Japanese Garden Holidays

Introduction

The origin of the Japanese garden lies in simple, gravel-covered forest clearings where the gods could manifest themselves. Over the centuries the gardens have evolved into an idealized reflection of the natural landscape through the careful use of stone and water features, trees, plants and moss. They are places of exquisite beauty, where the eye is led gently to perfectly framed views, often ‘borrowing’ a distant landscape as part of the picture being created. Trees and plants are carefully chosen for certain qualities of form, colour or texture, all of which combine to create an atmosphere of calm and contemplation. Autumn foliage and spring blossom, which generally commences in mid March, are particularly highly prized. Many of the most notable gardens are in and around Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, and you will have three full days exploring both public and private gardens here.  One of the best known is Kinkaku-ji, with the three-tiered Golden Pavilion at its heart.

Before embarking on a Japanese Gardens Tour you need to decide whether you would like in inclusive guided tour, self guided tour or a totally independent trip.  We can tailor-make the perfect visit for you once you have decided on the type of trip you prefer.  The typical cost of a tour without air would be from £1400.00 and could be combined with any other travel services to make this a truly tailor-made holiday. After the following guided tour example you will find information that we feel you will find exceptionally useful in deciding how to put together your visit to Japan.

Images courtesy of JNTO

Overview

From Kyoto you can travel by Bullet Train to Tokyo, where there will be further garden visits, including Hamarikyu and Happo-en. There is so much more to Japan than gardens, of course, and we have also included a wide range of other visits and excursions reflecting the unique culture of the country. Highlights include Osaka Castle, the Imperial Palace Garden in Tokyo and a cruise on Lake Ashi, beneath the snow–capped peak of Mount Fuji. We also offer an optional excursion to Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park. You will spend your final full day in Kamakura, which includes a visit to the Great Buddha and Hase Temple and is rounded off with a farewell Japanese-style dinner at a local restaurant.

The following guided tour operates on the 26^th of October 2010 and retails at £3295.00 per person based upon a twin share room.  This does not include any additional fuel surcharges that may be introduced between now and then.

Day 1

Depart on scheduled overnight flight from London Heathrow (regional flight connections available on request) to Kansai International Airport (Osaka).

Day 2

On arrival in Osaka in the morning you transfer by coach to Kyoto and the Royal Hotel. The hotel is centrally located with views over the city. All rooms have air-conditioning, private bathroom, TV, fridge, telephone and tea/coffee making facilities. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 3

Today you will have a full day tour Kyoto, beginning with a visit to Kinkakuji temple. The three-tiered Golden Pavilion, which was reconstructed in 1955, is the focus of this ‘pond-and-island’ garden. It exerts a unifying force on the expansive view of the broad Mirror Lake that spreads out beneath it, partly due to the skillful placement of crags and islands. A path behind leads through a leafy forest. You continue to Kiyomizu temple, built in 1633. Jutting out from the hillside on a wooden veranda it commands a fine view over the city. Our next visit is to Heian Shrine, a rare example of an extensive pond garden in the grounds of a Shinto shrine. There are actually four separate gardens, set around the temple building, and designed fundamentally for strolling. The gardens are designated as representative of Meiji era (1868-1912) garden design. You conclude today with a visit to the Kyoto Handicraft Centre, which offers handicraft demonstrations and tax-free shopping.

Day 4

You depart today on a full day excursion to Osaka. You will visit Osaka Castle, begun in 1586, which is noted for its magnificent donjon and huge stone walls. It contains many historical art objects and the grounds are laid out as a park. Later you will visit Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest in the world. Sea-life from 15 different regions, mainly in the Pacific Ocean, is represented in a tour that takes us through a variety of re-created environments, from the Japanese forest to the bottom of the ocean. You return to Kyoto for the evening.

Day 5

Today you transfer to Nara, where you begin with a visit to Todaiji temple. The temple is famous for its ‘daibutsu’, the world’s largest bronze statue and the hall that houses it is claimed to be the world’s largest wooden structure. You continue to Nara Park, popularly known as ‘Deer Park’ as over a thousand tame deer roam free here. There are many historical relics located in and around this finely wooded area. To the west of Nara Park is the Kasuga Grand Shrine, one of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines. Lunch in a local restaurant is included today and we return to Kyoto for the evening.

Day 6

Today you are free to explore Kyoto at leisure. Alternatively, there is an optional excursion, by train to Hiroshima. This was the first city to experience the destruction of an atomic bomb in 1945 and the city is now symbolized by the Peace Memorial Park, which is included in our visit. In the Park are a museum, the Memorial Cenotaph, the Children’s Peace Monument and the Flame of Peace.

Day 7

You will have another full day in Kyoto today, visiting some outstanding gardens. Daisen-in temple is a dry-landscape garden of the Muromachi period, featuring some classic white gravel abstract forms and containing a famous boat-shaped rock. Saiho-ji temple is noted for its many species of mosses which grow around a large pond in the lower garden. From here a path leads up to a spectacular dry-landscape cascade. You continue with visits to the gardens at Ryogen-in and Zuiho-in and another private garden before returning to our hotel.

Day 8

You will visit the Kyoto Botanical Garden, set in a beautiful location with Mount Hiei and the Higashiyama Ridge to the east and the clear waters of the Kamogawa River to the west. Kyoto Botanical Garden, which opened in 1924, is one of Japan’s leading Botanical Gardens. The gardens have more than 120,000 plants on display and other features include a rose garden, two iris gardens, Japanese native plants and a bonsai collection. The beautiful cherry trees blossom in late March and April and can be seen in abundance in the cherry tree forest. Autumn reflects the autumn colours of the different varieties of trees including maples.

Day 9

You leave Kyoto today, taking the famous ‘Shinkansen’ or Bullet Train to Tokyo. On arrival in Japan’s capital you will be met by a coach and given an orientation tour of the city before transferring to our hotel. The Prince Park Tower Hotel is centrally located in the Akasaka district of the city and all rooms have full private facilities.

Day 10

You have a full day sightseeing in Tokyo today, including visits to the Eastern Imperial Palace Garden, where the royal family resides, Sensoji Temple and Nakamise shopping street. Later you take a cruise on the Sumida River from Asakusa to Hamarikyu. Here you visit the gardens where General Grant stayed with the emperor in 1895, now a popular place for relaxation.

Day 11

You depart today on a full day excursion to Hakone and Mount Fuji, which begins with a visit to Onshi Hakone Park, an area of forested mountains and deep ravines. We will enjoy a cruise on Lake Ashi, the principal attraction of Hakone, 723m above sea-level. The views are dominated by Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan at 3776m and instantly recognizable. You will have a further photo stop at Mount Fuji before returning to Tokyo.

Day 12

Today you will have a full day excursion in Tokyo which includes visits to Happo-en garden and another private garden.

Day 13

You depart by coach for a full day excursion to the historic town Kamakura, to the south of Tokyo. The town is flanked by wooded mountains on three sides and Sugami Bay to the south. Here you visit the Great Buddha, the second largest after the one in Nara, and Hase Kannon Temple. Said to have been constructed in 736, the temple houses an eleven-headed gilt statue of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, and a gigantic temple bell. You continue to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, one of the biggest attractions in Kamakuru, its approaches flanked by azaleas and cherry trees. You conclude with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant which will feature Japanese specialities.

Day 14

Sadly, you check out of the hotel today and transfer by coach to Narita Airport, for your lunchtime flight home, to arrive at London Heathrow in the evening.

 

Included in the price

ü  7 nights bed and breakfast at the Royal Hotel, Kyoto and 5 nights bed and breakfast at the Prince Park Tower Hotel, Tokyo (or similar).

ü  Direct flight from London Heathrow to Osaka, returning on a direct flight from Tokyo. (Regional connections available on request).

ü  Comfortable coaching throughout and transfer by Bullet Train from Kyoto to Tokyo.

ü  Visits to gardens of Kinkakuji, Kiyomizu, Daisen-in, Zuiho-in, Ryogen-in, Saiho-ji; Heian Shrine (Kyoto); Todaiji, Kasuga Shrine (Nara); Hamarikyu and Happo-en (Tokyo), plus further private gardens; visits to Osaka Castle, Kaiyu-Kan Aquarium, Nara Park; Kyoto Botanical Garden; Imperial Palace Gardens, Sensoji Temple, Sumida river cruise (Tokyo); full day excursion to Mount Fuji including cruise on Lake Ashi; full day excursion to Kamakura, including Great Buddha, Hase Temple and Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine.

ü  Lunch in Nara and a farewell dinner.

ü  Services of a travel guide plus local English-speaking guides.

 

Should you decide to plan an individual tailored package then you may find the following useful:-

We believe that your trip to Japan should be the best it possibly can be and that takes careful planning both by us and by you. There are several things it is good to consider when you start planning a trip to Japan. 

When do you want to travel?

The first thing to think about is the time of year you would like to visit Japan. Each season has its charms; spring is extremely popular with its temperate weather and of course, the beautiful cherry blossom that is such a symbol of this season; summer can be a bit hot and humid for some people but it is good to keep in mind that the northern regions of the country are somewhat cooler than the heavily populated areas to the West of Tokyo and the further North you head the less humid it gets. The mountains of the interior are fantastic places to go hiking during summer and this season is marked by a proliferation of local festivals and stunning firework displays; Autumn is perhaps when Japan is at its most beautiful as the maple leaves change colour revealing the mountains and hillsides to be dramatic sea of reds, golds and browns; and winter has a charm all of its own as much of the country is covered in a blanket of snow and many Japanese head to the mountains to enjoy the fantastic skiing and snowboarding conditions.

How long do you want to spend in Japan?

It's a great help to us in planning your trip if you have a good idea of the length of time you would like to spend in Japan. We try to make all our itineraries wide-ranging and full without being too hectic and allowing you plenty of relaxation time. After all, it is supposed to be a holiday!

Which places do you definitely want to visit?

There are so many places to see in Japan and so much to do that it can be difficult to narrow things down. However, we find most people have a few places they have always wanted to see and so if you could let us know these we can start planning your trip around these.

How much do you want to spend?

Budget is always a difficult issue but it is really helpful for us if you could let us know either the rough budget you have available for the trip or the standard if accommodation you have in mind. We always offer the best value we possibly can but our accommodation recommendations are of course largely dependent on budget. We can arrange customised trips to suit nearly any budget right from back-pack up to the heights of five star luxury so please remember that your budget should never get in the way of having a fantastic vacation!

Essential Information

Weather

Except for the Hokkaido area and the subtropical Okinawa region, the weather in Japan is mostly temperate, with four seasons. Winters are cool and sunny in the south, cold and sunny around Tokyo (which occasionally has snow), and very cold around Hokkaido, which is covered in snow for up to four months a year. Summer, between June and September, ranges from warm to very hot, while spring and autumn are generally mild throughout the country. Rain falls throughout the year but June and early July is the main rainy season. Hokkaido, however, is much drier than the Tokyo area. Rainfall is intermittent with sunshine. Typhoons are only likely to occur in September or October but rarely last more than a day.

In Japan, lightweight cottons and linens are required throughout summer in most areas. Light to medium-weights during spring and autumn; medium to heavy-weights for winter months, according to region. Much warmer clothes will be needed in the mountains all year round. There is much less rainfall than in Western Europe. 

Passports and Visas 

You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket. British nationals wishing to visit Japan for three months or less for business, tourism or family purposes etc (but not to work for a local employer) may do so without a visa.
The Japanese authorities stipulate no minimum period of validity on your passport. However, before departure you should check that your passport remains valid and acceptable to the immigration authorities of the country to which you are travelling. 

Health

For up-to-date health advice for Japan, please consult your GP. 

Insurance

We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions from the policy, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake whilst on holiday. Medway Travel can provide you with a quote for this – please contact a member of the Leisure team for further details.