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

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

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

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 22:55. Overnight on the plane.

Day 2 | Istanbul – Tokyo

After completing our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Tokyo at 01:55 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0300. We arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport at 19:10 local time. After passport and baggage procedures, we transfer from the airport to our hotel by vehicle. We complete check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (vb.) hotel in Tokyo.

Day 3 | Tokyo | [B]

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

Day 4 | Tokyo – Mt. Fuji – Hakone – Tokyo | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Mt. Fuji and Hakone tour. Our tour will begin with Mt. Fuji, located 2.5 hours away. Mt. Fuji, which earned the right to be included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2013, is Japan's highest mountain and is considered the country's sacred symbol. Although generally thought of as a single mountain, Mt. Fuji actually consists of three separate volcanoes. Located on Honshu island and positioned as a border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, Mt. Fuji is only 100 kilometers from Tokyo and can even be seen from high-rise buildings in Tokyo on cloudless days. After the breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji, we will head towards Hakone town. We begin our Hakone tour with Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley located around a crater formed during the last eruption of Hakone Mountain approximately 3000 years ago. Today, a large part of the area is an active volcanic region filled with sulfur fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers. We will take a cable car up from Togendai to enjoy the view of this magnificent valley. After the free time given for lunch, we will move to Ashi Lake. After a pleasant boat cruise lasting about 30 minutes on wooden pirate boats on the lake, we will return to Tokyo and our hotel by vehicle. Overnight at our 3* Villa Fontaine Tokyo Kayabacho (vb.) hotel in Tokyo.

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 Osaka before us and will reach us the next day.

Day 5 | Tokyo – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete check-out procedures and continue 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 where an old castle, where the Shogun resided, stood 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 from the palace 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 crowded shopping area famous for various types of electronic stores ranging from small stalls to large shopping malls. After our tour in Akihabara, known as the electronics city, we are given free time for lunch. After the free time, we 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 transfer to Tokyo Shinagawa train station. We arrive at Shin-Osaka train station with the Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed train, on a journey of approximately 3 hours. From here, we transfer to our hotel by vehicle. We complete check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (vb.) hotel in Osaka.

Day 6 | Osaka – Kyoto – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kyoto tour. After a journey of approximately 1 hour, our first stop will be Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. This three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf is one of the most famous and renowned historical structures in Kyoto and is recognized worldwide as a perfect example of Kitayama garden design art. Due to these features, it has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1994 as an important cultural asset of the former capital, Kyoto. We will continue our tour with Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as the Pure Water Monastery. The temple offers numerous cherry blossom and maple trees that bloom like a colorful sea 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 eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon. After the free time given for lunch, we will walk through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and a tourist attraction. The road, surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, is often used together with a similar road called Ninenzaka. Sannenzaka is a narrow, sloping road filled with approximately 60 shops and restaurants selling Kyoto's traditional products and foods. Additionally, there are important shops where visitors can closely experience Japanese culture, including Ochaya (tea houses) where tea ceremonies are held, Geiko (the name given to Geishas in Kyoto), and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) makeup. In the final part of the tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. At the end of the tour, we return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (vb.) hotel in Osaka.

Day 7 | Osaka – Kobe – Nara – Osaka | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we 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," allowing 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 be given free time for lunch. After the meal, we head to Nara. We begin our Nara tour with a visit to Nara Park. Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Wakakusa Mountain. 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 Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji, in addition to being the world's largest wooden structure, also houses the world's largest Buddha statue, known as Daibutsu in Japanese. At the end of our tour, we return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight at our 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka (vb.) hotel in Osaka.

Day 8 | Osaka – Istanbul | [B]

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete check-out procedures and continue 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, which usually occurs in early April. After the free time given for lunch, we will see Dotonbori, which has become Osaka's entertainment center. After visits to Dotonbori and the city's main shopping area, Shinsaibashi, we transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport. After completing our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Istanbul at 22:45 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0087. Overnight on the plane.

Day 9 | Osaka – Istanbul

We arrive at Istanbul Airport at 05:50 local time, concluding our tour. We bid farewell until we meet again on our next distinguished and enjoyable trip.

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