Cultural China and Scenic Japan

Overview

Day By Day Itinerary

Fly to Beijing

On arrival Beijing you will be welcomed and transferred to hotel Novotel Peace.

The tour starts at Tian’anmen Square with its plentitude of monuments testifying to the communist, Mao’s influence on China’s modern history. From there you will proceed to the Forbidden City, the largest and best-preserved ancient imperial palaces with over 500 years of history. Visit the Forbidden City along the central axis from south to north for 2 hours. The visit to the Temple of Heaven will take about 1 hour. We will then drive to the Summer Palace, the largest and most beautiful Chinese imperial garden.

You will be driven to Mutianyu Great Wall. On the way to the less crowded Mutianyu Great Wall, you’ll have a chance to visit a jade carving factory, learn about the stone carving and do some shopping if you like. Mutianyu Great Wall is known for its beautiful surroundings – dense woods and rich pastures which change colours with the seasons of the year. Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huai Rou County, north-east of Beijing. This section of the Great Wall is about 75km from the center of Beijing.

You will visit the largest Lama Temple of Beijing – Yonghe Temple, tour of the mysterious Tibet style Buddhist temple. Next is lunch with the locals in a typical Beijing resident’s house, before exploring the old Beijing lanes by rickshaw. This Hutong tour will last for approximately 2 hours and you will visit the typical Chinese quadrangles, many famous old buildings and the bell tower – a fantastic opportunity to explore the real life of ordinary people in Beijing. You also have the chance to enjoy the porcelain factory. Enjoy a tea ceremony at a typical China Tea House.

After breakfast, transfer to airport to board your flight to Xian, an ancient capital of China for 1,100 years. On arrival Xian, transfer to hotel and check in at Golden Flower by Shangri La.

Full day tour of Xian .On this tour you will see the terracotta figures of warriors and horses that were buried underground for more than 2000 years. After noon visit to the Great wild goose Pagoda,Bell Tower . Then you will go to the Muslim Quarter, a location famous for its many and varied restaurants, each with its own speciality dishes. Here you will be sure to find something that will appeal to your taste buds from the many novel and captivating dishes on offer. Experiencing the Muslim

After breakfast transfer to Xian airport to board your flight Shanghai .On arrival check in at hotel Grand central

Enjoy this full day sightseeing tour of Hangzhou, now the capital city of Zhejiang Province. The first stop is Lingyin Temple. As one of the best known Buddhist monasteries in China, it houses a statue of Skyamuni carved out of 24 pieces of camphor wood. After that we will take a cruise on west lake, taking in the many sights along the way.Then we visit Liuhe Pagoda (Six Harmonies), a famous octagonal pagoda, built in 970.AD, which towers majestically on the Yuelun Mountain by the Qiantang River.

Full day tour of Shanghai .The first stop on this tour is the Yu Yuan Garden, a classic creation of the Ming Dynasty, and Shanghai Old street, that originated in the Qing Dynasty.Drive along the former French Concession and transfer to visit Shanghai Arts and Crafts Store. Then visit the Jade Buddha Temple with its priceless jade statues from Burma. The last stop, Xin Tian Di, is a stylish nightlife district with many boutiques, pubs and restaurants.

Morning transfer to Shanghai airport to board your flight to Tokyo . On arrival check in at hotel New Otani.

Full day tour of Tokyo visit Meiji Shrine, ImperialPalacePlaza, and Asakusa Kannon Temple with its shopping arcade �Nakamise�. continue the tour to visit the AquaCity and Fuji TV Observatory .

This tour will take you, by a local train, from Tokyo to the beautiful historical sea town of Kamakura. You will arrive in the Hase Kannon Temple area and commence your walking tour from there. Enjoy a stroll from ‘not to be missed’ Hase Kannon Temple where views of Kamakura and the beaches can be enjoyed from the terraces. Next is the Great Buddha, 13m high, the second largest bronze statue in Japan and well-known tourist spot in Kamakura. Then we walk through the famous second and third ‘torri’ gates to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Morning we leave to Mt. Fuji , Japan’s highest mountain. Browse informational displays about the revered mountain and get amazing views from the second floor observation deck.Then continue halfway up the mountain to Mt Fuji’s 5th Station at 7,545 feet (2,300m). Follow your guide on a stroll around the area’s shrines, torii gates and souvenir shops as you take in more views of Mt Fuji and nearby lakes . Afterward, enjoy a typical Japanese-style lunch at a restaurant that looks out on Mt Fuji. Continue to nearby Lake Ashi in Hakone National Park for a boat cruise on a pirate ship! Relax as you glide across the water, taking in views of Mt Fuji, Mt Komagatake and other mountains that surround the lake. Then, take the Hakone Ropeway, an aerial tram with amazing vistas over sparkling Lake Ashi, the Izu islands and majestic Mount Fuji. After visiting Hakone, your guide transfers you to a Shinkansen train (bullet train) bound for Kyoto.On arrival Kyoto you will be welcomed and transferred to hotel Kyoto Century

After breakfast we leave for a full day tour of Kyoto.This tour starts with a visit to Nijo Castle, once used as the Tokugawa Shogun’s family palace. Then you will visit Kinkakuji Temple, one of the sacred sites of Japan. Afterwards, it’s on to Kyoto Imperial Palace, former residence of the Imperial Family. After lunch, you will visit Heian Jingu Shrine, a magnificent structure strongly influenced by Chinese architecture. Then on to the Sanjusangendo Temple with its 1,001 impressive images of Buddha. The tour ends with a visit to the Kiyomizu Temple, famous for its wooden veranda.

After breakfast we leave for Nara tour .This tour takes us to visit Todaiji Temple, the world’s largest wooden building, which houses a colossal image of Buddha. Next we visit the Peaceful Deer Park, where many tame deer roam the grounds. Then tour will proceed to the vermillion-hued Kasuga Shrine with its thousands of lanterns. Before going back to Kyoto, we will stop at Nara Nagomikan(souvenir shop).

The day is free for your own leisure and other activities .Evening transfer to Osaka International airport to board your flight to UK

Arrive home today

Group Departure Dates & Prices

Accommodation

Novotel Beijing Peace
Beijing

Golden Flower Hotel
Xi’an

Grand Central Hotel
Shanghai

Hotel New Otani Tokyo
Kioi-Cho

Kyoto Century Hotel
Kyoto

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