Imperial Japan - (Christmas-New Year)

A cultural, historical and culinary journey in Japan: from ultra-modern Tokyo to traditional Kyoto and atmospheric Osaka.

1^or  day: ATHENS – TOKYO

Meeting at Athens airport and flight to Tokyo, the capital of Japan and one of the most populous cities in the world. With a history that meets the future, Tokyo is a city that offers a unique experience that combines tradition with innovation

2^or  day: ARRIVAL IN TOKYO

Arrival in the gigantic metropolitan colossus, Tokyo. The first sensation of the visitor is this strange sense of absolute order, tranquility and cleanliness that prevails everywhere. The route to the hotel impresses with the excellent quality of the road surface and the absolute order in the traffic flow of the latest models of cars. During your transfer to the hotel, our experienced Greek leader will give you some initial information about the country. Arrival at our hotel and settling in the rooms. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay.

3^or  day: TOKYO – 1^or TOUR

National Museum – Asakusa/Senso-ji – Skytree - Akihabara

Today we start our day with a visit to the Tokyo National Museum. The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan, with collections focusing on Japanese and Asian art, including many National Treasures and Cultural Relics.

Our next stop is the area of Asakusa. We visit the majestic Asakusa Senso-ji temple, where the sacred statuette of the goddess Kanon is kept. Here you will be given time to walk the street Nakamise-dori, the most famous shopping street in the Asakusa area. The road runs for 250 meters along the main gate to the temple Senso-ji and is lined, on both sides, with shops selling stunning kimonos, samurai swords, traditional theater masks, handicrafts, souvenirs and traditional Japanese delicacies. Our last stop is of course the 3rd^o tallest skyscraper in the world with a height of 634 meters, o Tokyo Skytree to enjoy a unique panoramic view of the city. Lunch at a local restaurant. At the end of the day we will visit the area Akihabara, the hub of Japanese pop culture, with electronics stores, anime, manga stores and gaming centers. Return to our hotel.

4^or  day: TOKYO - 2^or TOUR

TeamLab borderless - Shibuya cross – Harajuku – Shinjuku Golden Gai

Our first stop for today is the impressive museum TeamLab borderless, a contemporary art museum that will captivate you. We continue to the Shibuya area, a major shopping hub and one of Tokyo's most famous and bustling neighborhoods. Here, the iconic Shibuya Crossing, the world's largest intersection, will amaze you with the large crowds of pedestrians crossing the intersection from all directions. Free time for shopping. Then we visit the busy Harajuku area, famous for its colorful street art and fashion, with special vintage clothing shops and costume shops along Takeshita Street, and more traditional, upscale boutiques lining leafy Omotesando Avenue. At our stop there will be time for temple lovers to visit the Meiji Jingu Temple. It is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Of course, we couldn't miss the Shinjuku area, where we'll see up close the popular Cat billboard with the lovable 3D kitty. Dinner at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and rest.

5^or ormera: FREE DAY IN TOKYO

OPTIONAL DAY TRIP TO NIKKO

Our tour will begin at the shrines of the area where they will reveal to us the decorative extravagance of the temples which is in stark contrast to the austere appearance of traditional Japanese buildings. It will introduce us to the hidden pages of the history of the country's most famous dynasty and offer us moments of peace and tranquility in a landscape of special natural beauty. We start from Shink-yo red arched bridge, on the Daiya River. Then we head to the mountain lake Chujenji, enjoying the wonderful scenery that surrounds her. Finally, after stopping to photograph the rapids kegon waterfall, whose waterfall reaches 97 meters, we will depart for Tokyo, where we will arrive in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay.

6^or  day : TOKYO – KAMAKURA – HAKONE

After breakfast we depart Tokyo for the Hakone area with a stopover at the beautiful medieval seaside town Kamakura, one of the most beautiful cities in Japan. We start our tour from Hase-dera Temple, dedicated to the worshiped goddess of Mercy Kanon. This Temple is home to a 9.18m tall Kannon statue with 11 heads, one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. Next stop at one of the largest and most imposing Buddhas in Japan, the “Buddha of Kamakura” (Kotoku-in). This Buddha is 13.35 meters tall and weighs about 121 tons. The construction of the bronze Buddha statue as seen today dates back to 1252. We continue our walk in the picturesque Komachi-Dori shopping street with its wooden houses, picturesque shops and traditional restaurants discovering the market rich in traditional products where you will have free time. In the early afternoon we depart for Hakone. Arrival, check-in, dinner and overnight stay.

7^or  day : HAKONE – LAKE ASHI CRUISE – BOLIDA TRAIN – KYOTO

In the morning we will visit the famous Valley of Brasmus, or Owagokudani. Geothermal activity is intense there, and depending on its intensity, the authorities allow or prohibit the entry of visitors. The Owakudani is the area around the crater created during the last eruption of Kami, the highest mountain in Hakone. Here there are boiling springs, hot streams and erupting vapors and a characteristic sulphurous smell that permeates the air. In order not to waste the thermal energy of the boiling sulfur, the natives have learned to boil in it chicken eggs, resulting in this feature black color their. According to an ancient legend, an egg eaten at Owakudani gives one at least seven years of life. Then we board the Hakone cable car Ropeway Hakone with a wonderful view of Hakone nature and Mt.Fuji, before reaching the serenity Lake Asinoko where we will take a beautiful cruise on the lake. Our last stop o Hakone Temple, one of the most famous sanctuaries in the area due to its incredibly picturesque red gate tori, which is located in the water and is called Torii of Peace. After we finish our tour, transfer to the train station and board the JR bullet train to go to Kyoto. Arrival in the late afternoon, transfer to our hotel and check-in. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay.

8^or  day: KYOTO – 1st TOUR

Gold Pavillion Kinkakuji - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – Nishiki Market – Samurai & Ninja Museum – Gion Geisha District

Today we start our tour with a visit to the Kyoto Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji Temple). Kyoto's iconic Zen temple, adorned with gold leaf, set in picturesque gardens and crystal clear ponds. The temple was built at the same time as Tenryu-ji, is listed on the world heritage sites and is the symbol of Kyoto. Next stop the popular bamboo forest Arashiyama, is located in Sagano village on the west side of the city, an enchanting journey through tall bamboo reeds.  We continue to the market Nishiki Market, known as Nishiki Ichiba. It is a historic and vibrant food market that has been operating for several centuries and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. The market is often referred to as "Kyoto's Kitchen" due to its wide variety of fresh and local food products. Our next stop the also important for the History of Japan, the Samurai museum. There they will tell us the story of Samurai and Ninja and we will try our luck in a "game" with shuriken knives. Our last stop for today the Gion geisha district. Gion is one of the areas in Kyoto where one can see geisha and maiko if one is lucky. Geisha are entertainers who specialize in various traditional arts such as dance, music and conversation. Traditional dinner in the area and return to our hotel. After Gion you can stroll to the picturesque Pontocho where you will find traditional restaurants and bars.

9^or  day: KYOTO – 2nd TOUR

Tea Ceremony with Authentic Maiko - Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Sannenzaka Neighborhood - Fushimi Inari Shrine

Today we will follow a beautiful route in history. Our first stop, the tea ceremony with authentic Maiko, in the heart of Kyoto. An experience that goes beyond simple gustatory pleasure and turns into a ritual of peace of mind and inner balance. OR Japanese tea ceremony (Chanoyu or Sadō) is a centuries-old tradition based on the principles of respect, harmony, purity and peace. Maiko's every move — from the way she holds the cup, to the sound of the boiling water — has deep symbolism. He is one silent dialogue between man and nature, a moment where time seems to stand still.

Our next stop is the holy temple Kiyomizu-dera. We will go up to the temple which was originally founded in 778 AD. The term "Kiyomizu" means "pure water" and comes from a nearby stream, while "dera" means "temple". The special feature of the temple is the wooden platform, known as "Kiyomizu no Butai" (the tent of Kiyomizu), which juts out from the main tower and provides a stunning panoramic view of Kyoto, an image straight out of a Japanese dream. After our tour of the temple we will descend towards the traditional Sannenzaka neighborhood which is known for its elegant paving and the traditional shops, restaurants and cafes that surround it. Our last stop the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine with its thousands of red torii gates, dedicated to the god of rice. Inari shrines house the guardian gods for business success, family prosperity, traffic safety and improvement in the performing arts. Return to our hotel for rest. Dinner and overnight stay.

10^or  day: KYOTO – HIROSHIMA – OSAKA

This morning we board the bullet train from Kyoto station to the martyred Hiroshima. The city where its inhabitants experienced the tragedy and nightmare of dropping the atomic bomb in the last days of World War II. Arriving, we will first go to the sanctuary Miyajima Island and the multi-photographed one Itsukushima Gate. It is the most characteristic sea gate (Tori) of Japan, the ultimate symbol of Shinto culture. With a height of 16.8 meters, crimson like fire, it stands proud in the sea, while it can be approached on foot from the beach, depending of course on the height of the tide level. The gate was built in the 6th century and in 1996 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Hiroshima and the tour continues to Peace Park, with the only building left standing, right next to where the atomic bomb exploded, on the morning of August 6, 1945, standing gripped by the sad memories, the cenotaph of the thousands of victims of the Nightmare War, the Eternal Flame, the Bell of Peace and the museum with photos, audio-visual material and exhibits from that murderous day. Dinner at a local restaurant. Transfer to the train station and board the bullet train to Osaka.

11^or  day: OSAKA TOUR – DEPARTURE

Free day until noon. We continue towards Osaka Castle built in an idyllic park with cherry trees.  Osaka Castle is considered one of the most famous and best preserved in Japan. Although it is essentially a replica of the original (the original burned down three times during its history), even today it still impresses with its volume, exterior gold leaf decoration and lush green surroundings. Its construction began in 1583 by Hideoshi Toyotomi and was completed in 1597. Lunch at a local restaurant. Departure for Kansai Airport, the country's top technological achievement, built entirely on an artificial island!! We depart via an intermediate station for Athens.

12^or  day: ARRIVAL IN ATHENS

*The program 12/19 with Juneyao includes 1 less night in Tokyo (does not include free day).