GOLDEN RING OF JAPAN. Exclusive Tour! (sold out)

Tour start date(s):	04-12-2025
Duration:	10 Days / 9 Nights
Location:	Tokyo (arrival, 3 nights) - Nikko - Mount Fuji - Kyoto (4 nights) - Uji - Nara - Arashiyama - Osaka - (3 night, departure).
Price (including tax):	DBL $2990 USD, SNG $4340 USD / Flights not included

Exclusive Author's Tour
Golden Ring of JAPAN 

IN OUR TOUR:

• Arrival and departure transfers — for any flight you choose

• We travel in a mini-group of no more than 12 people (!)

• All transfers in comfortable minibuses with a Russian-speaking guide

• We stay 4 nights in the very center of Kyoto, the city of a thousand temples, to truly get to know and fall in love with this living museum

• We visit the city of Uji, where the most elite Japanese tea is produced

• In Nara Park we will see the sacred deer and feed them by hand

• Ride the famous bullet train from Fuji to Kyoto — included

• Full day in Tokyo with a guide to see everything from ancient to ultra-modern

• Cruise on a pirate ship on a crater lake beneath Mount Fuji — included

• Walk through the magical red gates of Inari and make wishes

• Stroll through the famous Arashiyama bamboo grove

• Free time in Osaka — the best city in Japan for shopping

TOUR PROGRAM

Day 1 – Arrival in Tokyo

Arrival at Tokyo Airport (Haneda or Narita). Meeting with a Japanese driver regardless of airport. Transfer by shared shuttle taxi to your hotel. Independent hotel check-in with your passport (from 3–4 pm). Time to rest after the flight and recharge for the rich itinerary ahead!

Overnight in Tokyo

Day 2 – Tokyo Mosaic: From Temples to High-Tech

Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Meet your guide at 9:30 AM.
Full-day sightseeing tour of Tokyo.

Highlights include:

• Imperial Palace Plaza with over 2,000 Japanese pine trees (symbol of longevity)

• Nijubashi Bridge leading to the inner palace grounds

• East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, entered through Otemon Gate, the former main entrance to the shogun’s castle in Edo (old Tokyo)

• Historic Asakusa district with its pre-war Tokyo atmosphere

• Sensō-ji Temple, founded on land granted by shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu; optional omikuji fortune-telling

• Nakamise-dori — treasure trove of traditional crafts and souvenirs

• Shinjuku — the birthplace of Japanese skyscrapers; observation deck at 205 m with panoramic views (and Mount Fuji on clear days)

• Statue of faithful dog Hachiko near the world-famous Shibuya Crossing

• Ginza — Tokyo’s luxury showcase, with the historic Wako building and the Kabuki-za Theatre

• Odaiba — futuristic artificial island connected by the Rainbow Bridge, Statue of Liberty replica, and the 18-meter Gundam robot

Overnight in Tokyo

Day 3 – Nikko: Medieval Japan

Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Meet your guide at 8:30 AM.
Excursion to the Toshogu Shrine complex in Nikko.

Stops include:

• Rinno-ji Temple with the Hall of Three Buddhas

• Shōyō-en garden — a classic landscape garden beautiful in all seasons

• Cedar Avenue planted in the 17th century, leading to the stone torii of Toshogu

• Five-storied pagoda (1650) bearing the Tokugawa crest and zodiac signs

• Sacred stables with the world-famous “Three Wise Monkeys” carving

• Hall of the “Crying Dragon” (Hondō-ji), where a monk demonstrates the special acoustics

• Yomeimon Gate — richly decorated with delicate wood carvings

• Main Hall (Honden), where the deified spirits of the three greatest shoguns rest

• 200 stone steps to the bronze pagoda containing the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Return to the hotel by 19:30.

Overnight in Tokyo

Day 4 – Owakudani Valley, Mount Fuji & Volcano Lake Cruise

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure at 8:30 AM with the guide.

First stop — Owakudani, the Great Boiling Valley, surrounded by sulfur steam. Here we try the famous kuro-tamago (eggs boiled in hot springs), blackened by sulfur. Local legend says: eat one and add seven years to your life!

Next — Lake Ashi cruise on a pirate ship.
The lake was formed 3,000 years ago after a volcanic eruption. During the cruise you may see a stunning view of Mount Fuji — weather permitting! (Cruise included)

After lunch — visit to Hakone Open-Air Museum, known for its Picasso collection and giant outdoor sculptures. The most unusual exhibit is the “Symphonic Sculpture”, where the wind plays through 28 glass tubes. (Museum fee paid on site)

Then we board the bullet train to Kyoto (approx. 2 hours).
Check-in and rest.

Overnight in Kyoto

Day 5 – Kyoto: City of Temples

Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Meet the guide at 10:00 AM.

Visits include:

• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) — its top two floors are covered in pure gold; destroyed by fire in 1950 and restored to its original brilliance

• Ryoan-ji — Zen temple with the mysterious rock garden where only 14 of 15 stones are visible from any angle; legend says only an enlightened mind can see all 15

• Kiyomizu-dera — built without a single nail; famous wooden terrace “Nioi-uri”, once used for daring jumps granting wishes

• Otowa Waterfall with three sacred streams symbolizing health, love, and longevity (you may drink from only one!)

• Fushimi Inari Shrine — thousands of vermilion torii gates donated by local businessmen; stone foxes are messengers of the gods. We walk up to the first viewpoint for a magical sunset panorama.

Overnight in Kyoto

Day 6 – Kyoto: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Temples

Breakfast at the hotel. Meet the guide at 10:00 AM.

Excursion to Arashiyama — the scenic north-western district of Kyoto:

• Walk through the world-famous bamboo grove

• Views of temples, imperial villas, and historic sites — many designated cultural treasures or UNESCO heritage
  This region is officially listed by the Japanese government as an area of natural scenic beauty.

Overnight in Kyoto

Day 7 – Tea City Uji & Friendly Deer of Nara

Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Meet the guide with luggage.

Excursion to Uji — the homeland of Japan’s finest green tea.
We stroll along the main shopping street offering tea products of all kinds: noodles, cookies, jelly, rice sweets, ice cream, even soup!
We stop at a traditional tea house to try authentic matcha with sweets (extra charge) and learn about its preparation.

Visit to Byodo-in, the Buddhist temple depicted on the Japanese 10-yen coin (UNESCO).

Transfer to Nara (30 km).
Sightseeing in the ancient capital:

• Todai-ji Temple — the world’s largest wooden building, home to the 15-meter Great Buddha (UNESCO)

• The 21-ton New Year’s bell

• Nara Park, home to sacred, fully tame deer who bow to tourists asking for crackers

Transfer to Osaka.

Overnight in Osaka

Day 8 – Osaka: Japan’s Food & Shopping Capital

Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Meet guide at 10:00 AM.

Visits include:

• Osaka Castle — the site of ancient Naniwa, Japan’s earliest imperial city

• Umeda business district — luxury hotels, skyscrapers, boutiques, restaurants

• Walk through Dotonbori — bright neon signs, shops, food stalls, entertainment centers

Overnight in Osaka

Day 9 – Osaka: Shopping Kaleidoscope

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free day in Osaka — Japan’s best destination for diverse and budget-friendly shopping.

Recommended areas:

• Shinsaibashi — bustling shopping street with boutiques and cafés

• Dotonbori — iconic district with neon lights, street food, souvenirs

• Umeda — upscale department stores and underground malls

• Namba — famous Japanese brand shops

Tax-free shopping reminder:
Minimum purchase — 5,000 yen per shop per day, items must remain sealed until departure from Japan.

Optional: visit the famous Kaiyukan Aquarium, home to not only dolphins and sharks but also the queen of the ocean — the whale shark.

Overnight in Osaka

Day 10 – Departure from Japan

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport by shared shuttle taxi with a Japanese driver for any flight you choose. Exact transfer time will be provided by the guide one day prior.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

• Accommodation in 4★ hotels with buffet breakfasts: 3 nights in Tokyo, 4 nights in Kyoto, 3 nights in Osaka

• Excursions with Russian-speaking guides as listed

• Pirate-ship cruise under Mount Fuji

• Entrance tickets to temples in Kyoto, Nara, and Uji

• Arrival/departure airport transfers for any flight

• Transportation according to the program (comfortable bus + Shinkansen bullet train from Fuji to Kyoto)

• NEW — TOUR EXTENSION OPTIONS

If you book additional hotel nights in Tokyo before the tour or in Osaka after the tour through us, airport transfer is included.
If you book extra nights independently, airport transfer costs USD 70 per person.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Accommodation tax (paid individually at hotel check-in)

• Tips for guide and driver

• Insurance

• Anything not listed in the program