Japan Photo Tour 2017

I now have the final price for this year's Southern Sojourn: Japan Photo Tour, 10-28 November, 2017

Itinerary in brief:

Provisional itinerary
(Please Note: dates, times and locations may change subject to availability, access, flights and local holidays)

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Arrival Day

Osaka (Suggestion: Jetstar from Sydney via Cairns. Arr: 19:30

Group met by tour leader and escorted to hotel (via express train) in town.

Overnight Umeda, central Osaka

Day 01

AM: Osaka castle visit (escorted, via subway)
PM: Walking tour of Shinsekai suburb in afternoon/evening (Shin-Imamiya JR stop)

Overnight Umeda, central Osaka

Day 02

AM: Morning local express train to Kyoto. Leave luggage at hotel (check-in in Japan is normally 2pm)

Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple

PM: Lunch at Kyoto station, then take a local train to Fushimi Inari, the Fox shrine (local train) stopping off at Tofuku-ji shrine (if there’s time).
Overnight central Kyoto

Day 03 
AM: Taxi to Kiyomizu temple + then walk downhill through the old suburbs of Higashiyama and Gion.

PM: Lunch at Shijo-dori, a popular shopping street, then local bus to Shisen-do, a samurai house
PM: Return (taxi/bus) for evening photo shoot in the Shirakawa-minami dori area
Dinner in town

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 04

AM: North west to Arashiyama and World Heritage Sagano bamboo forest returning with a stop at Tenru-ji zen temple (local train)

Dinner in Kyoto

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 05
AM/PM: Visit the old capital of Nara and its parks and shrines, including the impressive Kasuga Shrine (full day, JR local train)

Dinner in Kyoto

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 06
AM/PM: Full day trip to Kanazawa, including a walking tour of the Omi-cho markets, World Heritage Kenroku-en gardens, and the old Higashi Chaya geisha district (on the Thunderbird express train)

Dinner

Overnight central Kyoto

Day 07

Early train to visit the most perfect castle in Japan, Himeji.  Lunch in Himeji, then afternoon free in Kyoto.

Dinner
Overnight central Kyoto

                                                        

Day 08
AM: Early Shinkansen train to Hakata (approx. 185 mins). Check into hotel.

Rest of day free, evening visit sumo tournament
Late dinner.

Overnight central Hakata

                                                        

Day 09

AM/PM: Full day trip north to Hiroshima, Visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum then on to the magical island of Miyajima. (Shinkansen 80 mins one way, then tram, local train, JR ferry)

Dinner in Hakata

Overnight central Hakata

Day 10
Full day trip to visit the Tenmangu shrine in Dazaifu then on for a cruise around the canal city of Yanagawa (local trains).

Dinner in Hakata
Overnight central Hakata

Day 11
AM: Long train trip to Kagoshima (approx. 240 mins)

PM: Check into hotel than take an escorted trip to visit the famous Edo period ‘borrowed view’ Sengan-en gardens

Izakaya dinner in city
Overnight Kagoshima

Day 12

AM: Local bus tour to visit the Chiran Kamikaze museum and beautiful samurai gardens nearby
PM: Ferry to the volcanic island of Sakurajima. We take a taxi tour around Sakurajima island then back to another ferry point for a trip back into the city.

Dinner in the city
Overnight Kagoshima

Day 13
AM: Early express train to Nagasaki (140 mins)

Visit to the Nagasaki Peace Museum, lunch then take the tram and cablecar to the summit of Mt Inasa for a magnificent view across the city

Dinner in town

Overnight Nagasaki

Day 14
AM: Morning ferry trip to visit Gunkanjima island, return to Nagasaki for lunch then a walking trip to visit the Dutch Slope/Glover Gardens area, finally arriving in the Megane bridge part of downtown and Chinatown
Dinner in Chinatown area.

Overnight Nagasaki

Day 15

AM: Morning flight to Naha, capital of Okinawa prefecture.
PM: Check into our accommodation then visit Shuri castle and museum in Naha, as well as Fukushu-en gardens and the historically significant Naval underground HQ, one of the few remaining monuments to the island’s tragic WWII history

Dinner in an izakaya restaurant
Overnight Okinawa

Day 16

AM/PM: Today we take a full day boat trip for scenic tour out of Naha to see some of the best beaches in this Pacific paradise.

Dinner along the main street: Kokusai-dori (TBA)

Overnight Okinawa

Day 17

AM: Flight back to Osaka

Optional: Stay Osaka, flights onward, or return home

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Tour price - $7,945 (double occupancy - add $500 for single room), $500 deposit, places strictly limited to a maximum of 11 people.

Price includes: 

17 nights Western style accommodation with breakfast (Japanese and Western style)

14 day standard JR rail pass

Domestic flights from Nagasaki to Naha

Domestic flight from Naha to Osaka

Boat trip in Okinawa

Chartered coach and guide to visit Chiran

Welcome dinner

Farewell dinner

Kaiseki dinner (Kyoto)

Standard sumodrome tickets

Kameoka boat ride tickets

All museum and garden entrance fees

Some taxi transportation

All bus/train and subway rides before and after the JR pass expires

(for information and bookings, call Robin on 0426 748 652 or email betterdigitalmag@gmail.com )