Dear Friends,
One of the most beautiful sights in Asia during the springtime is the Cherry Blossoms. Cherry blossoms are indigenous to many East Asian countries, including Japan.
This CME Tour to Japan with an OPTIONAL Extension Tour to South Korea from April 07- 20, 2024 offers you the best opportunity to have a detailed expedition to Japan when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
We will give you a sampling of all Japan has to offer, including unique locales, “must-see” tourist attractions, colorful cultural traditions, and delectable dining.
In Japan, you will have the opportunity to visit Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Mt Fujiyama & Hiroshima. Experience a traditional green tea ceremony, interact, and take photos with an apprentice geisha (maiko), watch a kimono fashion show, ride a bullet train in Japan, and a possibility to see Sumo Wrestlers training, among many other amazing activities!
On your OPTIONAL extension tour to South Korea from April 15 – 20, 2024, you will have a chance to stroll through the awe-inspiring Bulguska Temple, visit the DMZ (North & South Korea’s Demilitarized Zone), see the 3rd Tunnel, ride a bullet train in South Korea, enjoy folklore shows, Seoul city, Busan, Gyeongju temples with exclusive access to gardens, temples, shrines, castles, museums, and specialty shops.
You will have a one-of-a-kind experience with everything included once in Japan and South Korea, and a chance to see why these countries are popular tourist destinations. I will be personally supervising the overall operations with our Tour Management Team of Pollina Tours and their local agents.
We will leave no stone unturned to ensure our AAPI Physicians and their family and friends will have the most memorable, comfortable, and fun-filled holiday with up to 10 hours of CME Credits in Japan and South Korea.
Please Register Today! Space is Limited!
Best Regards,
Dr. Anjana Samadder
AAPI President, 2023 – 2024
Japan Itinerary
April 7, 2024
ARRIVE IN OSAKA
Arrive in Osaka and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and get over the jet lag, or explore this beautiful city at your own pace, or go shopping!
Overnight in Osaka in your deluxe hotel.
April 9, 2024
OSAKA
After breakfast, enjoy the tour of Osaka city. Visit Osaka Castle and Dotonbori shopping district.The Osaka Castle was built in the end of the 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a wellknown warlord.
Dotonbori is a large-scale downtown area along the south bank of the Dotonborigawa Canal.
The Umeda Sky Building is the seventh-tallest building in Osaka, and is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Overnight in Osaka in your deluxe hotel.
April 9, 2024
OSAKA-HOROSHIMA-OSAKA
Transfer to the train station for the Bullet Train to Hiroshima to view the memorial of the first atomic bomb that fell here during World War II.Return to Osaka in the evening.
Overnight in Osaka in your deluxe hotel.
April 10, 2024
OSAKA-NARA-KYOTO
After breakfast, drive to Nara. Visit the Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara. Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara.Continue to Kyoto. Arrive & check in to your hotel.
Overnight in Kyoto in your deluxe hotel.
April 11, 2024
KYOTO
After breakfast, proceed on a tour of Kyoto city, visiting Kinkakuji Temple and Old Gion District, famous for its Geisha Houses.Later, check in to your hotel in Kyoto and enjoy some time to relax.
April 11, 2024
KYOTO (Day 5 continued)
In the afternoon, enjoy the Traditional Tea Ceremony.After, enjoy a Meika (Geisha) show, where both men & women will get the chance to rent and wear the traditional Japanese Kimono for photo opportunities.
During the ceremony, learn about Japanese history, and sample Matcha Green Tea, a local specialty.
Wearing a traditional kimono will have you leaving the experience with fantastic photographs to commemorate your memorable time in Kyoto.
Overnight in Kyoto in your deluxe hotel.
April 12, 2024
KYOTO-TOKYO
After breakfast, check out and continue your tour of Kyoto. Visit Nijo Castle and Ryoanji Temple.After the tour transfer to the train station for the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to Tokyo – Japan’s bustling capital city, and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Tokyo in your deluxe hotel.
April 13, 2024
TOKYO
A full day touring Tokyo.Visit the Meiji Shrine. The shrine was built in 1921 to enshrine the Emperor and Empress of Meiji.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office is located in Shinjuku-ku, and has observatories on the 45th Floor for Panaromic Skyline Views.
Asakusa Kannon Temple Senso-Ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa.
Ginza, a neon-lit district in Chuo-ku is one of the most famous downtown areas in Japan.
Overnight in Tokyo in your deluxe hotel.
April 14, 2024
TOKYO-MT. FUJI-HAKONE-TOKYO
After breakfast, check out and proceed on a full tour of Mt. Fuji and Hakone National Park.You will take a cable car from Hakone National Park for a panaromic view of Mt. Fuji.
Enjoy the Owakudani Boiling Valley. Owakudani Boiling Valley is a volcanic valley with its volcanic smokes in Hakone.
Cruise on Lake Ashi, a beautiful caldera formed by the outer crate ride and inner volcanoes.
Later, continue the drive back to Tokyo.
Overnight in Tokyo in your deluxe hotel.
April 15, 2024
TOKYO-ABROAD
Checkout after breakfastPossibility to visit a Sumo Wrestler Training Camp in Tokyo (subject to availability).
After, transfer to the airport for your onward flight abroad or home OR Fly with us to Seoul, as we travel through South Korea.
JAPAN LAND PACKAGE TOUR INCLUDES
- 6 HOURS OF CME CREDITS
- DELUXE CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS AS PER THE PROGRAM
(BASED ON SHARING A STANDARD ROOM) - DAILY BUFFET BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL
- DAILY BOXED VEGETARIAN & NON-VEGETARIAN LUNCHES
(WITH INDIAN FOOD OPTIONS WHEREVER AVAILABLE) - DAILY BUFFET VEGETARIAN & NON-VEGETARIAN DINNERS AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS & HOTELS (WITH INDIAN FOOD OPTIONS WHEREVER AVAILABLE)
- ALL TRANSFERS, SIGHTSEEING, AND EXCURSION TOURS BY PRIVATE AIR-CONDITIONED DELUXE MOTOR COACHES
- SERVICES OF EXPERIENCED & PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDES
- ENTRANCE FEES TO THE PLACES OF VISIT
- BULLET TRAIN RIDE IN JAPAN
- CULTURAL FOLKLORE SHOWS IN JAPAN
April 15, 2024
TOKYO-SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.Arrive in Seoul, South Korea. Welcome and assistance upon arrival at the airport. Later transfer to hotel.
Overnight in Seoul in your deluxe hotel.
April 16, 2024
SEOUL
After breakfast, visit Seoul’s most famous landmarks on a guided tour of the city that includes Cheong Wa Dae (aka The Blue House).Then visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of the “Five Grand Palaces”.
Within the Palace grounds visit the Jogyesa Temple dedicated to Buddhism and it is still influential today.
One can see parts of North Korea from the Observation Deck. The Media Hall offers an insight into the disparities between the divided countries.
After the tour, return back to your hotel in Seoul.
Overnight in Seoul in your deluxe hotel.
April 16, 2024
SEOUL (Day 11 continued)
You’ll also gain insights into Korean cultures, traditions, and history at the National Folk Museum which situated on the grounds of the palace.Depart by coach for Imjinggak at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). See the Freedom Bridge and Mangbaeda which is an altar for the Koreans to come to pay respect to their families in North Korea.
April 17, 2024
SEOUL-GYEONGJU
Drive to Gyeongju once the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Silla, which ruled most of the Korean Peninsula from the 7th to the 9th centuries.
Your tour of Gyeongju takes you to Tumuli Park where you’ll visit some of the more than 20 large and small tombs, and the Anapji Pond from the Silla period including that of King Michu, the 13th King of the dynasty.
Top off the day’s sightseeing with a visit to the Cheomseongdae Observatory – the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia and one of the world’s oldest scientific installations still in existence.
Overnight in Gyeongju in your deluxe hotel.
April 18, 2024
GYEONGJU-BUSAN
After breakfast, check out and visit the UNESCO-listed Temple of Bulguska and the Seokguram Grotto, one of Asia’s finest Buddhist shrines, dramatically located on the slopes of Toham Mountain, 750 meters above sea level and looking out over the Sea of Japan.This afternoon travel onwards to Busan.
Overnight in Busan in your deluxe hotel.
April 19, 2024
BUSAN
Busan is South Korea’s principal port city, and the second largest city, situated on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula.After breakfast, visit the Busan Tower located in Yongdusan Park and offering spectacular views of the old port city.
Kukje Market is the best place in Busan to find silk, clothing, linen, handbags, and much more.
Overnight in Busan in your deluxe hotel
April 20, 2024
BUSAN-SEOUL-ABROAD
After your early breakfast, transfer to the Bullet Train station for a high-speed train ride back to Seoul International Airport to connect your flight to your onward destination.
