At the heart of Japan’s hand-crafted soul

Duration: 13 days/12 nights
Stages: Ôsaka (KIX) – Kyoto – Omi-Hachiman – Fukui – Kanazawa – Ogimachi – Takayama – Kyoto – Kishiwada – Ôsaka (KIX)

from €2,350

Services & Rates  Option photo album

Day 1 – Ôsaka (KIX) – Kyoto

• You are welcomed at Ôsaka airport by your English-speaking tour guide
• Journey to Kyoto
• Stroll through the city, visit to master wagashi makers (manufacturers of traditional Japanese confectionery) and tofu producers
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel in the heart of the ancient capital

Day 2 – Kyoto

• Stroll to the famous Nishiki market, the “kitchen of Kyoto”
• Visit to Aritsugu, one of the oldest knifemakers in Japan
• Lunch on the bank of the Kamogawa river
• Visit to an obi weaver (kimono belt) or to a different master craftsman of textile processing
• Evening meal at an obanzai restaurant (traditional Kyoto cuisine)
• Overnight stay at the same location as the previous day

Day 3 – Kyoto – Omi-Hachiman

• Journey from Kyoto to Omi-Hachiman on the shore of Lake Biwa
• Tour of this beautiful city with its many canals and religious sites
• Visit to the Kawara museum, devoted to Japanese-style roof tiles
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel

Day 4 – Omi-Hachiman – Hikone – Fukui

• Journey from Omi-Hachiman to Hikone, castle town
  on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa
• Visit to the castle and its park
• Journey to Fukui on the coast of the Sea of Japan
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel

Day 5 – Echizen

• Visit to the Eihei-ji site, one of the main temples of Zen Buddhism, in the heart of the mountains
• Journey to the former province of Echizen, famous for its various handicrafts
• Visit to various handicraft centres: paper, ceramics, lacquerware and sword makers
• Journey back to Fukui
• Evening meal and overnight stay at the same location as the previous day

Day 6 – Fukui – Kanazawa

• Journey from Fukui to the spectacular cliffs of Tojinbo
• Stroll along the coast then journey to the thermal town of Awara Onsen
• Journey to Kanazawa, gourmet city, historical centre and home
  of plenty of Japanese handicraft
• Stroll through the castle park
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel

Day 7 – Kanazawa

• Stroll through Kenroku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan
• Visit to the museum for traditional products and crafts
• Visit to the famous Omicho market, lunch at a local restaurant (seafood and freshly caught fish)
• Visit to a former samurai district, a beautiful house of a Daimyo
  and a Yuzen workshop (kimono dyeing technique)
• Evening meal and overnight stay at the same location as the previous day

Day 8 – Kanazawa – Shirakawago

• Journey from Kanazawa to the Shirakawa valley, in the heart of the mountainous Gifu prefecture
• Visit to the great open air museum of Ogimachi, declared a
  UNESCO world heritage with its thatched roof houses and its old handicraft workshops
• Evening meal and overnight stay at one of the farms in the village

Day 9 – Ogimachi – Takayama

• Journey from Ogimachi to Takayama, “Little Kyoto”
• Tour of the historical buildings in the old part of town
• Stroll through the shopping alleys of Sanmachi-suji
  between handicraft shops and ancient sake breweries
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel

Day 10 – Takayama – Gujo-Hachiman – Takayama

• Journey from Takayama to Gujo-Hachiman
• Stroll through this castle town, famous for the purity of its water
• Visit to a sampuru workshop (food replicas that are displayed in the windows of restaurants)
• Return to Takayama
• Evening meal and overnight stay at the same location as the previous day

Day 11 – Takayama – Kyoto

• Journey from Takayama to Kyoto
• Stroll in Gion, the most famous geisha district
• Evening meal and overnight stay at a traditional guest house/hotel

Days 12 & 13 – Kyoto – Kishiwada – Ôsaka (KIX)

• Journey to Kishiwada, former fortress city south of Ôsaka
• Visit to the castle, historical jewel of the city
• Evening meal at a traditional sushi restaurant in the middle of a zen garden
• Overnight stay at an hotel in center of Kishiwada
• Journey to the airport
• Return flight (not included in the tour)

Photo credits

Most of the photos that appear in this description are the property of Fukuchan Ryoko Olivier Baubrand. All rights reserved.
A few photos has been taken from Wikipedia Commons. They are titled “Wikipedia” and are subject to the licence CC BY-SA 3.0.
Owners of the rights: All photos of Omihachiman, lake Biwa, Hikone castle, Tojinbo  © 663highland, Gujo-Hachiman Castle © サウンドセッション, other picture of Gujo © Isoyan, sampuru © trungson.