Day 1 (February 14th): Osaka-Kyoto
Hotel: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi
Meals: None
Arrival at Kansai International Airport (KIX).
We kindly ask you to book flights arriving at Kansai International Airport on February 14th between 09:00 a.m. and 08:00 p.m. JST. If you purchase tickets for another date or time, please inform to us. We will try to find a suitable transportation option for you to move from the airport to the hotel in Kyoto, but please note that, depending on the flight's schedule, it may not be possible to arrange a transfer.
Check-in at the hotel in Kyoto. Free time. We can give you some recommendations about where you can go on your own that day and how to get there.
*Please note that check-in at the hotel is possible only from 3:00 p.m., but you can leave your luggage there and pick it up when you come back for the check-in later.
Day 2 (February 15th): Kyoto
Hotel: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet with the guide at 09:00 a.m. at the hotel lobby for a guided tour of Kyoto.
On this first day, we will visit Nanzenji, which played a key role in the religious and political life of the country in the Middle Ages and is considered the main Zen Buddhist temple in Japan, being part of the "Five Mountain Peaks of Kyoto" system. The temple is still active today and is particularly famous for its magnificent park and rock garden.
Next, we will visit Gion Street and Yasukuni Shrine, where you can take great pictures with a backdrop of authentic and very traditional streets and stores.
Lunch
The tour continues at the Sanjusangendo where we will see the 1001 statues of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. It became widely known for this pavilion, so the official name of the temple (Rengeo-in) is used much less frequently today.
We will end the tour with a visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha, a shrine complex dedicated to the Shinto deity Inari. Numerous shrines are located in a dense forest at the foot of the mountain of the same name on the outskirts of Kyoto, with a hiking route through the complex that leads to the top of the sacred mountain and takes about two to three hours to walk entirely.
Transfer to hotel, time to rest.
Day 3 (February 16th): Kyoto and sukekiyo LIVE
Hotel: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in the morning.
Meet with the guide at 03:30 p.m. at the hotel lobby to head to the concert venue. The guide will also give you instructions about how to get to your hotel after the show is over.
*Please note that sukekiyo's merchandising sale is planned to start before the doors open, and that some items may be already sold out when we arrive at the venue for the concert. If you wish to purchase any specific item, you may choose to go to the venue on your own at an earlier time.
Day 4 (February 17th): Kyoto
Hotel: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel. Day off to enjoy Kyoto on your own.
OPTION: Nara city tour
*An additional fee applies. Those who wish to participate in the tour, please contact us by January 31st (Wed.) at 12:00 p.m. JST. We will not accept applications after that day.
Day 5 (February 18th): Kyoto, moving to Tokyo
Hotel: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meet with the guide at 10:00 a.m. at the hotel lobby for a guided tour of Kyoto and transfer to Tokyo.
First, we will visit the Jonangu Shrine. Jonangu, which means 'the shrine south of the capital,' was built south of the newly established capital, Heian-kyo, in 794 to protect the capital and ensure the nation's peace. In its Japanese garden there is a manmade hill called "Spring Hill". It is a remnant of Jonan Rikyu, the retired Emperor Shirakawa's villa, which is abloom with more than 150 weeping plums and numerous varieties of camellias in spring.
The next stop will be in Toji temple. Toji, which translates as "oriental temple", is a unique 8th-century temple complex and a place steeped in history, legend, and antiquity. It was originally used to protect the capital and surrounding lands, both by the massive structures themselves and by the gods who were prayed to here. Now the temple itself requires protection and is guarded by UNESCO.
Lunch
The last stop before taking the shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo will be Higashi Hongan-ji. Officially known as Shinshu Honbyo, it is the mother temple of the Shinshu Otani-ha branch of Jodo Shinshu (Shin Buddhism), whose founder is Shinran (1173-1262). His image is enshrined on the altar in the Founder's Hall, while that of Amida Buddha is in Amida Hall. After the death of Shinran, a mausoleum was built by his close followers at Otani in Kyoto and his ashes were interred there, from which the present Higashi Hongan-ji eventually came into being many years later. Since then, with tremendous support from its followers, Higashi Hongan-ji has been serving as a spiritual center where one can encounter the Nenbutsu teaching as clarified by Shinran, to discover the meaning of life and to awaken to a true relationship with the Dobo (those following the same path).
After this, we will head to Kyoto Station to get on the shinkansen to travel from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Arrival in Tokyo, hotel check-in and free time.
Day 6 (February 19th): Tokyo
Hotel: THE KANZASHI TOKYO ASAKUSA
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel. Day off to enjoy Tokyo on your own.
OPTION: Tokyo city tour.
*An additional fee applies. Those who wish to participate in the tour, please contact us by January 31st (Wed.) at 12:00 p.m. JST. We will not accept applications after that day.
Day 7 (February 20th): Tokyo
Hotel: THE KANZASHI TOKYO ASAKUSA
Meal: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel. Day off to enjoy Tokyo on your own.
Day 8 (February 21st): Tokyo
Meal: Breakfast
Hotel check-out on your own. At the previously designated time, a Japanese driver will be waiting for you at the hotel lobby holding a sign with your name on it to take you to the Tokyo airport (being it Narita International Airport or Haneda Airport) in a private vehicle. End of the travel package.
*Please note that you will have to make the hotel check-out before 11:00. In case you do not complete the check-out in time, we do not take any responsibility if you need to pay an extra fee for leaving late, so please make sure to do it in time. You can leave your luggage in the hotel's cloak until it's time to go.
*If you are not in the hotel lobby at the designated time for the hotel transfer pick-up, the driver will leave (100% cancellation charge will apply, no refund is available) and we will not take any responsibility for how you can get to the airport, so please be punctual.
*We will not be responsible in the case you do not make it in time to your flight for any reason, including traffic conditions.
【IMPORTANT】 Please note that this is a group tour. Understand that you will need to comply with the instructions given by the guide, strictly follow the time schedule and be respectful of the other participants. Please note that we reserve the right to ask any person to withdraw from a tour if it is considered necessary for the well-being or safety of that person or other members of the group.