Dates:

Sunday, November 9 - Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Cost: 

$13,500 - Double occupancy lodging (Single room available for $1500)

Size:

Limited to 10 attendees

Included in the cost of the trip:

• Double occupancy lodging (Single room available for $1500)
  
• All meals and beverages (excluding alcohol)
• All ground transportation except airport transfers
• All admissions to museums, parks, etc
• Location expert/photographer Andy Marty
• Local guide and translator
  
• Gratuities for guides
• In-the-field photography instruction
• 1-on-1 Adobe Lightroom post processing instruction (optional)
• 1-on-1 critique/review sessions (optional)
  
  

Not included in the cost of the trip:

• Airfare
• Airport transfers
• Medical/Travel/Gear insurance
• Alcoholic beverages
  
• Snacks
• Visas (if applicable; free for US citizens)
  

Signing Up

To sign up for this photo adventure, checkout here on our website, email us (workshops@leicastoremiami.com) or call 305-921-4433. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. A $2,995 deposit, along with the single room supplement should you choose it, is required to hold your spot. The balance will be due on August 9, 2025.

We look forward to seeing you in Japan!

Itinerary

Sunday, November 9: Meet in Tokyo / Welcome Dinner

At 6:00pm, we'll meet in the lobby of the Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier for introductions and then sit down for our welcome dinner. We'll chat about the trip ahead and get to know one another.

Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier

November 10 & 11: Lake Kawaguchiko and Mt. Fuji

Ohayou gozaimasu (good morning)! After breakfast, we'll checkout of the hotel, gather in the lobby at 8:15am, meet our guides, pack up the bus and make our way towards Mt. Fuji. Our day will be spent strolling around the stunning Lake Kawaguchiko. Overlooking the lake is the magnificent Mt Fuji, and the group will take all the time we need to capture the stunning volcano with autumnal foregrounds of colorful maple trees. We will spend the day around the lake and take an excursion around the volcano, drinking in the views and capturing the landscape with the help of our expert photography guides. Don't worry if you haven't got all the pictures you'd like by the end of the day, for we'll be returning to this gorgeous lakeside for two more days of epic photography! In the evening, you will retire to accommodation in the nearby area.

November 12 & 13: Kiso Valley

It is your final day to capture the exquisite beauty of Japan's Fuji Five Lakes area with a sunrise session to remember. Your group will find new areas and angles from which to capture the mountain, and with luck, the lighting conditions will create new effects and compositions. Thereafter, you'll continue the journey onward, towards the valley of Kiso. This mountainous region is filled with photographic opportunities. We'll spend the day wandering through enchanting traditional towns, capturing the extraordinary architecture that hearkens back several centuries. We'll spend two nights in the Kiso Valley as we explore all that it has to offer.

Today, we'll continue strolling through the atmospheric Kiso Valley, unearthing beautiful compositions at every turn. The evening streets of these villages make for wonderful photographic opportunities, lit by the warm glow of street lights.

Accommodation: Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu & Taoya Kisoji Onsen Hotel

November 14-16: Kyoto

After breakfast, we'll make our way west to Japan's second city, Kyoto. Kyoto is a magical blend of old and new, and we'll spend the next four days exploring the city's most famous cultural sites, including gardens, palaces, shrines and temples. Many sites in Kyoto have become popular attractions, hence why we will organize morning shoots. This not only allows us to skip the crowds, but also to maximize the morning's lighting conditions. Though there is no set schedule for the attractions we will visit, each day will be filled with incredible sights and experiences. Depending on the autumn foliage, we may visit a number of different Buddhist temples surrounded by stunning maple trees and spectacular Japanese architecture made all the more beautiful by the burning red hues of fall.

Today, we will continue to explore Kyoto, capturing the very best of the city's cultural landmarks. You will continue your visits to Kyoto's most fascinating temples, surrounded by the flowering greens, yellows, oranges and red colors of fall. There are over 1600 shrines and temples throughout Kyoto, as well as intriguing rock gardens and pagodas steeped in ancient history and rich culture. Each has its own characteristic, so we will take our time capturing these tranquil zen0like areas, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The attractions covered over the last few days in Kyoto are by no means a definitive list of where we will be spending our time and organizing our photo shoots, but it gives you a good idea of the sites we hope to visit, depending on the autumn colors and how photogenic they will be. There are plenty of other places well worth visiting and capturing with our cameras, from the Arashiyama Bamboo forest to the ancient blocs of Gion Higashiyama. What's for sure, however, your time in Kyoto will be invaluable, not just as a traveler, but as a photographer. Your portfolio will be bursting at the seams with new images! 

Accommodation: Solaria Hotel Kyoto Premier

November 17: Koyasan Mountain



This morning, we will move on to the sacred Koyasan Mountain. Apart from being immensely beautiful, Mount Kōya, is the center for Shingon Buddhism and thus is an incredibly special location to many Japanese people. You will also pay a visit to the beautiful, yet haunting Ancient Okunoin cemetery—the largest cemetery in Japan—as well as the vast temple complex and old shrines that can be found nearby. By the end of the day you will have captured some amazing images, and hopefully developed a deeper insight into the mysticism and spiritual practice that is still so prevalent in Japan today. 

Accommodation: Koya-san, Shukubo (Temple Stay)

Tuesday, November 18: Departure from Osaka

Payment

A $2,995 deposit, along with the single room supplement if you choose it, is due at the time of registration. The balance will be due on August 9, 2025. 

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Enrollment is limited to 10 participants, and once you sign up, we are counting on your attendance. If you need to withdraw from this workshop, please notify us in writing (email is acceptable) as soon as possible. This is our refund policy:

If you cancel and we find someone to fill your seat, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $250 service charge. If you cancel and we cannot find someone to fill your seat, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule:

At least 90 days before the start of the workshop: Full refund minus $250 service fee.
Between 89 and 60 days before the start of the workshop: 75% refund
Between 59 and 45 days before the start of the workshop: 50% refund
Less than 45 days from the start of the workshop: No refund

Course Cancellation and Other Terms
Leica Store Miami reserves the right to cancel a reservation if full payment has not been received by 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
In the event that this workshop must be canceled due to inadequate enrollment, all fees and deposits will be refunded in full or may be transferred to another workshop within 24 months.
In the unlikely event of illness, accident or injury to one of the instructors, Leica Store Miami reserves the right to replace that instructor with a comparable instructor.

Medical Insurance (required)

Emergency medical insurance through a provider like Allianz or similar is required to participate in any of Leica Store Miami's international workshop.

Travel Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

Leica Store Miami is not responsible for cancellations due to medical or personal emergencies so we highly recommend purchasing travel Insurance. Companies like Travelex and Allianz Global Assistance are reputable but you can choose any vendor you like. Just make sure that they have an A+ rating from the BBB. Leica Store Miami is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a workshop cancellation.

Camera Gear Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

We advise all of our workshop attendees to insure their camera gear against damage, theft, loss, etc. If your gear is not already insured, check with your home owner's insurance to see if they offer coverage. There are several photo specific insurance policies out there as well.

Single Room Policy
If you sign-up for double occupancy room sharing and there are no other attendees to pair you with, you will be responsible for paying the single room supplement.

Transfers
If for any reason you wish to transfer your deposit or workshop fee, please notify us by email. You must register and complete a new workshop within 24 months of the withdrawal. We reserve the right to accept or deny any transfer.

There are no exceptions to our Cancellation and Transfer Policy.