9D6N Early Autumn in Central Japan

HIGHLIGHTS

Assemble dates:

08 SEP 2024

19 SEP 2024

Price: S$4,988

Tax & Fuel surcharge: S$530

Seasonal Scenery:

Bokka no Sato “Scarlet sage & various flowers”, Kinchakuda Higanbana Fields “Red Spider Lilies”, Yamanakako Hanano Miyako Kouen “Zinnia”

Unique experience:

Hoshitoge Rice Terraces, Wara Art Festival at Kami Nishikan Park, Grape Picking Experience, Rice Cracker Making Experience, Rice Paddy Art

Sightseeing & Shopping Experience:

Osu Kannon Temple & Shopping Street, Takayama Old Town, Shirakawago Village, Wave Park Namerikawa, Uonuma Jozo Rice Koji Factory Tour, Ikaho Onsen Town, Kawagoe Old Town, Gotemba Premium Outlets

Special Gourmet Delights:

Sumptuous Japanese multi-course dinner Japanese Kaiseki or buffet in Ryokans/Hotels, local delights at the restaurant

Hotel/Ryokan Stays:

04-nights authentic Japanese Onsen/Ryokan/Hotel at Takayama, Myoko, Ikaho Onsen & Lake Kawaguchi. 02-nights centrally located hotel in Niigata & Tokyo

ITINERARY

Day 1 Assemble at Changi Airport for Check in

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Day 2 Nagoya – Hirugano – Takayama 名古屋 - ひるがの - 高山

Hotel: Hotel Associa Takayama Resort or similar/ Western room

Meal: Meal on Board / L / D

Upon arrival at Nagoya Airport, coach transfer to the city and visit Osu Kannon Temple (大須観音). It is located in the electronics and shopping district of Osu city and is one of the famous temples in Nagoya. After that, proceed to a local restaurant for lunch [Shabu Shabu Set Meal]. After lunch, head to Bokka no Sato (牧歌の里) ✿, is theme park where visitors can enjoy the seasonal beauty of fields of flowers or interact with the animals that live there. At the end of the day, transfer to Takayama for hotel check in. Tonight, enjoy your dinner [Japanese Set Menu] and the natural hot spring at the hotel.

Day 3 Takayama – Shirakawago – Myoko 高山 - 白川郷 - 妙高

Hotel: APA Hotel & Resort Joetsu Myoko or similar/ Western room

Meal: B / L / D

After breakfast, we will explore Takayama (高山) this morning. Some must-visit spots are the Takayama Morning Market which has stands that sell local crafts, snacks and farm produce such as vegetables, pickles and flowers. The beautifully preserved old town has houses, sake breweries and even shops and cafes dating back to the feudal ages. After that, transfer to Shirakawago and lunch [Japanese Set with Hida Beef and Seasonal Vegetables] at a local restaurant. After lunch, stroll around on your own at Shirakawago Village (白川郷). Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Before heading to Myoko to check in at the hotel, take a break at Wave Park Namerikawa (富山湾). This rest area is perfect for taking a quick break to refresh yourself during a day of travel. Tonight, enjoy your dinner [Buffet] at the hotel.

Day 4 Myoko – Niigata 妙高 - 新潟

Hotel: Hotel Okura Niigata or similar/ Western room

Meal: B / L / D

After breakfast, before heading to our lunch place for the day, let’s stop by at Hoshitoge Rice Terraces (星峠の棚田). Approximately 200 rice paddies are spread across the mountain slopes like fish scales. During the peak season, a sea of clouds cover the morning sky while the rice paddies gleam brilliantly, visitors flock to admire the stunning landscape. After lunch [Fresh Sashimi Rice Bowl] at a local restaurant, visit Wara Art Festival at Kami Nishikan Park. September is rice harvesting season in Japan. After the rice is harvested and the grain extracted, a huge amount of rice straw is leftover, called wara. Instead of going to waste, the excess wara is reused in many ways: for roofs, fertilizer, livestock feed, and, historically, to make various goods before it was replaced by more modern materials. In the region’s capital city, Niigata, it’s put to an even more creative use, transformed into giant, fantastic animal sculptures. Next, the Grape orchard is waiting for you! Enjoy the Grape Picking which is just in season! At the end of the day, transfer back to Niigata for the hotel check in. Tonight, enjoy your dinner [Japanese Kaiseki Course] at the hotel.

Day 5 Niigata – Uonuma – Ikaho Onsen 新潟 - 魚沼 - 伊香保温泉

Hotel: Hotel Tembo or similar/ Japanese room

Meal: B / L / D

After breakfast, proceed to Rice Cracker Kingdom (新潟せんべい王国) to experience the Rice Cracker Making (30min). From here, you can roast rice crackers on your own and enjoy these freshly baked crackers. After lunch [Yakiniku] at a local restaurant, head for the Uonuma Jozo Rice Koji Factory Tour (魚沼醸造). The world’s largest rice koji and amazake factory is located in the heart of Japan’s top rice-growing regions, which also has an abundance of melted snow water. During the tour, learn how the fermented foods are made, visit the snow room which keeps the museum and café cool even in the summer and purchase snacks and products. Finally, transfer to Ikaho Onsen for the hotel check in. This evening, take a stroll through the town. The traditional onsen town of Ikaho centers on a picturesque stone stairway. Small shops, restaurants, and ryokan inns cluster around the steps, creating a cosy atmosphere. Beyond the baths, attractions in Ikaho include shrines, museums, and shops selling onsen manju—a steamed bun filled with red bean paste that the town claims originated here. Tonight, enjoy your dinner [Japanese Kaiseki Course] at the hotel.

Day 6 Ikaho Onsen – Gyoda – Kawagoe – Kawaguchiko 伊香保温泉 - 行田 - 川越 - 河口湖

Hotel: Hotel Regina Kawaguchiko or similar/ Japanese room

Meal: B / L / D

This morning, visit the Rice Paddy Art (田んぼアート). Rice field art is becoming established as a new tradition that colours the rice fields in Gyoda, the rice-producing region. Express pictures and letters on paddy fields using colourful rice plants. Every year the image is different. Proceed to a local restaurant for lunch [Tempura Soba Set]. Thereafter, visit Kawagoe Old Town (川越). Its main street, lined with Kurazukuri (clay-walled warehouse-styled) buildings, retains an ambience reminiscent of an old town from the Edo Period and allows you to imagine the streets from past centuries. After that, you will visit the Kinchakuda Higanbana Fields (巾着田) ✿. One of the iconic autumn flowers in Japan, the Red Spider Lilies bloom from mid-September, they mark the beginning of fall in Japan. A spectacular display of 500 million Higanbana flowers, it is a photo-worthy scenery in autumn! Finally, transfer to Kawaguchiko for hotel check in and enjoy your dinner [Japanese Kaiseki Course] at the hotel.

Day 7 Kawaguchiko – Yamanakako – Gotemba – Tokyo 河口湖 - 山中湖 - 御殿場 - 東京

Hotel: Keio Plaza Hotel or similar/ Western room

Meal: B / L / -

This morning, start your day at Yamanakako Hanano Miyako Kouen (山中湖 花の都公園) ✿. Located at the base of Mount Fuji near Lake Yamanakako, this sprawling 300,000-square-meter flower field transforms into a veritable sea of colour between spring and autumn, backgrounded by Fuji in the distance. Stop for lunch [Hoto Noodle Soup] at a local restaurant. After that, transfer to Gotemba Premium Outlets for shopping. Lunch is at your own expense at the mall. Thereafter, transfer to Tokyo city for hotel check in. Tonight, enjoy your dinner at your own expense during free & easy time in Tokyo city.

Day 8 Tokyo – Singapore 東京 - 新加坡

Meal: B / - / -

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After breakfast at the hotel, free at your own leisure until departure.

Bid farewell to Tokyo as we proceed to the airport and take a flight back to Singapore. We hope that you have enjoyed this vacation with JTB and we look forward to helping you create your next perfect moments, always!

Day 9 Singapore 新加坡

Arrive at Singapore