Explore the beauty of one of Hokkaido's prettiest towns with this day tour. Otaru is just 30 minutes away by train from Sapporo. It's conveniently located on the way to Niseko so be sure to stop by and have a pleasant walk. Otaru town developed as the main harbor and trade center of Hokkaido during the first years of the island's reclamation.
Many beautiful warehouses along the quaint canal area remain and remind visitors about the town's role in the 19th century. Nowadays many of the historical buildings have been turned into attractive shops, craftsmen ateliers, and pleasant cafes.
Otaru also hosts the annual Festival of the Snow and the Candles which coincides with Sapporo's Snow Festival in February. A night visit to Otaru during the festival is considered one of the most romantic experiences in Japan.
Points of interest/ itinerary.
1. Kikkogura Sake Museum of Tanaka Sake Factory - This museum exhibits valuable items related to the production of local sake which uses 100% Hokkaido rice and pure underground water. You will have the opportunity to taste different sake brands and buy some as souvenirs.
2. The Music Box Museum - This museum symbolizes one of Otaru's well-known industries, the music box production. In this large museum shop you will see music boxes of all kinds and sizes. Outside the building is the famous Otaru steam clock.
3. Glass workshops along the main shopping street - Glassware production is another well-known industry of Otaru. Here you can try hands-on experiences such as glass making. You can also visit a very large museum of Venetian glass art developed by the famous local glass producer Kitaichi.
4. Otaru canal area - This pleasant area still retains the old atmosphere of the trade port. The warehouses have now been turned to museums and restaurants. Here is one of the main venues of the Snow and Candles Festival.
5. The former Temiya Line - You can see the railway tracks of the former Temiya Line which was Hokkaido's first ever railway line, abolished about 30 years ago. This is another venue of the Snow and Candles Festival.
Discover the history and religions of ancient Japan's capital of Kyoto and Nara. See Arashiyama, Todai-jiTemple & Nara Park. This tour is all about the most famous spots that a traveler should visit at least once.
Begin your excursion in the morning at "Arashiyama" a notable for its view of cherry blossoms and color of autumn leaves, the bridge "Togetsukyo" which spans across Katsura river is a central landmark and the most highly recommended spot is the Sagano Bamboo Forest! Walk a pleasantly cool 100m long walkway that begins from the side of the world heritage Tenryuji Temple. Spotted in the bamboo forest. The large "Okame-Ishi" rock is a famous power spot, and is said your wish will come true within a year if you rub the rock. Pause your tour for lunch, then board The Randen (Keifuku) Line from Arashiyama to Shijo Omiya, after than bus will pick you up at station.
Move on next to Nara Park, you’ll find Todai-ji Temple a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main gate to Todai-ji Temple is a national treasure and the Great Buddha of Nara which commonly known as Nara-no-Daibutsu. Finish your excursion at Nara’s Deer Park, a famous section of Nara Park.
Join a walking tour through Tokyo’s famous geisha district and feel the spirit and history of the Edo period in Kagurazaka.
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Enjoy a guided tour through an area that has flourished for 150 years as a geisha district
* Amble down stone-paved streets and contemplate the history of the area
* You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a geisha
From our meeting point we travel by Oedo Subway Line or JR Line to what is now the fashionable dining and shopping district of Kagurazaka. Take a guided walking tour along the cobblestone streets and traditional architecture to admire the remains of the Edo period. The neighbourhood is also an established entertainment district with many geisha houses dotted around the area, giving it a traditional atmosphere.
During our walking tour we go by the most important landmarks including Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, considered lucky for those seeking love, then to Ushigome Mitsuke and Ushigomebashi Bridge, along Kagurazaka-dori shopping street on to the Zenkoku-ji Temple, devoted to Bishamonten, with its bright red pillars. We head along Atamiyu Stairs into a smaller, more intimate area to Kagurazaka Wakahachiman Shrine, Koguri Yokocho, Geisha Shindo, Kakurenbo Yokocho, Hyogo Yokocho, Kousho-ji Temple, to Ushigome Kagurazaka and many more. Along the way you get to enjoy a delicious local Kagurazaka delicacy as you take in the atmosphere of the neighbourhood with its small, winding streets and alleyways.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is in southern Kyoto is an important Shinto Shrine dedicated to the god of prosperity. It is famous for its thousands of vermillion torii gates that arch over a long path behind the shrine. Walking through these gates gives you a sense surrealism as in a different world.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple, it is one of UNESCO world heritage historic temples in eastern Kyoto. This Buddhist Temple is built without using a single nail for its structure. The main hall has a large veranda supported by tall pillars that jut out over the hillside which gives an impressive view of the city below. Kinkaku-ji Temple also known as the "Golden Temple" is another UNESCO world heritage Temple in northern Kyoto. It is a Zen Buddhist temple set in a magnificent Japanese strolling garden overlooking a pond with its two top stories covered entirely with pure gold leaf.
Take in a beautiful variation of the temple scenery with the changing of the seasons.
See Roppongi in all its night-time glory with a tour and dinner in this multiculturally vibrant neighbourhood.
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Get a local look into one of Tokyo’s most famous entertainment districts
* Find out about the area’s equally animated history with the help of a guide
* Enjoy an all-you-can-eat meal in a historical sukiyaki restaurant at your leisure
Don’t get lost in Tokyo at night, and take to the streets of Roppongi with the help of your guide. One of the most famous entertainment districts in the city; it’s colourful, exciting and overwhelmingly cosmopolitan. Visited by many international tourists and a popular local night spot, this neighbourhood embodies modern day Tokyo at its boldest.
From our starting point at the Grand Hyatt we make our way to Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka-dori. Walk along this 400m tree-lined street, home to the Roppongi Hills residential tower and many high-class boutiques. What’s more, you can even spot the Tokyo Tower looming over the centre of the street. You’ll then be led through a shopping area, Azabujuban, boasting 300 years of history and over 300 shops – both old and new.
We round off the tour with a relaxing all-you-can-eat meal in a historical sukiyaki restaurant. The menu includes a starter, top quality beef, mixed vegetables, kishimen (flat noodles) and a dessert. Enjoy the meal at your leisure and head off into the Tokyo night once you have finished.
Credit for images copyrighted by ©Yasufumi Nishi/©JNTO
Este encantador tour a pie te llevará en un inspirador viaje al pasado de Kioto y te permitirá descubrir impresionantes joyas históricas y arquitectónicas. Tu itinerario incluye un tour de los principales templos y santuarios, además de llevarte por el cautivador barrio de las geishas.
Kioto, la antigua capital de Japón, parece haberse detenido en el tiempo desde hace más de mil años y su casco histórico es un auténtico tesoro repleto de hermosos templos, parques y jardines perfectamente arreglados. Empezaremos con una visita al templo de Kiyomizu, cuyo salón principal se encuentra en una pendiente muy inclinada y cuenta con una tradicional plataforma de madera sujetada por pilares. Desde este lugar privilegiado podrás disfrutar de unas vistas impresionantes de los tejados de Kioto.
El tour continuará llevándote al templo de Kodai-ji. Este templo está situado en la falda de las montañas de Higashiyama Ryozen y fue construido por la viuda del general del siglo XVI Toyotomi Hideyoshi para conmemorarle. A continuación te guiaremos al famoso santuario de Yasaka, dedicado al dios de la prosperidad y de la salud. Es conocido por ser sede del festival de Gion-Matsuri, uno de los mayores festivales de Japón, que se celebra cada verano.
Cuando el sol comience a despedirse y las lámparas empiecen a parpadear al anochecer será el momento perfecto para pasear por las estrechas callejuelas del evocador distrito de Gion. Esta zona es famosa por su ocio y las geishas, y ha logrado conservar su tranquilo encanto del pasado. Cuando pases por delante de tentadores restaurantes y de tradicionales casas de té si prestas atención podrás ver a las serenas geishas camino de su siguiente cita.
Descubre dos sitios Patrimonio de la Humanidad de Japón con este tour de un día entero por Miyajima y Hiroshima.
Destacamos
- Busca ciervos salvajes en Miyajima
- Admira uno de los sitios más fotografiados de Japón
- Absorbe la belleza del santuario de Itsukushima
- Recorre la inquietante Cúpula de la Bomba Atómica de Hiroshima
Sal de Kioto y dirígete a Miyajima, una pequeña isla cuyo nombre significa isla del santuario. Según el número de personas en el autobús, cogeremos un taxi jumbo – taxi con capacidad para hasta nueve personas - o el tren para llegar a este destino mágico, sin duda una de las mejores opciones entre los turistas que vienen a Japón.
Una vez en Miyajima, déjate cautivar por el santuario bermellón que flota majestuosamente sobre el agua de color azul profundo que actúa como puerta de entrada al santuario de Itsukushima. El santuario data del siglo VI y se hizo famoso por su ornamentada estructura de estilo shinden-zukuri. La frondosidad de los paisajes que lo rodean te brinda la oportunidad de admirar ciervos salvajes que vagan libremente por la naturaleza virgen y abundante de Miyajima.
Vuelve a Miyajimaguchi en ferri y abre tu camino hacia la siguiente parada: el Museo y Memorial de la Paz de Hiroshima. La ciudad, cuyo nombre recuerda el fatídico evento del 6 de agosto de 1945, abrió un parque que sirve de recordatorio para las generaciones futuras. La Cúpula de la Bomba Atómica es el símbolo del desastre y se ha conservado igual que estaba con el fin de promover la paz y la eliminación de las armas atómicas.
Al acabar el recorrido, volveremos a Kioto.
Idiomas
Inglés
Una ciudad con más de 1.000 templos budistas…. Ven y descubre la antigua capital de Japón con un tour de día completo desde Tokio.
Destacamos
- Viaja hasta Kioto a la velocidad del rayo con el tren bala
- Contempla los lugares más destacados de Kioto
- Visita los palacios y templos más importantes de la ciudad
Sube a bordo del famoso tren bala, que te llevará de viaje desde Tokio a Kioto para que puedas descubrir los encantos de la ciudad cultural por excelencia del país. Al llegar a la antigua capital, recorrerás los numerosos templos y palacios que embellecen la ciudad. Pero antes de nada, dispondrás de un tiempo para disfrutar de un almuerzo de estilo occidental que te dará fuerzas para empezar la ruta relámpago por los palacios, santuarios y templos de Kioto.
Después de almorzar, te dirigirás al Santuario Heian Jingu, construido para conmemorar el 1.101 aniversario de la fundación de Kioto. Su característica arquitectura, de tonos colorados, hace que sea un verdadero espectáculo contemplar esta joya. Visita a continuación la estructura de madera más larga del mundo, el templo Sanjusangen-do, que alberga 1.001 estatuas a escala real de las deidades budistas de Kannon. La última parada antes de abordar el tren Shinkansen con destino Tokio será en el templo Kiyomizu-dera. Desde su magnífico mirador se puede admirar todo Tokio.
Idiomas
Inglés.
Otros
El guía no te acompañará en el tren Shinkansen. Durante el Festival Jidai, que se celebra el 22 de octubre, el santuario Heian Jingu permanecerá cerrado al público. En su lugar, se visitará el templo Chishaku-in. Si el Festival Jidai se pospusiera, se respetará el itinerario inicial. Por favor, informa durante la reserva si vas a bajar en una estación que no sea la de Tokio. Ten en cuenta que no se pueden hacer cambios después de la salida.
This package combines the Kyoto Morning Tour with a craft workshop experience. Visit Kinkaku-ji Temple and Nijo Castle, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On weekdays, participants can enter the Kyoto Imperial Palace with no prior application (some days are excluded).
Start the day with Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tour the historical castle completed in 1626, which was built to provide lodging for Tokugawa Shogun and as a palladium for Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Then we will visit Kinkaku-ji Temple, a World Heritage Site, also known as the Golden Pavilion. The wooden architecture is covered in thin layers of pure gold and is surrounded by a beautiful lake.
Kyoto Imperial Palace, this used to be the palace to the former emperor of Japan, nowadays we are allowed to explore the beautiful building.
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. This shrine's main hall is a designated national treasure and is famous for housing the God of scholarship. The shrine is especially great to see during the plum blossom and autumn leaf seasons.
Later, enjoy lunch then make your own way over to the Craft workshop at Kyoto Handicraft Center. The tour lets you experience block print, cloisonné work, and other crafts at the craft workshop.
Hakone Shrine stands at the foot of Mount Hakone along the shores of Lake Ashi. A path leads from the torii gate in Lake Ashi up a series of steps flanked by lanterns through the forest to the main building of the shrine, which sits peacefully among the tall trees. The shrine is beautiful throughout the year, and is particularly breathtaking when shrouded in mist.
Death Valley or Owakudani is located in the mountain town of Hakone. Once the springs are reached, kuro-tamago, or black eggs, can be purchased five at a time. The eggs are ordinary chicken eggs but the shell turns black due to being boiled in the hot sulfur spring. Local tradition holds that for each black egg eaten, seven years is added to one's life.
Some 3000 years ago Mount Hakone erupted leaving the hot spring filled crater. All along the path to the egg vendor are active sulfuric geysers, which can be hazardous at times. The valley is sometimes referred to as ""The Death Valley"" by locals. On clear days either route delivers spectacular views of the ominous Mt. Fuji.