Golden Route & Ski Tour

DAY ONE – TOKYO   Depart Australia on your international flight to Tokyo, Japan.  

Airport Limousine Bus to Tokyo.  

Overnight: Tokyo youth hostel – Breakfast included

DAY TWO – TOKYO   Ghibli Museum is a fantastic, whimsical museum that features the anime work of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.  

The museum is a fine arts museum, but is playfully created with many features that are child-oriented in the sprawling and occasionally maze-like interior. 

A must visit for students and lovers of Japanese anime.

Harajuku – the teenage area of Tokyo where you will find the latest trends in teenage fashion, food and music.  Every Sunday, young Japanese flock to this area to see the latest bands and dancers that perform in the streets.  The Meiji Shrine is located nearby, so have your camera ready as there are usually many traditional weddings and christenings taking place on a Sunday.  This famous shrine and garden is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his Empress.                                                                        

Shinjuku is a fast developing shopping and amusement quarter with one of Tokyo’s largest commuter train and bus terminals. There are three areas to Shinjuku; South, East and West.  Bustling South & East Shinjuku is a heaven for shopping, people-watching, movie-going, eating and drinking. West Shinjuku, on the other hand, is exceptional for strolling along wide boulevards and Tokyo-viewing from the tops of the soaring skyscrapers. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tocho Building) has an observatory on the 45th floor (202 mtrs high) which commands a panoramic view of metropolitan Tokyo. A number of sculptures are exhibited outside and around the twin towers.

Overnight: Tokyo youth hostel – Breakfast included

DAY THREE – TOKYO   Ride the latest rides, watch the street parade and meet Mickey Mouse at the world’s famous theme park - Tokyo Disneyland.  There is so much to see and do here including the Teacup ride, Space Mountain ride and Buzz Light Year ride.  The ‘Disney Electric Light Parade’ in the evening is spectacular.    

Overnight: Tokyo youth hostel – Breakfast included

DAY FOUR – TOKYO / NOZAWA ONSEN   

Morning – School Visit in Tokyo if available 

Afternoon – Board the shinkansen bullet train

Nozawa Onsen is a sleepy hot spring town and renowned ski village in northern Nagano Prefecture.  The hot spring baths include 13 traditional style public baths (sotoyu) which have been maintained by the local community since the Edo Period and are freely open to the public. The town really comes alive in winter when visitors arrive to enjoy the town's excellent ski resort. The resort hosted the biathlon events during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and is very foreigner friendly with English menus, maps and signs available. It is one of the best places in Japan to combine good skiing with traditional onsen town experiences.

Overnight: Nozawa Onsen traditional inn – Breakfast included

DAY FIVE – NOZAWA ONSEN

Morning – 2 hours ski lesson in the natural powder snow with English-speaking instructor.

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is one of the most superb and expansive winter sports areas in Japan.  Extending from the top to the foot of Mt. Kenashi (1,650m), Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort boasts an altitude differential of 1,085 meters and a total ski slope area of 297 hectares. The resort ranks amongst the very top ski resorts in Japan in terms of size, its history and snow quality.

Afternoon – Self-practice as much as you like using the daily lift pass and ski set for full day.

Overnight: Nozawa Onsen traditional inn – Breakfast included

DAY SIX – NOZAWA ONSEN

Morning – 2 hours ski lesson in the natural powder snow with English-speaking instructor.

Afternoon – Self-practice as much as you like using the daily lift pass and ski set for full day.

Overnight: Nozawa Onsen traditional inn – Breakfast included

DAY SEVEN – NOZAWA ONSEN / KYOTO

Suggested sightseeing:

Half-day morning trip to "Jigokudani Monkey Park", the home of more than one hundred Japanese Macaques, Japan's indigenous monkeys.  Situated in a valley, named "Hell Valley", the monkeys enjoy bathing in a natural, hot spring pool, especially during the cold winter months when the air temperature drops below freezing and the valley is covered by a thick layer of snow.  And then board the shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital city. Kyoto was Japan’s capital city from 794 – 1868.  It has more than 1600 Buddhist Temples and 270 Shinto Shrines.

Alternative option:  Farewell Nozawa Onsen in the morning and board the shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto. Visit Gion, Heart of Kyoto’s world famous Geisha districts.  As you stroll through the Gion area in the early evening you will see Maiko and Geiko moving between the evening’s engagements.  Saizen Tours can arrange for your group to visit a local teahouse in Gion and learn about the secret world of Geisha first hand.  You can watch the young Maiko perform before they serve you tea and pose for photos with your group. 

Overnight: Kyoto inn/hotel – Breakfast included

DAY EIGHT– KYOTO / NARA   A full day to explore some of Kyoto and Nara’s famous temples and shrines with a coach tour including an English speaking guide.  Kinkakuji is one of the most beautiful temples in all Japan.  A trip to Japan would not be complete without a photo in front of this Golden Pavilion.   The first floor is palace style, the second floor is the style of the samurai house and third floor is a Zen style temple.  Both the second and third floors are covered with gold leaf on Japanese lacquer.  Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa.  To safeguard against treachery the Shogun had the interior fitted with ‘nightingale’ floors (intruders were detected by the squeaking boards) and concealed chambers where bodyguards could keep watch.  Visit Kyoto Imperial Palace (except Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and specific days) or Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and specific days).  Then see the great sights Nara has to offer! Travel from Kyoto to Nara by bus, where you can visit Todaiji, the largest wooden structure in the world and home of the Great Buddha, the largest Buddha statue in Japan. Mingle with the many deer at Nara Park, then proceed to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara’s most famous shrine. Finally visit Nara Nagomikan, a famous souvineer shop.

Overnight: Kyoto inn/hotel – Breakfast and lunch included

DAY NINE - HIROSHIMA   Board the bullet train for a day-trip to Hiroshima, the ‘City of Peace’.  Hiroshima’s Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum is located nearby.  The Industrial Promotion Hall is the only damaged building still allowed to stand after the devastation in 1945, its dome the symbol of the destruction.  The Peace Park is built around this building.  You will see the statue of ‘Sadako’ above thousands of paper cranes from all around the world.  Saizen Tours will arrange for a one-hour lecture to hear first hand from a Hiroshima A-Bomb Survivor, plus one-on-one student interaction with Yasuda Women’s University students. Walk through Peace Memorial Park and then join with the students to have an okonomiyaki lunch.

Overnight: Kyoto inn/hotel – Breakfast included

DAY TEN   Perhaps time for some last minute shopping.  Meals and movies on board your overnight flight to Australia.  Travel to Kansai Airport, Osaka, late afternoon for your return flight to Australia.  

Overnight: In transit - late dinner and light breakfast included on board

DAY ELEVEN   Arrive Australia early morning.

Note: Tour Itinerary is based on self-escorted sightseeing suggestions.