Cities and Onsen (Partially Guided Individual Travel)

Characteristics

• Individual train travel with a Japan Rail Pass in 2nd class, and some collective visits with local guides., in English
• departures are guaranteed (min 2 participants). Subject to availability
• max 10 participants
• include meals (v. the fee includes)
  

Itinerary

Notes

• LUGGAGE: One soft bag per person, maximum 20 kg, is allowed. The organizing company reserves the right to refuse overweight luggage and does not accept responsibility for damaged or lost luggage or personal belongings., ROOMS: a double room refers to a room with two beds; the double bed is not commonly used in Japan and some hotels do not have them, so it cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking; triple rooms are always double rooms with an additional bed, often smaller than the two existing beds; triple rooms are subject to availability at the time of booking; single rooms can be very small. Requests for smoking rooms, connecting rooms, adjacent rooms, high or low floors, etc., are always on request, never guaranteed.
• TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Participants must ensure before departure that they have the necessary and valid documentation for entry into the countries visited during the tour.
• HOTEL, CHECK-IN: as a rule, rooms are assigned starting from 2-3 pm; any early check-in is at the hotel's discretion. The request for a guaranteed early assignment requires booking an extra night prior to arrival.
• HOTEL, CHECK-OUT: The room must be vacated in the morning, by the time indicated by the hotel; the surcharge for late check-out is equal to an extra night.
• HOTEL FINAL LIST: indicated in the travel documents
• HOTEL / ITINERARY, CHANGES: The organizing company reserves the right to modify the itinerary and/or hotels with others of similar or higher category, means of transportation, etc., if required by unforeseen circumstances and necessary for the safety and normal continuation of the trip. Furthermore, when it is not possible to accommodate all participants in the same hotel, the group will be divided among different hotels of equal category.
• MEALS: not included unless specified.
• REFUNDS: There are no refunds for parts of the tour or excursions not carried out due to force majeure; in any case, no refund is due to the customer who decides to interrupt the trip or stay.
• STOP IN KAMAKURA OR HAKONE: To add a stop in Kamakura to your trip between Tokyo and Kyoto, you can take a JR Yokosuka Tokaido train from Tokyo to Yokohama, then a JR Yokosuka train to Kamakura, and return to Yokohama to catch the Hikari Shinkansen to Kyoto. For Hakone, you can get off at Odawara station and purchase the 2-day Hakone Free Pass, which includes transfers to/from Odawara station, a cruise on the lake, and the cable cars. From Odawara, you can then take the Shinkansen to Kyoto., RYOKAN: A journey back in time. Nothing recreates the atmosphere, beauty, and simplicity of ancient Japan better than these wooden inns with sliding paper doors, perfect gardens, delicious meals, and a rejuvenating immersion in hot springs. Typically, ryokans are small, one or two-story buildings with about ten rooms. There is also a hybrid, Western version, where only the rooms are in Japanese style, not the building. The schedule is strict: you arrive between 3 and 5 pm, dinner is served between 5 and 7 pm, and the next day you check out by 8 am. In ryokans, only Japanese is spoken, you enter without shoes, and you sleep on the floor. The person who welcomes you, usually a woman in a kimono, offers you plastic slippers and accompanies you to your room, where the first thing you will notice is the absence of a bed: a futon, which serves as a blanket and mattress, is unrolled on a traditional straw mat (tatami) of standard size (90 cm x 180 cm). After a hot cup of tea, you can appreciate the peace and solitude, and maybe the view of a beautiful garden. Some ryokans have rooms with private bathrooms, otherwise, you can immerse yourself in the communal hot spring (onsen) outside and then wear the provided cotton kimono (yukata). But the highlight of the stay is the kaiseki dinner, an elaborate presentation with many tiny dishes of garden vegetables, raw fish (sashimi), cooked or grilled fish, tempura, and regional specialties. Each preparation is a small work of art. You can order beer or sake (never included). The next morning, when you wake up, breakfast will consist of fish, vegetable broth, dried seaweed, rice, and other dishes. Fresh and rejuvenated, you will be ready to continue your journey.,

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Important notes