$TBD USD per person, land only | Single supplement is 14% of trip cost
See discounts for repeat clients, early enrollment, room sharing, and back-to-back trips etcetera

10 places are available at this time  Ask a question via email: Click here  Updated Monday the 6th of September, 2010  Gateway airport: Narita  [NRT]  Arrival window: 2 p .m. to 4 p.m.  Search Orbitz or your favorite airline for a fare  The tour fee details are here.

OVERVIEW: A rare opportunity to explore both ancient and modern Japan, and meet and photograph its people. Tokyo, Nikko, Takayama, Kyoto, Japanese Alps, Mt. Fuji, ancient temples and rural scenes.

TRAVEL TO THE GATEWAY AIRPORT
o It is recommended that clients arrive a day early to be fresh for the trip, and to also counteract possible flight delays.
o Early arrival also enables you to explore the gateway city should you wish to do so.
o When booking flights, add a day for overnight travel or two days if also crossing the Pacific Ocean/International Dateline.
o The last day of the trip is the date you should arrange your flight home unless you plan to stay on. Thank you!

DAY 1  |  Arrive JAPAN
Arrival into Tokyo's Narita Airport during the afternoon, and on to our hotel. After supper we will photograph the lights of the city in Ginza and the Tokyo Tower.
Day 2 will be spent in the bustling city of Tokyo photographing sights such as the Asakusa Kannon Temple, an early visit to Tsukiji Fish Market, and visit Yodabashi Camera Store, the largest in the world, etc..
A day 3 excursion by train to Kamakura will offer us images of the Great Budda and other unique temples, along with the intriguing sight of thousands of dolls decorated in honor of dead children.
TOKYO, 3 nights

DAYS 4 + 5  |  TOKYO to NIKKO
This morning in our own transport, we'll head for Nikko. We will travel through city and country with a stop at Mashiko, a famous pottery town. Arriving at Nikko, and after checking in at our accommodations, we will visit the Toshogu Shrine, the most beautiful in all Japan. The Japanese maples will be brilliantly colored at this time.
Day 5 will find us driving the Iroha-zaka slope for outstanding views of fall color. We will visit Lake Chuzenji and the waterfalls there, the highest in Japan. Several other falls are in the area and if time permits, we'll take a boat ride on the lake.
NIKKO, 2 nights

DAYS 6, 7 + 8  |  NIKKO to MATSUMOTO
These days will be spent traveling through the Japan Alps with frequent stops for outstanding picture opportunities. We will visit Karuizawa near Mt. Asama, a smoking volcano and tour the moon-like lava gardens. Stops at Shirato Falls are also included. At Matsumoto, we'll photograph the "Black Crow Castle" surrounded by brilliant fall colors and more. Many country craft shops abound here as well. Also on this segment will be Kamikochi, located in the center of the Japan Alps National Park - one of the most scenic areas in all of Japan. The mountain scenery is outstanding!
MATSUMOTO, 3 nights

DAYS 9 + 10  |  MATSUMOTO to TAKAYAMA
We drive the short distance to Takayama in the morning and spend the rest of the day and day 10 in the area known as the roof of Japan. Many peaks exceed 10,000 feet here. We will visit the Hida-no-sato village, the Williamsburg of Japan. It is the most photogenic village of old houses - 3 to 4 stories high with thatched roofs made of rice straw. Also there are two, very colorful, open-air, morning markets here. This area was left unscathed during WWII, so many old structures are still standing and offer outstanding photography.
TAKAYAMA, 2 nights

DAYS 11 + 12  |  TAKAYAMA to KYOTO
Today, we shoot on route to Kyoto, arriving in late afternoon, and check into our accommodations. We will spend day 12 and part of day 13 visiting the sights here which are numerous. Some highlights include: the Heian Shrine and garden, the Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji Temple, Kiyomizu Temple and as many others as time and energy permit! All these sites will have lots of fall color to add another dimension to our photographs. Many of the areas are filled with interesting shops, and Japanese people are very cooperative when asked to have their picture taken. An afternoon will be spent in Nara to photograph the famous Todaiji Temple and Nara-koen Park.
KYOTO, 2 nights

DAY 13  |  KYOTO to HIMEJI
More photography of the Kyoto area to start our day, and later on we will take the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Himeji.
HIMEJI, 1 night

DAY 14  |  HIMEJI to OSAKA
We will spend the morning photographing the most beautifully situated castle in all of Japan, the Shirasagijo, or the Castle of the White Heron. With extensive grounds, we will be kept busy here. In the evening, we depart, again by the Shinkansen for Osaka, Japan's cultural center.
OSAKA, 1 night

DAY 15  |  Flights home
Flights home from Kansai International Airport. Overnight, east-bound flights put you back in the US on the same calendar day.

Photographer/Leader John Baker

This above itinerary is copyrighted by John T. Baker Photographer LLC, and Travel Images.com,
and authorization is NOT granted to business entities for professional use of said material.  

ENROLLMENT