SEOUL WITH BANZAI JAPAN

Depending on your flight, your arrival airport may be Incheon International Airport (ICN) or Gimpo International Airport (GMP).

After clearing immigration, passengers will be met by our ENGLISH-SPEAKING driver in the airport arrivals hall, who will be holding a sign with your names on it. You will receive a welcome call in Spanish from the local tour operator via the driver. Transfer by private vehicle to the hotel. Accommodation.

Transfer by private vehicle to the hotel.

*You will not be able to enter your room until check-in time (3:00 p.m.).

Breakfast at the hotel. 09:30 Meet in the hotel lobby on the ground floor (Floor 1 / 1F) with an English-speaking guide. 

Today we will visit the southern part of Seoul to explore the city's most modern and luxurious districts.

We will visit: 

• Lotte World Tower

It is the tallest skyscraper in Korea at 555 metres and 123 floors. We will enjoy spectacular panoramic views from the Seoul Sky Observatory.

• COEX Convention and Trade Centre

This is the symbol of the modern development of the Gangnam district. It was built for the 1988 Olympic Games. In front of COEX is the iconic ‘Gangnam Style’ sculpture - the crossed hands from Korea's most viral dance. Inside COEX, we will visit the Starfield Library, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful libraries in the world with giant bookshelves that rise several floors.

We will travel from COEX to Gangnam Square by underground to experience this highly efficient, clean, punctual and super intuitive public transport system. The underground journey takes approximately 5 minutes. With this experience, passengers will later be able to easily get around Seoul by underground in their free time.

Lunch is not included. We will have free time for lunch at COEX. 

• Gangnam Square

The financial, technological and K-pop heart of Seoul, with luxury boutiques and a frenetic pace that defines modern Seoul.

At 4pm The tour ends in Gangnam. Passengers can continue exploring the area on their own or return to the hotel with the guide.

Note: Even when there are 10 or more passengers, we will use the underground on this section to get the full experience.

• How to return to the hotel from Gangnam Station 

The hotel is located near Dongdaemun History Culture Park Station (Exit 12). Take Line 2 (green) from Gangnam Station to Dongdaemun History Culture Park. The journey takes approximately half an hour.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Private vehicle tour when there are 10 or more passengers.
• Public transport tour when there are between 1 and 9 passengers.

At 9:00 am, meet in the hotel lobby on the ground floor (Floor 1 / 1F) with an English-speaking guide. Today we will explore the northern part of Seoul, mainly visiting the city's historical monuments. We will see:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace

This is the largest palace in Korea, originally built in 1395 as the main seat of the Joseon dynasty. We will see the spectacular changing of the guard ceremony, a traditional re-enactment with costumes and drum music.

• Gwanghwamun Square

A wide pedestrian avenue in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, decorated with fountains, sculptures and the iconic statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-shin.

• Seoul City Hall (we will only see the exterior)

A modern wave-shaped building, whose design is inspired by the eaves of traditional Korean houses.

• Deoksugung Palace (We will only see the exterior)

One of the five royal palaces, notable for its unique blend of Korean and Western architecture.

• Myeongdong

The most popular area in Korea, full of cosmetics and fashion shops, street food and a vibrant atmosphere.

At 13:00 The tour ends in Myeongdong. Return to the hotel on your own.

• How to return to the hotel from Myeongdong Station

The hotel is located near Dongdaemun History Culture Park Station (Exit 12). Take Line 4 (sky blue) from Myeongdong Station to Dongdaemun History Culture Park. The journey takes approximately 3 minutes and is only 2 stops.

OPTIONAL TOUR OF SEOUL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT (ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE DESTINATION) 

• Price: 50 USD per person.
• Minimum number of participants required: 2 people.
• At 15:00 Meet at Myeongdong Station with the English-speaking guide. 

WE WILL VISIT: 

• Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower) (City icon with panoramic views.) 
• Gwangjang Market (Traditional market where you can try Korean delicacies at local stalls such as ‘bindaetteok’ - fried mung bean and vegetable pancakes) 19:00 Return to the hotel with the guide.

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day free for personal activities.

Optional tour to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) (ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE DESTINATION) 

• Price: £150 per person. 
• Minimum number of participants required: 4 people.
• Meet in the hotel lobby on the ground floor (1st floor / 1F) with an English-speaking guide. Transfer by private vehicle to the demilitarised zone in Paju for a guided tour of the North and South Korean border. 

WE WILL VISIT: 

• Imjingak Park & Freedom Bridge (Symbolic monuments of the desire for reunification between the two Koreas) 
• Third Infiltration Tunnel (Underground tunnel dug by North Korea for military purposes) 
• Dorasan Observatory (From here you can observe North Korean territory through binoculars.) 
• Unification Village (A space where the history of the conflict and the current situation are explained). Return to the hotel. 

*To book this tour, the passport details of the participants are required. The guide will ask for this information at the destination. 

*The meeting time for this tour will be communicated to participants the day before. 

Note: There is a possibility that this optional tour to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) may not operate and that the itinerary may be changed without prior notice due to the political situation, decisions made by the Korean military, etc.

Breakfast at the hotel.

*You will need to vacate your rooms before the hotel checkout time (11:00 a.m.). Meet in the hotel lobby on the ground floor (Floor 1 / 1F) with a driver and transfer to the airport in a private vehicle without Spanish assistance. 

*Pick-up time will be approximately 4 hours before flight departure time. 

Passengers will be informed by the guide during the tour.

Note: international flights are not included. Please check prices and availability with your trusted agent at Megatravel Panama. 

ARRIVAL IN JAPAN (NARITA or HANEDA) – TOKYO

Narita Airport (NRT):

After immigration and customs, you will be met in the arrivals hall by a Spanish-speaking assistant, who will help you take the Airport Limousine Bus (regular shared service) to the hotel. 

*The assistant will not board the bus with passengers and will not escort them to the hotel. 

*Depending on the flight arrival time, there may not be a direct Airport Limousine Bus to the hotel. In this case, you will take a bus to Tokyo Station, where you will take a taxi. (The assistant will provide passengers with sufficient cash for the taxi fare.) 

*In the event that the Airport Limousine Bus is not operating, we will provide an alternative transfer (train + taxi, etc.). 

Haneda Airport (HND): 

After immigration and customs procedures, reception in the arrivals hall by a Spanish-speaking assistant. Transfer to the hotel by taxi. 

*The assistant will not ride in the taxi with passengers and will not escort them to the hotel. 

*You will not be able to enter your room until check-in time (15:00).

 *On the first day of the programme (Tuesday or Friday), a Spanish-speaking guide will be present at the hotel from 14:00 to 20:00 to provide information to passengers. 

Note: In the event that the flight arrives in Japan with a significant delay, we may not be able to rearrange the arrival transfer. In such a case, we will ask passengers to make their own way to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

At 8:20 a.m. Meeting in the hotel lobby. Half-day group tour of Tokyo with an English-speaking guide.

WE WILL SEE:

• Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the former Emperor Mutsuhito
• Imperial Palace Plaza (You will not enter the palace grounds)
• Senso-ji Temple & Nakamise Street with its rows of souvenir shops. 1:00 p.m. The tour ends in Ginza. Free afternoon.

(The guide will explain how to return to the hotel.)

OPTIONAL TEA CEREMONY IN ASAKUSA

At 12:45 p.m. After visiting Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Street in Asakusa, meet with an English-speaking guide.

(The guide will indicate the meeting point during the Senso-ji Temple tour.) Transfer to the tea ceremony venue on foot with the guide.

• At 1:00 PM, the tea ceremony begins.
• Explanation of the tea ceremony.
• Tea ceremony demonstration by a teacher.
• Eat a sweet and drink matcha tea.
• Take souvenir photos.
• Price per person: USD 95.

At 2:00 PM, the activity ends at Asakusa Subway Station.

(The attendant will explain how to return to the hotel or take the subway to Ginza, but will not escort them.)

*Lunch is NOT included. If you are hungry, you should eat a light meal during your free time on Nakamise Street in Asakusa.

NOTES:

• Participants in this optional activity will not travel to Ginza with the group by bus.
• You must bring socks to participate in the tea ceremony.
• In principle, we will not be selling this optional activity at your destination. Passengers must reserve it three weeks prior to their trip to Japan. Depending on availability, we may not be able to confirm.

Breakfast at the hotel. 7:50 AM Meeting in the lobby. Full-day group tour of Hakone with an English-speaking guide.

WE WILL SEE:

• Lake Ashi (boat ride). On clear days, we can admire Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi.
• Hakone-jinja Shrine (a beautiful Shinto shrine famous for its torii gate built on the shores of Lake Ashi).
• Hakone Open-Air Museum.

At 5:00 PM, return to the hotel. Lunch at a restaurant is included that day.

NOTE: In case the boat is not operating due to heavy rain and wind, we will visit Hakone Sekishoato (a reconstruction of a medieval road checkpoint) as an alternative.

Breakfast at the hotel.

One suitcase per person will be transported separately by truck from the hotel in Tokyo to the hotel in Kyoto.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When there are more than 40 passengers on a departure, we charter a private truck to transport the suitcases from the hotel in Tokyo to the hotel in Kyoto, and in this case, the suitcases arrive at the hotel in Kyoto in the afternoon of the same day.

In the off-season when there are not enough passengers, we do not charter a truck and use a regular delivery service. In this case, the suitcases arrive at the hotel in Kyoto the following day, so passengers need to bring a backpack or small suitcase with clothing and other essentials for an overnight stay.

• At 8:00 a.m.: Meeting in the lobby and transfer to Tokyo Station with an English-speaking assistant.
• At 9:21 a.m.: Departure from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Nozomi bullet train.
• At 11:32 a.m.: Arrival at Kyoto Station where a English-speaking guide will meet you.

Note: Train schedules are subject to change.

Start of your group tour to Nara. Nara is located about an hour from Kyoto.

IN NARA WE WILL SEE:

• Todai-ji Temple (colossal Buddha statue)
• Nara Park (with many deer)

At 6:00-6:30 PM, arrival at your hotel in Kyoto and check-in.

*Lunch is NOT included. We will have free time for lunch.

Breakfast at the hotel. At 8:20 a.m., meeting in the lobby. Full-day group tour of Kyoto with an English-speaking guide.

WE WILL SEE:

• Sanjusangendo Temple (with a thousand statues of Kannon, the god of mercy)
• Fushimi Inari Shrine (with thousands of torii gates)
• Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple
• Tenryu-ji Temple, with a beautiful Japanese garden
• Sagano Bamboo Grove in Arashiyama
• Lunch at a restaurant is included this day.

At 5:30 p.m., return to the hotel.

For those who wish to visit Gion (the geisha district), we will continue immediately to this district by bus. The tour of the Gion district and the return trip to the hotel from there will be at the passengers' own expense.

Breakfast at the hotel. The entire day is free for personal activities.

• Optional Tour to HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA
• Meeting with an English-speaking guide in the hotel lobby at 7:30 a.m.
• Transfer to Kyoto Station.
• Departure from Kyoto at 8:26 a.m. on the Nozomi Shinkansen #3.
• Arrival in Hiroshima at 10:01 a.m. and start of the tour. If there are fewer than 10 passengers, we operate the tour using public transportation. If there are 10 or more passengers, we operate the optional tour by private bus.

RATE PER PERSON: USD 500.00

CHILDREN AGES 4-11: USD 250.00

WE WILL SEE:

• Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island
• Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum
• Atomic Bomb Dome Transfer to Hiroshima Station.
• At 5:57 PM Departure from Hiroshima to Kyoto by Nozomi Shinkansen
• At 7:37 PM The tour ends upon arrival at Kyoto Station.
• From the station to the hotel, transfer at the passengers' own expense via the hotel shuttle bus or taxi.

*Lunch is NOT included.

Please note: Train schedules are subject to change.

*In principle, we will not be selling this optional tour at the destination. Passengers must book the tour three weeks prior to their trip to Japan. Depending on availability, we may not be able to confirm.

Breakfast at the hotel.

• One suitcase per person will be transported separately by bus from your hotel in Kyoto to your hotel in Osaka. Bring a backpack with clothing and other essentials for a night in Kanazawa and another in Gero.
• At 8:00 a.m., meet in the lobby with an English-speaking guide and transfer to Kanazawa by private bus (depending on the number of passengers, it may be a van).
• At 12:00 p.m., arrive in Kanazawa. Full-day group tour of Kanazawa.

INTERVAL:

• Omicho Market (a lively market selling fish, seafood, vegetables, etc.)
• Higashichaya District
• Kenrokuen Garden (one of Japan's most famous gardens)

At 5:00-5:30 p.m., transfer to your hotel in Kanazawa and check-in.

*Lunch is NOT included. You will have free time for lunch at Omicho Market.

Breakfast at the hotel. At 8:15 a.m., meet in the lobby and depart for Shirakawago with an English-speaking guide (group).

WE WILL EXPLORE:

• Gasshozukuri-style houses

Afterward, transfer to Takayama where we will explore:

• Kamisannomachi historic district with souvenir shops and sake breweries
• Yatai Kaikan (exhibition of Takayama Festival floats)

At 6:00 p.m., transfer to the ryokan in Gero and check-in.

ENJOY AN ONSEN (HOT SPRING) BATH! The ryokan in Gero offers hot spring baths.

*There is one bath for women only and one bath for men only.

*Traditionally, hotels and ryokans do not allow people with conspicuous tattoos to use hot spring baths, as tattoos are associated with the Yakuza (Japanese mafia).

Passengers cannot choose a ryokan (between Suimeikan and Ogawaya) when booking their tour. The final ryokan will be decided and notified by JTB one month before the tour begins.

LUNCH AND DINNER INCLUDED ON THIS DAY.

Breakfast at the ryokan.

At 8:15 a.m., meet in the lobby with an English-speaking guide. Transfer to Gero Station on foot or by ryokan shuttle bus.

• At 8:46 a.m., depart from Gero for Nagoya on the Wideview Hida Express #4.
• At 10:34 a.m., arrive at Nagoya Station.
• At 10:58 a.m., depart from Nagoya for Shin-Osaka on the Nozomi Shin-Osaka #227.
• At 11:48 a.m., arrive at Shin-Osaka Station.

Group tour of Osaka with a English-speaking guide.

YOU WILL SEE:

• Dotonbori (a lively neighborhood with many restaurants with extravagant facades, such as a giant crab figure)
• Osaka Castle (We did not enter the Tenshukaku keep.

We only visited the castle park.)

At 5:00 PM, transfer to your hotel in Osaka and check-in.

*Lunch is NOT included. You will have free time for lunch in Dotonbori.

Please note: Train schedules are subject to change.

Breakfast at the hotel.

*If the hotel check-out time is early and passengers cannot have breakfast at the hotel, the hotel will provide a simple packed breakfast.

Transfer to Kansai Airport (KIX) or Itami Airport (ITM) by Airport Limousine Bus without assistance.

• *If the departure airport is Kansai (KIX), the guide will give passengers their bus tickets the day before.

• *If the departure airport is Itami (ITM), passengers will receive their bus tickets upon checkout.

• *The Airport Limousine Bus departs from the bus terminal located next to the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka for Kansai Airport (KIX) and Itami Airport (ITM).

• Kansai Airport (KIX) is 50 minutes from the bus terminal, while Itami Airport (ITM) is 40 minutes by bus.

*You must vacate your room before the hotel checkout time (12:00).

IMPORTANT:

The first Airport Limousine Bus arrives at Kansai Airport (KIX) or Itami Airport (ITM) at 6:30 a.m. If your flight departure time is at or before 8:30 a.m., transfer will be provided by a reserved taxi without assistance, and a surcharge of 15,000 JPY per passenger will apply.

(For a single passenger, the surcharge will be 30,000 JPY.)