The Photographic Trip to Japan, from November 18th to December 2nd, 2020, is another of our star bets for 2020. One of the most dreamed destinations by photographers from around the world that will offer us unique and unique images of their culture, Architecture and nature In short, a complete trip that will take us into this millenary culture and that offers us some unforgettable images during the Sakura (cherry blossom during spring).
Within this extraordinary 15-day photographic journey, we will photograph as iconic places as Mount Fuji or “the snow monkeys” while taking baths in the hot springs of Nagano. We will also visit fantastic cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, or the spectacular Arashiyama forest where we will immerse ourselves in endless bamboo landscapes.
In addition, this photographic trip to Japan is one of our photographic trips with a greater social component. In each of our destinations, we can photograph local people doing their routine tasks. From the busy modern life in Tokyo, to historic cities like Shirakawa-go or Kayosan where we will join the life of a Buddhist temple in our accommodation.
A destination with so many possibilities facilitates the realization of a really complete program, and that will take us to the maximum from the first moment, until practically the last day, before moving to the airport to undertake the return home.
Among the many sessions that we will carry out, the sunrises and sunsets that we will spend photographing some of the most spectacular temples in Japan stand out. We can also highlight our visits to the incredible nature of the island. But, in addition, we will spend many moments capturing portraits in the markets or in the street stalls of the cities that we will visit during the tour.
So that you can have the maximum and best possibilities of obtaining great images, we have prepared this Photo Trip to Japan with the highest level of detail. Therefore, you can enjoy almost constant photographic possibilities during each of the days of our stay in this beautiful country.
In short, we talk about a very special opportunity to visit and photograph a country as full of contrasts and beauty as Japan, join our Photographic Trip and be one of the lucky ones who can enjoy an unforgettable experience.
Arrival to Tokyo. Group meeting and start of the trip.
Depending on the arrival time, we will visit the Scramble Kousaten crossing in the Shibuya neighborhood, known as the Times Square in Tokyo.
Night at our Tokyo hotel.
We will get up early to visit the Sensō-jico temple overlooking the Tokyo tower during sunrise. From there we will walk around, touring the Asakusa District, one of the traditional neighborhoods of Tokyo where we can enter and photograph the typical streets of small Japanese restaurants. We will also have the possibility to photograph the Tokyo Skytree, one of the highest towers in the city and from where we will have a panoramic view of it.
In the afternoon we will approach Odaiba, from where we will have views of the Tokyo skyline and we can take spectacular photographs at sunset.
In the morning we will approach the Shiba Park, located next to the Zojoji temple and the Tokio tower where we can take pictures of its buildings and cherry blossoms at sunrise and throughout the morning. We will walk to the Roppongi area to eat.
In the afternoon we will visit the Meiji Shrine until sunset that we will approach but we could visit it the first day at the junction of Scramble Kousaten, where we will have dinner before leaving to Lake Motosuko, near Mount Fuji where we will spend the night.
We will get up early to photograph one of the most emblematic places of our trip: Mount Fuji
We will visit the surroundings of this impressive volcano, from the incredible views that the area known as the 5 lakes will give us, which in spring shows its maximum splendor with the cherry blossoms that surround these lakes. In the morning we will visit the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, which will offer us spectacular views with its more than 800,000 shibazakura flowers. In the afternoon we will approach the Chureito Pagoda, from where we can see Mount Fuji and the cherry fields with the temple in the foreground at sunset. Once our session is over we will travel to Yudanaka where we will spend the night.
After having rested and without the need to get up too early we will approach the Jogokudani park, where we can observe the 200 wild snow monkeys that live in this park, taking baths in the park’s hot springs.
In the afternoon we will continue our route to the south of Japan, stopping in the incredible village of Shirakawa-go, located in what is known as the Japanese Alps. After photographing it at sunset from the surroundings, we will rest at the hotel in Kanazawa.
We will return to get up early to photograph this beautiful town with the first rays of the sun and visit its traditional houses among the cherry blossoms. At noon we will undertake our trip again to arrive at our next destination: Hikone.
In the afternoon already in Hikone, we will have time to visit at sunset its impressive castle as well as the surrounding gardens. Once our session is over we will continue our trip to Kyoto.
We will begin our visit in the morning at Nijo Castle, one of the most spectacular buildings in Kyoto. We will also walk through the incredible Japanese gardens of Ninomaru. Once the visit is over, we will approach the Nishiki market to eat and photograph this busy Japanese market.
In the afternoon, we will approach one of the most incredible neighborhoods of our entire trip: Gion. Known as the neighborhood of the geisha that we can photograph with their typical costumes the geisha walking between old wooden houses and traditional merchant shops of yesteryear. Also in this neighborhood we will have the possibility to visit the Hokanji temple and get one of the most incredible photographs of our trip in the streets of the Gion neighborhood with the Kiyomizu-deraal Pagoda in the background at sunset.
Today we will get up early to get to Fushimi Inari before dawn and for all tourists to flood this iconic place. We will walk through its more than 10,000 torii at dawn always looking for the best compositions and we will take advantage of the morning to visit this sacred mountain.
In the afternoon we will approach the To-ji temple, an ancient Buddhist temple that has the highest 5-story pagoda in all of Japan and where we will wait for the sunset to get some spectacular photos of the cherry blossoms that surround this incredible temple.
We will return to the hotel early to rest and prepare for the next day.
We will get back early to arrive before dawn to the bamboo forest of Arashiyama. We will look for the best location to be prepared when the first rays of sun enter this incredible forest. Once our session is finished, we will visit the nearby gardens of Okochi Denjiro and the temples of Tenryuji and Nonomiya near the forest.
At noon after lunch, we will visit a street less well known but that maintains the traditional houses of ancient Kyoto. In the afternoon we will approach another of the most visited points of the city such as the Golden Pavilion, where we can photograph its incredible castle at sunset.
At night, if the forces accompany us we can approach the temple of Yasaka Jinja, which is open for night photography. When we finish we will approach Osaka to rest in our new destination.
In the morning we will get up early to visit the Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine, where we can photograph its more than 700 wooden lamps in this sanctuary that is more than 1800 years old.
In the afternoon we will approach the castle of Osaka, one of the most spectacular in the whole country and that during the Sakura offers unrepeatable views.
In the evening we will visit the area of Dōtonboridonde, in addition to restoring forces while having dinner, we can photograph their famous neons in one of the busiest streets in the city.
This day we will take it more calmly in the morning to regain strength of our trip. At noon we will arrive in Himeji to stroll through the Koko-en gardens near the impressive Himeji Castle. In which we will wait until sunset to photograph it in its maximum splendor. At night we will return to Osaka to rest.
We will get up early to visit the city of Nara. Famous for the deer that walk through its streets, and that also retains the traditional Japanese style in its architecture. There we will visit the temples of Kofukuji and Horyuji, the first one was moved more than 1000 years ago from Kyoto and the second is the oldest wooden temple in the world.
After lunch, we will visit Mount Yoshino, where we will have one of the most spectacular views of our trip with the Nara Mountains full of cherry blossoms and that during the sunset they will leave us some spectacular images to photograph.
At the end of our session we will go to our next destination in Koyasan where we will stay in a shukubo, a Buddhist temple that will offer us a unique experience. There they will be waiting for us to offer us a shojin ryōri-style dinner that is typical of Mount Koya. After dinner we can take a bath or onsen, and even take a night walk through the temple.
The day will begin at dawn, when the Buddhist monks wake us up to join their Otsutome ceremony, two hours where we can photograph them while lighting a bonfire and reciting sutras. Once the ritual is over, they will offer us a typical breakfast to start the day with strength. We will use the day to visit the infinity of monuments and temples of Mount Koya, where the Danjo Garan and, especially, the Kondo hall, the Fear hall, the Fudodo hall, the Konpon Daito vermellón pagoda and the small Toto pagoda stand out.
In the afternoon we will begin our trip back to the north to get to the night of Nagoya.
After having rested, we will begin our walk through the Kiso Valley in the town of Magome, the first of the towns we will visit from the old Nakasendo route that went from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto. Magome and especially Tsumago, the second town we will visit, were two main resting points on this route between the main Japanese cities. With industrialization, this route was virtually abandoned leaving these villages standing in time. Which will allow us to photograph the most traditional and best preserved rural Japan of our entire trip. The route that we will make on foot between both villages, runs between full nature and in it we can photograph in addition to the typical architecture, waterfalls and spectacular mountainous landscapes. Once our route is finished, we will continue our trip to Tokyo, where we will arrive to rest before embarking on our return flight the next day.
Transfer to Tokyo airport and end of the photographic trip to Japan. Flight back home.
The price for this Japan Photo Tour is $4,400 per person, in a double shared room.
This price is calculated based on a minimum group of 6 participants.
Single room occupancy: $1000, subject to availability
To book your spot in this Russia Photo Tour, please send us an email to info@dreamphotoexpeditions.com .
Price per person based on a minimum group number and for a double room (double – occupancy basis). Single room occupancy cost is $1000, depending on availability.
This Japan Photo Tour is organized by the agency Dream Photo Expeditions.
‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ carefully designs each one of the routes that it is offering, adapting always to the travelers’ needs. However, due to each country particularities and conditions, it is possible that the routes could vary, changing the itineraries and the places to visit.
In this sense, it will be up to the photographer/s guide/s the decision of changing any of the programmed activities and shooting sessions for each day, depending on factors as weather or light conditions, or by their consideration or thoughts, being the tour hosts, always in search of the best possible experiences and moments of light for the customers of this trip.
Also, sometimes some of the activities and sessions can be cancelled, depending on weather conditions.
The program of this Japan Lake Photo Tour may also be changed in case of emergency, injury, illness, or robbery of any of the participants or main photographers, among other causes.
At the same time, both the photographers and ‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ reserves the right of changing the photographer/s guide/s in case of strong reason, such as first grade relatives or own illness or hospitalization, severe health problems, accidents, etc. In those cases, the agency will bring another photographer able to guide the group in the same destination.
Our Photo Tours are trips carefully designed and planned to take our clients to a wonderful photo destination, always trying to take them to the greatest locations at the best possible moments. This is different from a Workshop, which has more of a learning component on it.
However, if any of our clients needs it, we will try to help them with the settings of their gear, as well as with any concept about photography, or giving them ideas for composition, etc.
Photography will always come number first during the trip. This means that, sometimes, we’ll be late for lunch or dinner, or even have to wait to the next meal.
We will be always waking up early and staying out till late. Also, we will have some night photography sessions , depending on conditions. However, many of the days of the trip, clients will have free time to rest, usually before of after lunch.
The traveler is responsible of having all the documentation for the trip. To visit Japan, citizens from any country need their Passport, with an expiration date longer than 6 months after the trip.
You will also need a valid Visa for Japan, that you can get applying online. Just let us know and we’ll help you with the process!
This Japan Photo Tour includes basic assistance insurance. Those travelers who wish to, can get an advanced insurance for an additional cost. In this case, ‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ will inform and help the client to choose a travel insurance.
To join this trip, it is mandatory to have a travel insurance, just in case anything could happen. Medical expenses in Japan could be really high, even in the simple case of a hand or foot broken. Having a travel insurance covering high medical expenses would help in case of any inconvenience.
‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ will give personal counseling and advice to travelers when purchasing their trip. Clients will be given a list with all that they need for the route, tips about how to prepare a medical kit for the travel, recommendations about the photography gear for the place and kind of photography, etc. Our staff will be delighted to solve any doubt that the clients could have when preparing the trip.
We are completely sure that this Japan Photo Tour will be an unforgettable experience for travelers, as well as an intensive photography experience. ‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ considers it its responsibility, as the travel agent, to promote values such as respect (cultural, social and environmental). Those values will always prevail in all our trips. At the same time, ‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ will always ensure that the impact of their trips is never negative for the country, their citizens or their wildlife.
Neither ‘Dream Photo Expeditions’ as the organizing company, nor the photographers hosting the tour, are responsible for any risk or decision taken by the clients during the trip. They are not also responsible for any incident or accident during the trip, and will have no responsibility at all in case of accident, illness or injuries.
As previously stated, in case of an accident or emergency, the itinerary or activities in this Baikal Lake Photo Tour may need to be changed or cancelled until the situation is solved.
The client declares that he or she accepts all the conditions on this trip at the time he or she makes a reservation payment for it.
At the moment of the purchase confirmation, the client will have to pay an initial payment of $600. The rest of the payment will be effective at maximum 30 days prior to the trip. The agency can resolve the contract and apply the established withdrawal rules before the departure if the client doesn’t make effective any of the expected payments in the deadline, as the terms previously seen. The features that make up the combined travel contract come from the information given to the client in the brochure or program, as well as from the indications regarding this information that could have been given when confirming the reservation.
In case the agency doesn’t complete the minimum needed group to confirm the trip, the client will recover the 100% of the initial payment.
Cancellation policies:
– Until 30 days prior to the trip: $600
– 30 days prior to the trip: 100% of the trip cost (no refund at all).
Prices are based in the Exchange rates by June the 20th, 2019. The currency may be updated until 21 days prior to the departure, according to Spanish Travel Laws. A supplement/discount would be applied in case of change.
Once the reservation is done by the client, and the services and their prices are confirmed by the agency, these prices only could be revised until 20 calendar days prior to the departure dates, only in case there are variations in the transportation costs (including the fuel prices), in accommodations, in rates and taxes referring to certain services (such as landing, boarding in ports and airports), or in monetary exchange rates applied to the trip.
All our Photo Tours are organized by our official Travel Agency
Dream Photo Expeditions official travel agency
6 Alday Street, Camargo, Santander (Spain)
Phone: +34 625 01 44 81
Mail: info@dreamphotoexpeditions.com