13:00 - Arrival to Takayama and visiting Matsuri no Mori.
Impressive museum about the Takayama Matsuri. Located outside of Takayama's city center, the Matsuri no Mori showcases the key aspects of the Takayama Festival, which takes place for two days each spring and autumn. The festival is known as one of Japan's three most beautiful, along with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Yomatsuri.

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Free time for explore Takayama by your own.

18:00 - Transfer to hotel in Takayama, check-in.

Day 8; Takayama.

07:30 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Takayama restaurant for breakfast.

08:00 - Breakfast (set menu) at Takayama restaurant.

09:00 - Excursion around Takayama with the visting of Takayama Jin`ya.
The Takayama Jin'ya is a surviving Edo period jin'ya which served as the government headquarters for Hida Province under the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan from 1692 to 1871. It is located in what is now Hachiken-machi of the city of Takayama.

- San Machi.
Sanmachi-suji are three parallel streets: Ichi-no-machi, Ni-no-machi and San-no-machi, bounded on the west by the Miyagawa River and on the east by the mountain: the configuration of Takayama resembles in every respect that of Higashiyama in Kyoto and reminds us particularly of the famous district of Gion

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Hida Folk Village.
Hida Folk Village is an open air museum exhibiting over 30 traditional houses from the Hida region, the mountainous district of Gifu Prefecture around Takayama. The houses were built during the Edo Period and were relocated from their original locations to create the museum in 1971.

17:00 - Transfer to hotel.

Day 9; Kanazawa.

07:30 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Takayama restaurant for breakfast.

08:00 - Breakfast (set menu) at Takayama restaurant.

09:00 - Transfer to Kanazawa.

11:00 - Arrival to Kanazawa, excursion around Kanazawa with the visiting of:

- Kenrokuen Garden.
Kenroku-en garden is considered one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. Translated into Russian, its name means "Garden of six virtues ", which refers to an old Chinese book about gardens, according to which in creating a garden you need to strive for six main aspects – space and privacy, intrigue and antiquity, the presence of water and panoramas.

- Higashi Chaya-gai.
The Higashi-Chai quarter is a real find, especially for those travelers who are interested in historical sights. Historically, the quarter consisted of tea houses where elegantly dressed geishas could be found at any time of the day or night. Due to the fact that the area with its wooden buildings is so wonderfully preserved, and many shops and shops perfectly convey the atmosphere of Japanese antiquity, here you can completely transfer to another time and feel the whole indescribable atmosphere of the old Kanazawa.

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Omicho Market.
Omicho Market has been Kanazawa's largest fresh food market since the Edo Period. Today, it is a busy and colorful network of covered streets lined by about 200 shops and stalls. While most shops specialize in the excellent local seafood and produce, you can also find flowers, clothing, kitchen tools and more on sale.

- Nagamachi Buke Yashiki.
Originally home to the city’s samurai, the Nagamachi Buke Yashiki District is set in the south of Kanazawa City and has many original buildings, streets, and features. The picturesque quarter offers a brilliant glimpse into the past of the region and the country as a whole. The district of Nagamachi was named after the Naga samurai family, one of many to have lived in the area.

17:30 - Transfer to Hotel, Check-in.

Day 10; Kyoto.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

07:30 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer Kyoto.

12:00 - Arrival to Kyoto, visiting Nijyo castle.
Nijyo Castle  is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square metres, of which 8,000 square metres is occupied by buildings. It is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

13:00 - Lunch at local restaurant.

- Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji.
This is the main Buddhist temple, the basis of Zen Buddhism, which contains the relics of the Buddha, covered with a gold leaf. The roof of the Golden temple is also covered with the finest gold leaf. Next to the temple is a pine tree, which several generations of gardeners give the shape of a floating ship.

- Nishijin Textile center, Kimono show.
Named after the city district and local kimono weaving technique, offers interesting displays on kimono, and a kimono show is held several times a day.

- Tegetsu Bridge Arashiyama.
For over four hundred years, the Togetsu-kyo Bridge has been a landmark in Western Kyoto's Arashiyama District. The name Togetsu or "moon crossing" was inspired by Emperor Kameyama, who witnessed a moon rising from his boat appearing as if it was crossing the bridge. The 155-meter wooden bridge spans the Katsura River in front of Arashiyama Mountain, offering incredible views. Cherry blossoms during springtime and fall foliage draw large crowds to this district as the seasons change. The bridge has often been used in historical films and is also a popular place for feeding koi or watching cormorant fishing.

18:00 - Transfer to hotel, check-in.

*Overnight at Kyoto hotel.

Day 11; Kyoto.

07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.

* Free day!
Excursions are available for an extra fee.

*Overnight at Kyoto hotel.

Day 12; Kyoto-Nara.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

08:00 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Kyoto and Nara.

- Kiyomizudera temple and Otowa Waterfall.
The temple is located on the slopes of mount Higashiyama (East mountain). It was founded in 778. The temple is famous for its unusual design: it stands on the side of a high hill and as if "descends" on this slope with its wooden piles, built without a single nail.

- Transfer to Nara.

- Visiting Todaiji Temple.
The largest wooden structure in the world, under its arches sits a giant bronze statue of Buddha Vairochana – the largest statue of Buddha in Japan. Today, the Todai-ji Temple is a UNESCO protected site as a world heritage site.

- Nara Park.
The Park is home to more than 1,500 tame deer, which are considered "divine messengers". According to legend, once upon a time, the first Japanese Emperor got into Nara on a deer – and directly from the sky. Since then, all the descendants of this deer are revered by the Japanese and live in many gardens and parks of the city.

Attention: the authorities ask not to feed animals with everything that comes to hand, for this purpose numerous kiosks sell special food.

- Lunch at local restaurant.

15:00 - Transfer back to Kyoto.

17:00 - Transfer to hotel, check-in.

*Overnight at Kyoto hotel.

Day 13; Osaka.

07:00 - Breakfast at hotel.

09:00 - Meeting with English-speaking guide, accommodation at bus, transfer to Osaka.

10:00 - Arrival to Osaka, visiting Osaka Castle.

- Shitenno-ji Temple and Namba area.
Shitennō-ji is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially administered temple in Japan, although the temple buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries.

- Lunch at local restaurant.

- Umeda Sky Building.
The seventh tallest building in the city, connected at the top by an "air garden ". It consists of two main towers that are connected to each other by a "Floating Garden -Observatory" on the 39th floor. Opening from the height of the 39th floor, the view of the huge living metropolis is a truly exciting sight. The skyscraper was built in 1993 by Hiroshi Hara. Initially, it was planned to build it as an "Air city” and there should have been four towers , not two. But they were cut to account for funding opportunities, and the result was the Umeda sky building.

17:00 - Transfer to hotel, check-in.

*Overnight at Osaka Hotel.

Day 14; Tokyo - London.

07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel.

07:30 - Check-out from the hotel. Your guide will take you to the airport.

11:20 - Departure to London by direct flight JL-043 of JAPAN AIRLINES.

15:50 – Arrival in London, Heathrow airport.