Japan & Korea Cherry Blossoms Kochi to the Pink Season
Four Seoul nights in the blossom window, the DMZ, Kyoto and Nara, a Hiroshima pause, the bullet train, and Mount Fuji from the lake — the complete spring plan.
Return flights, ten 4-star nights, the bullet train, both visa files and travel insurance, all in one booking.
The Journey in One Look.
Eleven days and ten nights on spring group departures ex Kochi. Economy flights Kochi–Seoul, Seoul–Osaka and Tokyo–Kochi; four nights in Seoul, two in Osaka, one in Hiroshima and three in Tokyo, all in 4-star hotels. The bullet train runs Hiroshima to Tokyo, all meals are per the itinerary, and Japan and South Korea visa charges are included, with all sightseeing and airport transfers by air-conditioned coach. Travel insurance to age 70 (Indian residents) and a Malayalee tour manager from Fortune throughout, GST included. An international route needs a passport valid six months beyond return, with four blank pages.
Duration
11 Days, 10 Nights
Countries
South Korea & Japan
Route
Seoul · Osaka · Kyoto · Nara · Hiroshima · Tokyo
Hotels
10 Nights · 4-Star
Visas
Japan & Korea Included
Flights
Return Flights Included
Day by Day
Kochi to Seoul, the DMZ, then Osaka for Kyoto and Nara, a Hiroshima pause, and the bullet train to Tokyo and Mount Fuji.
Assemble at Cochin International Airport and meet the Fortune tour manager. After check-in, emigration and customs, board the flight to Seoul. On arrival, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Seoul.
The city tour opens with Gyeongbokgung Palace, the first and largest royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, built in 1395, with the National Palace Museum on the grounds. Insadong follows, some seventy specialty shops of antique art, porcelain and woodcraft, then Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the landmark that helped Seoul become World Design Capital in 2010. The day closes with the Han River cruise, passing the Blue House.
Overnight in Seoul. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
The drive runs to Namiseom, the half-moon island on the Bukhangang named for General Nami. The island is walked past nut pines, the metasequoia road and the ginkgo lane, with a birch path and a reed-field walkway along the river; in spring the cherry blossom trees put on their show. The afternoon continues to the Garden of Morning Calm.
Overnight in Seoul. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
The day belongs to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the weapons-free buffer two kilometres deep on each side of one of the world's most heavily guarded borders. The visit covers Imjingak Park, the Third Infiltration Tunnel, the DMZ Theatre and Exhibition Hall, and the Dora Observatory's long look into North Korea; an alternate attraction replaces the observatory if the DMZ closes. The evening rises to N Seoul Tower for the full city view.
Overnight in Seoul. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Check out and transfer to Incheon International Airport for the flight to Osaka. On arrival, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Osaka.
A full-day tour of the old capitals. Nara brings Todaiji Temple and Nara Park, established 1880 at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, home of the free-roaming deer. Kyoto answers with Kinkakuji, the gold-leaf Zen temple, and Fushimi Inari Shrine, where thousands of vermilion torii gates climb sacred Mount Inari. Return to Osaka.
Overnight in Osaka. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
The drive turns toward Hiroshima with a photo stop at Osaka Castle. Pack one small bag for the Hiroshima night; the main luggage travels directly to Tokyo. Arrival, dinner and check-in.
Overnight in Hiroshima. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
A guided tour walks the city's hardest ground: Hiroshima Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum, whose exhibitions speak of the bomb dropped on 6 August 1945. The dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, stands as their memorial near ground zero. In the afternoon, the bullet train carries the group to Tokyo and the light-filled halls of TeamLab Planets.
Overnight in Tokyo. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
The capital opens up: Ueno Park, Shibuya Crossing with its giant screens and crowds, then Senso-ji, the seventh-century temple to the goddess of mercy with its five-storey pagoda and the Asakusa Shrine. Nakamise Street runs 250 metres to the temple gate, before a drive past the Imperial Palace and the National Diet Building. The day tops out at the Tokyo Skytree, 634 metres and the tallest structure in Japan.
Overnight in Tokyo. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
The day trip runs to Mount Fuji, Japan's tallest peak at 3,776 metres, sacred to Shinto since the seventh century. The Lake Kawaguchiko cruise puts the mountain across the water, and the Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway climbs 400 metres from the eastern shore to a deck near Mount Tenjo for the full panorama. Dinner, then the return to Tokyo.
Overnight in Tokyo. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Check out and proceed to Narita International Airport. Board the flight home, and the tour ends with fond memories.
What's Covered & What's Not
Before you fly
Documents, the Essentials
Japan and South Korea visa files run through the Fortune desk.
01
Valid passport
An original passport valid for at least six months beyond the return date, with four blank pages; requirements can vary with the consulate.
02
Visa filed for you
Visa charges are inside the package and our desk files the application, though granting rests only with the consulate.
03
Rejection or delay
Visa fees and booking advances are not refunded if a visa is rejected or delayed; a rejection counts as a deemed cancellation from the rejection date.
04
Check your visa
The visa copy is emailed and sometimes the passport is posted home; check the sticker and confirm every personal detail and the validity dates before travel.
05
Insurance cover
Travel insurance to age 70 is included for Indian residents only; guests above 70 or on foreign passports arrange their own cover.
06
Mind your passport
A lost passport abroad means police filing, embassy visits and new documents, all at the traveller's cost.
Tour Highlights
The Seoul city tour: Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Palace Museum, Insadong, and Dongdaemun Design Plaza
The Han River cruise through the heart of Seoul
Nami Island's tree-lined lanes and the Garden of Morning Calm
The DMZ day: Imjingak Park, the Third Infiltration Tunnel, and the Dora Observatory
N Seoul Tower above the city lights
Osaka Castle at a photo stop, and a full Kyoto and Nara day
Todaiji Temple, Nara Deer Park, Kinkakuji, and the torii gates of Fushimi Inari
Hiroshima Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the Peace Memorial Museum
The bullet train to Tokyo and TeamLab Planets on arrival
Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Street, and the Tokyo Skytree
The Lake Kawaguchiko cruise and the Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
Cancellation Policy
| When you cancel | Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 30 days before departure | 50% of the tour cost |
| Within 30 days of departure | 100% of the tour cost |
| Visa fees and flight tickets (onward & return) | Non-refundable in all cases |
| No-shows, missed flights, bad weather, natural calamities | Fully non-refundable |
Where air tickets or visas are processed more than 91 days in advance, actual charges apply in addition. Cancellation requests run only by email from the registered email ID.
Eleven Days, Timed to the Blossom.
Two countries, ten nights, every visa and meal arranged, and a Malayalee tour manager beside you from Kochi to Kochi. Call us with your names, and the desk opens the spring file.
Most hotels run twin beds, and a double is usually queen size rather than king.
Standard rooms across East Asia average 15 to 18 square metres, so pack with that in mind.
A third bed is usually a rollaway; short of rollaways, hotels may give a double plus a separate single. The desk suggests a twin plus a single supplement instead of a triple.
A mix of continental and local dishes, and queues at breakfast in peak season are normal in both countries.
Hotels run centralized air conditioning set for the whole property, while restaurants and attractions are mostly naturally ventilated.