COME TO KYOTO WITH US! May 13 - 22, 2022 (Sorry, our October Tour is sold out.)
CLICK ABOVE to see a short
slide show of our November 2022 trip.
OVERVIEW: This tour is held entirely in Kyoto, where you'll learn
about Japanese textiles and culture, shop at the temple markets, meet several
traditional artisans, and tour one of the most beautiful and exotic cities in
the world. We meet in Kyoto (airfare and transportation to/from the airport is
on your own but we can help with recommendations). And yes, we spend the entire
time in and around Kyoto! Is it enough? Nope. Most group members arrive a day
early and extend their stay to explore other parts of Japan.
Itinerary activities:
Three textile workshops - try your hand at a traditional technique
Five artisan studio visits - an intimate glimpse
One handicraft market - inspiring up-cycling
One temple flea market – Toji Temple Kobo-San Market
Two free days
Selected heritage sites
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
9 nights in a western-style
hotel
single occupancy room with
private bath
all workshop, tour
activities, and entrance fees
breakfast every day
lunch on tour days
Welcome Dinner and Farewell
Dinner
transportation during the
tour
professional Japanese guides
prep materials and other
goodies
memory book after the tour
HOW MUCH IS IT? $4900
CLICK
HERE for the itinerary from November 2022. The activities, pace and
schedule for May 2023 will be similar but are still being finalized.
CAUTION! This trip is not for everyone. If you're flexible, healthy,
eager to visit Japan, and normally not inclined to travel in groups (but
welcome the chance to meet like-minded others) - this trip could be what you've
been waiting for. We provide a great framework from which you can create your
own unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but hand-holding is at a minimum.
You'll have free days to explore in and around Kyoto on your own, so if you're
a hesitant traveler, this is not the trip for you. Also, if you have
dietary restrictions, physical limitations, or a low tolerance for the
unfamiliar, this is really not the trip for you. We can't
emphasize enough the need for everyone to be sufficiently physically fit to do
the daily walking!
Tour members will be asked
to prepare for the trip and to conduct themselves in ways that may sometimes be
a challenge:
-- physical requirements: be
able to walk unassisted at a standard 3-mile/hour pace for up to an hour at a
time, several days in a row
-- balance requirements: get up and down for floor seating (required at some
meals and studio visits)
-- meal requirements: be able to eat with chopsticks and have no strict dietary
or allergy issues
-- cultural awareness: be knowledgeable about Japanese customs and etiquette,
able to master basic greetings, counting, and polite speech
-- group participation: be punctual, flexible, compassionate, attentive, and
respectful of group dynamics
COMFORT LEVEL: The
hotel is not luxury-level accommodations but it is clean, convenient and
comfortable. You'll have a private room with bath, but the rooms are small. The
meals will be authentic, local, and plentiful, but you'll need to be able to
eat with chopsticks and be open to trying new foods. You'll get to know Kyoto
from an ex-pat's and textile-lover's perspective, and we'll do whatever we can
to help you feel comfortable heading out on your free days to pursue your own
adventures. The focus of the trip will be to enjoy Kyoto at a reasonable pace
-- we can't possibly see it all, so lets be in good spirits and well-rested to
enjoy what we can see in the time we have.
PAYMENTS: A
$500 deposit reserves your spot, which would only be confirmed after a phone
chat with Nancy to discuss the trip and share expectations or concerns. The
balance is due by check (no online payments) in two installments (February 15th
and March 15th).
REFUND POLICY: If
you cancel, you'll get 75% back for cancellations made at least six months in
advance, 50% for cancellations made at least three months in advance, and 25%
for cancellations made at least one month in advance. If Kyoto Kimono has to
cancel (under unsafe or travel ban circumstances), refund amounts would be
issued minus any unrecoverable expenses already paid (up to 5% of your
payment). More likely, we would reschedule the tour rather than cancel
altogether. Participants are required to purchase travel insurance, and we
highly recommend getting coverage not only for your flight and medical
treatment but also to cover a full refund in case of cancellation. This is the
only way you would recover all of your payment if you or Kyoto Kimono had to
cancel.
