Winter holiday in Japan
| country: | Japan |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Please contact us for departure details |
| price: | From £1150 (7 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Winter trip to the mountains and towns of central Japan. Skiing, snow-shoeing, hot springs, and historical towns. Choice of snow-shoeing orientation and guided trek or skiing.
Highlights: Skiing and snow-shoeing in Nozawa Onsen hot spring – Obuse woodblock print museum – Snow monkeys of Yudanaka hot spring – traditional merchants houses of Takayama – Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage site
This winter 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 provides excellent skiing, the easy but exciting sport of snow-shoeing, bathing in natural hot springs, and visits to historic towns and villages of this mountainous region. We will begin by spending two days in Nozawa Onsen hot spring village, which has excellent ski facilities. There will be a chance to try snow-shoeing, easy to learn and a wonderful way to see the beautiful countryside. In the evening we will enjoy soaks in the hot spring baths (onsen) and the delicious local cuisine.
From there we will visit the town of Obuse famous for its saké brewery and woodblock print musuem. At Yudanaka Onsen hot spring village, we will stay in an old hot spring lodge, which is not far from where the famous ‘snow monkeys’ come to bathe in one of the outdoor hot spring pools. Takayama, our next stop, is 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. Our final stop will be the village of Ogimachi, north-west of Takayama, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where will stay for the night in one of the traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri houses.
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-ryori made from delicately prepared mountain vegetables. Accommodation in family-run ryokan and minshuku.
Note: On days 1 and 2 there will be a choice of skiing or snow-shoeing .Snow-shoeing treks are guided by the tour leader however the services of an English-speaking skiing instructor cost extra. Rental of ski and snowshoe equipment as well as a two-day ski pass is included in the tour cost.
Highlights: Skiing and snow-shoeing in Nozawa Onsen hot spring – Obuse woodblock print museum – Snow monkeys of Yudanaka hot spring – traditional merchants houses of Takayama – Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage site
This winter 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 provides excellent skiing, the easy but exciting sport of snow-shoeing, bathing in natural hot springs, and visits to historic towns and villages of this mountainous region. We will begin by spending two days in Nozawa Onsen hot spring village, which has excellent ski facilities. There will be a chance to try snow-shoeing, easy to learn and a wonderful way to see the beautiful countryside. In the evening we will enjoy soaks in the hot spring baths (onsen) and the delicious local cuisine.
From there we will visit the town of Obuse famous for its saké brewery and woodblock print musuem. At Yudanaka Onsen hot spring village, we will stay in an old hot spring lodge, which is not far from where the famous ‘snow monkeys’ come to bathe in one of the outdoor hot spring pools. Takayama, our next stop, is 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. Our final stop will be the village of Ogimachi, north-west of Takayama, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where will stay for the night in one of the traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri houses.
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-ryori made from delicately prepared mountain vegetables. Accommodation in family-run ryokan and minshuku.
Note: On days 1 and 2 there will be a choice of skiing or snow-shoeing .Snow-shoeing treks are guided by the tour leader however the services of an English-speaking skiing instructor cost extra. Rental of ski and snowshoe equipment as well as a two-day ski pass is included in the tour cost.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Tokyo to Nozawa Onsen Hot Spring. Meet in Tokyo and transfer by train to Nozawa Onsen hot spring in Nagano prefecture. Skiing or guided snow-shoe trek (with orientation) in the afternoon. Overnight at hot spring lodge. |
| Day 2: | Nozawa Onsen Hot Spring. We will spend a full day in Nozawa Onsen today. Again, there will be a choice of spending a day on the ski slopes or a guided snow shoe trek. In the evening we will visit the hot spring baths. |
| Day 3: | Obuse. Transfer to small town to Obuse. Visit Hokusai woodblock print museum and Masuichi-Ichimura Sake brewery. Overnight in traditional Japanese ryokan. |
| Day 4: | Yudanaka Hot Spring. Transfer to Yudanaka Hot Spring. Stay in hot spring lodge and visit hot spring pool to see 'Snow Monkeys' who come to bathe in the hot water. |
| Day 5: | Takayama. Travel by train to Takayama in the mountainous Hida region. Visit san-machi (old town) area to see traditonal merchants houses. Overnight family-run minshuku (inn). |
| Day 6: | Shirakawa-go. Travel by road to the Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage site. Stay in traditionally thatched gassho-zukkuri houses. |
| Day 7: | Tour ends. Travel by train to Tokyo, or you may like to continue on to Kyoto to extend your visit. |
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. |