Day 1 Arrive in Seoul

Arrive in Seoul / Incheon, South Korea and transfer to our hotel. Seoul is a city of contrasts. In this rapidly evolving metropolis, the traditional exists with the modern in a state of harmony. For over 500 years the seat of Joseon Dynasty kings, Seoul is now the beating heart of modern Korea, the centre to which all else in the country is drawn. Overnight in Seoul. Dinner if required.

Day 2 Seoul: City Tour

Today you will have a city tour of Seoul, including the Blue House (Presidential Residence, photo stop outside), the National Folk Museum, and Gyeongbokgung Palace. Of all the tourist attractions in Seoul, the Joseon Dynasty Palaces and, particularly Kyongbuk Palace, are the most tangible link between modern Korea and its not-too-distant monarchical past. Not merely inert relics, they are symbols of a deep history and rich culture. Although substantially reduced in number, the remaining palace buildings provide a glimpse of traditional architecture and the overall organization of a palace grounds. General Yi Seong-gye (King T'aejo) ordered the construction of Gyeongbokgung-gung ("Palace of Shining Happiness") in 1934, two years after founding the Joseon Dynasty. In its original form, it is said to have had about 500 buildings. For the next 200 years, Gyeongbokgung-gung was the seat of government and the royal residence of Joseon Dynasty kings. This afternoon we visit the Korean Folk Village where the old traditional style houses and life style of 18th-19th century are being practiced by people living in the village. Overnight in Seoul. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 3 Seoul - Mt Seorak

We continue to Mt Seorak through the picturesque countryside to the vicinity of Seoraksan National Park, with its towering craggy peaks, waterfalls, forests, hiking trails, mysterious temples, and remote hermitages. Upon arrival in Mt Seorak you will have the afternoon to relax with outdoor and indoor hot spring pools and sauna. Overnight Mt Seorak. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 4 Mt Seorak Area

We depart for Mt Seorak National Park where we take a cable car to one of the peaks for panoramic views of Mountain Seorak. Seoraksan's aerial tramway runs 1100 metres (3,608 feet) from the valley floor to the ridge above. The 5-minute ride offers a bird's-eye view of the Outer Seorak area. About 100 metres below the upper cable car terminus is the tiny hermitage of Allak-am. This religious site sits precariously on the edge of a precipice. On the sides of its main hall, colourful paintings depict scenes from Buddha's life and other familiar topics. We later proceed to Sinheungsa Temple. A short, easy stroll from the park plaza brings you to Sinheungsa ("Divine Undertaking Temple"), the principal temple of Seoraksan. At the junction of two major valleys below high peaks, this small compound has one of the most spectacular settings of any temple in Korea. It was established in 653 as Hyangseongsa Temple by the monk, Chajang. This afternoon we proceed to Goseong Unification Observatory located on the borderline with North Korea. Overnight in Mt Seorak. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 5 Mt Seorak - Haeinsa

Our tour continues to Haeinsa Temple, one of the most important Buddhist treasures in Korea. Haeinsa Temple features the famous Korean cultural treasure, Tripikata Koreana, built during the Goryeo Dynasty to protect the country from the invasion of Mongolian troops. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tripitakana Koreana consists of over 80,000 pieces of inscribed wooden plates carved during the Goryeo Dynasty. It took more than 15 years to complete this incredible work. Overnight in Haeinsa. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 6 Haeinsa - Gyeongju

Today we take a very scenic drive down to Gyeongju passing tiny fishing villages. Gyeongju is Korea's ancient cultural city, the capital of the once great Silla Kingdom. It is to Korea what Kyoto is to Japan. During its 1979 meeting in Thailand, UNESCO selected Gyeongju as one of the world's most important ancient cultural cities, both for its position in the historical and cultural development of East Asia and for its role in the formation of the Korean nation. Around Gyeongju there are hundreds of royal tombs, temples, palace sites, fortress ruins, pagodas and rock sculptures. Finely crafted gold and silver ornaments, skillfully shaped clay figures and pottery, metal utensils and weapons and an astonishing number of other objects discovered here are now displayed in the Kyongju museum which we visit. We also observe scraps of Silla Literature and the legends that are preserved in ancient books and annals. Overnight in Gyeongju. Breakfast and dinner.

Our tour continues to Haeinsa Temple, one of the most important Buddhist treasures in Korea. Haeinsa Temple features the famous Korean cultural treasure, Tripikata Koreana, built during the Goryeo Dynasty to protect the country from the invasion of Mongolian troops. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tripitakana Koreana consists of over 80,000 pieces of inscribed wooden plates carved during the Goryeo Dynasty. It took more than 15 years to complete this incredible work. Overnight in Haeinsa. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 6 Haeinsa - Gyeongju

Today we take a very scenic drive down to Gyeongju passing tiny fishing villages. Gyeongju is Korea's ancient cultural city, the capital of the once great Silla Kingdom. It is to Korea what Kyoto is to Japan. During its 1979 meeting in Thailand, UNESCO selected Gyeongju as one of the world's most important ancient cultural cities, both for its position in the historical and cultural development of East Asia and for its role in the formation of the Korean nation. Around Gyeongju there are hundreds of royal tombs, temples, palace sites, fortress ruins, pagodas and rock sculptures. Finely crafted gold and silver ornaments, skillfully shaped clay figures and pottery, metal utensils and weapons and an astonishing number of other objects discovered here are now displayed in the Kyongju museum which we visit. We also observe scraps of Silla Literature and the legends that are preserved in ancient books and annals. Overnight in Gyeongju. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 7 Gyeongju: Area Tour

We will spend a whole day sightseeing in Gyeongju with visits to Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Tumuli Park-Royal Tombs. While many important sites are scattered in the vicinity, Gyeongju, as the heart of the former Silla Kingdom, still has the largest concentration of remains. Mounded tombs, the most obvious remnant of the city's past, dominate your view as you approach this historic city. Many of the early tombs were constructed near the Banwolseong Palace site-- then undoubtedly the city centre but now at the edge of downtown. Later others were constructed outside the city, in the midst of flat farming fields and at the foot of the low hills that rim this valley. Over the centuries these mounds have, by and large, been left un-plundered. Some informal excavation was done in the early 1900's, but the first government-sponsored excavations were authorized by the Japanese during the occupation. Overnight in Gyeongju. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 8 Gyeongju - Busan

Our journey continues to Korea's second largest city, Busan (formerly Pusan). The city's name derives from two place names: Suwon, which means "water source"--the land depression that the city occupies was for centuries known for its clear-water wells. High above the city rises P'aldal-san, a tall hill at its height of beauty in the spring, with its slopes awash with the colour of pink cherry blossoms. In the late 1600's the military established a garrison here as one of the five principal fortifications set up to protect the approaches to Seoul. Intending to move the official capital from Seoul to Suwon, King Chongjo the 22nd Joseon Dynasty King, had the fortress wall constructed in 1794. Battlements and palace buildings were erected, but the king died before he could initiate the move. Although there were great plans for this city, they never had the opportunity to mature, as the decision was made to keep the capital at Seoul. Our tour continues with a visit to Kukje Market and Jagalchi Fish Market. Overnight in Busan. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 9 Busan, South Korea - Tokyo, Japan

Today we fly from Busan to Tokyo. Overnight in Tokyo. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 10 Tokyo: City Tour

For those of us who are ready for an early start, we make an early morning excursion to the Tsukiji Fish Market. At this early hour we see the raw, wind-burned and robust face of Tokyo at the central wholesale market, the largest in the world. Although the market contains stalls selling meats and vegetables, the real product is the two million kilograms of fish sold here every day. Over 1,500 fishmongers scurry about on motorised fish-mobiles in a cavernous warehouse where huge blocks of ice, all expertly hand-sawed, not only to cool the interior but miraculously keeps all odour of fish at bey. After this we return to our hotel for breakfast before heading off on our morning sightseeing. We make our way to the Imperial Palace or Kokyo, built on the site of the Edo-jo castle. An impregnable fortress that housed the Tokugawa Shogunate for 265 years. Surrounded by moats, the original outer walls extended for over 16 km (10 miles) and were thick enough for a squad of samurai to walk six abreast on top. Even in its original state, it deceptively looked more like an administrative villa than a fortress. Once inside, it was a maze of moats, bridges, dead-ends and cul-de-sacs, all perfect for defense, and now perfect for private and public strolling parks and gardens. Even today, the grounds appear flat but are really a series of hillocks covered with trees that help camouflage numerous buildings. The earth used to make these hillocks was transported from Ueno in a land-reclamation project begun by the first shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa. Occupied by the shogunate for 265 years until Emperor Meiji moved the court here in 1860's, the buildings survived until they were all but obliterated by the fire bombings of WWII. After peering into this amazing complex and seeing the famous double bridge, we continue on to Ginza. Hopefully we will time our arrival so that we can be there for the opening of one of Japan's leading department stores. The bowing to and welcoming of the first customers of the day is indeed a cross-cultural insight. We will take a brief walk through the food halls where you will see the amazing variety of beautifully presented foods being sold at unbelievable prices. Seeing where and how the Japanese shop, what they buy, for whom and for what occasion, offers instructive glimpses into a highly sophisticated social strata where conventions of human interaction and presentation are minutely-defined. We continue from here on to Ueno, home to the National Museum and the finest collection of Japanese art in the country. Overnight in Tokyo. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 11 Tokyo - Kamakura - Tokyo

Located just south of Tokyo, we venture to Kamakura, the capital established by the Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192. He was the first permanent shogun and ruler of Japan. His motivation was to get away from the corrupt imperial court of Kyoto. Within the next century many grand monuments were built, and has 65 Buddhist temples and 19 Shinto shrines located amongst its wooded hills. An easily defendable site, surrounded on three sides by hills and the fourth by the sea, is a dramatic setting for our wanderings through the area. One of the highlights here will be a visit to the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha; the second largest bronze image in Japan. At another temple we will be able to partake in the tea ceremony, a unique and beautiful Japanese tradition. In the early afternoon we return to Tokyo and prepare for a taste of Kabuki, a traditional form of Japanese theatre.* Kabuki was founded early in the 17th Century by Okuni, a shrine maiden who brought her unique and lively dance style to the dry river beds of the ancient capital of Kyoto, and over the next 300 years developed into a sophisticated, highly stylized form of theater. Early Kabuki was much different from what is seen today and was comprised mostly of large ensemble dances performed by women. Most of these women acted as prostitutes off stage and finally the government banned women from the stage in an effort to protect public morals, just one in a long history of government restrictions placed on the theater. This ban on women, though, is often seen as a good move because it necessitated the importance of skill over beauty and put more stress on drama than dance, putting Kabuki on the path to become a dramatic art form. Another development was the appearance of onnagata female role specialists; men who play women. Popular actors who often inherit their positions from their fathers, continue to bring audiences into the theater and there has recently been a "Kabuki boom" centered around young people. Kabuki continues to be a form of entertainment enjoyed by a wide range of people, just as it has been for 400 years. We will partake of one act before our dinner this evening. * NOTE: In the event that season, schedules, and / or availability necessitate, we may substitute Kabuki with some other cultural event this evening at your Tour Leader's discretion. We apologize if Kabuki is not available. Overnight in Tokyo. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 12 Tokyo - Hakone

We enjoy our first Shinkansen, or "bullet train," ride today as we head towards Hakone. Wedged between Mt Fuji and the Izu Peninsula, Hakone is a large region encircled by several forested mountains with a beauty accented by deep glens and ravines. In the feudal era, Hakone was a very important checkpoint that safeguarded the security of Edo (now Tokyo) as the seat of the Shogunate. This onsen (hotspring) area has been popular since the 1500s, when Hideyoshi Toyotomi came here to relax in an open-air bath after the hard fought Battle of Odawara. From the castle town of Odawara we board our first train that takes us into the National Park. Next we board a funicular that will take us to Gora. Later the views from the cable car across to Mount Fuji can be stunning. We will also be able to see down into the sulphuric springs of Sounzan from which the hotels take water for their hot-spring baths. The entire area of Sounzan smells of sulphurous fumes as these clouds of steam rise from crevasses, and hots-prings bubble out. Later this evening you will be able to enjoy bathing in these therapeutic waters. One of the highlights today will be our visit to the Hakone Outdoor Museum, or Chokoku-no-mori, a beautiful park filled with sculptures by renowned Japanese and international artists such as Rodin, Bourdelle, Moore, Zadkine and Picasso. Tonight we will enjoy a Keiseki-type meal at our hotel. Originally this type of dining was to accompany tea ceremony and is a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. You can feel free to wear your yukata, or bathrobe (provided by the hotel) to the dining room tonight as many of the Japanese do when they stay in these types of hotels. It is a perfectly wonderful place to relax after leaving busy Tokyo behind. NOTE: Our larger baggage will be sent ahead to Takayama. Today you carry just an overnight bag for our one-night stay in Hakone. This service may be available elsewhere on the tour at your expense (about 20 USD per bag). This can be arranged by your Tour Leader while in Japan. Otherwise, as we use the rail system quite extensively on this tour, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO MANAGE YOUR OWN BAGS ONTO / OFF TRAINS AND IN TRAIN STATIONS. Japanese stations can be large and crowded and may not have escalators or elevators. Packing lightly is essential. If you are unsure about your suitability for this type of trip, please call and speak to one of our sales agents for more information. Overnight in Hakone. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 13 Hakone - Takayama

Today we travel to Takayama. The region known as Hida, which surrounds Takayama, was cut off from the rest of Japan by almost impregnable encircling mountains. Hida lacked good farmland, which made taxpaying from an agricultural livelihood an impossible burden upon the people. Necessity caused them to diversify, so the craftsmen of Takayama honed their tools to a sharpness matched by their skills and became known as the finest woodworkers in the land. The mountains yielded the most coveted lumber in the empire, which Takayama's artisans fashioned into magnificent works worthy to adorn Japan's finest temples, shrines and palaces. During the Nara period, the central government, in lieu of taxes, required ten Takayama craftsmen to relocate to the capital, where their considerable talents were employed. During the Tokugawa era, the ancestral daimyo of Takayama was reassigned to the far north. Our train journey today takes us through the scenic Hida River Valley. We arrive in the late afternoon and will have time to wander through the lovely town of Takayama and the merchant quarter of San-machi with its historic wooden structures. Overnight in Takayama. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 14 Takayama: City Tour

This morning we will visit the Hida Folk Village consisting of over 30 unique houses which had been scattered in the Hida region. The houses are attractively laid out around a small lake and display valuable articles showing the way of life and culture of the past. The style of architecture is called gassho-zukuri, or praying hand houses, because of the steep pitch of the roofs reminiscent of two clasped hands in prayer. This was to protect the occupants from the large amounts of snow that fall here over the winter months. We also visit the Yatai Kaikan, or Float Museum. Your afternoon is at leisure. Takayama is a small, interesting and manageable place for those who enjoy easy going, on-foot exploration. Overnight in Takayama. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 15 Takayama - Kyoto

Our journey continues to Kyoto. Kyoto vibrates with creative energy. For 1,000 years, skilled craftsmen, wise masters, and the nation's most promising fine artists have been lured here. The deep impress of culture and the refinement is indelible; it's in the soul of the city. A long line of Japanese emperors was enthroned here, and the city retains this regal bearing through myriad festivals and commemorative customs preserved from feudal times. In diminutive home workshops along cobblestone alleyways no wider than a footpath, lacquerware, cloisonne, damascene, kimono fabrics, pottery, porcelain, fans, dolls, embroideries, and bamboo ware are still expertly turned out by hand. Kyoto attracts a sophisticated crowd to its vibrant Noh and Kabuki theatres, while the last geisha finishing schools are found in the lantern-lit side streets of the Pontocho and Gion sections of the city. Thankfully, Kyoto's treasures were spared from bombing during WW II, when American scholars persuaded the military to leave this masterpiece of a city alone. Though Kyoto is now a thoroughly modern city, much of its spirit is intact, with over 200 Shinto shrines; 1,600 temples, 30 of which administer to the major sects of Buddhism throughout Japan; three Imperial palaces; nine major museums; and countless classic gardens. We arrive in this fascinating city mid-afternoon. Tonight we will venture to the Pontocho District, one of the traditional geisha quarters of Kyoto and next door to its rival Gion. Wandering down the narrow lanes with the Kama River flowing along side gives a sense to what this city was like long ago. Overnight in Kyoto. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 16 Kyoto: City Tour

We have a full day sightseeing in Kyoto. We visit Sanjusangendo Temple, named for the 1001 life-size statues of the Buddhist teacher Kannon. Each statue has subtle differences and has 42 arms each of which are capable of saving 25 worlds. The central statue, which dominates the others, was carved by the master sculptor Tankei when he was 82 years old. First built in 1164, it was reconstructed in 1266. We visit Heian Shrine, built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the capital. It is a replica to three-fifths of the size of the first imperial palace in the ancient capital Heiankyo. Behind it, there is a beautiful go-round style garden with a total area of 30,000 sq m which is well known for the beauty of its weeping cherry trees, Japanese iris, and waterlilies. We continue to Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavillion, and proceed to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, one of Japan's most famous architectural and historical icons. We also visit Ryoan-ji, the famous raked gravel Zen Garden, for which the Zen Buddhists are renowned. The essential dichotomy and harmony of the universe, which lies at the heart of this belief system, is symbolized in these tranquil gardens. NOTE: In order maintain a certain spontaneity during our time in Kyoto, the exact sites visited and their order in the itinerary may vary at the discretion of your Tour Leader. Overnight in Kyoto. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 17 Kyoto - Nara - Kyoto

Today we travel to Nara. The crest of every mountain, the slope of every hill, the mute testimony of every rock, the waterfall, rivulet, and the valley of Nara are infused with the intangible spiritual energy that accompanied the birth of the Japanese civilization. Nara, meaning "level land, " occupies the great basin of what was Yamoto, or the Land of Great Peace. Here was the centre of the half-real, half mythical kingdom of Japan before it became a nation. Jimmu Tenno, the first emperor of Japan, was purportedly buried at Nara, the Imperial Japan, the oldest existing dynasty in the world, established its first permanent court within the city in 710. Arts, culture, and literature also bloomed in this fertile valley. The earliest histories of the nation were compiled in Nara by noble court ladies in colloquial Japanese, and from the ancient city Buddhism spread throughout the land. In its glory days, Nara covered an expansive area linked by palaces, temples, shrines, public buildings, and nobles' villas. The temples were massive and extremely powerful, almost like independent city-states. Numerous fires, the ravages of time, war, and pestilence have reduced many of the ancient structures, but plenty remain in their original states, especially in the eastern sections of the city. Part of this legacy is the Great Buddha of Todai-ji Otera, the largest bronze statue in the world, tipping the scales at over 500 tonnes. Nara Koen, at over 500 ha (1235 acres), is Japan's largest park and is home to the sacred deer of nearby Kasuga Taisha. This shrine, moss-covered and illuminated by over 3000 stone lanterns, was first erected in 768 and is second in importance only to the Grand shrines of Ise. As we walk through this park dotted with temples and deer wandering about, you will be struck at how the sublime cultural richness of the quiet past lingers on. Overnight in Kyoto. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 18 Kyoto - Hiroshima

We get a late start for Hiroshima today. Before our departure you may choose to visit (on your own) Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle) with its beautiful Momoyama era screen paintings and the "nightingale" floors. Later we board the Shinkansen for Hiroshima. Passing through Osaka and Kobe, just minutes from Kyoto on this fast train, we will arrive at our destination in just a couple of hours. Modern Hiroshima rose like a phoenix from its own ashes. Less than five decades since its obliteration, it is once again the most vital city of San-Yo with a population of one million and growing. Hiroshima is referred to as the "River City." In its confines, the Ota-gawa River fans out into six delta tributaries that flow into the immense and very busy bay. In the years just following the A-bomb blast, scientists doubted if Hiroshima could ever live again. Today the streets hum with activity, trees and flowers grow, and birds sing. Nature may not forget, but it does forgive! On the morning of August 6, 1945, the people of war-torn Japan hurried to begin the day. Then suddenly buildings melted, people evaporated, and humankind lost the first battle of the atomic age. Seventy thousand buildings were flattened and 200,000 people perished, the lucky ones quickly; the unlucky lingered. Hiroshima, fringed by mountains forming a natural amphitheatre, seethed and fumed. At the Peace Memorial Park (Heiwa Kinen Koen), the Cenotaph, shaped like an ancient tomb, holds the names of the dead. The prayer, the hope, the Japanese reads "Repose ye in peace, for the error shall not be repeated." The skeleton of the Atomic Comb Dome (Genbaku Domu) turns green with age against a blue sky. Until all nuclear arms are banned and destroyed, the Eternal Flame will flicker. Overnight Hiroshima. Breakfast and dinner.