Japanese Winter Wonderland Tour

Japanese Winter Wonderland Tour

Experiencing Japan’s fantastic wintery highlights. From coming face to face with wild snow monkeys - they love to warm up with a soak in the onsen (hot springs) around Yudanaka - to marvelling at the awe-inspiring, giant snow and ice sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival.

Our winter Japan holidays shine a light on some of the country’s lesser-visited treasures. You’ll tour Tokyo National Museum and Nishiki Market in Kyoto, and stay in an authentic ryokan surrounded by footprint-free snowy landscapes - a real highlight. After a trip to see snow monkeys bathing in onsen (hot springs) in Yudanaka, a bullet train will whisk you through spectacular scenery to Hokkaido, where historic Hakodate and Sapporo Snow Festival (home to sculptures the size of houses) await you.

What’s Included:

• 11 meals - 10 breakfasts & 1 dinner
• Transport from the UK - International flights. Prices are based on return flights with British Airways or Japan Airlines from London Heathrow via Tokyo.
• Accommodation - 10 nights in hotels and 1 in flight
• Travel in destination by coach
• VIP door-to-door travel service
• Services of a Tour Manager
• Portable audio - Headset system on excursions
• Porterage - Services included

Tour Highlights:

10 excursions & visits - City tours of Kyoto (with Nijo Castle), Nagano (with Zenkoji Temple), Tokyo and Hakodate - Bullet train journeys as shown - Jigokudani Monkey Park - Mount Hakodate night visit - Onuma Quasi National Park and Hell Valley - Otaru Snow Light Path Festival - Sapporo Snow Festival 2 days free time Enjoy time to explore independently, relax at your hotel, join our optional excursions or ask your tour manager for their recommendations.

Day 1: UK - In flight

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Osaka.

UK - In flight

Day 2: Tokyo - Osaka - Kyoto

We touch down in Japan’s capital, Tokyo. We’ll be back to explore its skyscrapers and temples later on in our Japan tour package, but for now we take a connecting flight to Osaka and transfer to Kyoto and check into our hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax.

Kyoto Hotel Okura (4-star)

Day 3: Kyoto

Surrounded on three sides by snow-covered mountains, Kyoto is Japan’s ancient capital. Hidden within its maze of winding old streets is a collection of some 1,500 religious temples and shrines, geisha scurrying to tea ceremonies and dinky bars serving steaming bowls of ramen. Our tour takes us to Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple and Ryoanji Temple. We’ll also stroll over to the Nishiki Market; a long, narrow street lined by more than 100 shops and restaurants. Known as ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’, the stalls all specialise in food that are typical to Kyoto, like dried seafood, sushi, pickles and sweets.

Kyoto Hotel Okura (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: City tour of Kyoto (morning) Breakfast Free time

Day 4: Nagano - Yudanaka

Japan holds a world record that impresses train spotters and speed addicts alike. Some of the world’s fastest trains whizz through the countryside at speeds of 198mph and today, you’ll experience this engineering marvel for yourself. Step aboard for our journey from Kyoto to Nagoya, from where we’ll connect to Nagano. On arrival, we’ll enjoy a sightseeing tour that takes in the Zenkoji Temple, one of the most important and popular temples in Japan. You’ll have some free time for lunch; Nakamise is one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets, where you can find traditional snacks and souvenirs. Our final stop of the day is Yudanaka where we check into our hotel; a traditional Japanese Ryokan surrounded by spectacular - and often snow-covered - mountain scenery. Known as the world’s oldest hotels, some inns have been around since the 7th century when they were built for nomadic samurai traders. Think rice-straw tatami matting flooring, low tables and fusuma screens as doors. This promises to be a very special experience.

Kanbayashi Hotel Senjukaku, Yudanaka (3.5-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Bullet train journey Kyoto-Nagano (morning) City tour of Nagano (afternoon) Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5: Yudanaka - Tokyo

When you think of snow holidays, you wouldn't necessarily think of Japan - but today, we’ll appreciate glorious snowy landscapes as we take a walk to the Jigokudani Monkey Park, where wild Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) live, completely unrestricted by fences. Keep your camera at the ready to snap away at families of monkeys warming up in hot springs. Late morning, we depart for the neon lights and skyscrapers of Tokyo.

Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Visit Jigokudani Monkey Park (morning) Breakfast

Day 6: Tokyo

Arriving in Tokyo is undoubtedly a surreal experience. This is a city that is always on the move; it dazzles with shiny new things, whilst keeping one foot firmly rooted in its traditions and culture. We’ll spend the whole day today learning all about this fascinating city. We’ll take in the Tokyo National Museum and colourful Ameyoko Shopping Street and enjoy a short walking tour of Yanaka; one of the few districts in Tokyo that still holds the city’s traditional rustic charm. We’ll also take in the view of the whole city from the top of the Skytree, a 634m-tall communications tower (and one of the world’s tallest structures).

Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: City tour of Tokyo (all day) Breakfast

Day 7: Tokyo

Today is free for you to explore Tokyo, with many sights to choose from and innumerable shrines to find, including the exquisite Senso-ji Temple. There are also a number of excellent theatres, including the historic Kabuzi-za, where you may see a traditional, highly skilled Kabuki performance. For a different experience that will leave you in no doubt that you’re in Tokyo, head to the intersection in front of Shibuya Station, famously known for the scramble of hundreds of pedestrians simultaneously crossing the road in all directions. Or for a moment away from the city bustle, Ueno Park is the city’s largest green space.

Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo (4-star)

Today includes… Breakfast Free time

Day 8: Hakodate

We take to the bullet train once again today - this time all the way up to Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, travelling to Hakodate. Once we arrive and settle in at our hotel, we will spend some time at leisure until this evening, when we ascend Mount Hakodate by coach. The views from here are simply incredible - especially at night, when the city lights stretch for miles in front of you.

La Vista Hakodate Bay (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Bullet train journey Tokyo-Hakodate (morning) Mount Hakodate night visit (evening) Breakfast

Day 9: Hakodate

We have a busy morning ahead of us today and we’ll start it off with some early morning seafood at the renowned Hakodate morning market. Here, 300 stalls prepare and serve all manner of fresh fish dishes; giant squid flattened into pancakes, crab grilling over hot coals and dried scallops al to the sound of sing-song call of vendors. We ascend Goryokaku Tower for fabulous views across the city, and head to the Bay Area, where red brick warehouses stand as symbols of the shipping industry that thrived here as Japan opened up to international commerce. We’ll also visit Motomachi, an area that also flourished with the influx of trade and the influence of western culture is apparent in the old consulate buildings and pretty, foreign churches.

La Vista Hakodate Bay (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Tour of Hakodate (all day) Breakfast

Day 10: Hakodate - Sapporo

Our day starts with a visit to Onuma Quasi National Park, a beautiful area that includes serene lakes marked by small islands and the majestic snow-smothered dormant volcano, Mount Komagatake. We also visit Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley), a small town surrounded by countless onsen (hot springs), before arriving in Sapporo. After checking into our hotel, we’ll head out to explore the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival. This festival of flickering lights and glowing snow statues lights up the port town every winter; the canal is particularly charming, dotted with lanterns along its whole length.

Sapporo Prince Hotel (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Visit Onuma Quasi National Park (morning) Visit Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley) (afternoon) Otaru Snow Light Path Festival (afternoon) Breakfast

Day 11: Sapporo

The Sapporo Snow Festival is the most famous of the Japanese winter festivals. It started in 1950 with just six statues carved from snow by school students. Today it is an incredible display of around 250 imaginative snow and ice sculptures of giant proportions illuminated by candles and coloured bulbs. Wander the collection and watch some of the works in progress, enjoy a local tipple at the ice bar and perhaps even glide down the giant snow slide. A true highlight of our winter wonderland Japan holidays, it's a day you won’t soon forget.

Sapporo Prince Hotel (4-star)

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Visit Sapporo Snow Festival (all day) Breakfast Free time

Day 12: Sapporo - Tokyo - UK

Transfer to the airport and your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.

Sapporo - Tokyo - UK

Today includes… Breakfast