5,460€

14 days

On this 14 day tour our focus is on Tokyo and Kyoto and the surrounding areas. These cities form our base of operation, from which we will explore other areas of Japan on day tours. Of course you'll have the opportunity to visit many cultural highlights and iconic sights. Both Tokyo and Kyoto have a good selection of vegan restaurants and there is so much to discover.

Our starting point is Tokyo. The first few days we will spend exploring the capital city of Japan. A day trip to Mt. Fuji is also included. From Tokyo we take the Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Here, you will find many ancient temples and other cultural highlights. When we have not quite reached our temple limit, we visit Nara and Himeji on day trips from Kyoto. Our tour ends in Kyoto.

Day 1 – Tokyo

Our vegan travel to Japan starts on the morning of the first day. If you have not spent the night in our group hotel, you are expected to arrive there no later than 09.00 am for an introduction and to meet your fellow travelers. It is up to you when you want to arrive in Japan. If you want to arrive a few days before the tour starts, we will gladly help you to arrange a hotel room for you.

Our hotel is situated in Shinjuku, a very active part of Tokyo with lots of entertainment just around the corner. After breakfast you will meet your fellow travelers and your tour leader in the hotel. If this first day is a 1st or 3rd Sunday of the month we will visit the Oedo Antique Market, the largest outdoor antique market in Japan. If the antique market is closed we will choose other sights to visit in that area.

We will also visit the Namiyoke-jinja shrine and Hama-rikyu Onshi-teien garden, one of Tokyo's finest gardens. Around the corner is the the upmarket district of Ginza, with its designer stores, which is particularly interesting to visit on a Sunday as the main street will be closed off for traffic.

Day 4 – Tokyo

Today we visit the impressive Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. Depending on availability we do this in the morning or in the afternoon. From there we will take a metro to the authentic and relaxing district of Yanesen: a perfect neighborhood for strolling through alleyways. Get a glimpse of how the Japanese create their own sanctuary in this metropolis. Nearly every street has a temple or shrine. From there it is a short walk to the tranquil surroundings of Yanaka-reien cemetery park. The remainder of the day is reserved for visiting the Tokyo National Museum.

Day 5 – Tokyo

More interesting and fascinating sights to visit today in downtown Tokyo. Of course, you will get to see (and cross of course!) the famous Shibuya crossing, allegedly the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Furthermore we will visit the Hachiko-mae Square with its famous statue of Japan's legendary dog, Zojo-ji temple with its impressing 15 tonne Big Bell and finally, Meiji-jingu shrine (Tokyo's grandest Shinto shrine) and Shinjuku district.

Day 10 – Himeji

We will leave early in the morning to visit the city of Himeji and its top attraction: Himeji Castle. We use public trains to get to and from Himeji, which takes about 1,5 hours.

Himeji Castle is one of Japan's finest Castles and also the most visited one. When we arrive in Himeji we can easily walk to the castle grounds. Another top sight in Himeji is Koko-en, a reconstruction of former samurai quarters, to be found right next to the castle.

Day 13 – Nara

After yesterday's relaxing day it's time for some more astonishing sights. Today we will spend our time in Nara, Japan's first permanent capital, where hundreds of deer roam free. The train ride to Nara will take about 1 hour. In Nara there are plenty of amazing sights to choose from, such as Kasuga shrine, Kofuku-ji temple, Yoshiki-en gardens or Tamukeyama shrine. Certainly on the list of must-sees is the Grand Buddha hall. In the afternoon we will return to Kyoto by train.

Day 14 – Kyoto

This is the final day of our vegan travel to Japan. You can use it to visit those sights you still want to see, to buy some souvenirs, or just relax in a park.

Depending on the time of your flight you can make your way to Osaka airport. There is a convenient train connection from Kyoto station.

Note: In the event of unforeseen circumstances, for example an upcoming typhoon or a broken bus, it is be possible that the travel program must be adjusted. The final decision will be made by the tour leader. The sequence of the itinerary may be changed depending on opening times of attractions.

Included

• 13 Overnight stays

• All breakfasts (not in hotel)

• Lunch on the day trip to Mt. Fuji

• Metro card for all Tokyo metro lines on day 1, 2, 4 & 5

• Metro card for all Kyoto metro lines on day 8, 9 & 13

• Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto

• Day trip to Mt. Fuji, including entrance fees & lunch

• Day trip to Himeji Castle, including entrance fees

• Day trip to Nara

• Full day entrance at a Japanese onsen (natural sulfur hot spring)

• Dutch+English+German speaking tour leader

Not included

• International flights

• Meals (unless mentioned)(we WILL take you to vegan restaurants)

• Entrance fees (unless specifically mentioned). More information on our entrance fee package.

• Metro and bus tickets other than mentioned above

• Visa for Japan (if applicable)

• Travel insurance (mandatory)

• Cancellation insurance (optional)

• Spending money*

• Tips**

* For spending money you should count on a minimum of € 350,- per person per week. In this amount are included costs for food and drinks, entrance fees, additional excursions and personal tips. Souvenirs are not included in this amount as this very much depends on the person.

** Tipping in Japan is not common. It can sometimes even be considered an insult. Your tour leader, however, appreciates a tip very much, when you are satisfied with his/her work.