Escorted Tours 2022-23 Brochure - Mercury Holidays

East Asia Day 1: UK to Sapporo Depart the UK on your overnight flight, via Hong Kong. Day 2: Sapporo D On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, to settle in before tonight’s welcome dinner. Day 3: Sapporo B Travel to the port city of Otaru and stroll along the Otaru Canal. Take in the delicately blown glassware of the Kitaichi Glass Shop then marvel at the 25,000 music boxes lining the shelves of the Music Box Museum, accompanied by the tinkle of their music. Continue on to the Nikka Whisky Distillery for a tour and a tasting of this peaty whisky before returning to Sapporo. Day 4: Sapporo to Hakodate B Pack an overnight bag for your trip to Hakodate then, after breakfast, board an express train, travelling through the countryside to Hakodate. On arrival, cross the moats that surround the star-shaped former fort of Goryokaku and explore the tranquil green grounds. Next, travel to Mount Hakodate for a cable car ride to its summit. Continue on to your hotel in Hakodate. Day 5: Hakodate to Tokyo B Join Hakodate’s locals this morning as you browse the lively Morning Market, exploring over 280 stores hawking everything from salted squid and hairy crab - culinary specialities of the area, to souvenirs and locally crafted sake. Browse through the wares on offer then board your high-speed train to Tokyo. Day 6: Tokyo B Today’s full-day city tour begins with a visit to the Meiji Shrine. Enter the sprawling complex through a towering wooden gate or ‘torii’ and explore the museum and inner garden. Continue on to Asakusa Kannon Buddhist Temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and wander down the age-old Nakamise Shopping Street to reach the main hall and pagoda. Browse the stalls that line Ameya Yokocho Street then visit the magnificent Imperial Palace, taking in its moats, gardens and the picturesque Niju Bridge. Day 7: Tokyo to Hakone B Following breakfast, travel by coach through rolling countryside to Hakone. On arrival, make your way to the Hakone Open Air Museum. Take a Hakone Ropeway ride to a mountaintop station with spectacular vistas of the sparkling waters of Lake Ashi and towering Mount Fuji. A short walking trail leads to Owakudani Valley, an active volcanic crater, where hot springs, bubbling pools and steam vents serve as reminders of the area’s volcanic might. Continue on to the shores of Lake Ashi and enjoy a short cruise on this idyllic lake, surrounded by mountains and greenery. Tour highlights ✔ Enjoy a full-day tour of Tokyo’s opulent temples and palaces and Buddhist shrines ✔ Take in spectacular views from the base of iconic Mount Fuji ✔ Explore the magnificent Matsumoto Castle, Japan’s oldest castle ✔ See deer roaming in picturesque Nara Park ✔ Witness snow monkeys lounging in the steaming hot springs of Yudanaka ✔ Visit the Hiroshima’s peace memorial and A-Bomb Dome ✔ Marvel at the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto ✔ Tour and tasting at the Nikka Whisky Distillery Grand Tour of Japan Journey from incense-scented temples and elegant castles to ultramodern electronics districts as you travel the length of Japan on six train journeys. Experience the grandeur of Mount Fuji, and encounter snow monkeys. Itsukushima Shrine and Mount Fuji Rail Tour Sapporo Matsumoto Nagano Kyoto Hiroshima Fukuoka Nara Osaka Hakodate Hakone Tokyo         < < Coach Air Rail 82 Visit our website or call 0800 954 9329 for further details