Guided Tour of Japan - Exploring the Noto Peninsula ULJA05

Personal Highlights:

• Taking a boat from Tokyo’s Hamarikyu Garden to the Asakusa Temple
• Being served a vegetarian lunch prepared by the monks at Iwakura Temple
• Cycling around the tranquil Noto Peninsula untouched by the modern world
• Kayaking around tranquil Nanoa Bay and having a picnic on uninhabited Notojima Island

Day 1 Depart USA

You board your flight to Tokyo arriving in the afternoon of the following day.

Day 2 Welcome to Japan

Upon arrival at Narita you will be met by our representative and escorted to your waiting car for the trip to your hotel. Upon arrival at your hotel you are greeted by the staff and escorted to your room. If this seems familiar to you it could be because your hotel was the location for the movie "Lost in Translation". You have a chance to relax and enjoy the inspiring views of Tokyo laid out beneath you before having dinner at the New York Grill in the hotel.

Day 3 Modern art and Modern Cuisine

After breakfast your personal guide will be waiting to take you on an introductory exploration of historic, trendy and cultural Tokyo. You will visit the Meijijingu Shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji who modernized Japan and brought it out of its feudal past, you will visit Harajuku located between Shinjuku and Shibuya which is often called Tokyo's Champs Elysees and a focal point of Tokyo's youth fashion culture. You will then visit Roppongi Hills where Europeans tend to hang out in the evening at its many bars and restaurant. After lunch at a steak restaurant you will have a personal tour of the Mori Art Museum and the Suntory Museum of Art. You return to the hotel to freshen up before heading out to a restaurant specializing in Robatayaki. Upon your arrival your maître‘de will shout "the guests have arrived" and this will be repeated by the other waiters. You will be seated at a u-shaped table inside of which are baskets and blocks of ice containing vegetables, seafood, Kobe beef and other delicacies. In the middle of the baskets kneels a chef. You point to what you want and the waiter shouts it out and the chef cooks it for you on a small grill. It is an unforgettable culinary experience.

Day 4 The Tuna Auction and the Ginza

While Tokyo still sleeps and dawn has yet to arrive you will meet your guide and be taken to the Tsukiji Fish Market known in English as the Tokyo Metropolitan Wholesale Market. You will have a chance to see the vast array of fresh seafood, much of it still alive, before watching the action at the Tuna Auction where buyers bid against each other for the prized sushi grade Tuna. After the auction you celebrate with s Sushi breakfast. Your next visit will be to Hamariku Garden located at the mouth of the Sumida River and surrounded by a seawater moat filled from the waters of Tokyo Bay. You then board a water taxi which will take you to Asakusa Temple, one of Japan's most revered sites before stopping for lunch at a Soba restaurant which specializes in noodles. After your lunch your car will take you to the Ginza. Known for having the most expensive real estate on earth and lined with neon signs, the Ginza is home to some of Japan's most prestigious companies, department stores, boutiques and bars. You have some time to shop while your driver waits for you. In the evening you are picked up and taken to Ukatei, a restaurant specializing in Teppanyaki.

Day 5 Noto Peninsula and the Rice Paddies of Senmaida

In the morning your guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to Haneda airport where you catch your flight to Noto in the Ishikawa Prefecture. The flight takes about an hour and upon arrival you are met by your guide who will take you on an orientation tour of Noto including a vegetarian lunch prepared by the monks at Iwakura Temple. In the afternoon you will travel to Senmaida which translates as "one thousand rice paddies". Senmaida is a group of small, terraced rice paddies on the steep hillsides extending downward to the ocean. The terraced paddies allow water to flow from the top layers to the bottom ones in an orderly fashion, both functional and beautiful. You are then taken to your superb Ryokan overlooking Wajima Bay where you have a chance to enjoy the hot springs baths before enjoying an authentic country meal. What makes your dining experience special is its presentation. Your gourmet meal is served with elegant Wajima lacquerware tableware with urushi lacquer on the surface bringing out warmth, hospitality and a sense of delicacy in the meal.

Day 6 Biking Through the Scenic Areas of Noto

Today you will be met by your guide and presented with your bikes which you will use on the exploration today. Biking offers you the opportunity to see, hear and smell the captivating rustic landscapes including thatched roof farmhouses, the vibrant Wajima market and the spectacle of the terraced rice paddies. You will stop for lunch at another quaint Ryokan which only adds to the pleasure. Upon the completion of your trip you will be transferred by car to another Oceanside Ryokan, one that has been run by the same family since 1885. You have a chance to unwind enjoying either an indoor bath with glass windows or an outdoor bath less than six feet from the sea. Either one will set you up for a delicious and innovative dinner.

Day 7 A Picnic on Notojima Island

Today you will meet your guide and trade a bicycle for a kayak which you will use to explore the tranquil waters of Nanoa Bay with your guide. This area has many inlets for you to explore highlighted by the pine trees sprouting up from the headlands. You have a chance to circle around Notojima Island stopping along the way to enjoy a picnic on this uninhabited island.

Day 8 The Geisha and Samurai of Kanazawa

In the morning you check out of the Ryokan and your guide will take care of loading your luggage into the car. Then it is off to Kanazawa which is sometimes called "Little Kyoto" because its many older buildings are similar to those of Kyoto and, like Kyoto, they are authentic since Kanazawa was also spared any bombing during the war. Your first visit will be to Kenrokuen Garden regarded as one of Japan's finest. In ancient China it was considered impossible to combine six focal themes of beauty: extensiveness, quiet seclusion, artificial construction, antique elegance, abundant water and wide prospect. The name Kenrokuen, which literally means, " a garden combining six" stems from the fact the garden successfully exhibits a harmonious coexistence among the six attributes of beauty. Following a sushi lunch you have the chance to visit the old samurai town of Nagamachi which is the same as it was in the time of the Shoguns. You will also visit the quaint Geisha district of Higashi before arriving at your hotel. This evening you will enjoy Yakitori at Restaurant Jyubei.

Day 9 Return to USA

In the morning you will be transferred to the airport for the short flight to Haneda Airport. a car will meet you and take you to Narita airport where you board your international flight for your return to the US arriving back that same afternoon.

Services Included

• Superior Rooms at the properties indicated in the accommodations area (We reserve the right to substitute a property of equal quality in advance of departure should the designated hotel be unavailable)
• Private Transfers to and from the airport at destination
• All meals as indicated on the itinerary by B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
• Private guides for city explorations and private driver/guide while traveling.
• Entrance fees to all museums, attractions and other venues as indicated on the daily itinerary
• Baggage handling at all hotels
• All applicable taxes and service fees

Services Not Included

• International airfare (round-trip from hometown departure gateway to destination)
• Beverages with included meals (unless otherwise indicated on itinerary page)
• Any meals not indicated on the Itinerary page
• Items of a personal nature e.g. minibar, film, postcards etc.
• Gratuities to Guides and Driver/Guides (we provide suggested guidelines for your selected destination in your pre-departure material)
• Any passport or visa fees or government departure taxes (It is the traveler’s responsibility to secure the latest informationregarding passports and visa requirements)

Available Year Round