Sakura Tours "Hot Springs of Japan" Tour

A wellness trip and a great vacation. Japan's most famous springs. One of our most popular tours.

The Japanese are very fond of visiting geothermal springs. This is a centuries-old culture that is still paid close attention to in the country today. No wonder there are so many resorts where you can appreciate the cosmetic and therapeutic effects of onsen.

Detailed program

Day 1: Tokyo

Transfer from the airport to the hotel. The ride takes you on a suspended Rainbow Bridge The Rainbow Bridge is a half-kilometer-long bridge that crosses Tokyo Bay and connects the artificial island of Odaiba to downtown Tokyo. The Rainbow Bridge offers a magnificent view of the capital city.

Important! Japanese hotels have late check-in (after 15:00). If you arrive in Tokyo on a morning flight, you can leave your things at the hotel and go for a walk around the city.

16:00 - 20:00 Evening Tokyo tour.

Observation deck on the 52nd floor of the tower Mori Tower - Roppongi Hills, a fashionable residential and shopping complex, where you can admire the fantastically beautiful scenery of central evening Tokyo.
Next on the tour program is. Odaiba district. For more than twenty years it has been a favorite place of rest of Tokyoites and guests of the capital. Here you will visit the Dex shopping and entertainment complex, see an exact replica of the American Statues of Liberty.
You'll see the night Ginza - One of the most luxurious shopping areas in the whole world with many stores, bars, restaurants, clubs, etc.

Day 2. Minakami Onsen

Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel.

9:00 - meeting with your guide. Transfer to Minakami Onsen (180 km, 2-2.5 h) - this is the starting point of the hot springs we will visit on this trip.

Minakami - is a small village in Gumma Prefecture. There are eight onsen and two natural thermal spring areas, Sarugakyo Mikuni and Tsukiyono Kamimoku. While in the hot waters, you can admire the surrounding natural splendor, forested mountains and valleys.

You'll see Takumi-no-Sato - Japan's traditional artisan village, where you will admire the scenery of Mount Minakami.
In a village of more than two dozen houses, you will be invited to make your own small handcrafted item.
On the program. cable car on the slope of Mt. Tanigawa. The 1977-meter-high mountain is covered with a layer of "eternal" snow and is one of Japan's most popular climbing and hiking destinations.

Option! In lieu of this excursion, you can take:

kayaking on Lake Okutone-ko;
rafting on mountain rivers;
bungee jumping.

Next, transfer to Minakami Onsen or Takaragawa Onsen (15 min and 30 min respectively) and bathing at the springs.

17:00-18:00 Check-in at the ryokan, a traditional Japanese-style hotel.

Day 3. Kusatsu onsen

Breakfast.

10:00 Check-out from hotel, meet your guide and transfer to Kusatsu (75 km from Minakami, 1-1.5 h; 90 km from Takaragawa, 1.5-2 h).

This village spreads out at the foot of Mount Kusatsu-Shirane and is one of the top three areas in Japan where hot springs have a pronounced antibacterial effect.

Kusatsu Walk.

Source Yubatakewhich spouts 4,000 liters of water per minute.
Netsu-no-Yu Bathhousewhere there's an opportunity to see humomi (whipping hot water) and a traditional dance performed by local women.
Lively Street Saino-KawaraIt is a small ryokan that has been around since the 19th century.
In the park Saino-Kawara You will visit the area of numerous hot springs, from which thick clouds of steam burst out. According to legend, a demon dwells here and visitors are not allowed to speak loudly.

Transfer and check-in at the ryokan.

Day 4. Matsumoto and Tobira Onsen

10:00 - check-out and meeting with the guide. Transfer to Matsumoto city (100 km, 1-1.5 h).

11:00-17:00 ЭMatsumoto tour.

Matsumoto Castle - an ancient castle known as the "castle of the raven" because of the black color of the walls and the outspread "wings" of the side towers. This national treasure is one of the oldest surviving castles with a five-story donjon. It was erected in 1593-1594.
Nakamati-Dori Street near the castle. Along it you can find several preserved old merchant warehouses "cura"with solid walls painted white. Some of them now house restaurants and stores.
Nearby is former Caiti High SchoolIt is one of the oldest schools in the country. If you wish, instead of Kahiti School, you can take a trip to the town of Adzumino (17 km, 30 min. one way).
Attendance of Dayo Wasabi Farms - the largest wasabi farm. Guests are invited to walk among the plantations and visit the Dayo Shrine. In 1989, for the filming of Akira Kurosawa's movie "Dreams", a water mill was built here, which is still standing today. From April through late October, guests are offered short inflatable boat rides (10-15 minutes). Visitors can buy wasabi products and try wasabi ice cream.

Transfer to Tobira Onsen area (15 km from the center of Matsumoto, 40 min. by mountain road).

17:00-18:00 Accommodation at the ryokan, dinner and time at the springs.

Tobira Onsen - A secluded village located in a mountainous area near the outskirts of Matsumoto. The only ryokan in the village is surrounded by rich greenery and is very popular throughout the year, so reservations should be made months in advance. If there are no rooms available, it is possible to stay in town.

Day 5. Kamikochi-Takayama and Wanosato

Breakfast.

9:00 - check-out and meeting with the guide. Transfer to Takayama town via Kamikoti National Park (100 km, 2-2.5 h).

Kamikoti attracts tourists with its picturesque mountain scenery and clean mountain air. The park stretches for 15 km along the Azusa-Gawa River (altitude about 1500 m above sea level) and is surrounded by high mountains. The park is only open to the public from May to the end of October. During the season (May-October) you can make a trip to the Hiking in the park from Myojin Bridge to Taisho Lake (total route length 7 km, time 1.5-2 h). The park is especially beautiful during the fall foliage season, which peaks in mid-October. For the rest of the year, tourists can enjoy the alpine flora that Japan is so rich in.
The road is open from May through September "Norikura Skyline" - the highest mountain road in the country, which will take you to an altitude of 2700 meters.

The estimated time of arrival in Takayama with a visit to Kamikochi Park is. 17:00. In winter season, direct transfer from Matsumoto to Takayama, estimated time of arrival is. 11:30.

A walking tour of Takayama City. The town has retained its traditional Japanese look from the Edo period (early 17th to late 19th centuries), and the old quarter of the town is very popular with visitors. Takayama is included in the Michelin Guide and has been awarded 3 stars as a "must-see place for travelers in Japan".
Medieval Jinya Chancery. - A beautiful building in traditional Japanese style. During the Edo period (17th-19th century Japan), it was used as the administrative office of Takayama City. The Old Quarter is still open with old-fashioned stores and stores. Here guests are also invited to visit a sake brewery.
The palanquin hall is located in the Sakurayama Hachiman Shinto Shrine. It houses 11 festive wagons and palanquins for the Takayama Fall Festival.
Takayama Historical Museum.

Transfer to the ryokan, Placement. Dinner. Thermal springs.

Day 6. Shirakawa-go and Gokayama to Kanazawa

Breakfast.

9:00 - Check out and meet your guide. Visit to Miyagawa morning market. Transfer to the complex of historical villages Shirakawago and GokayamaUNESCO World Heritage Sites (50 km, 1 h).

Historic villagesIn the winter time, the island was cut off from the rest of the country for long periods of time. A special school of architecture called "gassho-zukuri" has developed here. Traditional dwellings in this area are characterized by steep thatched roofs, some of which are 250 years old. A walk along the streets and paths of the old village along the thatched houses.
Wada-ke Museum.
Climbing up the hill for a postcard view village view. Gokayama Valley, famous besides its fantastic natural beauty also for the history of secret gunpowder production. Ogimati Castle observation deck.
Murakami-ke Museum in the village of Kaminasi (27 km from Ogimati), where folk songs are sung after a story about local traditions.
Shimonashi and Ainokura district (another 10 km), a UNESCO-listed site. The center of production of washi, Japanese handmade rice paper, where you can try your hand at this craft.

Transfer to Kanazawa (63 km, 1-1.5 h), where you can stay at the hotel and have a great sushi dinner at one of the famous Otomezushi restaurants.

Option! Instead of staying in Kanazawa, we suggest transferring to Kaga Onsen (47 km from Kanazawa, 1 hr), Yamashiro Onsen (50 km, 1 hr) or Yamanaka Onsen (56 km, 1 hr 15 min).

Day 7. Kanazawa

Breakfast.

9:00 Check-out meeting with the guide.

9:00-18:00 Эexcursion to Kanazawa.

A walk through the territory of the XVI century. Kanazawa Castle. This structure, which attracts visitors with its rugged beauty, was a stronghold of the Maeda clan's military might.

Attendance Kenroquan - the favorite garden of the Maeda Princes. Each ruler has contributed to the splendor of this garden, which has all the virtues of landscape gardens.
Walking deep into Kenrokuen Garden you will visit the luxurious Seison-kaku villa (mid-19th century) is a fine example of the sukiya-shonin architectural style. You will see the household items of a member of the princely family not in a museum, but in a building of that time - a rare opportunity in Japan, where many wooden buildings have not survived to this day.
Old Quarter NagamachiThe most popular and most openly viewed residence is the Nomura family's house, called the Bucheyashiki Samurai House. The most popular and open to the public is the Nomura family's house, known as the "Samurai House". Nomura-ke.
In the quiet of this prestigious residential neighborhood behind a wooden gate is one of the famous of Kootenay china gallery stores.owned by the hereditary potters of the Kaburaki family. Among their projects is a collaboration with a German manufacturer of quality glass, a kind of fusion of Japanese aesthetics and functionality.
Before leaving for Kyoto, it is possible to take a break in the Kaikaro Tea House and enjoy tea and Japanese dessert with a real geisha.

Transfer to Kanazawa railway station, train to Kyoto.

18:42-20:54 Independent transfer from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Meeting with local guide, transfer to the hotel (15-30 min.).

Accommodation in the hotel, dinner.

Day 8. Kyoto

Breakfast.

10:00 - meet the guide.

10:00-18:00 - Kyoto excursion (individual transportation).

Kiyomizudera (Temple of Pure Water) is named after the purity of the waterfall flowing down the mountain slope. Its waters are considered curative and many people bathe in them. The unusual appearance of the wooden Buddhist temple surrounded by Japanese maples and sakura trees remains in the memory forever. The open temple veranda offers such a breathtakingly beautiful view of the entire city that it literally creates the illusion of flying. A road leads to the temple, on both sides of which are small stores selling souvenirs, mostly pottery and porcelain. Here you can also buy fragrant tea and indulge in exotic oriental sweets.
Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) was the villa of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu from the late 14th century. It is a kind of Kyoto's calling card.
Ryoanji Temple is located near the Golden Pavilion. Built in 1450 by followers of Zen Buddhism, it is literally steeped in Buddhist philosophy. Its quintessential Garden of Stones is a true wonder of the world.
Nijo Castle - The family castle of the Tokugawa shogun clan. World famous for the colorful interiors of the grand halls and singing "nightingale" floors.

18:00 - Return to the hotel or transfer to dinner with maiko, a geisha apprentice.

Day 9. Atami

Breakfast.

10:20 Check out from the hotel and meet your guide. Transfer to Kyoto station. Boarding the train.

10:56-13:01 - Independent transfer to Atami. Meeting with local guide. Lunch and sightseeing tour.

Atami Castle Museum was built in 1959. It is a popular place to admire cherry trees in spring.
Kiunkaku Museum is a well-preserved residence that has hosted many famous guests. Visitors can see the former hotel with a beautiful Japanese garden in the center, rooms in Japanese and European styles.
MOA Museum of Fine Arts with a collection of 3,500 works, three of which are considered national treasures of Japan: screens by Ogata Korin, a vase by Nomura Ninsei, and a calligraphy album by Takagami Kanboku-jo.

Transfer to Shuzenji.

Before 18:00 Accommodations. Dinner at the springs.

Day 10. Shuzenji Onsen

Breakfast.

10:00 Meet your guide. Excursion to Shuzenji before departing to Hakone.

В Shuzenji thermal springs and a harbor. Walking through the streets of this town, you'll feel like you're in the real Japanese countryside.
Bamboo grove Ticurin-no-Comiti.
Shuzen-ji Temple. Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. He was built in 1912 and is a cultural monument of Shizuoka Prefecture. The temple is built in the Byzantine style, is very famous in technical and artistic terms, and has made great contributions to the history of Izu's religious development.

Transfer to Hakone National Park (50 km, 1 h). Accommodation in a ryokan. Traditional Japanese dinner kaiseki ryori. Visit to hot springs.

Day 11. Hakone

Breakfast.

10:00 Check out from the ryokan and meet your guide.

10:00-16:00 ЭFuji Hakone tour.

Peace Park and an observation deck with an unforgettable view of Mount Fuji. It was founded in the foothills of Mount Fuji in 1964. There are several Buddhist temples, among which the inverted stupa-shaped white stone Bussyari-to tower stands out. It is decorated on four sides with sculpted images of Buddha. Next to the Peace Bell, there is an observation deck from which you can enjoy the magnificent Fuji in clear weather.
Owakudani (Big Boiling Valley) and the sulphur springs that rise to the surface are deservedly popular. Chicken eggs are boiled in the boiling water of the geysers, the shells of which turn black from the interaction with the sulfur salts in the water. Locals call them "longevity eggs". According to the belief, each egg eaten extends life by 7 years.
cable carequipped with comfortable cabins with all-round visibility, will take you to the pier.
Cruise along the Asino-ko mountain lake on a boat styled as a pirate sailboat. The boat offers unforgettable natural views of Hakone.

16:00-18:00 - transfer to Tokyo (92 km, 1.5 h). Accommodation at the hotel.