I’ve wanted to visit Japan for many years, and this more than lived up to expectations. There were times that I felt overwhelmed (Tokyo), and times that I was walking in the woods. A nice mix of free time and structured tours.
Kyoto
Kyoto Trips
With more than 2,000 temples, shrines and gardens, Kyoto is a treasure house of cultural heritage in Japan and one of the most fascinating cities in Asia. From the impressive Nijo Castle, put up in the early 1600s for Tokugawa shoguns, to the Zen Buddhist temple of Kinkakuji Pavilion (immortalised in Yukio Mishima’s novel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion), there is a wealth of sites to explore. Unlike many other Japanese cities, it escaped the ravages of both the Second World War and modern urban development, keeping intact much of the spirit and architecture of traditional Japan. The geisha districts are also must-sees during Kyoto trips. Packed with bars, restaurants and traditional teahouses, Gion and Pontocho are at their most atmospheric in the early evening, when the lanterns are lit and apprentice geisha flit about the backstreets on their way to their appointments.
Kyoto Adventure Holidays
Mary MacGregor Ancient & Modern Japan
Sarah Campbell Highlights of JapanI unfortunately had to join this trip last minute due to my previous trip being cancelled with a different operator. It was the best available alternative but meant I missed out of Mount Fuji which I really wanted to see. I ended up leaving the group at Kyoto to include a trip to Fuji san and caught up with them in Osaka.
Allister Brimble Ancient & Modern JapanThis is a really good tour. Starting in Kyoto where you visit a number of temples, then moving through the countryside to various locations, then to Hiroshima and finally to Tokyo for the modern part of the tour. By the end you get a really good sense of what Japan is. The group leader, Gary was excellent! With a few small tweaks with regards to some of the accommodation I’d have given 5 stars.
The Adventure Begins Here
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