Sun and Sakura | April 7-17, 2015
If your ideal vacation is more about kicking back and experiencing the sights, we invite you to experience Japan’s finest season in our first PacSet Pick tour of 2015, Sun and Sakura!
Taking advantage of the blooming sakura (cherry blossom) trees, we’ll whisk you from longboats on the Sumida River to the mountains north of Tokyo, where we’ll relax at a local hot spring resort and visit the gorgeous traditional city of Nikko. We’ll also check out the temples and shrines of Kamakura during their annual spring festivals and hang with the locals for a little cherry blossom viewing. If that isn’t enough, you’ll want to join our extension to the tropical Miyako Island in Okinawa, where you’ll enjoy gorgeous oceanfront resort accommodations, food, and legendary island hospitality. Here, swimming, snorkeling, or just lounging on the beach are all options for inspiring a little bit of calm.
So pack your bags and swap those sneakers for sandals, friends – this is going to be an inspiring journey you won’t want to miss!
| TOUR AT A GLANCE |
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 Shopping:   Walking: Baggage: 1 checked size bag, 1 carry-on sized bag Single Rooms available |
- R/T airfare from Los Angeles to Japan
- Tour dates: Departs April 7, returns April 13 for BASIC package; April 7 to April 17 for EXTENDED
- Hotel accommodations: 5 Nights Hotel in Tokyo, 1 Night Ryokan in Kinugawa Onsen, 3 nights beachfront resort on Miyako Island (no Miyako for basic)
- Stops in Tokyo, Nikko, Kamakura, Kinugawa Onsen, Miyako Island in Okinawa (no Miyako Island for Basic Package)
- All transportation (train, ropeway, bus, shinkansen/”bullet train”, etc.) within Japan
- Professional bilingual guide services
- Admission to all activities
- Customized tour guidebook
- Nightly turndown service with local snacks and homemade sweets
- Much, much more!
This is our most relaxing of Japan for 2015, with beautiful cherry blossoms, onsen time, and kicking back on the tropical Miyako Island. Explore Okinawa with us, and treat yourself to a great vacation with beautiful sights, culture, and an oceanfront resort. Our PacSet Picks are a bit adventurous, but we’re hoping you’ll join us in this one of a kind adventure!
We depart from LAX to Japan for our journey.
DAY 2: Arrival in Japan
Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to our hotel accommodations. Your guide will be on hand to assist with acquiring dinner upon request.
DAY 3: Urban Beauty
Can’t sleep? Your guide will be taking a group to breakfast, for those of you who want to start your day with pastries and coffee. When we all gather, we’ll relocate to Harajuku, where we’ll visit Tokyo’s iconic Meiji Jingu shrine and explore the neighborhood. There are tons of great lunch options; take your pick before your guide leads you on a tour through some of Japan’s most intriguing back alleys. We’ll pick up the tab at a special afternoon café stop before we head back to the hotel. That evening, you’ll board one of Japan’s famous yakatabune longboats, where we’ll enjoy tempura, drinks, and some spectacular views of the cherry blossoms from the banks of the Sumida River.
DAY 4: Into the mists
Today we begin in Asakusa, where the famous Kaminarimon Gate and Sensoji Temple are just some of the highlights on Tokyo’s most popular traditional shopping street. After shopping for traditional souvenirs, we’ll board an express train out to Kinugawa Onsen, where you’ll be able to experience the soothing natural waters of the area hot springs and explore the picturesque, storybook surroundings. Your guide will be on hand for advice and tips as you get pampered the traditional way.
DAY 5: Temple Gardens
Locals say that you shouldn’t say you’ve seen it all until you’ve seen Nikko – and that’s where we’ll head today. Mausoleums and temples framed by rivers and bright red bridges are just some of the sites that await your visit. Then it’s back to Tokyo, where we’ll board a river boat and transfer to the Hama Rikyu gardens. Take in gorgeous views of blooming blossoms and sip some green tea before we return to our hotel accommodations for the evening.
DAY 6: Free Day
Today is a free day! Your guide will be on hand during concierge time to help you arrange directions to the destination of your choice.
DAY 7: The Kamakura Festival!
We’ll be doing a lot today, and for good reason: we’ll be visiting Kamakura (once considered Japan’s capitol city by some) during their annual spring festival! Join revelers at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and city parks for festival food, processions, and much, much more! After that, don’t put your camera away just yet – we’ll be making our way over to Hase Temple and the Kotoku-in Buddha for more sightseeing fun. In the evening, we wrap up our time in Kanto by joining the locals for a picnic under the cherry blossoms.
DAY 8: Spring becomes Summer
We bid farewell to our basic tour guests today. The rest of us board a flight for Miyako Island in Okinawa, where upon arrival we’ll check in to our beautiful oceanfront resort! Upon check in, feel free to stroll the beach, rest, or discuss resort excursions with your guide. Tonight, your dinner is on us as we gather at the resort for a multi-course meal prepared by the finest chefs on the island.
DAY 9: To Stroll or Sunbathe?
It’s day 2 at the resort, and you can do as you please – or join the guide for a trip to Yoshino Beach to snorkel among colorful varieties of fish and expansive coral beds. After checking out the lighthouses above ground, we’ll go into town to get some local eats for dinner before returning to our resort.
DAY 10: Sleep Mode
Today is yours to spend as you see fit! See the island’s famous bridges and Maehama Beach, borrow a bicycle, or just kick back at the resort – it’s all up to you. This evening, we’ve got a special farewell barbecue dinner waiting for you!
DAY 11: Farewell!
Return home relaxed and recharged.