Wonderful Japan & Imperial and Modern China 2026-27 New

Departure on scheduled Emirates flights to Osaka – meals on board – overnight flight.

Arrival at Osaka Kansai airport – transfer to the hotel – dinner in a restaurant – after dinner, Osaka by night: a stroll with the tour leader around the Dotonbori area – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, visit of Osaka with a local guide, taking in the Castle and the Umeda Sky Building (in the northern Kita district, home to the largest underground shopping centre in Japan and a remarkable concentration of offices, banks and hotels. The “Floating Garden” Observatory, 173 m up, offers breathtaking views over the city) - transfer to Kyoto by private coach – lunch at leisure - in the afternoon, visit of Kyoto with a local guide – Kiyomizu Temple and the lanes of Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka (a complex of temples built from 1633 onwards, a place of worship where pilgrims venerate the eleven-headed effigy of Kannon and drink the water of the sacred spring) - dinner in a traditional restaurant – after dinner, Kyoto by night: a stroll with the tour leader, using public transport, through the Gion quarter (with its typical narrow streets and low wooden houses that take us back 300 years) and along the streets of the Pontocho district, well known for its geishas - return to the hotel – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a local guide – in the morning, visit of Arashiyama with a walk through the bamboo forest, Tenryuji Temple (one of the principal temples of the Rinzai school of Zen), Kinkakuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (of particular interest is the Golden Pavilion, the only original structure) - Fushimi Inari Shrine (the best known in Japan and the most visited by pilgrims, the head shrine of the three thousand dedicated to the god Inari), Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (built by Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate) - lunch at leisure - return to the hotel in the evening - dinner in a restaurant – evening at leisure – tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Nara & Uji with a local guide – visit of Todaiji Temple (one of the most important monuments of Nara, the ancient capital from 710 to 794, housing the Great Buddha and architectural masterpieces designated National Treasures), Kasuga Shrine (its vermilion-lacquered buildings make a magnificent contrast with the green of the surrounding virgin forest, and the three thousand lanterns lining the approach to the shrine are a unique sight), Nara Park (with its famous resident deer) - Byodo-in Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site(built in 1052 by the Emperor’s Chief Adviser) - lunch at leisure – return to Kyoto in the late afternoon – dinner in a restaurant – evening at leisure – tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the station – departure on the Shinkansen bullet train, reserved seats, for Tokyo – on arrival, city visit with a local guide to the Tokyo Tower (333 m tall and built after the war at the government’s behest, as a symbol of the country’s economic rebirth) – lunch at leisure – in the afternoon the visit of Tokyo with a local guide continues – Asakusa Kannon Temple (the oldest and most impressive temple in Tokyo) and the charming nearby market of fans, kimonos and souvenirs, Akihabara Electric Town (the world’s largest retail area for new and second-hand electronics and computers) - transfer to the hotel – dinner in a restaurant – after dinner, Tokyo by night: a stroll with the tour leader, using public transport, around Shinjuku and night-time Tokyo at Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho and Shibuya crossing – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - full day devoted to visiting Tokyo with a local guide – Meiji-jingu Shrine (the largest Shinto shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji), the boutiques of Omotesando (an area known as the Champs-Élysées of Tokyo), the Ginza and Shibuya districts – lunch at leisure – dinner in a restaurant - after dinner, Tokyo by night: a stroll with the tour leader, using public transport, to Odaiba, crossing the Rainbow Bridge with spectacular views over Tokyo Bay – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport - lunch at leisure – departure from Tokyo on scheduled Air China flights to Beijing - transfer to the hotel – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure – tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting the surroundings of Beijing with a local guide(Ming Tombs, Sacred Way, pearl factory, the Great Wall at Juyongguan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner in a traditional restaurant specialising in Peking duck – after dinner, Beijing by night: a stroll with the tour leader along lively Qianmen Street (the historic Dazhalan quarter) – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Beijing with a local guide (Lama Temple, tea house, Tiananmen Square with the Great Hall of the People -exterior-, Mao’s Mausoleum -exterior-, Monument to the People’s Heroes, interior visit of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: 600 years of history, 720,000 sq m of buildings with more than 9,000 rooms, the treasures of the Imperial Palace) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning, visit of Beijing with a local guide (Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - transfer to the station - departure for Xi’An by high-speed train (indicative times 14.00/18.10) - lunch at leisure – check-in at the hotel in the evening - dinner in a restaurant - after dinner, Xi’an by night: visit with the tour leader of the characterful Muslim Quarter and its night market – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Xi’An with a local guide (Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the thrilling Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, jade factory) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner in a traditional restaurant specialising in Chinese dumplings – evening at leisure – tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning, visit of Xi’An with a local guide (Muslim Quarter, Ming-era city walls with their four gates) – lunch at leisure - transfer to the airport - departure on a scheduled flight to Shanghai (indicative times 15.30/17.55) - transfer to the hotel - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Shanghai by night: a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to visiting Shanghai with a local guide (People’s Square, the heart of the Old City with its thousands of little shops, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Museum East or the Shanghai History Museum) – lunch in a restaurant – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Shanghai by night: a stroll with the tour leader, by metro, along the Bund – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, visit of Shanghai with a local guide (stop along the Bund, a famous waterfront lined with numerous colonial buildings, Pudong with the TV Tower –exterior-, the Nanjing Road shopping street) – lunch in a restaurant – transfer to the airport - departure on scheduled Emirates flights for the journey home – meals on board – overnight flight.

Arrival in Italy.