8-Day The Spirit of Japan - Kansai

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Take a ride on the Koyasan Funicular to Koyasan and walk on the enchanting paths of Mount Koya. In the heart of its forests, centuries-old cedars gather to offer you a spectacle of majestic nature. Visit the Okunoin Cemetery, a forest with thousands of graves with many legends. Then go to Kongobu-ji and the Danjo Garan temple both led by Kukai. Finish the day at the Koyasan Reihokan Museum that conserves and exhibits Buddhist works of art belonging to temples located in Kōya-san.

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In the morning, you'll take the train back to Osaka by yourself and then get a connection to Nara to continue on your Japan trip. Once the capital of Japan, Nara is perhaps between known for its deer park, where wild deer roam freely and are interestingly very friendly thanks to their many visitors. After a half-day of exploring, you'll stay in Nara.

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Today is free to explore: stroll through the large park in the city of Nara, discover the Kasuga Taisha Shrine with its buildings painted in vermilion red and visit the large Todai-ji Temple, home to the Daibutsu-den building, the largest wooden construction in the world which houses a monumental Big Buddha. Admire the magnificent Nigatsu-Do Temple built on wooden stilts and visit the Hokke-Do Temple also called Sangatsu-do, the oldest building in Todai-ji. You'll make your own way to Kyoto.

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Visit the famous Yasaka-Jinja Shrine, dedicated to the goddess of the sea and Maruyama Park, an essential place for the Ohanami during Sakura. Visit the Kodai-ji Temple, full of maple and bamboo trees and troll through the Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka alleys that look like they come straight out of a samurai movie. Visit the astonishing Kiyomizu-Dera Temple and walk through Gion District. You'll finish the day at the two of the most important temples in Japan, Higashi Hongen-ji and Nishi Hongen-gi.

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Today is yours to enjoy. You could start the day out in Arashiyama, a part of the city that is known for its bamboo grove and monkey park. Then, you could go on a self-guide temple tour of the city, stopping at all the must-see sights such as Tenryu, Nonomiya-Jinja and Nison-in. You could finish the day on the iconic Saga scenic train; it's the only scenic train in Japan.

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Travel in a minibus with your local guide to the Japanese countryside. You'll discover another Japan, as you explore the rice and tea fields in Wazuka. Head north towards Ujitawara where a Japanese couple will welcome you to their small tea factory in a country house. Taste several types of tea from the fields around you. Take a walk on the vermilion bridges and learn about the city of Uji and cormorant fishing. Finally, explore Byodo-in Temple and its museum, featured on the 10 yen coin.