Platinum East Asia's Sun "Japan" (KIX-HND) with Turkish Airlines | 6 nights: Osaka (3), Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo (3), Mount Fuji, Hakone | All tours and entrance fees included

Platinum East Asia's Sun "Japan" (KIX-HND) with THY

Osaka (3 nights) – Kyoto – Kobe – Nara – Tokyo (3 nights) – Mount Fuji – Hakone

6 nights 8 days | All tours and entrance fees included

Day 1 | Istanbul

Meeting at the Turkish Airlines counter in front of the Istanbul Airport international departures terminal at 23:10. Overnight on the plane.

Day 2 | Istanbul – Osaka

After completing our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we will fly to Osaka on Turkish Airlines flight TK0086 at 02:10. We will land at Osaka Kansai Airport at 18:55 local time. After passport and baggage procedures, we will be transferred from the airport to our hotel by vehicle. We will complete check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Day 3 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for the Kyoto tour. After approximately one hour of travel, our first stop will be the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. This three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf is one of the most famous and recognized historical structures in Kyoto and is internationally acclaimed as a perfect example of Kitayama garden design art. Due to these features, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural asset of the former capital, Kyoto. Our tour will continue with the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as the Pure Water Monastery. The temple offers numerous cherry blossom and maple trees that burst into colorful seas in spring and autumn, as well as beautiful views of the distant city of Kyoto. The main hall, built without using nails along with the stage, houses the temple's main object of worship, a small statue of the thousand-armed, eleven-faced Kannon. After free time provided for lunch, we will explore the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian street and a tourist attraction. The road, surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, is generally used together with the similar road Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow, sloping road filled with about 60 shops and restaurants selling Kyoto's traditional products and foods. It also includes important shops where visitors can closely experience Japanese culture, such as Ochaya (tea houses) where tea ceremonies are held, Geiko (the name given to Geishas in Kyoto), and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) makeup services. In the final part of the tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. At the end of the tour, we will return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Day 4 | Osaka – Kobe – Nara – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for the Kobe tour and Nara tour. Our first stop on the Kobe tour will be the Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum (subject to opening status). At Kiku-Masamune, which has maintained the tradition of producing only dry sake since the Edo period, we will see the stages of sake production and taste it. Almost all equipment found in the museum is classified as "national tangible folk cultural property" and allows visitors to learn more about the lives and work of sake producers. Then, we will continue our tour with the Kobe Nunobiki Botanical Gardens, Japan's largest botanical garden with seasonal flowers and magnificent mountain views. After the park, we will go to the Kobe Harborland Umie shopping mall, where we will have free time for lunch. After lunch, we will head to Nara. Our Nara tour begins with a visit to Nara Park. Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of Japan's oldest parks. There are over 1,200 wild Sika deer roaming freely in the park. Because of these deer, Nara is also known as the Deer Park. After the park, we will continue with the Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji not only houses the world's largest wooden structure but also contains the world's largest Buddha statue, known as Daibutsu in Japanese. At the end of our tour, we will return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at the 4* Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai (or similar) hotel in Osaka.

Note: For this morning tour, we must leave a small overnight bag in our room when departing from the hotel. Large suitcases left at the hotel will be transferred to our hotel in Tokyo before us and will reach us the next day.

Day 5 | Osaka – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will complete check-out procedures and begin the Osaka tour. Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, built in the 16th century and playing an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located within a park covering an area of approximately two square kilometers, containing abundant green spaces, sports facilities, a multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall), and a mausoleum dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park becomes one of Osaka's most popular spots during the cherry blossom season, usually occurring in early April. Then, we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka's entertainment center. After visiting Dotonbori and the city's main shopping district, Shinsaibashi, we will have free time for lunch. After free time, we will transfer to Shin-Osaka train station. We will arrive at Tokyo Shinagawa train station via the Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed train, on a journey of approximately 3 hours. From there, we will be transferred to our hotel by vehicle. We will complete check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight at the 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 6 | Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will begin the Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Asakusa Temple, also known as the Senso-Ji Temple, considered one of Tokyo's oldest and most colorful temples and a Buddhist temple. Also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), the temple is highly visited by both tourists and locals. It is one of the rare temples that survived the bombing attacks in the final year of World War II, so the original structure of the building remains unaltered. Built in 1649, the temple is said to have been constructed to honor three deified brothers who found a statue of the goddess Kannon in a river. Additionally, we will see the shopping street called Nakamise in the area. After free time provided for lunch, we will visit the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. From there, we will tour the Shibuya district, one of Tokyo's busiest areas. The Shibuya district stands out with its developed infrastructure, cafes, and world-famous shops, making it one of the most important places for young people. After our tour, we will return to our hotel. Overnight at the 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 7 | Tokyo – Mount Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. Our tour will begin with Mount Fuji, located 2.5 hours away. Mount Fuji, which earned the right to be on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2013, is the highest mountain in Japan and is considered the country's sacred symbol. Although generally thought of as a single mountain, Mount Fuji actually consists of three separate volcanoes. Located on Honshu island and positioned as a border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, Mount Fuji is only 100 kilometers from Tokyo and can be seen even from tall buildings in Tokyo on clear days. After enjoying the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji reached via the Fifth Station (usage of the Fifth Station may vary depending on weather conditions or may be completely cancelled), we will set off towards Hakone town. Our Hakone tour begins with the Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley located around a crater formed during the last eruption of Mount Hakone approximately 3000 years ago. Today, a large part of the region is an active volcanic area with sulfur fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers. We will take a cable car from Togendai to enjoy the view of this magnificent valley. After free time provided for lunch, we will move to Ashi Lake. After a pleasant boat cruise lasting approximately 30 minutes on a wooden pirate ship on the lake, we will return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Overnight at the 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (or similar) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 8 | Tokyo – Istanbul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we will complete check-out procedures and continue with the Tokyo tour. The first place we will see on our tour will be the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which includes many buildings such as the Main Palace, private residences of the Imperial family, archives, museums, and administrative offices. The Tokyo Imperial Palace was built on the site of an old castle where the Shogun resided in the 15th century. In the 19th century, when Emperor Meiji moved the royal house from Kyoto to Tokyo, this became the property of the royal family. Since most of the buildings were destroyed during World War II, the oldest items remaining in the palace today are only 50 years old. Then, we will continue our tour with a visit to Akihabara, one of Tokyo's most famous neighborhoods worldwide. Akihabara is an extremely busy shopping district famous for various types of electronic stores ranging from small stalls to very large shopping malls. After our tour in Akihabara, also known as the Electronics City, we will have free time for lunch. After free time, we will continue our tour with the Ginza district, one of the city's most popular shopping areas, filled with luxury boutiques as well as first-class cocktail and sushi bars. At the end of our tour, we will be transferred to Tokyo Haneda Airport. After completing our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we will fly to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK0199 at 22:05. Overnight on the plane.

Day 9 | Tokyo – Istanbul

Landing at Istanbul Airport at 05:45 local time and the end of our tour. We say goodbye until we meet again on our next distinguished and enjoyable trip.

Abbreviations explanations: [B] = Breakfast, [L] = Lunch, [D] = Dinner