The itinerary is reference only for planning tours.
Osaka and Nagoya
April 4, Thu. LEAVE LOS ANGELES.
11:00 am Arrive Los Angeles International Airport for individual check-in. All you will need for check-in are your Japan Airline E-ticket voucher and valid passport.
1:50 pm Depart Los Angeles, non stop to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport via Japan Airlines flight 69. En route, we cross the International Date Line, arriving in Osaka the next day.
April 5, Fri. ARRIVE OSAKA/KANSAI.
6:20 pm Upon arrival and after entry procedures, our guide will meet us and we will transfer to our overnight hotel together.
Imperial Hotel, Osaka (1 night)
NOTE: Prepare bag for delivery to Nagoya – put out in morning and will arrive April 7, the next day. You will be one night without your big bag, so prepare overnight necessities.
April 6, Sat. OSAKA – NAGOYA (B L)
From 7:00 am Breakfast at the hotel. Before leaving for breakfast, place your big bag outside your door for collection by the hotel porters.
Be sure to check out and pay any miscellaneous expenses and return keys to the front desk.
9:00 am Meet in hotel lobby.
This morning we will leave by chartered bus for the Osaka Mint Bureau in front of which we hope the cherry blossoms will be in bloom (there are more than 300 cherry trees on the grounds). We will continue by chartered bus to the Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s most famous and played a major role in the unification of Japan. Explore Osaka’s Shogun history through fascinating exhibits. Then to the Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori areas of Osaka, known for shopping and entertainment. We will have an Osaka specialty for lunch, okonomiyaki. After lunch, we will visit the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, a unique way to see Osaka of the past, including a recreated street scene of the Edo period.
We will leave Osaka for Nagoya by train.
3:50 pm Arrive at Shin-Osaka Station.
4:20 pm Leave Shin-Osaka Station
5:11 pm Arrive Nagoya Station
Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel (2 nights)
Dinner on own tonight. If you need suggestions, Shigeru-san will be in the lobby to assist you.
April 7, sun. NAGOYA (B L)
From 6:30 am Breakfast at the hotel
Note: Be sure to wear good walking shoes today!
8:45 am Leave by chartered coach to drive by the symbol of the city, Nagoya Castle. The castle was constructed on the orders of Ieyasu Tokugawa and was completed in 1612. The best known items associated with the Castle are the golden dolphins that adorn the castle roofs.
Then we motorcoach to nearby Inuyama in Aichi prefecture to the outdoor museum of Meiji-Mura. We will see Meiji era buildings that were bought and rebuilt at this site, including the main entrance and lobby of the Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We will have time to view buildings on our own.
12:30 pm We will enjoy a Japanese lunch together.
1:30 pm We will return to Nagoya and visit the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. The museum is about manufacturing technology – automobiles included.
4:20 pm Return to our hotel.
Dinner on own tonight. If you need suggestions, Shigeru-san will be in the lobby to assist you.
The old streets of Hida Takayama
April 8, Mon. NAGOYA – TAKAYAMA (B D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Be sure to check out and pay any miscellaneous expenses and return keys to the front desk.
9:00 am This morning we will travel by our chartered motorcoach to Takayama, a small town that has retained much of their traditional charm and is known as “little Kyoto.”
Arrive at our hotel around 11:30 a.m. Suggest lunch on our own in the hotel on the 2nd floor.
1:00 pm Walking tour to the shopping streets.
Hida Hotel Plaza (2 nights)
6:30 pm Special sukiyaki dinner, made with local hida beef, at the hotel.
April 9, Tue. TAKAYAMA (B)
From 6:30 a.m. Breakfast is served on the second floor restaurant for Western food. For a Japanese Viking (buffet) breakfast, breakfast is served from 7:00 a.m.
8:30 am Leave by our chartered bus for a sightseeing tour of the city visiting first the morning market which sell local crafts, snacks and farm products such as vegtables, pickles and flowers. Then visit. Hachiman Shrine and next door we will see Yatai Kaikan where the huge, beautifully decorated floats used during local festivals are displayed. We’ll also see a replica (1/10 scale) of the Toshogu (Nikko) Shrine.
Afterwards we will walk along Kamisannomachi or “Upper Third Merchant Street” in Takayama’s old town, which has been beautifully preserved with many buildings dating from the Edo Period (1600-1868) and still used as shops, coffee houses and sake breweries.
Lunch on your own today, so keep your eyes open for places you may want to eat at. The hotel also has nice restaurants.
Afternoon free for individual activities. The hotel has bicycles that you can rent to cycle around if you wish.
Dinner on your own. Suggestions will be given.
Historic village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
April 10, Wed. TAKAYAMA – KANAZAWA (B D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Be sure to check out and pay any miscellaneous expenses and return keys to the front desk.
9:00 am This morning we will leave Hida by chartered motorcoach for Kanazawa. En route, we will visit the historic village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the Shogawa river valley. The area is famous for its gasshozukuri-style farmhouses, characterized by a thatched slanted roof, resembling hands joined in prayer.
Time will be given in Shirakawa-go for lunch on your own.
We will arrive in Kanazawa in the early afternoon. A visit will be made to the Ohmi Market before arriving at our hotel.
Kanazawa Hotel Tokyu (2 nights)
6:30 pm Dinner included tonight.
April 11, Thu KANAZAWA (B)
Breakfast this morning.
9:00 am Today we visit Kenrokuen Garden (considered one of Japan’s 3 Most Beautiful Gardens) and one of the most famous sites in the city. We will also visit the Kanazawa Castle and the Nagamachi Samurai District, a well preserved area where prosperous samurai families lived. We will visit the Nomura Residence, a restored samurai residence with a lovely garden.
Afternoon free and lunch on your own.
Dinner on own this evening. If you need suggestions, our guide will be in the hotel lobby to assist you.
NOTE: Tonight prepare an overnight bag with your necessities for one night (Amanohashidate). You will be asked to put your large suitcase outside your door in the morning. This will be shipped ahead to Kyoto.
April 12, Fri. KANAZAWA – AMANOHASHIDATE (B D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Be sure to check out and pay any miscellaneous expenses and return keys to the front desk.
8:30 am Leave by chartered motorcoach . We will stop in Obama City to visit the Fish Market followed by lunch on your own. We will continue to today’s destination which is ranked among Japan’s three most scenic views. Amanohashidate, which means “Bridge to Heaven,” is a pine covered sandbar, with a surprising view. Tonight we will stay in a luxurious ryokan (Japanese inn). You may want to try the onsen (hot springs) this evening.
Tonight we will enjoy a traditional kaiseki dinner at the ryokan.
Monjuso Ryokan (1 night)
Kyoto – Japan’s ancient capital
April 13, Sat. AMANOHASHIDATE – KYOTO (B)
Breakfast at the ryokan.
9:20 am Meet in the lobby and we will walk to the train station where we will board our train to Kyoto,
9:58 am Leave Amanohashidate
12:06 am Arrive Kyoto Station
On arrival to Kyoto Station, we will have time for lunch on our own. Suggestions will be made by our guide.
Leave by motorcoach for our afternoon sightseeing. We will visit the colorful Heian Shrine, dedicated to the first and last emperors who reigned from the city. Heian is the former name of Kyoto. Behind the main buildings is a beautiful garden with a pond and strolling path. Hopefully we will see the weeping cherry trees in bloom. Then to Kiyomizu Temple, one of Japan’s most celebrated Buddhist temples and another UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple is best known for its wooden verandah from which (weather permitting) you can have a panoramic view of the area. The approach to the temple is along a rather steep and busy streets lined with small shops selling Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, food and other souvenirs.
5:00 pm We return to Kyoto Station and check-in to our hotel.
Hotel Granvia Kyoto (2 nights)
Dinner on our own. If you need dining suggestions, Shigeru-san will be in the lobby to assist you.
April 14, Sun. KYOTO (B D)
From 6:30 am Breakfast buffet at Le Temps coffee shop. Japanese breakfast also available from 7:00 am at Japanese restaurant, Kiccho.
9:00 am Today our sightseeing will include Arashiyama, in the western outskirts of Kyoto, known for its beautiful scenery and especially cherry blossoms during the spring. The area is also famous for its bamboo groves through which we will have a long walk. Lunch on own.
Then we visit the stunning Kinkakuji Temple. The temple was originally built in 1397 as a residence for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The structure was completely covered in gold leaf, earning the name of Golden Pavilion. We will also visit Nishiki Market, a narrow 5-blocks long shopping street lined by more than 100 stores selling local products, featuring Kyoto specialties like Japanese sweets, pickles and dried seafood, as well as cookware and locally crafted knives.
6:45 pm Meet in the lobby of our hotel to proceed to the Moritaya Restaurant, located on the 11th Floor of the Isetan Department Store across from our hotel. We will enjoy a “shab-shab” dinner.
NOTE: Tonight prepare an overnight bag with your necessities for one night. You will be asked to put your large suitcase outside your door in the morning. This will be shipped ahead to Tokyo. We will receive our bags on April 16. .
Tokyo and Nikko
April 15, Mon. KYOTO – TOKYO (B L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
8:30 am Meet in the lobby. We will proceed to the Shinkansen platform for our train to Tokyo.
9:05 am Leave Kyoto Station
11:16 am Arrive Shinagawa Station
On arrival we will leave by motorcoach to visit large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace to view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The inner grounds are only open to the public on January 2 and on February 23, the Emperor’s Birthday.
Then on to Mikasa Kaikan for a teppan yaki lunch.
After lunch our sightseeing will continue by motorcoach to Sensoji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, one of Tokyo’s most popular and oldest temples. Nakamise shopping arcade leading up to the temple is bustling with stalls selling typical Japanese souvenirs and traditional local snacks.
We arrive at the Imperial Hotel.
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo (3 nights)
Dinner on own. Shigeru-san will be in the back banquet lobby of the hotel to offer suggestions. The Guest Relations Desk in the lobby of the hotel will be happy to discuss dinner suggestions and make reservations, if necessary.
April 16, Tue. TOKYO – NIKKO – TOKYO (B)
From 7:00 am Buffet breakfast at the Imperial Viking Sal on the 17th floor. The Parkside Diner is open from 6:00 am.
8:30 am This morning we leave by motorcoach to Nikko, located in Tochigi Prefecture and the entrance to Nikko National Park. We will visit Toshogu, Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine. The shrine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shrines and Temples of Nikko. We will discover for ourselves the meaning of the Japanese saying “Never say kekko, until you’ve seen Nikko” / translation: Never say magnificent, until you’ve seen Nikko.
Yamato Deluxe Tour is adding lunch at the beautiful Nikko Kanaya Hotel, the oldest Western-style hotel in Japan.
After visiting Lake Chuzenji, we will proceed back to Tokyo and to our hotel.
6:00 pm approx. Return to Tokyo.
Dinner on own.
April 17. Wed. TOKYO (B D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
From 8:30 am This is your last full day for independent activities or for last-minute shopping. Our guide will be around to assist you, if needed. Guest Relations in the lobby can also help you with suggestions and maps.
6:30 pm Special Farewell dinner in the hotel at the Parkside Diner.
April 18, Thu. HOMEWARD BOUND (B)
7:30 am Let’s have our final tour breakfast together at Viking Sal on the 17th floor of our hotel.
Free morning for last minute sightseeing or shopping.
12:00 noon Place your big bags outside your door for the hotel porters to collect them. They will be taken to the Front Lobby and then put on the bus to Narita where we will claim them upon arrival.
By 12:45 p.m. Please be checked out of your room, pay any incidental charges at the Front Desk, and be in the Front Lobby.
1:00 p.m. For those members returning to Los Angeles, we will take the scheduled Airport Limousine to Narita International Airport.
5:25 pm Leave Tokyo/Narita on our nonstop flight back to Los Angeles. We will recross the International Date Line, arriving home the same day.
11:20 am Arrive home with many fond memories of your Yamato Deluxe Spring Tour to Japan!
SAYONARA TO JAPAN!
NOTE:
Itinerary is subject to change without notice should our guide and escorts feel changes would add to the comfort, convenience or enjoyment of the tour. Rail and flight times are also subject to change.
For members joining from other cities or mid-tour, please see your personal flight itineraries for flight times.
If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us by the website form.
