Japan and Korea Tour, 12 Days from Istanbul with Turkish Airlines

We meet at the International Departures Terminal of Istanbul Airport. After baggage and check-in formalities we depart for Tokyo on Turkish Airlines flight TK 50 at 15:50. The night is spent on the plane. Flight details: TK 50, Istanbul (IST) to Tokyo (Narita, NRT), departure 15:50, arrival 09:05 (+1). Accommodation: On the plane.

We land at Tokyo Narita at 09:05 local time. After passport and baggage formalities our local guide meets us and we transfer to the city center by private vehicle. On the way we take a short panoramic introduction tour: Meiji Shrine, in the wooded heart of Tokyo, seen from the outside, a photo stop at Tokyo Tower, and a panoramic drive past Ginza and the National Diet Building. After the tour we transfer to the hotel and check in. After a short rest, guests who wish can join an optional evening walk in Shinjuku with the guide. Accommodation: Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar, Tokyo.

Today is a full free day in Tokyo, for shopping, museums or exploring the city at your own pace. An optional extra tour is offered: the Mount Fuji and Hakone Full Day Tour, 185 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour leaves the hotel in the morning for Mount Fuji, Japan's living symbol. It reaches the Fifth Station, the closest point to the summit depending on weather conditions, then continues to Lake Ashi for a boat crossing with views of Fuji reflected on the water. The Hakone Ropeway gives views over the volcanic steam vents of Owakudani and the surrounding mountains. Lunch is at a local restaurant, with a return to Shinjuku in the afternoon. Accommodation: Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar, Tokyo.

Today is free in Tokyo, ideal for exploring the city on your own, shopping or taking in local life. An optional extra tour is offered: the Kamakura and Bamboo Temple Zen Experience, 165 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour travels to Kamakura, known as Little Kyoto, south of Tokyo. It visits the Great Buddha, Japan's largest bronze Buddha statue, seated outdoors since 1252, and walks through the quiet bamboo grove at Hokoku-ji Temple, followed by a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Time is set aside on Komachi Street for local treats and souvenirs. Lunch is at a local restaurant, with a return to Tokyo in the afternoon. Accommodation: Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar, Tokyo.

Today is free in Tokyo. You can explore the city on your own or join the trip to Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage site. An optional extra tour is offered: the Nikko Full Day Tour, 185 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour travels north of Tokyo to Nikko, where Japanese architecture, nature and sacred temples meet. It visits Toshogu Shrine, Japan's most ornate Shinto shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, stops for photos at the Shinkyo red bridge, Nikko's landmark, and takes in Kegon Falls, one of Japan's tallest waterfalls, and a walk along Lake Chuzenji. Lunch is at a local restaurant, with a return to Tokyo in the afternoon. Accommodation: Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar, Tokyo.

After breakfast we check out of the hotel. Following a transfer to Tokyo Station we depart for Osaka on the Shinkansen, Japan's celebrated bullet train. Over the roughly three-hour journey Japan's countryside passes by the window, along with the silhouette of Mount Fuji on a clear day and the occasional modern city. On arrival in Osaka we take a panoramic city tour by private vehicle. We see 16th-century Osaka Castle from the outside, take in the view from Umeda Sky Building, and walk through Dotonbori, known for its colorful signs and street food. After the tour we transfer to the hotel and check in. The evening is free, for resting or exploring the city center on your own. Accommodation: Sarasa Hotel Dotonbori, 3-star or similar, Osaka.

Today is free in Osaka. Guests who wish can join a full-day cultural tour covering Kyoto, Japan's imperial capital, and Nara, known for its deer. An optional extra tour is offered: the Kyoto and Nara Full Day Tour, 200 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour travels to Kyoto in the morning. Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a gold-leafed facade reflected on the pond before it, is among the most photographed sights in Japan. A walk follows through the long corridors of the Arashiyama bamboo grove, and through Gion, known for its traditional wooden architecture and geisha culture. Lunch is at a local restaurant. In the afternoon the tour continues to Nara. Todai-ji Temple, the largest wooden structure in the world, houses a massive bronze Buddha statue. In Nara Park there is a photo stop among more than 1,300 free-roaming sacred deer. We return to Osaka in the evening. Accommodation: Sarasa Hotel Dotonbori, 3-star or similar, Osaka.

Today is free in Osaka. Guests who wish can join the Kobe tour, which combines Japan's food culture with its port history. An optional extra tour is offered: the Kobe and Port City Tour, 155 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour travels to Kobe in the morning. It visits the Earthquake Memorial Park, commemorating the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the city's recovery, and walks through Nankinmachi, one of Japan's oldest Chinatowns. At the Hakutsuru Sake Museum the traditional process of brewing Japanese rice wine is explained, with a tasting. Lunch is at a local restaurant, with an optional Kobe beef experience available for an extra charge. The tour closes at Meriken Park and Kobe Harbor for a walk along the modern waterfront. We return to Osaka in the evening to rest at the hotel. Accommodation: Sarasa Hotel Dotonbori, 3-star or similar, Osaka.

After breakfast we check out of the hotel and transfer to Kansai Airport. We depart for Seoul on Asiana Airlines flight OZ 115 at 10:50. After a flight of about 2 hours we land at Seoul Incheon Airport at 12:50. After passport and baggage formalities we meet our guide and transfer to the city center. On arrival we join a panoramic city introduction tour. We see Deoksugung Palace from the outside and watch the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony in traditional dress. We walk through Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, with its traditional Korean houses from the Joseon dynasty and craft streets. From Namsan Mountain and N Seoul Tower we take in the best panorama of the city. A short stop follows on Myeongdong for shopping and street food. After the tour we transfer to the hotel and check in. The evening is free, for resting or a guided walk around Myeongdong. Flight details: OZ 115, Osaka (KIX) to Seoul (ICN), departure 10:50, arrival 12:50. Accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Dongdaemun, 4-star or similar, Seoul.

Today is free in Seoul. Guests who wish can join a tour focused on the DMZ, the most distinctive stretch of the Korean Peninsula, and the history of the Korean War. An optional extra tour is offered: the DMZ and Korean War History Tour, 145 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour departs early for the Demilitarized Zone, one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world, for a close look at Korean history and the division between the two countries. It visits Imjingak Peace Park, a symbol of hope for reunification, the Third Tunnel, dug secretly by North Korea, and the Dora Observatory, where the North Korean side can be viewed through binoculars. It passes Dorasan Station, built for a planned railway link between the two countries, and pays respects at the Turkish Brigade Monument, dedicated to the Turkish soldiers who lost their lives in the Korean War. Lunch is at a local restaurant. We return to Seoul in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free, or available for a guided walk in the Myeongdong shopping district. Accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Dongdaemun, 4-star or similar, Seoul.

Today is free in Seoul. An optional extra tour is offered: the Suwon and Korean Folk Village Full Day Tour, 160 USD per person, including lunch, a private vehicle and a guide. The tour travels from the hotel to Suwon and the Korean Folk Village, about 2 hours south of Seoul. The morning covers Suwon's Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a walk along its walls, a look at Joseon-era cannons and watchtowers, and a guided photo stop in the historic center of Suwon. The afternoon is spent at the Korean Folk Village in Yongin, an open-air museum recreating village life of the Joseon period, with traditional hanok houses, craft workshops and a folk dance performance. Those who wish can try on hanbok, traditional Korean dress. Lunch is at a local restaurant. A short stop for local products and handicrafts follows on the way back. Accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Dongdaemun, 4-star or similar, Seoul.

After breakfast we check out of the hotel and transfer to Incheon Airport with our guide. After baggage and passport formalities we depart for Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK 21 at 10:45. After a flight of about 11 hours we land at Istanbul Airport at 16:55 local time. Flight details: TK 21, Seoul (ICN) to Istanbul (IST), departure 10:45, arrival 16:55. This East Asia route closes here, from the panoramic tour of Tokyo to the slopes of Mount Fuji, from the golden temple of Kyoto to the history of the DMZ.