Magical Japan in Winter Feb 2019 : 17Feb – 23Feb 2019

With overnight @ Shirakawa-go , Snow Monkey , Nabana-no-

Sato-Illuminations, Kyoto & the UME (Plum Bloosoms) @ Tokyo

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Like every season in this amazing country, Japanese winter has its own

specific sights, smells, and sounds. Let us discover the magic of Japan this

coming February to celebrate a magic year ahead for 2019 .

In this simple yet comprehensive coverage of some of the best winter desinations of

Japan, the once in a year time appearance of the “snow monkey, the winter illumination

of Nabana-no-Sato, the beautiful garden of Kinkaju-ji of Kyoto, and the once in a season

UME – Plum Blossoms and most of all, an experience overnight @ Shirakawago village

where the scene is just like those old days of a X’mas card… could be a winter holiday

itinerary you have been looking for a long long time.

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DAY 01 SUN 17FEB 2019 KUL – KIX (MOB)

17Feb AIR ASIA KUL-KIX 1415 2140

Arrival @1600 Meet and transfer to Kyoto. Check into hotel. Free and Easy . Take a

good rest OR you may go for a walking tour near to your hotel on your own to see Kyoto at

night in winter.

Overnight in Kyoto - Ariston Hotel Kyoto Jujo or similar.

DAY 02 MON 18FEB 2019 KYOTO – NABANA – NAGOYA (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the KINKAKU-JI ( Golden Pavillion ).

Kinkakuji (also known as the Golden Pavilion) is a sightseeing spot that has been a true symbol of Kyoto

since it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. While its beauty needs no explanation,

the scene in winter with the snow-fall will be exceptionally gorgeous, let hope in 2019, the snow-fall will

come again to Kyoto ( note, snow-fall is subjected to weather conditions at the time of visit.)

After lunch, we shall drive to Nabana. Visit the NABANA-NO-SATO ILLUMINATIONS until dark. With millions of LED lights illuminating the flower park, Nabana no Sato is one of the largest illumination winter

events in Japan. There are various attractions including a huge field transformed into a sea of lights below an

animated light show, light tunnels and an observation deck that lifts visitors high above the park where they can

get a bird's eye view of the lights.

Drive to Nagano, check into hotel and have a late dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Nagoya – Sakae Washington Hotel Plaza or similar

DAY 03 TUE 19FEB 2019 NAGANO – SHIRAKAWAGO (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Shirakawago . Located in the Gifu prefecture of Japan lies Shirakawa-go, a picturesque mountain village that is located at the foot of

Mt. Haku-san. Come winter, this idyllic little town transforms into the most splendid winter wonderland, receiving

snowfall that can reach up to two metres every single year!

Besides making for an extremely gorgeous holiday destination in winter, another reason to visit the Historic Villages of

Shirakawa-go is the fact that they are one of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are known for their

distinctive grassho architecture, or “prayer hands construction” style – which explains the A-frame thatched roofs that

resemble hands joined in prayer. This design helps the snow slide off easily, and thus allows houses to effectively deal

with the weight of the heavy snowfall that the region receives during winter.

There truly is no place quite as enchanting as Shirakawa-go in winter. If you’re thinking of revelling in a fairytale winter wonderland, Shirakawa-go is the place. The beauty of this trip is that we will overnight @ Shirakawa-go, where we could enjoy the evening and night view of this charming village.

Explore this beautiful village upon arrival. Enjoy a local dinner and overnight inside this village. Evening time

enjoy the night scene of this village.

Overnight in Shirakawago – simple guesthouse.

DAY 04 WED 20FEB 2019 SHIRAKAWAGO – Jigokudani - NAGANO ( B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy the beautiful morning scenery of Shirakawago. Drive to Nagano to see the snow

monkey of Jigokudani. The Jigokudani Yaenkoen park opened in 1964 and since then many thousands of people from around the world have

visited the park to observe the lifestyle of the Japanese Macaque. The Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata) is a monkey

species native to northern Japan, and is the most northern-living non-human primate, surviving winter temperatures of

below -15 °C. They have brown-gray fur, a red face, hands and bottom, and a short tail - and often seem remarkably

human like.

In the wild they spend most of their time in forests and feed on seeds, buds, fruit, invertebrates, berries, leaves, and

bark.

On the way to our next hotel destination, we shall make a photo-shop at the famous MATSUMOTO Castle with

the background of the Alps of Japan in winter.

Overnight in Nagano. Enjoy a hot spring @ the hotel ( Itoen Asamanoyu or similar )

DAY 05 THU 21FEB 2019 NAGANO – TOKYO (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel . Drive to Tokyo ( 3.5 hr). En-route for lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy the scenery along the

way. Visit the Hanegi Park for the ume ( plum Blossoms ).

This small city park in Tokyo includes about 700 plum trees of several varieties. Between mid-February to early March,

the Setagaya Ume Festival is celebrated here with haiku classes, tea ceremonies, rice cake pounding, and other events

held on weekends and holidays.

Overnight is Tokyo – Shinjuku Washington Hotel or similar

How you can easily differentiate plum (ume) from cherry blossoms.

DAY 06 FRI 22FEB 2019 TOKYO – ATAMI – ODAWARA – HANEDA Airport (B/L/D) Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to ATAMI Baien Ume Matsuri to enjoy the plum blossom. Built in 1886 by Mogi Sobeh, a wealthy merchant from Yokohama. It is the site of 454 trees of 60 species including a

ancient plum tree more than 100 years old.

After lunch, drive to Odawara Ume Matsuri for another plum blossom viewing with the back-drop of Mt FUJI .

Drive back to Tokyo, en-route for a farewell buffet dinner before heading to Haneda airport for our departure flight @

2300

The flow of itinerary may be subjected to change accordingly to the local conditions and weather at the time of visit.

Snow-falling and flower blooming are mother-nature and are subjected to weather.

Flight Details : AIR ASIA

17FEB 2019 Sunday KUL KIX 1415 2140

22FEB 2019 Friday HND KUL 2345 0635 #

Magical Japan in Winter Feb 2019 : 17Feb – 23Feb 2019

With overnight @ Shirakawa-go , Snow Monkey , Nabana-no-Sato-Illuminations, Kyoto & the

UME (Plum Bloosoms) @ Tokyo

COSTING

Rates: per person, twin sharing, group size is between 16 – 18 pax ONLY:

(owing to the limited room availability at Shirakawa-go, the max size of this tour is at 18 only)

a) Ground arrangement per person twin sharing including tipping @MYR 5,690.00*

b) Air Ticket ( AIR ASIA - KUL –KIX // HND-KUL ) ESTIMATED cost @MYR 1,500.00**

c) Travel Insurance @MYR 59.00

d) Single supplement cost @MYR 1000.00

*Rates are subject to changes in FOREX rates, unforeseen surcharges etc.

( currency rate used : 1 JPY = 0.3700 MYR )

** Air Asia air ticket will be at per airasia.com website at the time of booking, as such the

above estimation may change accordingly.

The Ground Arrangement rate is inclusive of

a) Hotel accommodation : good 3* hotel with daily breakfast plus 1 night at a Guest house in

the traditional village of Shirakawa-go.

b ) Private transfer & admission fees plus meals as per tour itinerary.

c ) Daily 1 Bottled Mineral Water

d ) English speaking local guide.

e) Non-shopping tour

Excluded : any winter gears for the trip.

Magical Japan in Winter Feb 2019 : 17Feb – 23Feb 2019

With overnight @ Shirakawa-go , Snow Monkey , Nabana-no-Sato-Illuminations, Kyoto & the

UME (Plum Bloosoms) @ Tokyo

Booking

a) Deposit payment @MYR 2,500.00 per person

b) If you are booking the air ticket yourself, the deposit payment is

MYR800.00 per person ( Please DO NOT book your air ticket first until

confirmation of the tour from us. )

c) A copy of your passport

d) Balance of payment – early of Jan 2019

Contact us at 603- 7984 4560

Email : laura@elsoltravel.com