Winter holiday in Japan
| country: | Japan |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 18 Jan, 15 Feb |
| price: | From £1490 (10 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The Snow Country tour is ideal for those who want to combine time spent in Tokyo or Kyoto with a journey into the winter landscape of central Japan. The tour offers bathing in natural hot springs, and visits to the historic towns and villages of this mountainous region.
We will begin by travelling to a wonderful hot spring town in the mountains of Nagano, where you can soak in the indoor and outdoor baths. Yudanaka Onsen has a history going back 1,300 years and you will stay at an elegant traditional ryokan with its own hot spring baths. Sitting in a hot bath surrounded by snow is an experience not to be missed! After a soak, sit down to a dinner of delicious home-cooked food with a chance to try ‘atsu-kan’ (hot sake).
On the second day we visit the small town of Obuse, stopping at the museum dedicated to the artist Hokusai, famous for his ukiyo-e wooblock prints. Obuse is also famous for its saké brewery, and during our visit we will be able to try the different varieties and it may be possible to see the brewing taking place. Afterwards we will visit the famous 'snow monkeys', who come to bathe in one of the outdoor hot spring pools. Japanese long-tail monkeys have been coming this hot pool for more than 40 years, ever since a sympathetic lodge owner started leaving food out for them in the winter.
Our next stop will be Takayama, a former feudal artist's enclave, with many well-preserved traditional houses. The town is famous for its crafts; particularly lacquer ware, pottery, and furniture. There will be time to wander through the back streets, visit the restored Edo-period government buildings, and shop for souvenirs at the morning market.
We head next to the remote village of Ogimachi, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, where will stay for the night in one of the traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri houses. These large wooden houses have steep thatched roofs, designed to withstand heavy snow, and the term gassho-zukkuri refers to the shape of praying hands formed by the roofs.
From Shirakawa-go, we travel by road to Kanazawa, an elegant city where we will spend two days, and visit Kenrokuen, a classical Japanese garden, one of Japan’s three most famous. Winter is a lovely time to see the garden, when snow will grace the trees and rocks, and you will avoid the tourists. Finally, our journey brings us to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, and we will have two nights to sample this traditional and sophisticated city. The tour ends here but you may like to stay on in Kyoto, or travel onwards to other destinations in Japan.
Along with the beautiful snowy landscapes and wonderful hot springs, we will enjoy freshly-made local cuisine at each stop, such as hida beef, miso bean paste, sweet dumplings and sansai cuisine made from delicately prepared mountain vegetables.
We will begin by travelling to a wonderful hot spring town in the mountains of Nagano, where you can soak in the indoor and outdoor baths. Yudanaka Onsen has a history going back 1,300 years and you will stay at an elegant traditional ryokan with its own hot spring baths. Sitting in a hot bath surrounded by snow is an experience not to be missed! After a soak, sit down to a dinner of delicious home-cooked food with a chance to try ‘atsu-kan’ (hot sake).
On the second day we visit the small town of Obuse, stopping at the museum dedicated to the artist Hokusai, famous for his ukiyo-e wooblock prints. Obuse is also famous for its saké brewery, and during our visit we will be able to try the different varieties and it may be possible to see the brewing taking place. Afterwards we will visit the famous 'snow monkeys', who come to bathe in one of the outdoor hot spring pools. Japanese long-tail monkeys have been coming this hot pool for more than 40 years, ever since a sympathetic lodge owner started leaving food out for them in the winter.
Our next stop will be Takayama, a former feudal artist's enclave, with many well-preserved traditional houses. The town is famous for its crafts; particularly lacquer ware, pottery, and furniture. There will be time to wander through the back streets, visit the restored Edo-period government buildings, and shop for souvenirs at the morning market.
We head next to the remote village of Ogimachi, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, where will stay for the night in one of the traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri houses. These large wooden houses have steep thatched roofs, designed to withstand heavy snow, and the term gassho-zukkuri refers to the shape of praying hands formed by the roofs.
From Shirakawa-go, we travel by road to Kanazawa, an elegant city where we will spend two days, and visit Kenrokuen, a classical Japanese garden, one of Japan’s three most famous. Winter is a lovely time to see the garden, when snow will grace the trees and rocks, and you will avoid the tourists. Finally, our journey brings us to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, and we will have two nights to sample this traditional and sophisticated city. The tour ends here but you may like to stay on in Kyoto, or travel onwards to other destinations in Japan.
Along with the beautiful snowy landscapes and wonderful hot springs, we will enjoy freshly-made local cuisine at each stop, such as hida beef, miso bean paste, sweet dumplings and sansai cuisine made from delicately prepared mountain vegetables.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Meet in Tokyo and transfer to Yudanaka Onsen Hot Spring. Meet in Tokyo and transfer by train to Yudanaka Onsen hot spring in Nagano prefecture. Overnight at hot spring ryokan. |
| Day 2: | Obuse and Yudanaka Hot Spring. Visit to the town of Obuse, with its sake brewery and the museum of the woodblock print artist Hokuasai. In the afternoon we will visit the 'Snow Monkeys' who soak in their very own hot spring bath. |
| Day 3: | Takayama. Travel by road to Takayama in the mountainous Hida region, and stay at a traditional ryokan. |
| Day 4: | Takayama. A full day in Takayama to explore the town, visit the morning market, and the san-machi (old town) area to see traditonal merchants houses. |
| Day 5: | Shirakawa-go. Travel by road to the Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage site. Stay in traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri house. |
| Day 6: | Kanazawa and Kenrokuen. By road to the city of Kanazawa, and visit the famous Kenrokuen garden, formerly the outer garden of Kanazawa castle. Overnight hotel. |
| Day 7: | Kanazawa. A full day in Kanazawa; visit the Omicho market with its selection of seafood and regional foods, free time in the afternoon. |
| Day 8: | Kyoto. By train to Kyoto, Japan's former capital. Visit the Gion geisha quarter before dinner. |
| Day 9: | Kyoto. Full day in Kyoto, visit the Golden Pavilion and the Arashiyama district. |
| Day 10: | Tour ends . Our tour ends today but you may like to stay longer in Kyoto or travel onwards in Japan. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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This tour is part of a new trend in rural tourism in Japan, supporting small, family-run inns and guesthouses, in small towns and villages that often have few work opportunities. Going against the traditional form of tourism in Japan, large concrete resort hotels catering to large groups, our tours go to destinations off the main tourist trail for foreigners in Japan, encouraging local people to conserve older, traditionally-constructed buildings and take pride in their traditions.
 The town of Obuse is a good example of an enlightened policy towards conservation and responsible tourism, where walking between the various restored buildings is encouraged and the local sake brewery is the first in Japan to reintroduce the traditional method of barrel-brewed sake. The presence of a Japanese-speaking foreign tour leader makes a big difference in cultural interaction, and lessens the possibility of minor cultural gaffes by foreigners that might otherwise create some nervousness on the part of the locals about hosting foreign guests. We use public transport where possible to lessen the environmental impact on this tour. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |