Photo Tour to Kyoto, Japan 2020 “Autumn Leaves” 5 days

DATES

from Novomber 22 to 27, 2019

TOUR’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Best temples, shrines and gardens with autumn leaves in Kyoto
• Bamboo forest and autumn leaves in Arashiyama (Kyoto)
• Fushimi Inari shrine and zen gardens (Kyoto)
• Small rural village in the outskirts of the Kyoto city

ITINERARY

Day 0 // November 22: Arrival at Kyoto

We will all meet in the hotel lobby around 8 p.m. to make sure that everyone has arrived in Kyoto. The night will be free.

Day 1 // Novembre 23: Buddhist temple with autumn leaves & Village in the outskirts of Kyoto

The first day we will visit a village on the outskirts of Kyoto, where there is a wonderful Buddhist temple in the mountains. We will be able to photograph its incredible gardens of golden tones of autumn leaves and the jizo, small stone statue that is believed to protect travellers and children by Japanese people, scattered throughout the gardens. After lunch we will stroll around the cute small village and at sunset we will return to Kyoto city.

Japanese garden of a temple in the outskirts of Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Day 2 // Novembre 24: Fushimi Inari Shrine & Kiyomizu neighborhood with autumn leaves illuminated at night

We will get up early to visit the Fushimi Inari shrine, thus avoiding the crowds that visit the place. Later we will approach our favorite Zen temples in Kyoto. There we will capture the breathtaking beauty of the maples that surround a wooden bridge. After lunch, we will go to the neighborhood of Kiyomizu, where we will walk through its cobbled streets and photograph its wooden houses, looking for charming spots. After sunset we will capture the beauty of the gardens of the temples with illuminated autumn leaves.

Thousands of torii in Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Day 3 // Novembre 25:  Nazenji neighborhood with autumn leaves & Gion

We will spend the third day in the east side of Kyoto. We will photograph the large wooden gate of Nanzenji temple, surrounded by beautiful autumn color trees. We will visit a poetic Japanese garden with ponds and colorful carps, an ideal environment to capture beautiful poetic photographs. In the afternoon we will approach the neighborhood of Gion. We might be able to photograph Geisha and Maiko on the way to their appointments if we were patient enough.

Autumn leaves in a Japanese garden in the neiborhood of Nanzenji. ©Akashi Photos

Day 4 // Novembre 26: Arashiyama neighborhood with atumn leaves & Kinkakuji

Today we will dedicate the day to explore the western part of the city, Arashiyama. We will get up very early to avoid the crowds and we will photograph the bamboo forest and its surrounding. We will visit a beautiful temple declared World Heritage Site, and we will stroll in the forest covered with autumn leaves and in the afternoon we will approach Kinkakuji, the famous golden temple, to capture its beauty reflected in the water of the big pond.

Geisha on a boat with her clients in the Hozu River, Arashiyama, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Day 5 // Novembre 27: Japanese gardens with momiji & Nishiki food market

The second day we will visit three different Japanese gardens in the same city of Kyoto. The gardens full of “momiji”, Japanese maples, acquire reddish tones of an overwhelming beauty. We will capture the beauty of nature along with the traditional architecture of Japanese tatami rooms. Tour will end in the afternoon.

KYOTO

Undoubtedly, the best seasons to visit Japan are spring and autumn, not only for the pleasant temperatures, but also for the natural spectacles offered by both seasons: cherry blossoms and autumn leaves respectively.

 In Japan, there are few places where momiji, Japanese maple tree, is as strategically placed as in the gardens of Kyoto. And it is during the last week of November when the autumn leaves of the beautiful Japanese gardens of Kyoto reach their maximum splendor. That is why we dedicate 5 whole days to discover and photograph the best corners of Kyoto.

Toru Morimoto and Tina Bagué, both professional photographers, have organized a dream photographic journey through Kyoto to enjoy the spectacle of autumn colors in their traditional gardens, as well as in their rural world.

This “PHOTO TOUR TO KIOTO” is a very photogenic journey, designed not only for amateur or advanced photographers but also for anyone who wants to live a unique and unforgettable experience in the most beautiful city of Japan.

PRIVATE TOUR

This is a PRIVATE TOUR which means this is a tour for a couple, family, group of friends. Participants do not travel with others who they don’t know each other.

ACCOMODATIONS & MEALS

During our photo tour in Kyoto for 6 nights, we will stay in our handpicked western hotel in the center of the city. The rooms will be twin rooms (with two beds).

On this tour, all breakfasts are included. Any lunch and dinner is not included. We will eat in the same restaurant for lunch. Each person orders what he or she wants to eat and pays for it. Each participant eats dinner on his or her own. Our hotel in Kyoto is very well located to eat out for dinner on foot. The city of Kyoto offers an immense variety of culinary for all tastes and budgets.

PRICE Y RESERVATION

The tour price will depend on the number of participants.

• Price for 6 persons: ￥249,000 (approx. €2,100€ or $2,360)  per person
• Price for 4-5 persons: ￥289,000 (approx. €2,300€ or $2,700) per person
• Price for 3 persons: ￥359,000 (approx. €2,990€ or $3,360) per person
• Price for 2 persons: ￥429,000 (approx. €3,600€ or $4,050) per person
• To make the reservation, it is necessary to make a payment of the deposit of ￥100,000. Payment must be made by bank transfer.
• Payment of the total cost of the trip must be made 60 days before the starting date of the tour.
• All transaction fees that occur for reservation are paid by the payer of the reservation.

*The tour price is fixed in Japanese yen(￥). When you make a payment, depending on the exchange rate with your currency,  tour price in your currency will change. The approximate price in Euro and US Dollars above are calculated based on the exchange rate of the publishing day of this tour, June 1, 2019, 1 euro = 120.986 yen, 1 US dollar = 108.27

The MIN. and MAX. NUMBER of PARTICIPANTS

For the trip to take place there must be a minimum of 2 participants and a maximum of 6.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is mandatory to have comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, emergency evacuation, repatriation of remains, dismemberment, and accidental death. You have to give us a copy of travel insurance before the trip.

CANCELLATION

If the cancellation is made more than 61 days before the start of the tour, deposit will be refunded in full only if the place(s) is/are filled with another/other participant(s). Deposit will not be refunded if the cancellation is made within 60 days before the start of the tour. For more details of cancellation and conditions of refund of the balance due after 60 days, please read our terms & conditions.

AUTUMN LEAVES

Autumnal leaves can not be guaranteed under any circumstances. Each year the trees change color on different dates. Although we always try to capture them at their best, the period in which the leaves change from green to yellow and from yellow to red varies each year depending on the temperature, rain, wind and the heat of each autumn. It is important to keep it in mind that the organizers will not have any responsibility if it is too early or too late to enjoy the autumnal landscapes during the specific dates of the trip. However, if this happens, the organizers will try to change plans to see the autumn leaves in other places.

MORE QUESTIONS

For any doubts and questions about this photo tour to Japan, please send us an email to: info@akashitravel.com