JAPAN: Southern Japan + Okinawa (15 days)

1st day: flight to Osaka
Meeting at the airport, departure to Osaka.

2nd day: flight to Osaka – Osaka
Arrival to Osaka. Upon arrival meeting with your guide and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Osaka.

3rd day: Osaka – Koya
In the morning you will leave your main luggage at the hotel in Osaka (we will transfer it to Kurashiki, you will pick it up next day). Please take with you the things you need for 1 day in a separate, small bag. Breakfast at your hotel. The train ride to Nanba district of Osaka, walk around the Old Town, then transfer by the train to Koya. Short walk around the largest and the most important complex of Japanese Buddhism (Shingon sect). A visit to the mausoleum of the founder of the Koya’s complex. Overnight in a typical monastic dormitory and a traditional vegetarian dinner.

4th day: Koya – Okayama – Kurashiki
Early in the morning you will have a chance to participate in a monk’s ceremony. Traditional vegetarian breakfast. Transfer by train to Okayama, visit to Korakuen – one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. Dinner. Arrival at Kurashiki and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Kurashiki.

5th day: Kurashiki – Takamatsu – Kurashiki
Breakfast at your hotel. This morning we will take a train to Shikoku island crossing Seto Ohashi – impressive six bridges and four viaducts with total length of over 9 kilometres. Transfer to Takamatsu Zentsuji – the temple built near the birthplace of the monk Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. Visit to the Kotohira Kabuki Theatre Museum. Lunch during the day. Back to Kurashiki, walk through the Old Town considered to be one of the most charming in whole Japan. Overnight in Kurashiki.

6th day: Kurashiki – Beppu
In the morning you will leave your main luggage at the hotel in Kurashiki (we will transfer it to Kumamoto, you will pick it up next day). Please take with you the things you need for 1 day in a separate, small bag. Early breakfast at your hotel. Transfer by train to city of Beppu located on Kyushu island, well known all over Japan for its hot springs. Walking tour through the hot springs called by Japanese people jigoku (the hell). Overnight in a traditional Japanese hotel – ryokan. Dinner in a ryokan (kaiseki set). Overnight in Beppu.

7th day: Beppu – Aso – Kumamoto
Breakfast at your hotel. Depend of the current situation we will try to travel to Aso – an active volcano, which has the world’s largest caldera. Transfer to Kumamoto, dinner and overnight in the hotel.

8th day: Kumamoto – Imari – Nagasaki
In the morning you will leave your main luggage at the hotel in Kumamoto (we will transfer it to Nagasaki, you will pick it up next day). Please take with you the things you need for 1 day in a separate, small bag. Breakfast at your hotel. Visiting Kumamoto Castle – one of the most beautiful castles all over Japan and famous Suizenji Garden. Trip by train to Imari, a small town famous for its pottery. Lunch during the day. Travel by train to Nagasaki. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Nagasaki.

9th day: Nagasaki
Breakfast at your hotel. City tour in Nagasaki by public transportation: visit to the Glover Garden, Tenshudo Oura Catholic Church, Meganebashi Bridge, Park of the Peace with a Monument of the Peace and Atomic Bomb Museum. We will also visit to Dejima island area and Sofukuji temple. Lunch during the day, free evening. Back to the hotel. Overnight in Nagasaki.

10th day: Nagasaki – Okinawa (main island)
Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the airport and flight to Naha city located on Okinawa main island. Visit to Shuri Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and to Peace Memorial Park dedicated to the defenders of Okinawa. Dinner. Transfer to the hotel, overnight on Okinawa main island.

11th day: Okinawa (main island)
Breakfast at your hotel. Free time, enjoy the beauty of a tropical island. In the afternoon visit to the Churaumi Aquarium, in which we can see 300 species of fishes. Visiting the reconstruction of a typical Okinawa’s village with houses dated back since the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Dinner and overnight on Okinawa main island.

12th day: Okinawa (main island and Miyakojima)
Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the coastline cliff of Manzano, which offers beautiful views of the nearby beaches and islands. Transfer to the airport and flight to Miyakojima, the largest island in the archipelago of Miyako. Residents of Miyako coral islands (about 50,000 people) speak in their own language, their culture is very different from that of the other islands of Japan. Overnight in a hotel on Miyakojima.

13th – 14th day: Okinawa (Miyakojima)
Breakfast at your hotel. The two-day holiday on the most beautiful beaches of Miyakojima. Optionally water sports (diving and snorkeling) and full-day trip around the islands (in the program: a walk through Hirara – the capital city of Miyakojima, visiting to the mausoleum of local hero Nakasone, small Harimizu temple and to the Miyakojima Island Museum, short walk on Shimajiri mangrove forest). The chance to relax on the most beautiful sandy beach of Maehama. In the evenings visits to local restaurants offering nice food and traditional music. Dinner. Overnight on Miyakojima.

15th day: Okinawa (Miyakojima) – Osaka – flight back
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport*, departure to Osaka, flight back to your destination. Arrival to your destination.

* You can extend your stay in Japan and visit another of Okinawa’s archipelago: Ishigaki (we recommend extension for at least 3 days, the most interesting islands on Ishigaki archipelago are: Yaeyama, Taketomi and Iriomote). You can also extend your trip and visit Taiwan (Taipei or even more!).