'Land of Rising Sun Japan Tour with THY, Extratours Included, Visa-Free / 6 Nights Hotel Accommodation / Departure from Istanbul / Return to Tokyo'

LAND OF THE RISING SUN JAPAN TOUR

WITH THY

INCLUDING EXTRA TOURS!

EXPERIENCE TRAVELING WITH THE WORLD'S FIRST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN, SHINKANSEN!

6 NIGHTS - 8 DAYS

TOKYO (2 NIGHTS) - FUJI - HAKONE - KYOTO (2 NIGHTS) - NARA - OSAKA (2 NIGHTS) - KOBE

• Day 1
• ISTANBUL - TOKYO
• IMPORTANT NOTE:
• Flight information may vary according to the tour dates. We kindly ask passengers who will be purchasing domestic connecting tickets to get information.
• Meeting at Istanbul Airport international departures terminal in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at 12:50. After ticket, luggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Tokyo with Turkish Airlines flight TK050 at 15:50. Overnight on the plane.

• Day 2
• TOKYO
• Arrival at Tokyo Narita Airport at 09:05 local time. After passport and luggage procedures, we will move from the airport with our vehicle for a Tokyo Tour. Our first stop will be Ueno Park, which claims the title of the most popular city park in Japan with over 10 million visitors per year and hosts many major museums. From here, we will move to Ameyoko Ichiba market. Today, the shops offer a wide variety of products ranging from food to fashion and electronics. In addition to the approximately 400 shops lined up on both sides of the 500-meter street, there are also shops in narrow streets extending back. Despite Japanese culture not favoring eating on the streets, the area has managed to create a niche. After the free time we will have for lunch, we will move to one of Tokyo's oldest and most colorful temples, a Buddhist temple called Senso-Ji Temple, also known as Asakusa Temple. Also referred to as Santa-jama (Temple of Three Gods), the temple attracts considerable interest from both tourists and locals. It is one of the rare temples that survived the bombings during World War II, and for this reason, the original structure of the building has not been damaged. Built in 1649, the temple is said to have been built to honor the three brothers who were deified because they found the statue of the goddess Kannon in a river. We will also see the shopping street known as Nakamise. After completing our tour, we transfer to the hotel in the popular shopping district of Ginza, filled with luxurious boutiques and high-end cocktail and sushi bars. We will check-in and settle into our rooms. Overnight at our hotel in Tokyo.

• Day 3
• TOKYO
• After breakfast at our hotel, we continue with the Tokyo Tour. Our first stop will be the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which includes the private residences of the imperial family, archives, museums, and administrative offices. The Tokyo Imperial Palace was built on the site of an old fortress where the Shogun lived in the 15th century. In the 19th century, when Emperor Meiji moved the royal family from Kyoto to Tokyo, this area also became the property of the imperial family. Most of the buildings were destroyed during World War II, so the oldest items remaining from the palace are only 50 years old. Secondly, we will visit the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in the Shibuya district, one of Tokyo's busiest areas, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. After free time for lunch, we will visit Shinjuku, which is also the administrative center of Tokyo. The district hosts lively clubs and karaoke venues lit by neon lights in East Shinjuku, as well as luxury hotel bars and restaurants in the Skyscraper District. After our visit to the popular observation terrace in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, we return to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Tokyo.
• Note: This morning, we need to take a small overnight bag with us while leaving the hotel. The large suitcases we leave will be transferred to our hotel in Kyoto before us and will reach us the next day.

• Day 4
• TOKYO - HAKONE - KYOTO
• After breakfast at our hotel, we will check out and depart with our private vehicle for Hakone Town, located approximately 2.5 hours away. Upon arrival, we will begin our Hakone Tour at the Owakudani Valley, a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley surrounding a crater that formed during the last eruption of Hakone Mountain around 3000 years ago. Today, much of the area is an active volcanic region filled with sulfurous fumes, hot springs, and warm rivers. We will take the cable car from Togendai to enjoy the breathtaking views of this stunning valley. After a free time for lunch, we will head to Lake Ashi. After an enjoyable 30-minute boat ride on a wooden pirate ship across the lake, we will transfer to Odawara Station. From there, we will board the world’s first high-speed train, the Shinkansen, for approximately a 2.5-hour journey to Kyoto Station. After transferring to our hotel and checking in, we will settle into our rooms. Overnight at our hotel in Kyoto.

• Day 5
• KYOTO
• After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for the Kyoto Tour. Our first stop will be the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. The temple is recognized worldwide as a perfect example of the Kitayama landscaping art. Thanks to its features, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as an important cultural asset of the former capital Kyoto in 1994. Our next stop will be Arashiyama. After free time for lunch in the area, we will visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. In the forest, where there is a 500-meter walking path, we will be able to walk, listen to the sounds created by the wind passing through the bamboos, and feed the wild monkeys. After our free time for lunch, we will continue our tour with a visit to the Kiyomizu Temple. The temple offers beautiful views of the distant city of Kyoto along with a multitude of cherry trees and maple trees that explode in colorful hues in spring and autumn. The main hall, which was built without using nails, houses a small statue of Kannon, the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Goddess. After this visit, we will stroll through the historic cobbled streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, which are filled with traditional Japanese-style buildings representing Kyoto, including many souvenir shops. In the last part of our tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. In Gion, we will see shops, restaurants, and ochaya (tea houses) where Geiko (the term for geishas in Kyoto) and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) entertain. After our tour here, we return to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Kyoto.

• Day 6
• KYOTO - NARA - OSAKA
• After breakfast at our hotel, we will check out and continue with the Kyoto Tour. During our tour, we will visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine, a Shinto shrine said to have been founded by Hata-no-Iroko in 711. After this visit, we will move to Nara. Upon arrival at Nara Tour, we will begin with the Todai-ji Temple, which is not only the largest wooden structure in the world but also houses the largest Buddha statue known as Daibutsu. Next, we will visit Nara Park, a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of Japan's oldest parks. The park is home to over 1,200 wild sika deer that roam freely. Because of these deer, Nara is also known as deer park. After a free time for lunch, we will have a photo stop at the Kasuga-taisha Shrine. The shrine, established in 768, has been rebuilt several times over the centuries. Its interior is famous for many bronze lanterns as well as numerous stone lanterns. After this, we will head to Osaka. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. After checking in, we will settle into our rooms. Overnight at our hotel in Osaka.

• Day 7
• OSAKA
• After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for the Osaka Tour. Our first stop will be the Umeda Skyscraper, which is 173 meters high, and its Floating Garden Observatory located on the 39th floor. After this visit, we will see Osaka Castle, which was built in the 16th century and played a significant role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located within a park that covers an area of approximately two square kilometers, containing abundant green spaces, sports facilities, a multipurpose arena (Osakajo Hall), and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park is one of Osaka's most popular spots during the cherry blossom season, which usually occurs in early April. After visiting the castle, we will have free time for lunch. After free time, we will visit Dotombori, which has become the entertainment center of Osaka. Our last visit will be to the main shopping area of Osaka, Shinsaibashi, where we will have a short break for shopping before returning to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel in Osaka.

• Day 8
• OSAKA - ISTANBUL
• After breakfast at our hotel, we will continue the Osaka Tour with check-out procedures. Our first stop will be the Shitennō-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple established in 593 AD by Prince Shōtoku. Although the temple buildings have been reconstructed over the centuries, it is regarded as the first and officially oldest temple in Japan. From here, our tour will continue to the Kuromon Ichiba market. This vast market, home to vendors selling street food, fresh fruits and vegetables, shellfish, and souvenirs, will provide free time for shopping and lunch. After this free time, our next stop will be the Sumiyoshi Taisha, a Shinto shrine built in honor of the 11th anniversary of Empress Jingū’s accession to the throne in 211. The last stop of our tour will be the Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world with a collection of 5,400 m³ of water and 580 species of marine life. After our visit, we will transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport. After ticket, luggage, and passport procedures, we will fly to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines flight TK087 at 22:25. Overnight on the plane.

Day 9

• ISTANBUL
• Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 05:00 local time and the end of our tour. We say goodbye until we meet on our next enjoyable trip.

• ACCOMMODATION DETAILS:
• Tokyo (2 nights) - 3* Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo-Kayabacho etc.
• Kyoto (3 nights) - 3* Urban Hotel Kyoto Nijo Premium etc.
• Osaka (2 nights) - 4* Hotel Plaza Osaka etc.