19/01/2012
Itinerary
Day 1
On the first day, a Smart Travel Partner will greet the group at Chubu International Airport. After everyone has passed through customs, the Smart Travel Partner will explain the schedule of events for the day. The group will then be es**rted to the hotel where they will reside during the trip, and the travel partner will assist them with check-in. After the group has checked-in, we will go to the famous Atsuta Jingu Shrine. This giant shrine complex is 200,000m2 in size and attracts over 7 million visitors every year. Next, we will have lunch in the Sakae district of Nagoya, and go to the Nagoya TV Tower to see a stunning view of the Nagoya metropolitan area. Before going to the hotel where you will be lodging for part of the trip, our last destination will be Nagoya Castle, which is the first of four castles we will visit on this trip.
Day 2
The second day of the trip will take us to Inuyama, a city located in the northwestern part of Aichi Prefecture. Our first stop of the day will be Inuyama Castle. This castle is considered to be the longest standing castle in all of Japan, and is one of only twelve remaining castles in Japan that was built before the Edo Period. Our next destination will be the Narita-san Temple located approximately five minutes by car from Inuyama Castle. The grounds of the Narita-san Temple are very large, and the main hall stands on top of a hill. Climbing all of the stairs of the temple to reach the main hall can be a bit tiring, but it is completely worth it once you witness the view from up there. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Nagoya Station. Following our visit to Narita-san Temple, we will also visit the nearby Zuisenji and Garyuji Temples. These temples are much smaller in scale to Narita-san Temple, but they certainly have their own individual qualities that make each of them unique. In the afternoon, we will go back to the Nagoya area and spend time in the Sakae and Osu districts, so you will have free time to shop and explore the areas.
Day 3
The third day will take us to Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture, which is located on the west coast of Central Japan. We will depart a little bit early on this day and go to the Omicho Fish Market. This is an indoor market that is quite large, and you will be able to see a wide variety of fish for sale. There are also many shops where you can eat super fresh fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, and even blowfish. Later in the day, we will visit Kanazawa Castle, whose structure is a bit larger than both Nagoya and Inuyama Castle. There is also a moat that is actually filled with water, which is really great, because it gives you a real idea of how difficult it was for enemies to enter. Our final destination on this day will be Kenrokuen Garden. This is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, and it is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the three.
Day 4
Our first destination on this day is the Japanese National Treasure known as Matsumoto Castle. The castle’s keep was completed in the 16th century and its inner interior and its external stonework are still it their original form. After this, be ready to see some snow, because we will be heading up to Nagano to the very famous Jigoku-dani Yaen Koen monkey hot spring. It is a fantastic place with truly jaw-dropping scenery, and there is nowhere else like it in Japan. After encountering some stunning wildlife and scenery, we will spend the night in Nagano at the scenic Shiga Kogen Sun Valley Hotel.
Day 5
On Day 5, we will head back to Nagoya, but we will stop in Gifu Prefecture along the way and visit the towns of Nakatsugawa and Magome. These scenic towns are very well preserved and there are many places to buy souvenirs and enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine.
Day 6
This day marks the final day of the tour, in which you will check out of your hotel rooms in the morning after breakfast, and you will be es**rted back to Central Japan International Airport.
