President's Tour: Japan
Embark on a sojourn ideal for first-time travelers to Japan on this hand-crafted journey through the Golden Route of Japan.
Witness a wholly unique civilization that thrives in intrinsic contrasts of ancient and modern. Visit the most symbolic locations of Japan, including the busy streets of Tokyo, the heart of Japanese culture in Kyoto, the precipice of Mt. Fuji and the historically important Hiroshima. Whether you love to cook or are simply into enjoying fine cuisine, our AAA President’s Tour will show you a variety of Japanese cooking skills and secrets. Indulge your senses with an exciting culinary adventure, as well as an array of cultural highlights through three of Japan's most fascinating cities. Join AAA Minneapolis’ President Tae Kim and his wife Ingrid on this journey to “The Land of the Rising Sun.”
Dates & Pricing
November 1-11, 2024
- Double: $7,599 per person
- Single: $8,999 per person
All prices are per person based on occupancy. Triple/Quad rooms are not available.
Add-Ons (Per Person)
- $2500 Roundtrip group airfare on Delta Airlines with group airport transfers in Japan
- $300 Roundtrip Airport Transfers
Cancellation Penalties/Deposit
- 10% deposit due at time of booking
- Remaining balance due June 25, 2024
- Cancellation: Before June 25 2024: $250 cancellation penalty per person
- June 26, 2024 – day of departure- 100% non-refundable
Travel Insurance
For your protection AAA recommends travel insurance. Pre-existing medical conditions may be waived with proper coverage if travel insurance is purchased within 14 days of initial deposit only. Other conditions may apply; ask your travel advisor. AAA recommends Allianz.
- 9 nights hotel accommodations
- 18 meals (B-9, L-4,5-D)
- Deluxe Chartered bus transportation while on tour
- All touring and special experiences per itinerary
- First class reserved seats on super express trains
- Tourist class ferry transportation
- Luggage handling
- Services of an English speaking local guide
- Services of a AAA Tour Manager
- Services & gratuities of a professional driver
- All hotel and tour taxes
- Airfare
- Airport Transfers
- Meals not included on itinerary
- Hotel incidental charges
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Depart the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport for your departure to Kyoto, Japan. We look forward to making new friends and fun memories in the “Land of the Rising Sun” (Flight options available at additional cost)
This evening, arrive in Kyoto. Use included group transfer to the hotel.
Kyoto is the nation's former capital and was the residence of the emperor from 794 until 1868. It is Japan's seventh largest metropolis with a population of around 1.4 million and a city of culture that offers a plethora of temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures that still survive today. With 2,000 religious’ buildings, including 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and associated architecture, it is one of the best-preserved cities in Japan and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Kyoto represents the "Japan of old" and beyond the high-rise skyscrapers built as a monument to progress, the real monument to Japan's historical and cultural past can be found in the city's narrow alleyways where tea houses abound and kimono-clad geisha hurry from elegant function to function. This is a place to go back in time to Japan's mysterious past where echoes of the court nobility resonate at the Imperial Palace and the search for contemplation can be found in Ryoanji's Zen rock gardens.
Check in to the New Miyako Hotel for 3 nights. As the gateway to the ancient capital of Kyoto, Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo has always welcomed many guests. Courteous and hospitable staff will welcome and treat you warmly. The hotel has a variety of restaurants where you can enjoy delicious dishes that make the most of the local ingredients. It is also within walking distance of historically famous spots in Kyoto.
After checking in, please use the evening to adjust to the time change - 13 hours AHEAD of Minneapolis.
After breakfast at the hotel this morning we will depart on a full day of sightseeing in Kyoto. Our local guide will join the group to give us insight and information along the way.
Visit Kinkaku-ji Temple, with its beautiful golden Shariden (a building in which Buddha's ashes are enshrined) and see its elegantly beautiful garden.
Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden is one of Kyoto's most famous gardens. So famous, in fact, that the name has become synonymous with Japanese rock gardens worldwide. With its traditional architecture and gardens, Ryoanji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a must-visit for any visitor to Kyoto.
Enjoy an included buffet lunch.
This afternoon we will travel to a World Heritage site. Tour the historical Nijo castle completed in 1626, which was built to provide lodging for the Tokugawa Shogun and as a palladium for Kyoto Imperial Palace. The impressive, elaborate carvings and decors in the Ninomaru Palace are a must-see.
After a long day in Kyoto, you may want to relax and enjoy a delicious meal by watching the traditional dance performance of a Kyoto geisha. This experience lasts about 2 hours where you go to a restaurant and have a set menu item of a fresh meal and then watch the geisha performance. After the meal you can ask questions to the geisha and even participate in traditional geisha games called “ozashiki asobi.”
Breakfast is included at your hotel this morning.
A fun experience will start our day together on day 4 of our journey.
Tenryu-ji (天龍寺) is an impressive temple complex in the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, and its walkway runs through the famous bamboo grove.
Historically first among the five most important Zen temples in Kyoto, Tenryu-ji today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best to visit in Kyoto. Our group will experience Zen Meditation at the Tenryu-ji Temple.
Just making your way to Tenryu-ji is worth it, the temple entrance lies at the end of the Arashiyama bamboo grove. Once through the entrance gate, the pathway towards the temple has a beautiful mountain backdrop. The temple structure is a blend of traditional temple design with the spaciousness of an imperial living villa. This adds to the calming atmosphere around the complex.
A visit to Tenryuji is not complete without exploring the magnificent landscape garden, which consists of the central pond, Zen rock garden, and a mix of pine trees native to the Arashiyama mountains. What makes it further unique is that it is one of the few original garden designs from Souseki. The garden is beautiful years round, and one of the best places in Kyoto to visit to see the autumn leaves.
Lunch is on your own today with the rest of the day free to enjoy Kyoto how you would like. Shopping or additional sightseeing are options for you. Or maybe you would like to sit in a Kyoto café and enjoy the sites and sounds with a sake tasting. The day is yours to explore.
Breakfast is included at the hotel this morning before checking out.
Depart for Kyoto station as we board a bullet train (Green class) to Hiroshima Station. (2 hours)
Tucked to the south of Honshu between the Chugoku Mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, the humble Hiroshima Prefecture is known for its oysters and freshwater eel, as well as local okonomiyaki and sake produced in the revitalized capital of Hiroshima.
Today you will take a Hiroshima City Tour with a local guide, starting with a visit to Shukkeien Garden that showcases the beautiful Japanese gardens but in a miniature size!
An included lunch at a local restaurant
Our next stop will be the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The area where the park now lies was ground zero for the Atomic Bomb on 6th August 1945. After the bombing the Memorial Park was created and dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attack. Stroll through the park and discover the many memorials, monuments and statues in the park before heading into the Museum itself.
Go to Miyajima by ferry.
Transfer to your hotel- Iwasco Ryokan hotel.
Set in a traditional wooden building and cottages dating from 1900, plus a modern annex, this tranquil hot spring inn surrounded by trees and next to the Momijidani River is an 11-minute walk from the nearest gondola lift and a 5-minute walk from the iconic Itsukushima Shrine.
Warm, streamlined rooms offer tatami mats and futons; some feature river views or private hot spring tubs. Bathrooms are shared. Annex rooms add minifridges, tea and coffee makers, and flat-screen TVs, plus en suite facilities.
Dinner will be included at the hotel upon arrival.
A Japanese breakfast is served this morning before we check out of the hotel.
This morning our group will explore the beautiful Miyajima, a World Heritage site. Established in the 6th century, this shrine is one of Japan's finest, and is famous for its beautiful Shinden-zukuri style structure (architecture representative of a nobles' residence in the Heian period). The contrast of the green of Mount Misen behind the lacquered shrine pavilion and the blue of the Seto Sea is beautiful and evocative of the underwater palace of Ryugujo.
Enjoy a Japanese green tea with wagashi tasting located in a 300-year-old Buddhist Temple known as Tokujuji. In Japan, the “Way of Tea” or the Japanese tea ceremony is an immersive cultural experience associated with traditional refinement and Zen Buddhism. The ceremony of preparing the tea and enjoying it is considered an artform, especially when it is held in an authentic manner with an atmospheric setting.
Enjoy some free time for lunch and shopping this afternoon.
Take a ferry back to Miyajma guchi and transfer to Hiroshima Station.
Board a bullet train (Green class) to Tokyo station (4 hours)
Upon arrival, a group will transfer to Keio Plaza and have dinner on your own.
Keio Plaza Premier Grand hotel
Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo's Club Floor "Premier Grand" Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo has the most prestigious relaxation with its Premier Grand Club Floors and Club Lounge. While rooms guaranteed to provide divine relaxation and ultimate comfort, the Club Lounge at 160m above the city, offers stunning views of Tokyo.
Enjoy Fusion cuisine at スーパーブッフェ グラスコート, one of the hotel's 11 restaurants, or stay in and take advantage of the 24-hour room service.
Enjojy an included breakfast at the hotel this morning before a full day of sightseeing with our local guide.
One of the World's most cutting-edge capitals, Tokyo is a city of contrasts. Famous for its cutting-edge modernity, neon-lit landscape and towering skyscrapers, it is also home to sprawling parkland, peaceful shrines and temples and lovingly tended gardens. Despite its love affair with manga pop culture, fashion, high-tech trends and conspicuous consumption, below the surface is a city that has its roots in an ancient heritage. Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples stand close to skyscrapers as a reminder of a more contemplative time and at the heart of the hyperactive center lies the serene Imperial Palace, the home of the ruling emperor that provides a tangible link to the city's historical past. Behind the shopping, entertainment and commercial emporia can be found quaint wooden houses, private gardens with meticulously clipped bonsai trees and the Zen-like calm of the Hamarikyu Gardens. The city's reputation as a mega-expensive metropolis is ill conceived and visitors can take advantage of inexpensive izakaya bars and neighborhood cafes that serve delicious noodles and rice dishes.
Starting our full day of touring with a stop at the Tokyo Tower. A symbol of Japan's post-war rebirth as a major economic power, Tokyo Tower was the country's tallest structure from its completion in 1958 until 2012 when the Tokyo Skytree surpassed it. In addition to being a popular tourist spot, Tokyo Tower serves as a broadcast antenna.
Our second stop will be at Asakusa, Tokyo's old town where you can soak in the atmosphere of the Tokyo of old. Visit Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple.
For lunch we have a fun experience planned. Today we will enjoy a group Japanese cooking class. True, high quality Japanese traditional style will be shown at the cooking program and is the joyful occasions to learn Japanese culture and seasonal dishes for visitors from abroad. Chef’s explanations are highly suggestive and even Japanese people will come to recognize the profundity of our own culture again.
Often compared with New York's Fifth Avenue, Ginza is the most luxurious shopping district in Tokyo. Its two main avenues, Chuo-dori Street and Harumi-dori Street are lined with enormous department stores carrying a wealth of boutiques representing pretty much every major international retail brand. Enjoy some free time shopping and a walking tour including a visit to depachika.
A group dinner hosted by Tae Kim for our member group this evening in a local restaurant.
After an included breakfast this morning, meet your local guide as we depart for an excursion to Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi.
Witness a wholly unique civilization that thrives in intrinsic contrasts of ancient and modern. Savor culinary delights, cultural curiosities. From the excitement and endless exploration on offer in electric Tokyo to majestic views of Mt. Fuji found in picture-perfect Hakone National Park, Japan offers a wide variety of activities and experiences.
There are more than a thousand Fuji Sengen shrines across Japan, dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity associated with Mount Fuji. Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine, formally known as Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja (北口本宮冨士浅間神社, "North Entrance Fuji Sengen Shrine"), is the main Sengen Shrine on the north side of the mountain. The head shrine of them all is the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha on the opposite side of the mountain in Fujinomiya.
The Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, Shizuoka (静岡県富士山世界遺産センター, Shizuoka-ken Fujisan Sekiisan Center) is a museum in Fujinomiya dedicated to Mount Fuji. Opened in 2017 to commemorate the mountain's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site four years prior, the center boasts a viewing deck and a variety of exhibitions pertaining to the volcano's seismology, history and cultural significance. The building has an inverted conical form that reflects in the pond outside to reveal the shape of the iconic mountain.
Lunch will be included at a local restaurant this afternoon.
An afternoon cruise on Kawaguchi-ko Lake and enjoy some of the best views of Mt Fuji.
An intriguing museum devoted to Kubota Itchiku stands in the wooded hills along the northern coast of Lake Kawaguchiko. Exhibited are several of the artist's kimono creations, depicting themes of nature, the cosmos and the seasons. An included visit this afternoon.
Return to the hotel for a free evening on your own.
Make a dinner reservation at a local Michelin restaurant, Tokyo has more than any city in the world!
Enjoy an included breakfast at the hotel this morning before a full day of sightseeing with our local guide.
Please prepare an overnight bag and store your luggage will be locked up in storage with the bell captain.
Take a bullet train from Tokyo station (Green class) to Koriyama for a full day of sightseeing in Aizu Wakamatsu with your local guide.
Starting our tour at Goshikinuma. Boasting beautiful views that are hard to describe in words, Goshikinuma received a 1-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide and is definitely a must-see while in Urabandai. Goshikinuma is a group of colourful ponds, many of which were formed after the 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai (磐梯山 Bandai-san) caused rocks and soil to block off a river, creating the ponds.
Lunch will be included at a local restaurant this afternoon.
Tsuruga Castle (鶴ヶ城, Tsurugajō) was built in 1384 and changed hands many times between the different rulers of the Aizu region. It was destroyed after the Boshin War of 1868, a rebellion against the newly formed Meiji government, which had taken over control from the Tokugawa shogun and put an end to Japan's feudal era. Tsuruga Castle was one of the last strongholds of samurai loyal to the shogunate.
Check in to Chiyotaki located on a hill overlooking the hot spring Chiyotaki.
Boasting hot spring baths with mountain views, Kutsurogijyuku Chiyotaki is a 15-minute bus ride from JR Aizuwakamatsu Station. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant and unwind in a private hot spring bath with breathtaking views.
An on-site restaurant offers Japanese local cuisine and sake. Guests can unwind in an open-air hot spring baths with mountain views on the top floor, and they can enjoy free access to hot spring baths at the sister property in the vicinity.
An included dinner at the Ryokan this evening.
An included breakfast at the Ryokan this morning before departing for Tokyo.
On our way to the train station, we will make a brief stop at Ouchijuku. Ouchijuku (大内宿, Ōuchijuku) is a former post town along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route, which connected Aizu with Nikko during the Edo Period. Restrictions set by the shogunate required travelers to make their long journeys on foot and as a result, post towns developed along the routes to provide travelers with food, accommodations, and rest.
Transfer to Koriyama station, take Yamabiko bullet train to Tokyo Station. (2 hours) – Green class
Arrive at Tokyo station and transfer to Keio Plaza Hotel, check in and refresh before dinner.
A final group dinner is included at a local restaurant this evening.
*Note: An included breakfast at the hotel is scheduled before check out, however depending on final flight times, breakfast may not be available before departure.
Transfer to Haneda International Airport (Tokyo) for departure to Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (Flight times tbd).
Welcome home and back to Minneapolis/St. Paul. USA!
Thank you for traveling with AAA Minneapolis.
| Start date | End date | Duration | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/01/24 | 11/11/24 | 11 Days | $7,599.00 | Reserve |
