Grand Journey of Japan & South Korea

Arrival
Welcome to Tokyo - the ultramodern and the traditional at the same time capital of Japan! Your driver meets you at the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, you check in and have the rest of the day at leisure to relax after your trip or start exploring the vibrant city on your own.

Highlights of Tokyo 
In the morning, after breakfast, you meet your private guide and start your first full-day tour of Tokyo. During the tour, you use the convenient Tokyo public train transportation to travel around the city.

First, you see the incredible Imperial Palace to get a taste of Japanese culture and glance at the precious building. Notably, The Imperial Palace has served as the residential place of the successive Emperors since 1868. It contains the Imperial Residence and the Imperial Palace Complex, where His Majesty the Emperor undertakes official duties. Moreover, various ceremonies and public activities are held there too.
After relishing this marvelous Palace, you will walk through the Nihonbashi district which is a business district that grew up around the bridge of the same name, which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. After enjoying the atmosphere of the Nihonbashi district, you will have lunch.

Then you have a visit to the Tokyo Sky Tree by metro, a television broadcasting tower, and the tallest structure in Japan. Its observation decks offering spectacular views over Tokyo are the highlights of the tower. You visit the deck located at the height of 350 meters (1148 feet), so make sure to have your camera and phone charged!

After that, you will visit Asakusa Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo, and learn the legend of how this temple was built. The temple is known to bring good luck in almost anything, so make sure to make a wish! Here you can feel the traditional Japanese culture the moment you step onto the temple grounds. A shopping street called Nakamise leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate; here, you can find a great selection of souvenirs as well as local confectionaries that the locals admire so much.

After the tour, you return to your hotel and have the evening at leisure.

Diverse Tokyo: Meiji Shrine, Harajuku & Shibuya
Your first stop is Meiji Shrine. Located near Harajuku station and Yoyogi Park, this shrine is popular among travelers. In addition to its vast size, it includes a gorgeous, serene forest surrounding the sacred approach to the shrine. Meiji Jingu Shrine gives you the opportunity to experience a peaceful atmosphere in the heart of Tokyo, the largest city in the world. Then you visit Harajuku. Since Harajuku has its own charm, you can fully immerse yourself in the Japanese atmosphere and fully appreciate the surrounding.

The next stop on the itinerary is Shibuya, Tokyo's paradise for shoppers. Despite the abundance of stores, it's probably best known for its crosswalk. As soon as the traffic lights turn red, pedestrians are free to roam wherever they like. Moreover, it is a symbol of modern Japan and of Tokyo itself: action in all directions. People are constantly pouring across the street from all directions, three huge television screens mounted on the buildings flash all day, and the area is covered with lights. The intersection is a popular filming location for movies, and it has appeared in the films Lost in Translation and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, as well as numerous music videos and newscasts. Hence, this is one of the things that travelers can experience only in Japan. 

Before returning to your hotel, you explore Ginza, Japan's premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district, which has one of the most expensive real estate in all of Japan.

Departure from Tokyo
Today in the morning private guide/driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and takes you to the train station to continue your amazing trip!

Arrival in Kyoto
Upon arrival in Kyoto, a private driver meets you at the train station and takes you to the hotel.

The rest of the day you can enjoy free time and some independent sightseeing or feel free to book any optional activities with us.

Kyoto City Tour & Tea Ceremony
In the morning after breakfast you meet your private guide and start your full day exploration of Kyoto.

You start with the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Imperial Family's residence from 794 until 1868, during the times when Kyoto was the capital of Japan. Here you have a chance to explore the palace buildings (from the outside) and the gardens, which was just recently opened to the public.

Head to Arashiyama, the second-most important sightseeing district in Kyoto that is filled with temples and shrines. The highlight of the district is the famed Bamboo Forest, one of the most photographed sights in Kyoto. Standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove is like being in another world, it has a sense of otherness that is very much unlike that of any other forest. This is an experience that is not to be missed!

Your tour continues with visiting Kinkakuji, one of the top UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the most remarkable Buddhist temples, and a gorgeous golden must-see attraction! So welcome to one of the most luxurious temples in Japan, also known worldwide, reflecting its fame in traditional arts and modern media. Here you will find peace, tranquility, and spiritual renewal.

Conclude your day with a Japanese tea ceremony experience, that provides an engaging induction to the traditional tea ceremony. This activity dates back hundreds of years and is the most idealistic pastime of ancient Japan. In this ceremony you will have an opportunity to wear traditional kimono robes, taste the green matcha tea and eat unique Japanese sweets specifically made to match the tea's flavour.

After the ceremony you return to your hotel and have the evening at leisure.  

Departure
Today in the morning, you check out from the hotel and continue your trip.

Arrival & Fukuoka City Tour
Upon arrival in Kyoto, a private driver meets you at the train station and takes you to the hotel.

After check-in, meet your private guide and start the tour of Fukuoka. In the center of Fukuoka city, we will see a beautiful Japanese-style garden in "Yusentei"; which used to be Kuroda feudal family's villa until the mid 19th century. Then, let's try Nagahama ramen, which is one of the most popular ramen among the locals. In the afternoon, we'll move to Hakata district, the eastern side of Fukuoka city, and visit Tochoji Temple and Kushida Shrine. You shouldn't miss Fukuoka Daibutsu in Tochoji, the biggest seated wooden Budha in Japan. Kushida Shrine has been a guardian shrine for Hakata merchants since the 8th century, and it is famous for answering prayers for a good business, happy long life and staying young.

After the tour, you have free time.

• You can stay for one more day to join an optional tour to Nagasaki. Nagasaki is written in history books as one of the two cities where the Americans dropped an atomic bomb, marking a definitive end to World War II. The atrocities of war are documented and the innocent lives lost are honored at the Nagasaki Peace Park complex. Nagasaki’s museums and churches like 26 Martyrs Museum and the Oura Cathedral also present harrowing tales of Christian persecutions and the sacrifices of the saints who were tortured and killed for not abandoning their faith. These sites tell stories that need to be heard.

Departure from Fukuoka
After breakfast and check-out, your private driver takes you to the train station.

Arrival
Upon arrival, you are met by your private driver and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

After check-in, the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy Busan on your own. 

Busan Sightseeing
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide and driver in the lobby to embark on a private city tour of Busan.

Your start your exploration with the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, situated on the coast, which is not a typical location for a temple, hence its unique and amazing view. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was first built in 1376 by the great Buddhist teacher known as Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty, and its sanctuary was reconstructed in 1970.

After that you visit the Jagalchi Market, Korea's largest seafood market, selling both live and dried fish. Visitors can eat fresh raw fish right at the market. After visiting the market, you continue to Nampodong Street, home to the Busan International Film Festival (PIFF).

Conclude your first sightseeing day by going up the Busan Tower, that is a symbol of Busan and offers great panoramic views of the city and its port. The top of the tower is modelled after the baldaquin of Dabotap Pagoda in Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju.

Departure
After breakfast and check-out, you are met by your private driver in the hotel lobby and transferred to the airport for your departure.

Arrival
Welcome to the capital of South Korea - Seoul!

Upon arrival, you are met by your private driver, who transfers you to your hotel for the check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip or start your independent exploration of the huge metropolis that has it all: from modern skyscrapers to pop culture, Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets.

Seoul Sightseeing
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide and driver in the lobby to embark on a private city tour of Seoul.

Your start your exploration with a visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main and first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty constructed in 1395. Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful, and remains the largest of all Five Grand Palaces own Seoul. Located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, you also find the National Folklore Museum, presenting historical artefacts that were used in the daily lives of Korean people in the past. Through the displays, visitors can learn about the domestic and agricultural lifestyles, as well as Koreaan cultural beliefs. 

You then proceed to the Insadong Antique Street. Insadong Street serves as the focal point of traditional Korean arts & crafts. Narrow alleyways contain a plethora of folk crafts, hand-made pottery and eclectic paintings. Afterwards, you stop at Namdaemun Market, the largest traditional market in Korea, where most of the good sold are made by the storeowners.

Namsangol Hanok Village, a village of traditional houses, is next on your list for today. The village allows its visitors to get a taste of the traditional life while escaping from the bustling city life of modern times. The five houses were remodelled after the traditional houses of Joseon Dynasty and over a range of social classes, from peasants to aristocrats. 

Conclude your first sightseeing day by going up Seoul's first landmark, N Seoul Tower. N Seoul Tower was the first tower-type tourist attraction in Korea, offering an astonishing 360 degree panorama over the city. After enjoying the view, you are taken back to your hotel and have the evening at leisure.

DMZ Tour
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide and driver in the lobby and head for the Imjingak Park, where you and your private guide join a shared coach for a DMZ tour and take the chance of going very close to the border between two Koreas. 

DMZ is the s a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. During the tour you learn about the division as well as the ongoing events surrounding the two Koreas. 

At the Dora Observatory you can peer through the barbed wire fence put along the Military Demarcation Line, where, on a clear day, you will be able to see the villages and industrial parks of North Korea. During the tour you will also walk into the 3rd Underground Tunnel, built by the North Koreans so that 30,000 soldiers could invade the South per hour; this tunnel is so large that even tanks can pass through unobstructed.

After the tour, you meet with your private driver who takes you to your hotel in Seoul.

Note: it is a full-day tour with early pick-up.

Please, note: Please have your passports with you on this day for the tour. Please, note that there is a dress code at the DMZ; please do not wear any torn clothing (including torn jeans), no clothing with profanity or offensive writing, no leather pants, and no military uniforms. 

Departure
After breakfast and check-out, you are met by your private driver in the hotel lobby and transferred to the train station or airport.