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Liverpool Philharmonic & Vasily Petrenko in Japan

12 Nights: 11 - 24 May 2018

£4,338 per person sharing a twin or double bedded room
£5,198 for sole use of a double room

Includes: Visits to Tokyo (6 nights), Kyoto (5 nights) & Hiroshima (1 night); economy class air travel from the UK with option to upgrade to Premium Economy or Business class, first class hotels throughout on bed & breakfast basis and 1st category concert tickets for Royal Liverpool concerts and one performance, 7 dinners, 2 lunch and a complete programme of sightseeing

Join us for a 12 night visit to Japan at one of the most pleasant times of year to visit the country and with the added bonus of two Tokyo concerts with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Vasily Petrenko. Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Hiroshima and Kyoto - shrines, bamboo, zen, serenity & spirituality - a perfect introduction to this wonderful country. There's also the chance to add a two night visit to Hong Kong at the end of the holiday.

If you Registered for advance information you will have now received your Priority Booking details. General Bookings open on Monday 27th November.

Several of you have expressed an interest to either upgrade or to include the visit as part of a more extensive holiday (for example continuing on to Australia or New Zealand to visit friends and relatives) so we have tried to make the travel arrangements as flexible as possible. We are offering two included flight options – one with Lufthansa offering a daylight flight back from Japan at the end of the tour and the other with Cathay Pacific on their new A350 aircraft from Manchester or Gatwick via Hong Kong allowing an optional 2 night stopover in Hong Kong at the end of the tour. The A350 provides extra-wide cabins, windows affording panoramic views and state-of-the-art technology. On board rest is assisted with intelligent mood lighting and reduced noise levels – which have earned the Airbus the nickname ‘the Hushliner’ – while improved cabin pressure and humidity levels help reduce jetlag.

If you wish to make your own non-standard flight arrangements we can also offer that option and the tour will start at the hotel in Tokyo on the 12th.

In Tokyo we attend two concerts in two legendary concert halls when Vasily Petrenko will conduct the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with the astonishing young pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii

On Monday 14th May the performance takes place in the recently reopened Suntory Hall with a programme including:

On Wednesday 16th May the orchestra visit the renowned Bunkamura - Orchard Hall for a second delicious programme of music including:

We also plan to include a performance at Tokyo Opera City as soon as their concert programme for 2018 is released (£150 ticket value included in package). The exact day to day tour programme is still being finalised but the following pages provide an outline of what we will be doing and the key inclusions……

The tour will start with arrival in Tokyo on Saturday 12th May (so departing the UK on the 11th May and end in Kyoto on Thursday 24th May (flying back to the UK via Frankfurt with Lufthansa or to Hong Kong for two nights with Cathay Pacific flying back overnight 26th arriving 27th.

Friday 11th May       for guests returning directly from Kyoto to the UK

Or                           for guests taking a 2 night stopover in Hong Kong on the return

Arrival transfer to our hotel. Six nights, first class hotel in central Tokyo on a room & breakfast basis. We will take an evening drive around this mega-city and have a light welcome dinner.

Sunday 13th – Thursday 17th May and over the coming days……

Welcome to Tokyo – an orientation by private coach giving a feel for this astonishing city that is both mega-metropolis and collection of tightly knit neighbourhoods all at the same time. During our days in Tokyo we will visit the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Gardens, see the unmissable Shibuya Crossing, witness ‘young’ Tokyo in Harajuku and ‘Cat’ Street, see the luxe shops of Omotesando Hills and Ginza, experience Tsukiji Fish Market and tranquil Hamarikyu Gardens as well as visiting the Hōzōmon Temple and neighbouring Asakusa, the 21st century electronic stores of Akihabara and the unique Ochanomizu ‘Musical Instrument Street’! We will also take a boat ride on the Sumida River through the heart of the city.

Outside of the city we will travel one day by coach to Lake Kawaguchiko in the Five Lakes region of Japan that surround Mount Fiji. Here we will take the aerial ‘ropeway’ (cablecar) up Mt Kachi from where you should have an unrestricted ‘picture postcard’ view of the sacred mountain. We will also take a boat trip on the lake to afford more great views of this iconic peak.

From previous experience I always keep the day of our visit to Mount Fuji flexible as there are many days (although in May I would hope not too many!) when the great mountain is shrouded in cloud and there’s nothing to see but with a little flexibility in our planning we should be able to ensure a good day and a great view!

We will have a second day outside of metropolitan Tokyo and details for this day will be available later.

We will have one completely free day in Tokyo when you can visit one of the wonderful art galleries of the city or maybe ride the Yamanote Line - Tokyo’s overground ‘circle’ line which covers just about every neighbourhood of the city and ends up back where you started! 

Friday 18th May – One of the first questions I had when I visited Japan was “why do you never see Japanese struggling with luggage on the bullet trains?” and the answer was the ‘Black Cat’ baggage service which whisks your luggage from A to B in no time at all. My suggestion is that we have an overnight bag to take with us today (for our night in Hiroshima) and our luggage goes directly from Tokyo to Kyoto (where we arrive tomorrow evening). Anyone who doesn’t want to do this is welcome to take their luggage on the train.

This morning we join a Shinkansen bullet train heading west along the island of Honshu (almost 900km in less than 4 hours) to Hiroshima.

On arrival in Hiroshima we have a traditional okonomiyaki (nearest thing to a Japanese omelette with noodles and choice of toppings) for lunch. After lunch we continue with a short train ride and ferry to the island of Miyajima just 30 minutes from the centre of Hiroshima. Miyajima is an island in the Inland Sea of Japan reached by a short ferry ride from the mainland. It is known worldwide for the Itsukushima Shrine and more particularly for the great Torii Gate which appears to float above the waves at high tide.

Miyajima is a lovely peaceful island inhabited by wild deer (who mingle with the visitors and will eat just about anything given the chance!). The little town runs along the waterfront towards the shrine and behind it lies the beautiful Momijidani Park. This leads to the ropeway up Mt Misen (535 metres above sea-level) where you can enjoy the views from the top station or hike the final ascent to the summit. We return to Hiroshima and stay overnight (first class centrally located hotel). Room & breakfast.

Saturday 19th May – this morning we visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum for a visit which whilst haunting also gives hope for the future.

After lunch we travel by private coach to one of the finest gardens of Japan Kōraku-en in Okayama before continuing on to Kyoto our home for the next five nights.

Sunday 20th – Wednesday 23rd May

I find it hard to express the wonder of Kyoto. When you arrive in the sprawling commercial city you would be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about and yet just a short distance from this metropolis on the low hills of Higashiyama and Arashiyama that flank the city are some of the most wonderfully peaceful and spiritual places that one may ever experience.

Over the coming days we will visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the gardens and shrines of Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavilion); Ginkaku-Ji (Silver Pavilion); the astonishing Kiyomizu-dera temple complex; Ryoan-Ji (perhaps the most iconic Zen Rock Garden in the world); walk the Philosophers Path and see the astonishing Bamboo Groves of Arashiyama and Tenryu-Ji Temple. In the city we will visit the vast samurai Nijo Castle, the Nishiki Market and see the traditional Geisha nightlife of Gion.

One day will be left completely free for you to spend time as you wish in this beautiful region – perhaps visit the ancient capital of Nara.

Thursday 24 May We leave the hotel early morning and head to Kansai International Airport for our flights back either via Frankfurt to the UK arriving the same evening or to Hong Kong for two nights.

 For our guests returning directly to the UK:

Or for our guests continuing to Hong Kong for two nights:

Staying Thursday & Friday night in Hong Kong – checking in at the airport Saturday night

 

 The highlights included in the tour cost are:

Holiday costs

The cost of the holiday is £4,338 per person sharing a twin or double room, flying economy and £5198 for sole occupancy of a double room. If you wish to make your own flight arrangements please deduct £700 from the above costs (no airport transfers are included).

Lufthansa upgrades: Upgrade to Premium Economy is £1100 return per person (limited seats available at a lower cost of £800). Upgrade to Business class is £1600 return per person (both subject to availability at the time of booking).

Hong Kong – 2 night extension - The two night extension in Hong Kong will be at the popular 4* Holiday Inn Golden Mile located on Nathan Road at the southern tip of Kowloon. The hotel has what is considered by many to be the biggest and best buffet breakfast in Asia! We will include a ride on the iconic Star Ferry across Hong Kong Harbour, visit Victoria Peak (using the legendary Peak Tram), two half day sightseeing tours covering Kowloon & Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen & Stanley and plenty of free time. We have also included a farewell dinner on the Saturday evening. Cost for the two night extension including transfers and all inclusions as detailed is £400 per person sharing a twin or double room and £500 for a double room, sole use.

Cathay Pacific upgrades:: Upgrade to Premium Economy is £700 return per person (economy only from Kansai to Hong Kong unless the aircraft is changed between now and departure). Upgrade to Business class is £1850 return per person (both subject to availability at the time of booking).

Health & well-being: No inoculations are required for this holiday. There is a fair amount of walking involved throughout the tour. In several of the national parks, gardens and shrines a number of slopes and steps will be involved, sometimes without handrail. We would ask you therefore to consider your own mobility requirements in order to be able to enjoy the holiday to the full.

Booking procedure: We have a maximum of 30 tickets for each concert and so 30 places on the tour. If you want to join us for the tour please call Stacey in the first instance with your travel preferences. We will then hold space for you and ask you to complete the enclosed Booking Form, take note of the Booking Conditions and return it together with your deposit of £1,500 per person and any flight upgrade payment. The deposit is higher than normal due to our having to pre-purchase all concert tickets and other elements of the tour. Balance payment will be due at the beginning of March.

  

A super trip with great music and not a drop of rain. Weren't we lucky! - A feast of music in London, February 2014
IC, Heswall

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