The Sun and the Red Dragon of East Asia: Japan and China Tour

Meeting at Istanbul Airport international departures terminal in front of the Turkish Airlines counter at 23:30. Our overnight stay is on the plane.

After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, flight to Tokyo at 02:30 with Turkish Airlines flight TK0198. Landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport at 19:45 local time. After our passport and baggage procedures, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle from the airport. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Our overnight stay is at our hotel in Tokyo.

After breakfast at our hotel, we start the Tokyo tour. Our first stop will be the Asakusa Temple, also known as Senso-Ji Temple, which is a Buddhist temple and is considered one of the oldest and most colorful temples in Tokyo. The temple, also called Santa-jama (Temple of the Three Gods), attracts great attention from both tourists and local people. It is one of the rare temples in Tokyo that could survive after the bombing attacks in the last year of World War II, and for this reason, the original structure of the building is still intact. The temple, built in 1649, was built to honor three brothers who were deified because they found the statue of the goddess Kannon in a river, according to rumors. We will also see the shopping street called Nakamise in the area. After the free time we will give for lunch, we will visit the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. After this, we will visit the Shibuya district, one of the most crowded areas of Tokyo. The Shibuya district, which is one of the most important places in the city for young people, stands out with its developed structure, cafes, and world-famous stores. Return to our hotel after our tour. Our overnight stay is at our hotel in Tokyo.

After breakfast at our hotel, departure for the Mount Fuji and Hakone tour. We will start our tour with Mount Fuji, which is 2.5 hours away. Mount Fuji, which earned the right to enter UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2013, is accepted as the highest mountain in Japan and the sacred symbol of the country. Although Mount Fuji is generally thought to be a single mountain, it actually consists of three separate volcanoes. Mount Fuji, which is located on Honshu island and is in a border position between Shizuoka and Yamanashi provinces, is only 100 kilometers away from Tokyo and can even be seen from high buildings in Tokyo on a cloudless day. After the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji, we will set off for the town of Hakone. We start our Hakone tour with the Owakudani Valley, which is a volcanic formation. Owakudani is a valley located around a crater formed during the last eruption of Mount Hakone about 3000 years ago. Today, a large part of the region is an active volcanic area with sulfurous fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers. We will enjoy the view of this magnificent valley by going up with the cable car from Togendai. After the free time to be given for lunch, we will move to Lake Ashi. After a pleasant boat trip that will last about 30 minutes on the lake with a wooden pirate boat, we will return to Tokyo and our hotel by our vehicle. Our overnight stay is at our hotel in Tokyo.

Note: When leaving the hotel for the tour this morning, we need to leave a small bag for one night in our room. The large suitcases we leave at the hotel will be transferred to our hotel in Osaka before us and will reach us the next day.

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue the Tokyo tour. The first place we will see on our tour will be the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which includes many buildings such as the Main Palace, the private residences of the Imperial family, archives, museums, and administrative offices. The Tokyo Imperial Palace was built on the site of an old castle where the Shogun resided in the 15th century. In the 19th century, when Emperor Meiji moved the royal household from Kyoto to Tokyo, this place also became the property of the royal family. Since most of the buildings were destroyed in the Second World War, the oldest items remaining from the palace today are only 50 years old. Then, we will continue our tour with our visit to Akihabara, one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world in Tokyo. Akihabara is an extremely crowded shopping area famous for different types of electronic stores, from small street stalls to very large shopping centers. After our tour in Akihabara, also known as the electronics city, we give free time for lunch. After the free time, we continue our tour with the Ginza district, one of the most popular shopping areas of the city, which is full of luxury boutiques as well as world-class cocktail and sushi bars. At the end of our tour, transfer to Tokyo Shinagawa train station. We arrive at Shin-Osaka train station with a journey of about 3 hours with the Shinkansen, which is the world's first high-speed train. From here, transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Our overnight stay is at our hotel in Osaka.

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kyoto tour. After a journey of approximately 1 hour, our first stop will be the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. This three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf is one of the most famous and well-known historical structures in Kyoto and is globally recognized as a perfect example of the Kitayama garden landscaping art. Due to these features, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 as an important cultural asset of the ancient capital, Kyoto. We will continue our tour with the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a Buddhist temple also known as the pure water monastery. The temple offers beautiful views of the distant city of Kyoto, as well as numerous cherry and maple trees that burst into a colorful sea in spring and autumn. The main hall, built without the use of nails along with the stage, houses the temple's main object of worship, a small statue of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon. After some free time for lunch, we will explore the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets leading up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian path and a tourist attraction. Surrounded by traditional buildings and shops, the path is often used in conjunction with Ninenzaka, a similar path. Sannenzaka is a narrow, sloping street filled with about 60 shops and restaurants selling traditional Kyoto products and food. There are also important shops where visitors can experience Japanese culture closely, including Ochaya (teahouses) where tea ceremonies are held, and Geiko (the name given to Geishas in Kyoto) and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) makeup. In the final part of the tour, we will visit Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district. At the end of the tour, we return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Osaka.

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Kobe tour and Nara tour. Our first stop on our Kobe tour will be the Kiku-Masamune Sake Museum (subject to opening status). At Kiku-Masamune, which has adhered to the tradition of producing only dry sake since the Edo Period, we will be able to see the stages of sake production and taste it. Almost all of the equipment in the museum is classified as a "national tangible folk cultural asset" and allows visitors to learn more about the lives and work of sake producers. Then, we continue our tour with the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens, the largest botanical garden in Japan with seasonal flowers and magnificent mountain views. After the park, we will go to the Kobe Harborland Umie shopping mall, where we will have free time for lunch. After lunch, we depart for Nara. We start our Nara tour with a visit to Nara Park. Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. There are over 1,200 wild Sika deer roaming freely in the park. Because of these deer, it is also called the Nara deer park. After the park, we will continue with the Todai-ji Temple. Todaiji, in addition to being the world's largest wooden structure, also houses the world's largest Buddha statue, known as Daibutsu in Japanese. At the end of our tour, we return to Osaka and our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Osaka.

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Osaka tour. Our first stop will be Osaka Castle, which was built in the 16th century and played an important role in the unification of the Japanese nation. The castle is located within a park that covers a total area of approximately two square kilometers and includes plenty of green space, sports facilities, a multi-purpose arena (Osakajo Hall), and a shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The park becomes one of the most popular spots in Osaka during the cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in early April. After some free time for lunch, we will see Dotonbori, which has become the entertainment center of Osaka. At the end of our visits to Dotonbori and the city's main shopping district Shinsaibashi, we transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport. After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Shanghai with Local Airlines. Arrival at Shanghai Airport. After our passport and baggage procedures, we depart from the airport by our vehicle to the local restaurant where we will have our dinner. After our dinner, we transfer to our hotel. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Shanghai.

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for the Shanghai tour. Our first stop will be the Jade Buddha Temple, the most important Buddhist temple in Shanghai. The temple was founded in 1882 and takes its name from two precious white jade Buddha statues, one in a sitting position and one in a reclining position. The temple has special significance because these statues were brought to Shanghai from Myanmar. The temple architecture is in the traditional Chinese Buddhist style and is still an active monastery used by monks. After our visit here, we will go to Yu Garden, a famous classic Chinese garden dating back to the Ming Dynasty, located in the Old City district of the city. The garden was built between 1559 and 1577 by an official named Pan Yunduan as a peaceful resting place for his family. It is full of ponds, bridges, stone structures, traditional pavilions, and old trees, and it houses the famous Exquisite Jade Rock. After this visit, we will have our lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we continue our tour with The Bund, the famous waterfront located on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. While known for its European-style colonial buildings from the early 20th century, it also offers the city's most iconic view along with the modern silhouette of Pudong on the opposite bank. The last stop of our tour will be the Shanghai Tower. The tower was completed in 2015 and attracts attention with its rotating spiral design. With a height of 632 meters, it is the tallest building in China and one of the tallest in the world. It contains offices, hotels, and some of the fastest elevators in the world. After watching the panoramic view of the city from the observation areas on the 119th floors, we return to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Shanghai.

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Shanghai tour. On our tour, we will first go to Xintiandi, a stylish living and entertainment district where old Shikumen houses have been restored in a modern way. The area, which is an elegant and touristy space where historical texture is blended with modern architecture, is full of cafes, restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. Our next stop is Tianzifang, which offers a more bohemian and artistic atmosphere. After this creative neighborhood, famous for its narrow streets, art workshops, design shops, and small cafes, the last stop of our tour is Nanjing Road, the most famous shopping street in Shanghai. The street, which has a wide range of shopping options from luxury brands to affordable stores, is also called the "5th Avenue of China". At the end of our tour, we will have our lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we transfer to the train station. We arrive at Beijing train station after a journey of approximately 5 hours by high-speed train. From here, we transfer to our hotel by our vehicle. We complete our check-in procedures and settle into our rooms. Overnight stay at our hotel in Beijing.

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart for our Beijing and Great Wall of China tour. We will go to the Juyong Pass (Juyongguan Great Wall), one of the sections of the Great Wall of China closest to Beijing, by our vehicle. The pass was used as an important military pass in history and is located in a strategic valley. Since the view is surrounded by greenery, it is very enjoyable, especially in spring and autumn. Although it offers easier climbing options compared to other sections, some parts are quite steep. After our visit here, we will have our lunch at a local restaurant in this area. After lunch, we will go to the Olympic Stadium upon our return to Beijing city center. After seeing and examining the stadium from the outside, we return to our hotel. Overnight stay at our hotel in Beijing.

After breakfast at our hotel, we complete our check-out procedures and continue our Beijing tour. Our first stop will be Tiananmen Square, one of the largest city squares in the world, located in the center of Beijing. It takes its name from the Gate of Heavenly Peace to its north, and China's national ceremonies, flag-raising ceremony, and various official events are held here. The square, which is a symbolic center in Chinese history both politically and culturally, is surrounded by important structures such as the National Museum, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and the Qianmen Gate in the south. Afterwards, we move to a local restaurant where we will have our lunch. After lunch, we will move to the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, known as the Forbidden City because it was forbidden for the public to enter without permission for centuries, which was completed in 1420. The place where Chinese emperors lived and the country was ruled for 500 years is the world's largest palace complex with approximately 980 buildings and more than 8,700 rooms. At the end of our tour, we depart for Beijing Airport. Overnight stay on the plane.

After our ticket, baggage, and passport procedures, we fly to Istanbul at 00.40 with Turkish Airlines flight number TK0089. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 06.15 local time and the end of our tour. We say goodbye to meet on our next exclusive and enjoyable trip.