Assemble at Singapore Changi Airport and begin your holiday with a pleasant flight to Japan.Note: Flight may via Tokyo or other cities for some airlines.

Upon arrival, meet and greet with our local representative. Proceed to Wakayama Castle, which now serves as a symbol of Wakayama City and is also a popular cherry blossom viewing spot in the spring. Continue to Wakayama Marina City, a resort island facing the beautiful Wakayama Bay. Kuroshio Ichiba Market is a seafood market where you can fi nd the freshest prepared food right in front of you. Next, visit the Yuasa SoySauce Factory to learn more about the production of soy sauce. Drive along the Shirahama coast, stopping for a photo stop to admire the magnifi cent Engetsujima, the small sandstone that formed the island and a designated Japanese scenic beauty spot. Spend the night at your hotel and enjoy onsen.

After breakfast, visit Senjojiki, a plateau of huge rocks created by the erosion of the ocean’s waves. Next, visit Sandanbeki Cave and take an elevator to underground caves to experience the dynamic presence of the seas striking the cliff s right before your eyes. Continue to Hashigui-iwa Rock (Bridge Pillar Rocks), astraight line of large and small, unusually shaped rocks that stretches for around 850 meters and appears to be the stakes of a bridge. Continue to Kushimoto Marine Park, the first designated sea park in Japan. Overnight at the unique onsen hotel in Nachi Katsuura and enjoy a Hot Spring Bath with a wondrous view of the Pacific Ocean.

In the morning, travel to Nachi-no-Taki, Japan’s tallest waterfall at 133 meters. Next, visit Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of Kumano’s three important shrines. Continue to Onigajou, a designated national scenic spot and natural monument that is registered as a World Heritage site. Thereafter, proceed to Mikimoto Pearl Island, an island wellknown as the birthplace of cultured pearls. Mikimoto Pearl Museum to learnmore about the cultivation of pearls here with detailed explanations. Watch the performance by “AMA,” femalepearl divers who have traditionally been planting and harvesting pearl oysters.

After breakfast, visit Ise Grand Shrine and stroll along Okage Yokocho Street. Proceed to the AMA Hut for lunch. Enjoy grilled abalone, lobsters, large clams and scallops on an irori*. (*Will replace some seafood items if they are not in season. )After lunch, continue to Takayama, often referred to as “the small Kyoto in Hida”. Stroll along Takayama Old Town to admire its quaint atmosphere.

This morning, we will proceed to Takayama is a must-see. Experience the sights and sounds in the local market of Takayama and purchase some memorable souvenirs. Stroll along Takayama Old Town to admire its quaint atmosphere. Next, proceed to the Shin Hodaka Ropeway which is one of Japan’s most unique ropeways. Its double-decker gondola cars, the first in Japan, will take you to the world above the clouds, 2,156m above sea level. From the Observation Deck at the top of the mountain, you can take in a grand panoramic view of the Northern Japan Alps. Thereafter, visit Shirakawa-go Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with traditional thatched roof house (its shape resembling hands clasped in prayer: “gassho”) and slopes at a steep angle of 60° for protection against heavy snowfall in winter.

After breakfast, proceed to Kinkakuji (admission fee included), the Golden Pavilion. Being one of Kyoto’s leading temples, it is a pond-centered garden featuring a shining golden pavilion designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape. Next, experience making Yatsuhashi (traditional Kyoto sweets) to take home as a souvenir. Continue to the shopping paradise at “Shinsaibashi” and be wowed by the many shops and department stores. Visit the food paradise “Dotonbori” where many cafés, restaurants and street food stalls are located. See the colourful illuminated neon signboards by the Dotombori Canals, with their mirror refl ections on the water.

Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Singapore. We hope you had a memorable vacation with ASA Holidays.