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KUMANO KODO
DAY 1. Arrival in Tokyo
  • Meet and greet by a driver in the arrival hall.
  • Transfer to Tokyo hotel (approximately 1-1.5 hours).
  • Leave your luggage at the hotel before check-in (15:00). For an additional fee, you can request guaranteed early check-in.
  • Guided walk in the vicinity of the hotel, addressing organizational and practical matters (currency exchange, adapters). The guide will provide information on nearby dining options for lunch and dinner.
  • 3:00 PM - Check-in at the hotel. Free time.
  • After a short rest in your room, you may want to take a stroll. Close to the hotel, you'll find a Japanese garden and a variety of restaurants and cafes.
DAY 2. Tokyo

  • Explore Tokyo with a Russian-speaking guide. The itinerary will be tailored to your interests and preferences.
  • We suggest concluding the tour in the trendy shopping and dining districts of Ginza or Omotesando.
  • Tour Highlights:
  • Historical Tokyo: Visit iconic landmarks such as the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, known for its historic charm and Nakamise Shopping Street.
  • Imperial Palace: Discover the beauty of the Imperial Palace East Gardens, surrounded by historic walls and remnants of the Edo Castle.
  • Modern Tokyo: Explore the bustling districts of Shibuya and Shinjuku, famous for their vibrant atmosphere, entertainment, and shopping options.
  • Cultural Experience: Immerse yourself in Japanese culture at Meiji Shrine, a peaceful Shinto shrine set in a forested area near Harajuku.
  • Shopping and Dining: Conclude the tour in the upscale shopping district of Ginza or the fashionable Omotesando. Explore luxury boutiques, trendy stores, and enjoy dining at renowned restaurants.
Note: The specific places visited and the duration of each stop can be customized based on your preferences.
DAY 3. Tokyo - Kyoto
  • Early Check-out from the Hotel.
  • Transfer to Shinagawa Station with a guide.
  • Travel to Kyoto (2.5 hours) on the Shinkansen, a high-speed train.
  • Guided Tour of Kyoto:
  • Kyoto, the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years, remains the main center of the country's traditional culture. Unaffected by the bombings of World War II, Kyoto boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage, with many sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Explore one of Kyoto's main attractions, the world-famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji), a temple adorned in gold, overlooking the Mirror Lake.
  • Continue the journey with a visit to the renowned Philosophers' Path, a Zen Buddhist temple garden with 15 stones arranged in a way that one stone always eludes the viewer's gaze. Lunch will be provided.
  • Take a stroll along the alleys adorned with blooming azaleas. The tour concludes with a visit to the Gion district, known for its geishas.
  • Return to the hotel.

  • Optional Extension:
  • Participants can extend their walk in Gion, choose to stay for dinner independently, and, for an additional fee, visit Gion Corner Theater. The theater showcases seven traditional performing arts, including maiko dance, tea ceremony, ikebana (flower arranging), Kyo-gen theater, Bunraku puppet theater, koto music, and Gagaku (imperial court music). Afterward, return to the hotel by taxi.
DAY 4. Kyoto - Nara - Kyoto
  • Nara – the first permanent capital of Japan. The city hosts eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it perhaps the second (after Kyoto) repository of Japanese cultural heritage. A distinctive feature of Nara is its compact size: all the most significant attractions can be explored in a single day.

  • Transfer to the city of Nara (40-60 minutes).

  • Todai-ji: At its center is the Daibutsu – the Great Buddha, vying for the title of Japan's most prominent attraction with Kyoto's Golden Pavilion or Mount Fuji. The Daibutsu embodies the cosmic Buddha, giving rise to all worlds and future Buddhas. If you approach the statue from the back, you'll see a wooden column with a hole running through its entire base. Legend has it that anyone who squeezes through this hole, the width of the Daibutsu's nostril, will attain nirvana. The Great Buddha is housed in Todai-ji, a grand temple that rises above Nara-koen (a park filled with various attractions), where it's pleasant to stroll amidst the greenery and encounter friendly deer. Todai-ji is also the most extensive wooden building in the world.

  • Kasuga Taisha: Founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara clan, this shrine was rebuilt every 20 years following Shinto traditions until the late 19th century. Kasuga Taisha is located at the foot of a hill amidst a forest, where sacred deer roam. Similar to other temple complexes in Japan, there are several smaller shrines besides the main pavilion. Hundreds of lanterns line the approach to the shrine. A spectacular lantern festival takes place here twice a year, and in late April to early May, wisteria blooms.

  • Return to the hotel in Kyoto (40-60 minutes).
DAY 5. Kyoto - Kumano Kodo: Takahara. Kawayu Onsen
  • Kumano Kodo is a trail with a history spanning over a millennium, traversed by pilgrims, including emperors. The paths wind through steep, densely forested mountains, descend to the rivers Totsukawa and Kumanogawa, approach the ocean, and run along the coastal areas. In ancient times, these routes were well-cleared and, in places, paved with cobblestones or stone slabs, featuring stone steps on steep ascents.
  • Currently, Kumano Kodo is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Worldwide, only two trails hold such a distinction. We propose following the Nakahechi route, one of the best-preserved paths to this day.
  • Trek Highlights:
  • Route Difficulty: 2-3 hours per segment with ascents and descents (including stairs), partially paved, and part through the forest. While no specialized training is required, a realistic assessment of your capabilities is essential.
  • Sportswear and footwear are mandatory. If, due to health reasons, you are not prepared for such walks, we can discuss the option of transferring to the hotel instead of walking.
  • Early check-out from the hotel.
  • Transfer by private transport from Kyoto to Kii-Tanabe (approx. 3 hours) and transfer to the starting point of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. Hike to the town of Takahara (2-3 hours). Lunch at a local restaurant, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains in good weather.
  • Transfer and accommodation at Fujiya Kawayu Hotel, a traditional Japanese-style hot spring (onsen) hotel. Dinner (multiple course dishes).
  • The hotel premises include a traditional hot spring. Note that bathing in such springs is entirely without swimwear (separate facilities for men and women).
  • Additionally, by the river near the hotel, there is another hot spring where you can visit while wearing a swimsuit. Here, you can also create your own bath using the hot spring waters.
  • Attention! Visiting any hot springs with tattoos that cannot be concealed with a plaster is prohibited.
DAY 6. Kumano Kodo: Hongu, Gorge

Check-out from the hotel. Transfer by private transport to the starting point of the route to Hongu.
Hike (2.5 hours) to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
The forest trail passes through mountain villages, offering panoramic views of the surroundings.
The path leads to the sanctuary - Kumano Hongu Taisha, nestled in a dense forest. Here, the three-legged crow Yata-garasu, symbolizing the sun, is revered, along with mysterious karasu-tengu.
Lunch.

Transfer to the boating center for a boat ride along the Kumano River amidst the tranquil gorge landscapes.
Transfer and accommodation in Kii Katsuura at the Katsuura Gyoen hotel with hot springs. Dinner. Relaxation in the hot springs.

DAY 7. Kii Katsuura - Nachi Waterfall and Shrine

Trekking on the Daimonzaka trail. The trail leads to one of the three main shrines of Kumano – Nachi Taisha, and the sacred Nachi Waterfall, the largest in Japan (133 meters).
According to ancient beliefs, it is said that the entrance to paradise is located just above this waterfall. Visit the Nachi Shrine and the Buddhist temple Seigantoji. Lunch.

DAY 8. Kii Katsuura - Kushimoto - Shirahama

Transfer (1 hour) and excursion to the village of Kushimoto on the coast with a beautiful view.
Hashigui Iwa. According to legend, Kobo Daishi (a famous monk) attempted to build a bridge across the sea, and he almost succeeded, but everything collapsed at the last moment. The Hashigui rocks are the remains of that bridge.
50-meter Sandanbeki Cliffs, where waves crash and a cave where Japanese pirates of the Heian era (794-1185) hid their ships. Descend into the cave by elevator, where you can see models of ships and replicas of pirate weaponry, as well as the spot in the rock where the ship entered.
Nearby is Sendaijiki, a stone plateau resembling thousands of laid tatami mats.
Engetsuto Island-rock.
Transfer to Shirahama Airport.
18:35-19:40 Flight from Shirahama to Tokyo JL218.
Transfer to the hotel.
DAY 9. Kii Katsuura - Kushimoto - Shirahama

Free time on Tokyo (we could provide information on how to plan this day as perfect as it could be)
DAY 10. Departure


Transfer to the airport on a shuttle without a guide.

Flight check-in.

Departure.

Best regards,

PLAN YOUR JAPAN TRIP
Fuji Travel - luxury travel DMC in Japan
8-32 Saga Oritocho Kyoto, Japan 616-8345
050-1807-6233
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