Welcome to Japan! Transfer by coach (SHUTTLE BUS) to hotel.

18H30.- Meeting with guide. 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.

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.

NOTE: During the Japanese Olympics, accommodation may be given near Narita airport.

After breakfast transfer to the station to take the BULLET TRAIN to KYOTO. Arrival to Kyoto after almost 500 km in just over two hours, more or less. 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. Free time before visiting GION, a busy traditional quarter famous for its Geisha. Free time.

We leave for NARA and visit Todaiji, a magnificent Buddhist temple built in 752, which has a giant Buddha and where passengers can take photos and touch and feed the deer that wander through the park. Lunch included. After the visit, we will see HORYUJI Buddhist temple, a World Heritage Site that includes a seminary, monasteries and temples. Its main pagoda temple is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world and is the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan and an important place of worship.

We continue to OSAKA, where we arrive in the evening. Accommodation in this modern city (Japan’s second city). We will visit Dotonbori, a colourful district filled with nightlife.

We leave for HIMEJI, where we will include entry to its immense complex that shows us the architecture of Japanese castles. Lunch included in a local restaurant. We go on to OKAYAMA, where we will visit Korakuen, one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, with its lakes, waterfalls and traditional teahouses. Next, we head towards the Shinto shrine of Kibitsu-Jinja where the God Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto is venerated, which is the origin of the legend of Momotaro, symbol of Okayama Prefecture. We find a unique architecture with a corridor of 360 meters long. After the visit, free time in the city, active provincial capital of just over 700,000 inhabitants.

We leave for KURASHIKI, a city with a very well preserved historical centre. Time for a stroll in this charming place with its atmosphere from the past. We continue on our way to HIROSHIMA, a city sadly known for the atomic bomb that fell on it in 1945 and which levelled the city. We will stroll around the Peace Memorial, the Dome of the bomb and we will visit the impressive Museum of Peace. After the war we will seek peace by embarking on a ferry to the island “where men and gods live together”, with the sanctuary of ITSUKUSHIMA dedicated to the guardian of the seas, built partially over the sea. Time to visit the temple, to stroll around its pretty centre and have lunch. Return to our hotel in Hiroshima. Dinner included.

Note: The order of the visits in Hiroshima may vary without affecting their content.

Tras el desayuno traslado al aeropuerto de Hiroshima. Tomamos vuelo (vuelo incluido, no directo, una escala) hacia Xian. Llegada a Xian y tiempo libre. Al final del día llegará el grupo en el cual nos incorporamos en China, conoceremos a nuestro guía en este país.

We have arrived in the fascinating city where the silk route originated. First thing in the morning, we will go to see the TERRACOTA ARMY, with its thousands of life size clay soldiers that were found underground. We return to XIAN, where we will visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda where we will enjoy a brief Chinese calligraphy course . Later, we go across through the walled centre. We will cross the Muslim quarter there and we will enter the mosque, where we will be able to see the multiple cultures and religions that have left their mark on this country. Our tour will also include entry tickets to the Drum Tower where we will enjoy a short show of traditional instrument playing. Free time.-

We leave from Xian in a very modern high speed train and in less than three hours we will arrive in Lingfen. From here, we go in our coach to the MANSION OF THE WANG CLAN, which was built by a wealthy family between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Lunch is included. We continue on to PINGYAO, China´s best preserved historical city, which has 4,000 ancient buildings and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will enjoy this charming traditional city. Our tour will include entry tickets that allow visitors access to all the temples, mansions and city walls.

We travel to one of the most exciting spiritual places in China: WUTAI MOUNTAIN. This place, situated between green mountains and forests, is one of the centres of the Lamaism form of Buddhism. There are more than 40 ancient monasteries (and a similar number of monasteries have been built in more recent years), which are home to a large community of monks. We will visit Nanshan Temple with our guide, and later we will leave time free for you to look for less visited temples, where you can respectfully observe the monks. Dinner included.

After breakfast, we travel along a road of great scenic beauty between the mountains to YANGMENGUAN, which is not far from the border of Mongolia. In one of the mountain passes, we will visit a part of the GREAT WALL OF CHINA here. We will be able to take a tranquil walk, as it is an area with a very small number of tourists. We continue to YINGXIAN, quiet picturesque village with its great wooden pagoda. Lunch included. We continue to the HANGING TEMPLE of Xuancong Temple. Its construction on the wall of a cliff is amazing. Continuing with the coach, at the end of the day, you can stroll in DATONG, a city that has impressive walls and a rebuilt historic centre.

We leave in the morning to YUNGANG CAVES, China´s most impressive art cave site, which has more than 51,000 statues in its 252 caves that were excavated in the 5th century. We continue to JIMING POST, a small traditional Chinese settlement that preserves its peaceful and provincial life. It was created as a resting place for the mails that were sent from the emperor. Continue to BEIJING, arriving mid-afternoon.

An exciting day awaits us. We will discover the main points of interest in the Chinese capital. We will have a full day visit in which we will visit some of the main avenues in the city. 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. We will walk 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. Lunch is included. Today, we will also visit the SUMMER PALACE, the Imperial House of the Qing Dynasty with its beautiful gardens and lakes. 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. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Today’s programme includes an excursion to visit the GREAT WALL OF CHINA (section Mutianyu). 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. 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 enjoy a foot massage and we will take a Tai Chi class. We will bid farewell to Beijing with a lacquered duck dinner included.

After breakfast, we go to the train station. We take one of China´s state-of-the-art high speed trains. At 300 km/hour, in two hours we arrive at TAIAN, situated at the foot of Mount Taishan, which is considered the most sacred mountain in China. We will visit the DAI Temple, a magnificent complex of Taoist temples from the 11th century. From here, the pilgrimage route begins. Lunch included. After this, our visit will include the cable car that ascends to the “gates of heaven” of the sacred mountain. The last phase has to be done walking on foot up its steep staircase among hundreds of pilgrims. At the end of the afternoon, we will travel in our bus to QUFU, the city of Confucius.

We visit the city of Confucius, the Chinese thinker of the V century BC, who was the initiator of Confucianism. Our trip will include a visit and entrance to the Mansion and the Confucius Temple. We then continue our route towards XUZHOU. Lunch included. We will discover the impressive underground Mausoleum of the Han Emperor, and we will be surprised by the sight of the terracotta army in the museum (similar, but smaller in size, to the extremely famous ones in Xian). After that, in the bus, we will pass by the beautiful Lake Yunlong, which is located in the centre of the city. Accommodation.

We leave Xuzhou in the early morning. At around 12.30, we arrive in NANJING, a city of eight million people and considered by many to be the most pleasant in China. We will be amazed by the activity and commercial life of this modern metropolis. We will visit the Purple Mountain, where we will look round the SUN YATSEN mausoleum and the picturesque Lingu Temple. Free time later on. Overnight.

We leave for SUZHOU, which has wonderful gardens that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This city was the main silk producer in the world, and was always associated with beauty and elegance. We include entrance tickets to the garden of the humble administrator. We will have free time to stroll along the very picturesque Pingjian road. Lunch is included. After that we go to TONGLI, a charming lake town with its small houses next to the canals and their gondolas. We included a nice boat ride. Continue on to SHANGHAI. Accommodation.

In the morning, our trip includes a visit round this impressive city. We will know the area of Pudong, located across the Huangpu River, is now the financial district, with its skyscrapers as the Pearl Tower. We include a ferry crossing of the Shanghai River which will give us great views of the two parts of the city. We will stroll the Old City and the Yuyuan Garden, a private garden that was built during the Ming Dynasty. We will enjoy a demonstration of the Tea ceremony,traditional drink that plays an important cultural role in China. We will pass by one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of the capital, Xintiandi. Lunch included. Then, visit Tianzifang, a former residential area known for its narrow, labyrinthine traditional streets with its small craft shops and art galleries. We finish the visit along the Bund with its old buildings that remind us of the influence of European trade.

Free afternoon. If you wish, you can enjoy a boat trip to see Shanghai at night, it will be an unforgettable experience.

After breakfast, end of our services.