Japan Awaits

• Nagano City is well-known for hosting the 1998 Winter Olympic Games and while some of the former Olympic facilities can still be viewed in Nagano, the city has since evolved as a temple town revolving around the famous Zenkoji Temple, and is most visited during the Spring Season (for cherry blossoms), the Fall Season (for autumn foliage) and the Winter Season (for winter activities and for seeing the snow monkeys).
• On this tour, spend two days in Nagano exploring the city and enjoying what this quaint town has to offer. Your English-speaking tour guide will pick you up with a private vehicle at Nagano Train Station by 9:30 AM.
• The first day, on the route to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscape of the Chikuma River, where you may also try local miso soup and see how local people eat in the area.
• Before arriving at the entrance of the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, enjoy a 30 – 40 minute leisurely stroll through the forest path. Once you enter the park, have some hot tea before spending time with the snow monkeys, many of which are bathing in the hot springs (onsen) to keep warm, especially during the cool months of autumn and winter.
• After an exciting morning at the park, visit Obuse Town, which is most well-known for being the home town of Japan’s most famous artist and creator of the “Great Wave”, Hokusai Katsushika. Enjoy lunch in the area before walking around to explore the shops and try sake tasting.
• After a day at Obuse Town, head to Zenko-ji Temple (one of the most important and popular temples in Japan). Learn about the temple and how the locals pray for good fortune before heading to your traditional Japanese hotel (ryokan) for the night. Just before your scrumptious traditional Japanese multi-course (kaiseki) dinner at the hotel, bid farewell to your tour guide (as you will have a free day to explore without the tour guide on the second day).
• Relax in a traditional onsen (hot spring) in the area of your hotel just before heading to bed and getting a good night’s sleep. In the morning, enjoy a traditional Japanese breakfast before checking out of your hotel.
• The second day, we pick you up at hotel after your breakfast and head for the top of the Shiga Highlands, the biggest ski resorts in Japan. The Shiga Highlands hold the record for having the highest point of Japan’s national roads. Once we have arrived at the top, we will get on our bikes and ride down. If you’re here in May, you can see a wall of snow on either side of the road. The snow falls so heavily during winter and piles up meters high. This piling up of snow creates a solid wall that stays to even the beginning of summer.
• The road from Shibutoge to Kusatsu Onsen is famous for its lovely scenery, with enormous mountains surrounding you on all sides. The road is a mecca for highland cycling in Japan and known as a must-do. The entire cycle takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and is downhill, going from an altitude of 2172 meter to an altitude of 1100 meter. On the way down you cycle past a varied scenery, with an abundance of nature. Having cycled all the way down, you have reached your destination, Kusatsu Onsen.
• Kusatsu is a charming little town, and one of Japan’s most renowned hot spring resorts. The town is centered around “Yubatake” (Hot Water Field in English), a huge pool filled with phosphorous 70°C water. More than 5000 liter of hot water comes streaming out of Yubatake every minute, making it the most active hot spring source in all of Japan. This hot spring source get distributed to numerous onsen in resorts and ryokans. The hot spring water of Kusatsu is said to make the skin beautiful. In Kusatsu, after having a lunch, you can explore around the town on your own, enjoy foot bath, or go into the full-bathing onsen if your want.
• Also, there are plenty of opportunities for you to go shopping according to your interest. Main shopping areas are a street called, “Old Karuizawa,” where shops with local products are lined up on both sides of the street, and Karuizawa Shopping Outlet Mall, a massive shopping resorts.
• The tour will conclude at JR Karuizawa Station at 17:00. And you can get on the Shinkansen in the directions to come back Tokyo.

Seasonal Recommendations for This Tour:
Spring Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Viewing: Mid-April to Early-May
Autumn Foliage (Koyo) Viewing: Early-September to Late-November
Winter Festivities: Early-December to Late-March

• Inclusions:
  • English speaking-guide for two days.
  • A private local tour guide with private car for your group.
  • Overnight accommodation at traditional Japanese hotel (ryokan) include traditional Japanese breakfast and traditional Japanese dinner – kaiseki style at ryokan. If guests would like to try one of the most highly-rated kaiseki dinner in Nagano, additional cost is available at booking.
  • Onsen (hot springs) experience. Please note that the onsen is in the hotel and may not be connected to your room, but there will be designated time for guests to enjoy the onsen privately.
  • Entrance fee to Zenko-ji Temple
  • Entrance fee to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
  • Use of bicycle/helmets, a bottle of water
  • Lunch for two days.
• Exclusions:
  • Round-trip bullet train from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station (free for visitors with JR pass)
  • Optional entry to hot spring in Kusatsu.
  • Optional Experiences:
    • Dinner on First Day:
      • One of the highest rated kaiseki dinners in Nagano (13,000 JPY per person), Child (6,000 JPY) and Young child (3,000 JPY)

  Availability:

• All year round, but especially recommended during Spring (for cherry blossoms), Fall (for autumn foliage) and Winter (for snow monkeys and winter festivities).
• The monkeys enter the onsen all year round, but sometimes the park wardens will encourage the monkeys by throwing food into the pool, especially during the warmer seasons of the year.

  Location: Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture

  Price:

• Adult: 65,000 JPY per person (minimum of 2 people)
• Child: 45,000 JPY (Age 6 to 12, must be accompanied by adult, same room as adults, up to 3 children in one room with 2 adults)
• Young Child: 10,000 JPY (Age 5 and under)

  Price with Round-Trip Bullet Train from Tokyo:

• Adult (with bullet train to and from Tokyo): 85,000 JPY per person (minimum of 2 people)
• Child (with bullet train to and from Tokyo): 57,000 JPY (Age 6 to 12)
• Young child (with bullet train to and from Tokyo): 10,000 JPY (Age 5 and under)

  Requirements:

• Must provide names of all guests and birth dates
• A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
• Children must be accompanied by an adult (same room as adults, up to 3 children in one room)

Additional information:

• For this tour, if we provide train tickets from Tokyo and return (add-on cost when booking): we will send train tickets to the guests’ hotel in Tokyo (the hotel which guests are staying at before their Nagano trip). Please provide: 1) Hotel Name in Tokyo, 2) Name of guest who booked the hotel, 3) Confirmation Number, and 4) Dates of Stay at the hotel in Tokyo.
• If a larger vehicle is needed: The tour guide will be driving a standard mid-size car. If this car is not large enough and a larger vehicle/van is required (for a group with 4 or less people), please make a request at the time of booking. The rental car/van is pending availability and will be an additional cost of 10,000 JPY in cash payable on the day of the tour. For groups of 5 or more people, a rental car/van large enough to fit your group will be included (at no additional cost).
• Private tour guide with private vehicle is for the first day of the tour only. On the second day, the customer is free to explore Nagano on their own (the tour guide will not be present).
• Snow Monkeys in warmer seasons: The snow starts to melt in March, and the snow monkeys may not bathe as often as they did in the winter to keep warm. Guests may see the snow monkeys taking a swim as the park staff gives them lunch, but unlike winter months, there are definitely days when the monkeys just do not feel like entering the bath. When it is warm and the sun is out, the monkeys tend to be more active and move around the area. The monkeys are more likely to be grooming in the warmer seasons. While Winter is not the only time to see snow monkeys, please note that they are wild animals and it is difficult to predict their behavior. You can still visit the Snow Monkey Park, but seeing the snow monkeys and watching them bathe is not always guaranteed.
• There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park. In such case we will provide an alternative activity.
• People from all ages can join this tour. Those who prefer to not participate in the cycling part of the tour on Day 2 can be taken to Kusatsu and Karuizawa via private vehicle.
• In case of bad to extreme weather conditions, we might not be able to provide the cycling part of the tour. In that case, we will transport you to Kusatsu and Karuizawa via private vehicle.

In winter the walking trail to Snow Monkey Park may get slippery, so please wear winter shoes. The temperatures in Nagano are much colder than Tokyo, so prepare warm clothes.

A moderate amount of walking is involved. Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.

Non-smoking: All the rooms are non-smoking in ryokan (otherwise requested), there are designated areas outside for those who would like to smoke.

About Nagano

Nagano prefecture is widely known as the home of the Japanese Alps and the host of the Winter Olympics in 1998. You can take the tour anytime, but the most scenic views you can see during the winter and autumn! Don’t miss a chance to visit and experience some of Japan’s most famous sightseeing spots by private guide and vehicle!

How far in advance should I book?

Make a reservation as early as possible and ideally, at least a month in advance.