Excursion Gardens & fine arts in tokyo (tour & airport transfer - narita airport) tour at Tokyo

This tour is available for disembarking guests with departing flights from Tokyo's Narita Airport after 4:00 p.m.

Tokyo, Hamarikyu Garden, Seaside Garden, Ponds, Oldest Pine Tree in Tokyo, Flowers, Teahouse

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 30-minute drive to the exquisite Hamarikyu Garden. The only surviving seaside garden of Japan's Edo Period, the Hamarikyu Garden was constructed as a residence for a Japanese feudal lord in the 17th century. Later, it was an official duck-hunting ground for the Tokugawa Shogunate before passing into the hands of the Imperial family during the Meiji Period. Ponds in the garden are by seawater, and the scenery delicately changes with the ebb-and-flow of the tide. Two duck-hunting fields remain, and the 300-year-old pine tree by the garden's entrance is the largest such tree in Tokyo. The garden is rich in flowers, and sports a teahouse on a small island within a pond. After a guided walking tour of the Hamarikyu Garden, re-board your coach and head to Meji Shrine.

Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine is the largest shrine in Japan with 700,000 square meters in total, and is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, the father of modern Japan. This beautiful shrine stands in a dense forest glade in the very heart of Tokyo. The greatest number of people visit here for first visit shrine for a year. The setting symbolizes the separation of the spiritual from the worldly. Enter the shrine through twin, 40-foot-tall (12-metre-tall) Torii Gates, one of the largest in Japan.

Imperial Palace Plaza (Photo stop)

Following a guided tour of Meiji Shrine, re-board your coach and continue on to your last stop, the outer-garden of the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace Plaza comprises the moats and spacious plaza between the east side of the Imperial Palace and Marunouchi office buildings. On either side of the road, through the middle of the plaza, stretches a lawn with pine groves. On the north side of the plaza stands a fountain commemorating the marriage of the Emperor and Empress. To the south is a bronze of Kusunoki Masashige, a 14th-century Samurai loyal to the Emperor.

At the conclusion of your tour, re-board your coach and commence the approximately 60-minute transfer to Narita Airport, and your flight home.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion include: Tokyo, Hamarikyu Garden, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace for photo stop

Note

Please note: This tour involves an extensive amount of walking for approximately 1.4 miles (about 2.2 kilometres), at times over uneven, cobblestone and natural surfaces, with a few steps to negotiate to get on/off the coach, ten steps at the Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace and 20 steps at Hamarikyu Garden. This tour is not suitable for guests with limited mobility and guests who utilise a wheelchair. Guests are advised to wear lightweight, comfortable clothing with flat, closed-toe walking shoes, and bring sun protection and local currency for purchases from the ship. The tour sequence may vary. Space on this tour is very limited; we suggest you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Local Tour Guides tend to have a strong accent therefore we urge flexibility. This tour is available for disembarking guests with departing flights from Tokyo's Narita Airport after 4:00 p.m. It is not permitted to stay on the coach during the various stops.