Japan 2016

On the
Tr ail of the Gods
14 day small gr oup tour
Japan 2016

On the Tr ail of the Gods
Enliven the spir it. Engage the soul. Ener gise the hear t and mind.
'On t he Tr ai l of t he Gods' begins, not in the
hustle & bustle of moder n high-tech Tokyo, but
in Kyoto, the ancient capital & spir itual hear t of
Japan. Saved fr om bombing in WWII, Kyoto is a
beautiful city, full of tr aditional temples,
shr ines & palaces. It's also the gateway to a
netw or k of ancient pilgr im tr ails, each w ith its
ow n histor y, style and cultur e.
'On t he Tr ai l of t he Gods?takes you to some of
the most famous temples and places of natur al
beauty, as w ell as gr eat spots to shop, eat &
bathe. Tr acing the ancient pilgr image tr ails, w e
w ill also have time to wander thr ough the
intimate, out of the way places, immer sing you
in the spir it & tr aditions of classical Japanese
living & a fabulous hot spr ing or tw o.
'On t he Tr ai l of t he Gods?is a 14 day fully
escor ted tour w ith tour guide ~ Felicity Osw ell.
Felicity has been leading tour s since the 80's
and know s Japan intimately. She w ill guide you
thr ough the back str eets w her e the past clings
to the cobbled stones, lanter n lit small
alleyways & teahouses. She'll also show you
w her e to find gr eat r estaur ants and bar s, walks
in natur e, and r emar kable ar t galler ies and
cultur e, ancient and moder n.

the Jour ney includes
Highlights
Return Airfares ~Australia/ Osaka/ Australia
- Ise Gr and Shr ine
- Nachi Falls
- Heian Shr ine
- Fushimi Inar i
Shr ine
- Ryoanji, Zen Rock
Gar den
- Koyasan, Temple
Mountain
- Nar a Big Buddha
- Byodoin 11thC
Par adise Hall
- Kumano Gr and
shr ine
- hot spr ings in caves
& r iver s
- The gr eat Zen
Temples of Nanzeji
& Eikando
- Yoshinosan,
mountain of cher r y
blossoms
- and much, much
mor e!
- 5 nights in Wester n
style accommodation
- 11 nights
accommodation in
tr aditional Japanese
Ryokans (inns) &
temples w hich
includes tr aditional
Japanese br eakfast &
dinner s
- w elcome & goodbye
dinner s
- fully escor ted tour
- temple fees
- ar r ival & depar tur e
tr ansfer
- tr avel by r ail, local
bus, pr ivate coach
- baggage por tage
- quality tour bag,
tr avel itiner ar y &
liter atur e
the Tour
Day 1 ? Fly Sydney to Osaka. A pr ivate coach gr oup tr ansfer
to Kyoto. Check-in to the New Miyako Hotel.
Day 2 We tr avel by pr ivate coach to Fushimi Inar i Shr ine.
Then Heian Shr ine for Cher r y Blossom View ing* LUNCH at a
Soba noodle shop. After noon visit to Eikando or Nanzenji
Temple. A tr aditional w elcome dinner.
Day 3 Pr ivate coach to Ryoanji Temple w ith Rock Gar den.
Daitokuji Temple w ith Zen Gar den. LUNCH - Br ing a bento box
& w e w ill eat under the cher r y blossoms* w ith the locals. Then
w e get dr opped back dow ntow n w ith time for per sonal
explor ation.
Day 4 Coach to Byodoin in Uji, 11thC Par adise Hall, r etur n to
Kyoto.
Day 5 Fr ee day in Kyoto, so much to do & see & shop!
3

Day 6 Tr avel by tr ain fr om Kyoto to Ise.
Visit the Imper ial Gr and Shr ine of Ise. Enjoy
a tr aditional dinner.
Day 7 We move to Kii Katsuur a on local
tr ain check in to Katsuur a Gyoen, a Ryokan
hotel. Enjoy the local hot spr ings and a
tr aditional dinner.
Day 8 Day wander ing ar ound Nachi
Water fall; Seigantoji Temple; Kumano Nachi
Taisha Shr ine ar ea. Option to walk fr om
water fall on Kumano Kodo Tr ail or hot
spr ing. Tr aditional dinner at Katsuur a
Gyoen.
Day 9 Tr avel to Kawayu Onsen via pr ivate
coach. Enjoy a 3 hr walk along Kumano
pilgr image r oute to Kumano Hongu Shr ine.
Enjoy hot spr ings in the r iver. Tr aditional
dinner.
Day 10 Tr avel to Mt Koya via Skyline r oad
and Ryujin Hot Spr ing. Night view ing of
Daimon and Danjo Gar an centr al temple
ar ea.
Day 11 Fr ee day to explor e Okuno-in cemeter y;
Tokugawa?s Mausoleum; Kongobuji Temple.
Daimon; Danjo Gar an; Reihoukan Museum.
Temple dinner.
Day 12 Tr avel by pr ivate coach to Nar a via
Yoshino Cher r y Blossom * Mountain w her e w e
stop for lunch. Stay at Nar a Hotel. Goodbye
dinner.
Day 13 Visit the Big Buddha in the mor ning.
Gr oup tr ansfer fr om Nar a to Osaka air por t.
? Osaka to Austr alia
Day 14 Ar r ive Sydney Inter national Air por t
and say goodbye.
* Cherry blossom viewing is not guaranteed due to the weather.
However, all the places proposed consider the annual best seasons.
fully escor ted Small Gr oup Tour
Depar t 3 Apr il 2016 - Retur n 14 Apr il 2016
Twin Shar e (double occupancy) fr om $7540pp Single Supplement fr om $1370pp
4

your Guide
Since living in Kyoto for 2 year s in the eighties, Austr alian bor n Felicity has
been a fr eelance guide taking small gr oup tour s to Japan ever y spr ing and
autumn. Fr om 2002 until 2010, she has also lead UTS students on Design &
Ar chitectur e Study tour s thr oughout Japan. Her Japanese fr iends joke she
know s their countr y, its histor y and beautiful places, a lot better than they do.
Long dr aw n to the beauty and pow er of Japan?s
sacr ed sites, Felicity has designed ?On t he Tr ai l of
t he Gods?. A jour ney tr acing ancient pilgr image
tr ails in the hear t of old Japan. Inspir ed by her
intimate know ledge of the countr y, and her study of
Shinto and Buddhist histor y and philosophy,
Felicity has cr eated a tour w ith the per fect blend of
beauty, cultur e, aesthetics, histor y and pilgr image.
It?s a unique oppor tunity to benefit fr om her
know ledge of the special places that few tr aveler s
ar e pr ivileged to see as she guides you along the
pathways 'On t he Tr ai l of t he Gods'.
(Al l i m ages © Fel i ci t y Oswel l ex cept wher e noted)
AIRFARES
We fly w ith Japan Air lines one of the w or ld's leading air lines. Our air far es have in built flexibility so you'r e
able to extend your stay or head off to another destination. You may also want to upgr ade to business class.
Please contact our tr avel manager for fur ther details.
PASSPORTS & VISAS & INSURANCE
We w ill r equir e a photocopy of your passpor t & your passpor t must be valid for at least 6 months fr om your
r etur n date back to Austr alia. If you ar e tr avelling on any thing other than an Austr alian passpor t, please
advise us as visas might be r equir ed. Tr avel insur ance is mantor y, please discuss options w ith our tour
manager and w e w ill r equir e a photocopy.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
1. To confir m your booking w e w ill need a non-r efundable deposit of $500 per per son w ithin 7 days of
confir mation.
2. A pr ogr ess payment of $1500 by 1st October 2015 (185 days) befor e tour depar tur e date.
3. Your final balance is due by 1st Januar y, 2016 (93 days) befor e your depar tur e date. Or let us help to
w or k out a payment plan for you.
please contact our Travel Manager to make a booking

TERMS & CONDITIONS
BYMAKINGABOOKINGANDPAYINGYOURDEPOSITYOUACCEPTTHEFOLLOWINGBOOKINGTERMSANDCONDITIONS
Please note that all tours are subject to availability and all prices are subject to change without notice until your
holiday has been fully paid. In the event of cancellation, the cancellation conditions set out below will apply. All
prices are quoted in Australian dollars and must be paid in Australian dollars.
Late Bookings
Higher deposit payments ar e r equir ed for late bookings. Full payment is
r equir ed for all bookings r eceived w ithin 4 w eeks of depar tur e.
Bookings Sold on a Shar e Basis
When r equested, bookings may be accepted on a shar e r oom basis on the
condition that the per son/s r equesting the shar e r eser vation agr ee that
although ever y effor t w ill be made to comply w ith r equests this is not
always possible and w e accept no r esponsibility for any incompatibility
betw een per sons shar ing tw in r ooms. If a shar e r oom is not available at
the time of final payment, either the single r oom alter native or the
cancellation conditions set out below w ill apply at your option.
Single Rooms
If by choice or cir cumstance a single r oom is r equir ed, then a single r oom
sur char ge w ill apply. Requested & booked single r ooms ar e confir med in
good faith on the basis of the infor mation available at the time. If by some
chance w hilst on tour, the single r oom is not available, a r efund w ill be
made for any night that the paid single r oom was not available.
Air line Schedule Changes
We ar e not r esponsible for any schedule changes
imposed by air lines. Whilst w e w ill do our best to
r eschedule your tour & accommodation, w e ar e not
r esponsible for any additional costs nor ser vices
missed as a r esult of an air line-imposed schedule
change.
Changes in Pr ice and Minimum Number s
All tour s ar e based on a minimum number of
par ticipants. If this minimum number is not r eached
w e r eser ve the r ight to cancel or r e-cost this tour as
appr opr iate. If w e r e-cost the tour and you decide not
to pr oceed, or, if w e cancel the tour, your deposit is
r efundable in full. In all other cir cumstances your
deposit is non-r efundable.
Tr avel Documents and Taxes
It is your r esponsibility to ensur e that all passpor ts,
visas, tr avel per mits, health cer tificates and other
documentation r equir ed for the tour ar e obtained and
ar e in or der. You ar e r esponsible for any additional
costs incur r ed by either us or you as a r esult of any
failur e to comply w ith these r equir ements.
Tr avel & Accommodation
The flights, coach jour neys, and other tr avel and hotel
accommodation compr ised in your holiday ar e
pr ovided by r eputable car r ier s and hotelier s on their
ow n conditions. It is impor tant to note ther efor e that
all bookings ar e subject to the ter ms and conditions
and limitations imposed by the individual air lines,
coach oper ator s, hotelier s and other ser vice pr ovider s
w ho pr ovide ser vices in r elation to your tour. Some of
these ter ms and conditions may per mit the ser vice
pr ovider to cancel, delay, diver t or substitute ser vices
at their discr etion, and may limit or exclude liability
in r espect of death, per sonal injur y, delay and loss or
damage to baggage. It is your r esponsibility to be
awar e of and comply w ith the ter ms and conditions of
each ser vice pr ovider.
Tr avel Insur ance
Tr avel insur ance is not included in any of the pr ices
in this br ochur e. It is a condition of tr avelling that you
have compr ehensive tr avel insur ance to cover you for
the full dur ation of your jour ney for costs associated
w ith illness, injur y, death, loss of or damage to
baggage and per sonal items, cancellation, loss of
deposit, medical and hospitalization expenses,
r epatr iation and cur tailment expenses due to illness,
the need to r etur n home unexpectedly, evacuation
expenses and accidental death or disability. We w ill
be able to advise you on r equest about tr avel
insur ance packages. How ever, you ar e solely
r esponsible for obtaining the appr opr iate insur ance
cover as set out above. You should consult your doctor
or tr avel medical specialists r egar ding any
innoculations, medications and other health
pr ecautions that should be taken.

Exclusion From Tour
You m ay be excluded from the tour at our discretion if you
fail to com ply with our reasonable instructions while on
tour; if you interfere with other clients? enjoym ent of the
tour; if you jeopardise the safety of other clients; if you
engage in illegal or undesirable behaviour, or if you
otherwise becom e a hazard to yourself or other clients. You
will not be entitled to a refund and we will not be
responsible for any expenses that you m ay incur if you are
excluded from the tour for any of these reasons. We m ay
also decide not to include you in any activity if we consider
that you are unable to safely participate in that activity as a
result of a m edical condition, or if we consider that your
participation m ay place the safety of other clients at risk.
Risk & Liability
Every effort is m ade to ensure that your holiday
arrangem ents are satisfactory and we accept liability for,
but only to the extent of, any loss or dam age sustained by
you as a direct result of our negligence. In any event, our
aggregate liability to you is lim ited to the am ount you have
paid to us for the tour.
You acknowledge & agree that there are inherent risks
involved in participating in the tour, including without
lim itation possible contact with native fauna, local
residents, unforeseen events. By m aking a booking, you
agree to accept all risks associated with the tour.
We exclude, and you unconditionally release us from , all
liability, including without lim itation in contract and in
tort, for any cause of action, including any injury, dam age,
loss, cost, delay, additional expense or inconvenience
caused directly or indirectly as a result of the inherent risks
associated with the tour, or any force m ajeure events or
other events which are beyond our control, including but
not lim ited to war, civil disobedience, terrorism ,
insurrection, accident, explosion, sickness, fire, floods,
severe weather, acts of God, acts of Governm ent, alteration
or cancellation of scheduled air services, accidents to or
failure of m achinery or equipm ent or industrial action. If we
or our service providers are affected in any way by a force
m ajeure event, we m ay in our discretion vary or cancel any
itinerary or arrangem ent in relation to the tour as we
consider necessary, without incurring any liability to you.
Service providers are not our agents or em ployees and are
not under our direct control. We therefore do not warrant
the perform ance of any service provider. We do not accept,
and you release us from , all liability for any injury, loss,
dam age, costs or expenses, including without lim itation
any property dam age or personal injury, that you m ay
suffer which arises out of any act or om ission of a service
provider or operator who provides services in connection
with your tour. Any claim that you m ay have in relation to a
service provider should be raised directly with that service
provider. You are responsible for any injury, loss, dam age,
costs or expenses arising through your own fault. You agree
to indem nify us against all actions, proceedings, claim s,
dem ands, expenses and costs (including legal costs on a full
indem nity basis and whether incurred by or awarded
against us) as a result of, or arising in relation to, whether
directly or indirectly, your participation in the tour or any
act or om ission by you in relation to the tour.
Cancellation Conditions
Cancellation of reservation/ s m ust be provided to us
in writing and is subject to the following cancellation
fees plus non-refundable deposit:
- 70 days before departure ? loose 25%
- 45 days before departure ? loose 50%
- 30 days before departure ? loose 100%
Please check with your consultant at the tim e of
booking.