Tour Flyer - Non

2017 CHERRY BLOSSOMS
TREASURES OF SOUTHERN JAPAN
NEW & IMPROVED ITINERARY!
Hot Springs Onsen Experience with Seasonal Kaiseki Dinners!
9 Nights / 11 Days • 20 Meals (9 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches & 7 Dinners)
Escorted from Honolulu • Includes English-Speaking Guide
TOUR #1: March 30 – April 9, 2017 • Tour Manager: Andy Lau
TOUR #2: March 31 – April 10, 2017 • Tour Manager: Marie Kanealii-Ortiz
Visit: Himeji • Kurashiki • Okayama • Hiroshima • Miyajima • Fukuoka • Nagasaki
Arita • Beppu • Matsuyama • Takamatsu • Kotohira • Naruto • Osaka
Visit Japan during cherry blossom season! The blossoms known as sakura, symbolize
rebirth and herald the beginning of spring. The Japanese celebrate by visiting temples,
castles, and parks, forming impromptu viewing parties. They gather beneath the pink
blossoms to indulge in food and drink. Along with cherry blossoms, azalea, wisteria,
camellia, and irises bloom in the spring.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Himeji Castle • Kurashiki • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park • A-Bomb Museum
Itsukushima Shrine • Overnight Stay in Miyajima • Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride
Dazaifu • Canal City • Strawberry Picking • Kujukushima Island Cruising
Nagasaki Peace Park • Glover Garden • Arita-yaki Ceramics Kiln • Beppu
Ishiteji Temple • Matsuyama Castle • Ritsurin Park • Naruto Ohashi Bridge
Awaji Island • Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi Shopping & COSTCO Shopping
COMPLETE PACKAGE!
$ 4250*
INCLUDES ROUNDTRIP
AIRFARE FROM HONOLULU,
9 NIGHTS HOTEL, 20 MEALS,
SIGHTSEEING, TIPS,
TAXES AND FEES
EARLY BOOKING
DISCOUNT PER PERSON
SAVE $ 100
BOOK BY AUGUST 31, 2016†
SAVE $ 75
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2016†
SAVE $ 50
BOOK BY DECEMBER 16, 2016†
Locally Owned & Operated Since 1985 – Mahalo Hawaii!
1150 S. King Street, Suite 102 • Honolulu, HI 96814
593-0700 or Toll-Free 1-800-551-1226
www.nonstop.travel
Call and book your next
vacation today!
* Fares are per person, USD based on double occupancy and INCLUDE ALL AIRLINE TAXES AND FEES. Airline fuel supplements, taxes and fees are subject to change and tour member is responsible for any increases. Some airline-imposed personal
charges, including but not limited to baggage, priority boarding and special seating, may apply. For details visit www.exploreflightfees.com. After initial deposit, a $75 per person Non-Stop Travel (NST) Cancellation Fee will apply. Group departures
may be cancelled, if there are less than (24) tour members. Final Payment to NST for “non-cruiseline” Air & Land package must be made by Money Order or Personal Check. NST does not guarantee that all tour members will fly together with
Tour Manager. Tour Manager assignments and “final” tour itinerary are subject to change. NST reserves the right to correct errors or omissions including but not limited to, fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Deposit: $500.
Final Payment Due: 11/28/16.
† Early Booking Discount is per person. Purchase of Non-Stop Travel’s complete Air & Land package is required.
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Hiroshima
Arita
Fukuoka
Kurashiki
Himeji
Miyajima
Nagasaki
Beppu
Matsuyama
ramen shops with noodle dishes from across Japan, including the local specialty Hakata Ramen.
Next up is Strawberry Picking and before returning to your hotel make a quick stop at
Fukuoka Tower.(B)
Kobe
Naruto
Osaka
Takamatsu
Yawatahama
JA PA N
Bus
Bullet Train
Ferry
PACIFIC OCEAN
2017 CHERRY BLOSSOMS TREASURES OF SOUTHERN JAPAN DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1: HONOLULU. Depart Honolulu via HAWAIIAN AIRLINES flt #449 at 1:45 pm.
Day 2: OSAKA. Arrive Kansai International Airport at 7:05 pm. After entry formalities, walk to
the hotel located in the airport. A deluxe Welcome buffet dinner has been arranged at the hotel.
HOTEL NIKKO KANSAI AIRPORT HTOEL (1 Night) (D)
Day 3: OSAKA – HIMEJI – KURASHIKI – OKAYAMA. After a sumptuous buffet breakfast we
drive to Himeji to visit Himeji Castle. It is known as “White Egret Castle” and “White
Heron Castle” because of it’s brilliant white exterior, resembling a bird taking flight. Himeji
Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan. This splendid example of traditional
architecture was declared one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. Next is
a visit to Kurashiki. In merchant days, this scenic town thrived as a port for rice shipments.
Several old rice granaries and examples of historic architecture still remain, in addition to the
stone lined canal. Transfer to Okayama where you will enjoy shopping and dining at one of the
largest AEON Shopping Malls. HOTEL GRANVIA OKAYAMA (1 Night) (B, L)
Day 4: OKAYAMA – HIROSHIMA – MIYAJIMA. In Hiroshima visit the Peace Memorial Park
and Atomic Bomb Museum. After a short ferry ride arrive on the island of Miyajima,
considered sacred by many. At high tide, the vermilion torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine
looks like it’s floating in the middle of the sea. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and Miyajima has been selected as one of Japan’s three most scenic
places (nihon sankei). This evening soak in the relaxing atmosphere of Iwaso Inn and the
onsen, hot spring baths. You can enjoy the beauty of the primeval forests and gentle sound
of mountain streams while taking a bath. This evening enjoy a Traditional, Multi-Course
Kaiseki Dinner featuring Hiroshima’s local and seasonal ingredients including fresh
seafood from the Seto Inland Sea. Tour #1: IWASO INN (1 Night) Onsen and Kaiseki Dinner
Tour #2: MIYAJIMA HOTEL MAKOTO (1 Night) Onsen & Kaiseki Dinner (B, L, D)
Day 5: MIYAJIMA – HIROSHIMA – FUKUOKA (HAKATA). After breakfast explore Miyajima
Island. Morning at leisure. Ferry ride back to Hiroshima. From Hiroshima, we take a ride on
the top speed Shinkansen bullet train to Hakata (Fukuoka). Our local tour guide will
have many suggestions for shopping and dinner tonight. ROYAL PARK HOTEL “THE” FUKUOKA
(2 Nights) (B)
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Day 6: FUKUOKA. After breakfast at your hotel depart for a full day of sightseeing. Dazaifu was
established in the late 7th century and served as the administrator center of the entire island
of Kyushu for over 500 years. Nowadays, Dazaifu is a small, quiet city on the outskirts of the
large city of Fukuoka. Where there a number of temples and shrines, the most famous of which
is the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. Next we stop at Canal City Hakata, a large shopping
and entertainment complex, calling itself a “city within a city”. Attractions include about 250
shops, cafes and restaurants, a theatre, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a canal running
through the complex. The fifth floor consists of the “Ramen Stadium”, which has eight
Day 7: FUKUOKA – NAGASAKI. Japan is a nation of many islands but most travelers never get
beyond the main four. At Kujukushima National Park near Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture,
however, you can up your island quotient by taking a scenic cruise of the region’s waters. The
word “kujuku” literally means “99” but has come to refer to a vast number or something
uncountable. In truth, there are 208 islands off the coast of Sasebo, the largest concentration
of islands anywhere in Japan. The Nagasaki Peace Park commemorates the atomic
bombing of Nagasaki of August 9, 1945, which destroyed wide parts of the city and killed ten
thousands of inhabitants. In the park stand the massive Peace Statue as well as various other
memorials. A monument around a black pillar marks the atomic explosion’s epicenter in the
nearby Hypocenter Park and stores the name list of bomb victims. Above the park stands the
sobering Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. After lunch, visit Glover Garden. An open air
museum, exhibiting mansions of former Western residents of Nagasaki. This evening enjoy a
special “Gourmet Seasonal Kaiseki Dinner”. Tour #1: INASAYAMA KANKO HOTEL (1 Night)
Tour #2: HOTEL NEW NAGASAKI (1 Night) (B, L, D)
Day 8: FUKUOKA – ARITA – BEPPU. We visit Arita, where one of the most famous styles of
“yakimono” (Japanese Pottery) called Aritayaki originates. We now drive east to a bather’s
paradise – the celebrated hot spring resort of Beppu. Beppu is famous for its “hells” dramatic
pools of bubbling water, mud, and geysers. View four of the nine hells of Beppu, hot springs
ideal for viewing rather than bathing. At night we will savor local flavors in a traditional
Japanese Kaiseki banquet or Buffet Dinner. SUGINOI HOTEL (1 Night) Onsen and Buffet
Dinner (B, L, D)
Day 9: BEPPU – FERRY to SHIKOKU – MATSUYAMA – TAKAMATSU. After a Japanese breakfast
at the hotel, we will board a ferry to Shikoku Island where we will visit Ishiteji Temple in
Matsuyama. This impressive temple is number 51 on the “88 Temple Pilgrimage”, the most
famous religious pilgrimage route in Japan. Next we visit Matsuyama Castle, one of the 12
original wooden castles in Japan that survived wars, fires, and the Meiji restoration. Now head
east to Takamatsu. JR HOTEL CLEMENT TAKAMATSU (1 Night) (B, L)
Day 10: KOTOHIRA – RITSURIN PARK – NARUTO – AKASHI BRIDGE – OSAKA. In the morning
we visit Ritsurin Park, a masterpiece of Japanese landscape 100 years in the making. This
sprawling park features beautiful ponds and pavilions with a backdrop of the majestic Mt.
Shiun. We then visit the Kompirasan, also known as Kotohira-gu, is the main shrine
dedicated to sailors and seafaring. Our next stop is the Onaruto Bridge Interpretive Center,
where we will learn about Japan’s largest natural whirlpool and the engineering innovations
that went into the construction of its massive bridges. This evening savor the world famous
Kobe Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu Dinner. HOTEL GRANVIA OSAKA (1 Night) (B, L, D)
Day 11: OSAKA – HONOLULU. Morning at Leisure. After hotel checkout, visit Dotonbori, one
of Osaka’s most popular tourist destinations, this street runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal.
It is a popular shopping and entertainment district and is also known as a food destination.
Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade and the surrounding area is Osaka’s premier shopping
center. Approximately 600 meters long, this area is unique as it combines chain retail stores and
trendy boutiques with expensive department stores and top designer fashion labels. We then
visit a COSTCO membership store. Yes! COSTCO! Never know what wonderful “Omiyage” you
may find! Return to Kansai Osaka International Airport for our return flight home. Depart via
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES flt #450 at 9:30 pm. Arrive Honolulu at 10:15 am on same day. Aloha and
Welcome Home! (B)
Book early and save!
Explore Japan on your next vacation!