Beijing

Welcome to China. After the border and customs formalities, an assistant will be waiting for you, to give you basic initial information and accompany on the transfer to take you from the airport to the hotel. Free time.

18.30hrs.- We meet our guide and our fellow passengers in the hotel reception area. Then we go on to familiarise ourselves with the city. We provide a transfer to Wangfujing street, a pedestrian and commercial street full of life with many shops and restaurants. Dinner included and return to hotel.

Beijing

07.30hrs- An exciting day awaits us. We will discover the main points of interest in the Chinese capital. We will have a full day visit with a local guide in which we will visit some of the main points in the city. We will start walking through the immense Tiananmen Square one of the largest squares in the world, and from them, we will appreciate the Great National Theater, Beijing Opera House. Then, the Great Chinese Imperial Palace, better known as "The Forbidden City", the most majestic architectural complex in China from where 24 emperors ruled for almost 500 years. We will also have the opportunity to visit Jingshan Park where the Coal Hill is located, one of the best preserved imperial gardens in Beijing. We ascend to the top of the hill to have the best views (if the day is clear) on the Forbidden City. Lunch is included. In the afternoon we include a tricycle ride through the traditional neigbourhood of Beijing, known as Hutong. In this area we can see the typical life style in these popular neighborhood, visit typical shops and even a traditional house, a Siheyuan, with all its lounges around a courtyard. We will finish our visit knowing the SUMMER PALACE, the Imperial House of the Qing Dynasty with its beautiful gardens and lakes.

We finish the visit around 18.30 hrs..- You can return to the hotel with the bus or stay in the center (in this case, return to the hotel will be by your means. We always recommend you to bring the hotel card written in Chinese to explain to the taxi driver where do you want to go).

*Note: For reasons of heritage protection and increased visitor safety, the governing body of the Imperial Palace or Forbidden City has reduced the daily capacity of visitors for an indeterminate period of time. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that such a visit will take place. If it cannot be carried out, it would be replaced by a visit to the Confucius Temple and also the Lama Temple, both also emblematic of Chinese history and culture.

Beijing

Total distance travelled: 190 km
Note: Sometimes there is a large number of tourists in the Great Wall and it may be advisable to go walking avoiding the delays that may exist in the climb by funicular
Landscapes: Great metropolis of Beijing leaving the city, green mountains area around the wall.

07.30hrs.- Beijing, departure. Today’s programme includes an excursion to the Great Wall. 09.30 hrs.- GREAT WALL OF CHINA (section Mutianyu). Arrival to this spectacular architectural work. Its history covers more than 2000 years. The day will include a cable car ride up and down to one of the most scenic areas. Free time to have lunch and enjoy the comercial area and the Exhibition Center on the Wall.
Returning to Beijing, we will stop in the 798 th district, with its contemporary art located in an old military factory. We will also visit the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN, one of the country’s largest sacred complexes and a World Heritage Site. Before returning to the hotel, and as a way to rest from this intense day, we will take a Tai Chi class and enjoy a foot massage. We will bid farewell to Beijing with a lacquered duck dinner included. Return to the hotel at 21.00hrs.

After breakfast, we’ll provide a transfer to the airport for your flight to Seoul.

Welcome to Korea! Upon arrival, you´ll be taken to your hotel, where you´ll meet the guide.

06:00 p.m. – In the evening, we’ll start exploring this fascinating country. With our guide, we’ll take the modern and efficient subway, which you’ll learn how to use, and head to City Hall, a striking building shaped like a tsunami. Across from City Hall, we’ll see the Deoksugung Palace, beautifully lit at night, showcasing Korea´s blend of tradition and modernity. From there, we’ll walk to Myeongdong neighborhood, the liveliest and largest shopping district in the country, whose name means “bright tunnel.” Dinner will be included at a local restaurant.

08:30 p.m. – Return to the hotel with the guide.

Seoul

08:30 a.m. – Today, we’ll include a comprehensive five-hour tour of Seoul. We’ll explore Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a complex of palaces set within a large park. Afterward, we’ll stroll through Bukchon Hanok Village, a historic neighborhood with traditional small homes. Next, we’ll visit the War Memorial, an impressive museum that illustrates the conflicts experienced in Korea throughout its history, especially the Korean War, in which soldiers from numerous countries participated with the United Nations.

01:00 p.m. – Lunch will be included at a local restaurant.

02:00 p.m. – We’ll continue to the Gangnam District, one of the busiest areas in the city, home to numerous shopping and entertainment centers. Finally, we’ll stop at Lotte World Tower, an impressive 550-meter-tall building, where you’ll have free time to either go up the tower (ticket not included) or stroll through its park or luxury shopping malls.

04:30 p.m. – Return to the hotel and free time.

Seoul - Suwon - Jeonju

Total distance covered: 227 km.

Scenery: Pleasant landscapes, rolling hills, and vast cultivated areas.

08:00 a.m. – Today, we’ll visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, an impressive palace with 600 years of history, where we’ll witness the changing of the guard ceremony, if it takes place.
10:00 a.m. – We’ll depart from Seoul and head south through Korea.

11:00 a.m. – Arrival in Suwon, the former capital of Korea, known for its impressive UNESCO World Heritage walls.
12:15 p.m. – Before leaving the city, we’ll take a scenic drive along the city walls and their fortifications, and visit Hwaseong Haenggung, the summer palace.

01:30 p.m. – Lunch will be included.

02:30 p.m. – Departure for Jeonju.
04:30 p.m. – Arrival in Jeonju. With our guide, we’ll explore the fascinating historic center (Hanok Village), filled with little houses, traditional shops, and art galleries. After the tour, you’ll have free time.

Jeonju - Sunchang Gochujang Village - Damyang County – Haeinsa - Busan

Total distance covered: 415 km.

Scenery: We’ll travel through high mountains, with beautiful landscapes around Haeinsa in the National Park.

Note: We recommend wearing comfortable shoes for the walk to Haeinsa Temple.

08:30 a.m. - Departure from Seoul.
09:40 a.m. - Sunchang Gochujang Village. Nestled at the foot of Mount Amisan, where you’ll find traditional hanok houses and courtyards filled with clay jars called hang-a-ri, this town is home to master artisans who make gochujang (Korean chili paste) using traditional methods. We’ll get a chance to see how this iconic sauce is made.

10:20 a.m. - Departure from Sunchang Gochujang Village.
10:40 a.m. - Damyang. We’ll explore the Juknokwon Bamboo Forest, with scenic trails that are perfect for peaceful walks and meditation. You’ll also find various products made from bamboo, which are honored and studied in centers such as the Bamboo Museum. Lunch will be included, featuring a local dish of rice steamed inside a bamboo stalk.

01:50 p.m. - Departure from Damyang.
04:00 p.m. - Arrival at Haeinsa. Surrounded by breathtaking forested mountains, we’ll visit one of the country’s most important Buddhist temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 802, it houses the Tripitaka, the most comprehensive collection of Buddhist scriptures, carved on 80,000 wooden blocks.

05:00 p.m. - Departure from Haeinsa.
07:45 p.m. - Busan. We’ll arrive in Korea’s second-largest city, famous for its lively atmosphere. Overnight stay.

Busan - Haedong Yonggung - Busan - Ferry Busan-Shimonoseki

Note: The journey from Busan to Shimonoseki is planned as an overnight ferry crossing, but due to high demand and limited cabin availability, the trip may be as follows:

1. High-speed ferry from Busan to Fukuoka (approximately three hours).
2. Flight from Busan to Fukuoka (approximately one hour).

08:30 a.m. - We’ll depart from Busan to visit Haedong Yonggung, a 14th-century Buddhist temple by the sea. After returning to Busan, we’ll include a city tour, starting with the United Nations Memorial, home to a cemetery where people from numerous countries are buried. Next, we’ll explore the Jagalchi Fish Market, the country’s largest fish market, located near Nampo Port. Lunch will be included. After, we’ll take a walk to Yongdusan Park, home to a towering 120-meter pagoda.

04:00/04:30 p.m. - Transfer to the port for check-in procedures (check-in deadline is 05:30 p.m.). Be sure to have your passport handy and remove all luggage from the bus. The ferry is scheduled to depart at 09:00 p.m. We’ll spend the night aboard the ferry, crossing the Sea of Japan. Accommodation will be in double cabins with private bathrooms. Some cabins may be in the traditional Japanese tatami style, offering a chance to experience local culture.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If one of the alternative routes is taken (high-speed ferry crossing or flight from Busan to Fukuoka), the visit to Haedong Yonggung Temple will take place the previous afternoon (Thursday).

For this day, the itinerary will be as follows:

08:30 a.m. - We’ll include a city tour, starting with the United Nations Memorial, where people from numerous countries are buried. Afterward, we’ll visit the Jagalchi Fish Market, the country’s largest fish market located near Nampo Port, and take a stroll to Yongdusan Park to see its towering 120-meter pagoda. Lunch will be included.

02:00 p.m. - Departure for the port to board the JR Beetle Ferry to Japan or transfer to the airport for a flight from Busan to Fukuoka.

06:30/07:00 p.m. - Welcome to Japan! After completing customs procedures, we’ll provide a transfer to the hotel. Enjoy some free time in Fukuoka, the largest city on Kyushu Island.

Ferry Busan-Shimonoseki – Shimonoseki – Iwakuni – Itsukushima - Hiroshima

Total distance covered: 190 km.

07:45 a.m. – Arrival at Shimonoseki Port for the border crossing (breakfast not included). Welcome to Japan!
11:30 a.m. – Iwakuni. We’ll visit the beautiful and historic Kintai-Kyo Bridge.

12:15 p.m. – We’ll take a ferry to Miyajima, the island known as the place “where gods and humans coexist.” It is home to the Itsukushima Shrine, dedicated to the guardian of the seas and partially built over the water. There will be time to explore the temple, stroll through the charming town center, and enjoy lunch.

04:00 p.m. – Departure from Miyajima. We’ll embark and continue our route.
04:45 p.m. – Hiroshima - the city sadly known for the atomic bombing of 1945, which completely devastated the area. We’ll walk through the Peace Memorial, see the atomic bomb dome, and visit the impressive Peace Museum.
Dinner will be included.

Note: If the number of travelers is nine or fewer, the journey from Shimonoseki (or Fukuoka) to Hiroshima may be taken by high-speed train. In this case, the stop in Iwakuni will be skipped (you’ll be informed on your travel voucher), and the visit will start in Hiroshima before heading to Miyajima.

Hiroshima - Matsuyama.

Distance travelled: Journey by boat. Crossing of about 50 km.
Scenery: Interesting scenery on board, passing close to many different islands.
Note: We recommend staying on deck to enjoy the crossing, but bring warm clothing.

Today we will take a boat to the island of Shikoku. The crossing is extremely pleasant and takes two and a half hours, and discover that Japan is formed by many small islands. If there are no changes in the ferry times, it will leave at 09.20hrs (we leave the hotel at 08.00 hrs).

12.00hrs. – MATSUYAMA. Arrival. We will take the cable car and ascend to its impressive castle. Then we will visit ISHITE JI, a beautiful Buddhist temple and place of pilgrimage. Lunch included.

In the late afternoon we will visit DOGO ONSEN (admission included), a traditional Japanese bath built in the 19th century.

Note: we highly recommend you to live the Onsen experience in Japan. There are rules that will be explained to you; The baths are separated by sex and a thorough cleaning must be carried out before entering the hot water naked. In Japanese Onsen they can prohibit the entry of people with tattoos.

Matsuyama - Kotohira - Takamatsu - Naruto - Kobe.

Distance travelled: 345 km
Scenery: Pleasant mountain scenery in some places. We walk along huge suspension bridges over the sea. Wear comfortable walking shoes for the journey.

7.30 hrs- Matsuyama.- Departure-.
10.00 hrs.- KOTOHIRA, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the God of fishermen and a place of pilgrimage built on Mount Zozu. To access it, it is necessary to climb 785 steps. Those who do not want to climb the mountain can enjoy sightseeing and visit the small Sake Museum (the traditional Japanese liqueur).

12.00hrs.- Kotohira –Departure-.
13.00 hrs.- TAKAMATSU. Visit to RITSURIN, one of the prettiest gardens in Japan. Lunch included in a local restaurant.

15.00 hrs.- Takamatsu –Departure-.
16.15 hrs.- NARUTO, an impressive bridge that crosses the sea. We will stop to learn how it was built and walk along its glass floor with the impressive waves below us (depending on the times and tides) at a height of 45 metres.

17.15hrs.- Naruto –Departure-. Pretty scenery as we cross huge suspension bridges.
19.00hrs.- KOBE.- Arrival. Modern city by the sea, you can walk through its active center.

Kobe - Osaka - Mount Koya

Total distance covered: 140 km.

After breakfast, we’ll visit the Earthquake Memorial Museum, a site dedicated to remembering the tragic earthquake that struck the city in 1995 and showcasing its remarkable reconstruction.

10:30 a.m. - Departure from Kobe and continuation toward Osaka.
11:15 a.m. – Osaka, Japan´s second-largest city. We’ll make a brief technical stop in Osaka only if required for the start or end of a tour for any passenger.

12:00 p.m. - Departure from the city toward the sacred mountain of Koya, the most important center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. We’ll stop for lunch along the way. This magical pilgrimage site is home to 120 temples and monasteries. We’ll visit the Okuno Mausoleum, a deeply spiritual place and vast cemetery set in nature, with over 200,000 graves. We’ll also visit the Kongobuji Temple, built in 1593.

We will spend the night in a Buddhist monastery. The monks will guide us through a Zen meditation practice (Ajikan). Dinner will be included (vegetarian meal). If you wish, you can attend the early morning religious ceremony at the temple.

Notes:
-On certain dates, the visit to the Earthquake Museum may be replaced by a visit to the Sake Museum or a trip up Kobe Tower.
-Staying at the monastery is considered a highly valuable experience. The rooms are simple, without private bathrooms, and follow traditional Japanese style with tatami mats. Bathrooms are shared.
-We cannot guarantee the meditation practice during peak tourist dates. Since accommodation capacity in the temples on Mount Koya is limited, in some cases, we may accommodate groups in nearby hotels (with half board included).

Mount Koya - Kyoto.

Total distance: 130km.

Japanese breakfast at the temple.
07.30hrs- We leave early for Kyoto.

10.00hrs- KYOTO, we spend the whole day in the city, which was the capital of Japan between 794 and 1868 and home to the Imperial Court. During World War II the city was the only major Japanese to escape the bombardments, and so it still preserves its wealth of artistic heritage; the famous protocol restricting greenhouse gas emissions was signed in Kyoto in 1997.

The visit includes a trip to one of the most important parts of the city. We will see the marvellous Shinto Shrine of Fushimi Inari, the Imperial Palace and Kinkakuji temple, “the golden pavilion” and its wonderful gardens.

19.00hrs- At night, a transfer to GION will be included, a busy traditional quarter famous for its Geisha. Free time. The return to the hotel will be free, we suggest you take a taxi. The guide will explain how.

Note: If you already visited Kyoto on your circuit, our guide will offer you information and advice on visiting the other parts of the city unaccompanied.

Kyoto - Tokyo.

After breakfast transfer to the station to take the BULLET TRAIN to Tokyo. Arrival to Tokyo after almost 500 km in just over two hours.

Late in the afternoon, we will pay a visit to this fascinating city by taking a trip on the metro (tickets included) to the Shinjuku district and see the crowds of people who use this modern and efficient collective transport system. Shinjuku is one of the most important nightlife districts. Dinner included and return to hotel.

Tokyo

08.00 hrs- In the morning, we take part in a 5-hour trip with our guide to see this amazing city, with its hustle and bustle and extremely modern districts that coexist with quiet, peaceful areas. Brief stop at the Zojoji Temple to make a beautiful photograph of the Tokyo Tower. Pay attention to the hundred of Jizos, stone traditional protecting deities who guide us on our travels, give power to those who are weak (such children) and those in dangerous places, and who are dressed including hats, robes and windmills. Then we head to the junction of Shibuya, a junction that is said to be the most crowded in the world. The Meiji Temple is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, his wife, and their spirits. We continue on our bus along the elegant street of Omotesando. We will edge the most beautiful part of the Imperial Palace and the gardens. Stop to visit the famous Nijubashi Bridge. We will pass through the district of Akihabara, the “electric town” with icons from the popular Japanese Manga and Anime culture and then see Kokugikan, the Sumo stadium, home of this Japanese sport. We will also visit the Buddhist temple of Sensoji, the oldest and most important temple in Tokyo, with its 55-metre high pagoda. Then we will have some free time to visit the traditional commercial street of Nakamise in the district of Asakusa. Lunch included in a local restaurant. Return to hotel.Free time in the afternoon.

18H30.-Late in the afternoon, we will pay a visit to this fascinating country by taking a trip on the metro (tickets included) to the Shinjuku district and see the crowds of people who use this modern and efficient collective transport system. Shinjuku is one of the most important nightlife districts. Dinner included and return to hotel by metro with our guide.

NOTE: With 5 passengers or less than 5 passengers, the city tour will be done by a tourist bus "Hop On-Hop Off" bus that passes through the most interesting parts of Tokyo, in which passengers can hop off, visit the site of their choice and then hop on the next bus

After breakfast, our services will come to an end, hoping to leave you with wonderful lasting memories.