Itinerary - There, back and the two week tour

Hi all, my current trip itinerary for anyone who's interested :)

I fly from London on the 8th March at 13:00, and land in Tokyo at 9:55 the next day, the flight lasting 11 hours and 15 minutes, non-stop luckily.
The time difference from the UK to Japan is +9 hours, so technically I'll be leaving the UK at 22:00 Japanese time, and landing in Japan at 22:55 UK time, so major jet lag.

2 days later, I'll be starting my tour of Japan which lasts for 13 days.

Day 1 involves a meeting with the tour guide, so nothing particularly interesting.

Day 2 - 3 involves us taking an early morning trip to the Tsukiji fish market where all of the auctions for the fish take place. I'll have to update you on the smell which I'm not looking forward to, as I don't like fish >.<



We then take a bullet train for the first time. For those of you who don't know, Bullet trains (or Shinkansen trains) run at about 186mph! We transfer at Nagoya and journey into the Japan Alps and arrive in Takayami in the afternoon, approximately 2 hours to Nagoya and then 2 hours to Takayama.

"Nestled in the Japan Alps, Takayama earned the nickname of 'Little Kyoto' because of its skilled craftspeople who built houses and temples for the Emperors in Kyoto. Takayama is home to many old wooden houses which are unique in their design as they were built to withstand the harshness of the climate and terrain here."

Apparently there's an optional bike ride to take us 'well beyond' the town centre which I will probably do :)

Day 4-5 involves a short train ride to Kanazawa.

"In the 17th Century this beautifully preserved castle town was Japan's wealthiest, and it became a thriving centre for Culture and Arts. As we stroll through the Nagamachi Samurai district and Higashi Geisha district we are transported to a time when samurai were sworn to protect their lord , and geisha were on hand to entertain and amuse. In the Teramachi Temple District we visit the famous Ninja Temple. Designed as a hideout in case of attack, it contains hidden doorways, passages and escape routes.

 But the highlight to any visit to Kanazawa in Kenroku-en garden. Ranked one of the top three in Japan."

Day 6 - 7 will take me to Hiroshima, which, if you didn't already know, is famous for being the first target of an atomic bomb on 6th August 1945. 

"There's a large peace park in the centre which is dotted with memorials of those that were killed in the explosion and those that died as a result. At the top of the park are the remnants of Gembaku Dome. It was directly above this building that the bomb exploded, decimating all but the building below. A burning flame waits in the park to be extinguished when all the nuclear weapons in the world have been destroyed."

Then we take a short ferry ride to Miyajima island where we will find the floating Torii Gate, and we can also climb to the peak of the island, Mt.Misen.

Day 8 - 10 takes us to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. 

"Kyoto has some of the most magnificent temples in Japan which age back centuries. There are said to be 2,000 temples, shrines, palaces, museums, and traditional gardens in Kyoto. Use your time to wonder past huge wooden structures and multi-storied pagodas, all linked with famous walkways. Marvel at the huge temples of the Hongan-ji sect or the beautiful Golden Pavilion. Take time out to enjoy the Zen Gardens of Ryoan-ji and the silver pavilion, take a leisurly stroll down the lovely Philosipher's path to Nanzen-ji, or just walk around Gion and perhaps catch a glimpse of a Geisha going from teahouse to teahouse."

On Day 11 we leave Kyoto and travel to Kawaguchiko arriving mid afternoon and visit the Onsen Spa and on Day 12 we drive to the Lake Region around Mt.Fuji. Unfortunately, hiking on Mt.Fuji is seasonal, and only allowed later in the year.

Day 13 is when we travel back to Tokyo.

I then have over 3 weeks to explore Tokyo and I  fly back to London on the 19th April at 11:30, and land in London the same day at 15:50. Which lasts 12 hours and 20 minutes.