Essence of China and Japan Tours

Welcome to Beijing! Your guide and the driver will pick you up from the airport and send you to check in the hotel. After a short break, your 10-day China and Japan tour will begin with a visit to Beijing Hutongs. In Beijing, a hutong is a narrow lane or street formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences called Siheyuan. They have hundreds of years of history and maintain the way of life of the old Beijingers.

Accommodation: Pentahotel Beijing (4 stars)

Today, we will first go for a walk at the Tian'anmen Square. It is the world's largest square located in the city center where big events like the National Day Parade are held. Then we will walk through the square to visit the Forbidden City, also known as Palace Museum, a highlight of the China Japan tour. 24 emperors and their family in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912) lived in the imperial palace complex before and many of their possessions now exhibit in the museum.

In the afternoon, we will set off for the Mutianyu Great Wall, one of the most complete and beautiful sections of the Great Wall, which is about 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles) long and winds its way up and down the top of mountain ranges with picturesque landscape all year around. Cable car service is arranged for you to ascend and descend the wall in a pleasant way. After the visit, we will send you back to the hotel for rest.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Pentahotel Beijing (4 stars)

Please package your luggage beforehand and check out in the morning, getting ready for leaving Beijing tonight. Today we will first show you around the Temple of Heaven. It used to be the royal complex of religious buildings for emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to perform solemn rites of worshiping the gods of heaven and praying for a bumper year. Now it has opened to public as a park for people to take daily exercises.

Later, we will go to the Summer Palace, the largest surviving imperial garden in China with outstanding aesthetic value. It is reputed as the “museum of royal gardens” for setting great influence on Chinese landscape garden design. When the garden tour is finished, your guide and the driver will escort you to the railway station to take a 5-hour bullet train to Xi'an. The local guide and the driver in Xi'an will wait for you at the exit of Xi'an North Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an (4 stars)

Today, we will spend the whole morning exploring the Terracotta Army Museum. The museum built on the original site where the imposing underground army was discovered houses thousands of life-size clay sculptures of ancient soldiers, horses and war chariots all standing in battle form. Each of the soldier has different expression and you can tell their type and rank from their accessories.

After that, we will go back to downtown city to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a 7-storey Buddhist tower originally built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to store the Buddhist sutras and figurines brought from ancient India. Later we'll visit the Xi'an City Wall, the largest and most complete city wall in China and a living museum that connects the past and future. At the end of the day tour, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an (4 stars)

Today you will take a 3.5-hour flight to Osaka. You guide and the driver will confirm with you the pick-up time in advance and send you to the airport on time. Upon arrival at Osaka, you will find our representative waiting at the airport and you will take the shared van to Kyoto. After checking the hotel in Kyoto, you could have a good rest and get refreshed.

Note: There is no airport in Kyoto. The nearest airports is Kansai International Airport.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto (4 stars)

Today you will take public transportation with your guide to explore the culture of Kyoto. You'll first go to Fushimi Inari Shrine, one of the most visited shrine dedicated to kami Inari, god of agriculture and business. It is famous for thousands of vermilion torii gates which straddle up the mountain for 4 km (2.5 miles) and form a network of trials to its main buildings. Then we will visit Kinkaku-ji, a Zen temple with top storeys covered by golden leaf. Visitors are only allowed to view it from across the pond.

Lunch is not included in the day tour. Your guide will be happy to give you some recommendations. Next, we will go to Kiyomizu Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temple in Kyoto which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. If time permits, we'll go for a walk at Gion area, the most famous geisha district. You guide will send you to the metro station and see you off.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto (4 stars)

Today you will go to the Kyoto Station to take the 2-hour bullet train to Tokyo by yourself. When arriving, please find your own way to the hotel. The rest time is free for you to explore this charming city.

We recommend you visit the Tokyo central area, like Imperial Palace, Akihabara, Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza shopping district and so on.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier (4 stars)

After breakfast, your driver will pick you from the hotel and then drive to Mount Fuji, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world and a symbol of Japanese culture. You'll first reach Mount Fuji 5th station (Or highest as possible when the road is closed due to the weather), a sightseeing platform half way up the mountain, with restaurants and souvenir shops. The driver will wait for you at the parking lot. In the meantime, get down by bus to one of the lakes around Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi, from where you can enjoy the great view of Mt. Fuji on boat, and then take Mt. Komagatake Ropeway which is another good way to see the great Mt. Fuji view. In the end, go back to find your driver at the meeting point and return to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier (4 stars)

In the morning, you will enjoy a half day walking tour by public transportation with your private guide. You'll first visit Meiji Shrine, the most famous Shinto shrine in Tokyo dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife. Then you'll go to Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple built in 628. The colorful Nakamise Shopping Street stretching from the outer gate to the second gate of the temple, has a history of several centuries. Visitors can discover some Japanese souvenirs and taste local snacks over there. Lunch is at your own expense. If needed, ask the guide for advice. In the afternoon, you are free to explore the charming city in depth.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier (4 stars)

Here comes the end of your 10-day China and Japan tour. You're supposed to check out the hotel and leave for the airport on your own. Hope you have a lot of fun during the tour. Wish you all the best!

Meals: Breakfast