Winter Wonderland Tour
16 Days/14 Nights
- Introduction •
- Itinerary •
- Map •
- Inclusions •
- Gallery
- 2011 Dates & Prices •
- Download Tour PDF
- Optional Cultural Activities
Winter Wonderland Tour Detailed Itinerary
| Walking Level | Distance |
|---|---|
| Light | 0-2 miles in flat areas or 0-1 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
| Medium | 2-4 miles in flat areas or 1-3 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
| Heavy | 4-6 miles in flat areas or 3-5 miles in hilly areas or with many stairs |
Day 1: To Tokyo
Depart Home for Tokyo's Narita Airport
(Travel: 12 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 2: Arrive Tokyo
You will lose a day flying to Japan due to crossing the International Dateline, and gain the day back when you fly home. You will be met at Tokyo's Narita airport by a Samurai Tours guide, who will escort you to the hotel near the airport where we will be staying for the evening. After checking into the hotel we will have our welcome/orientation dinner. Dinner at the hotel included.
(Travel: 15 Minutes; Walking: Light)
Day 3: Fly to Sapporo, Sapporo
After breakfast we will fly to Sapporo's Chitose Airport, and then take an express train into Sapporo. After checking in, we will have time to enjoy the Sapporo Snow Festival. This world-famous, annual event was first held in 1950, when six local high school students created snow statues. In 1955, the Japan Self-Defense Forces from a nearby base joined the fun by creating the first large snow sculpture for which the festival has now become famous. The festival gained its international fame when the city of Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. In the evening, we will have dinner at the Sapporo Beer Garden, located next to the original Sapporo Beer brewery, where you can try the local specialty of grilled lamb, cooked by yourself at the table. Before leaving in the morning, you will need to prepare your luggage to be transferred to Sapporo, and you will be traveling to Sapporo with your overnight bag only. Breakfast at the hotel and dinner at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 4: Sapporo
The day is free to explore the Snow Festival on your own. You can visit Odori Park or Susukino, the main sites of the festival. Here, you can enjoy the many, large snow and ice sculptures and the concerts using the sculptures as the stage. You can also enjoy the bird's-eye view of the festival from the Sapporo TV Tower, located at one end of the 1.5 kilometer long Odori park. Or visit the family-friendly Sato site, where you will find numerous ice slides as well as a puzzling snow and ice maze. In the evening, you can enjoy the sculptures which take on a totally different perspective when they are lit up. Breakfast at the hotel included.
(Travel: To be determined; Walking: To be determined)
Day 5: Sapporo, Abashiri
We travel by express train with overnight bags only to the city of Abashiri on the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. After dropping off our luggage at the ryokan, we will visit the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum, located at the top of Mt. Tento. From here, you will get a 360 degree view of the ice flow drifting south from the Okhotsk Sea. Breakfast and kaiseki-style dinner at the ryokan included.
(Travel: 6 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 6: Abashiri, Kushiro
In the morning we board an ice-breaker boat, where you can get a close-up view of the ice flow that clogs the Abashiri harbor every winter as the boat breaks its way through the ice flow. In the afternoon, we travel by train to the city of Kushiro, located in southeastern Hokkaido. Breakfast at the ryokan and dinner at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 3 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 7: Kushiro, Kushiro Marshland
Today we travel by bus to the nearby Crane Preserve in the Kushiro Marshland. Cranes are thought to live a thousand years, so they hold a special place in Japanese culture. The Japanese Red-Crested cranes at one time were on the brink of extinction, but with the help of a few dedicated groups, their numbers have been increasing. In the summer, when food is readily available and the cranes are nesting, they retreat deep into the surrounding marshland where they can't be seen. However, in the winter, they can be found near the viewing points on the edge of the marshland. Breakfast at the hotel and dinner at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 8: Travel to Yudanaka Onsen
After breakfast, we travel to Yudanaka Onsen with overnight bags only, near Nagano. Yudanaka Onsen in many ways is a smaller version of Yellowstone National Park, with its bubbling, steaming and sulfurous vents and pools. We fly from Kushiro to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, take a bus to the Tokyo Train Station, a Shinkansen to the city of Nagano, and finally an express train to the Yudanaka Onsen. In the evening, relax away the travel stress in one of the many thermally-heated mineral baths, famous for its high sulfur content. Breakfast and kaiseki-style dinner at the ryokan included.
(Travel: 5 1/2 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 9: Yudanaka Onsen
After traveling by bus to the Jigoku-dani (Hell Valley), we will delight in the famous "snow monkeys" of Japan. These monkeys are world-famous for using the hot springs baths located in and around Yukanaka Onsen. The Red-Faced "snow monkeys" are only found in Japan, and during the winter, the monkeys enjoy using the baths to stay warm, just like people. Breakfast and kaiseki-style dinner at the ryokan included.
(Travel: 1 1/2 Hours; Walking: Lights)
Day 10: Travel to Takayama
Today we travel to the city of Takayama by express trains. Takayama, in the middle of the Japan Alps, with its traditional inns, shops, and sake breweries, has managed to retain its traditional charm. After checking in, you can stroll around the Sanmachisuji District, an area of merchant homes dating back to the late 16th century. The evening in Takayama is free. Breakfast at the ryokan included.
(Travel: 6 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 11: Takayama
This morning will be spent at the Farmer's Market strolling past the vegetable stands and stalls selling herbs, pickles, and souvenirs. We will be able to sample the numerous options as we go. After that we will tour the Takayama-jinya, which was the governing office of Takayama and the surrounding area since the early 17th century. The afternoon is free to roam and explore Takayama. Visit the many temples and shrines, museums, rummage through antique shops, relax at one of sake breweries, or enjoy the San-machi-suji, an area of merchant homes dating back to the late 16th century. Breakfast and kaiseki-style dinner at the ryokan included.
(Travel: N/A; Walking: Light)
Day 12: Shirakawa-go
We travel by bus to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of "gassho-zukuri" style homes have been relocated to Shirakawa-go from surrounding locations. "Gassho-zukuri" literally translates to "praying hands home", and is a fitting description of these thatched-roof A-frame style homes which are well-suited for the large amounts of snow this area of Japan receives. In the afternoon, we visit the Shirakawa-go Open Air Museum, where you will get a glimpse into the hard lives of 18th century Japanese farmers. We will stay overnight in one of the thatched-roof "gassho-zukuri" homes. Before leaving for Shirakwa-go, you will need to prepare your luggage for transfer to Kyoto. Breakfast and kaiseki-style dinner at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included. \
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Medium)
Day 13: Kanazawa
We travel by bus to the city of Kanazawa. Located near the northwestern coast of the Japan Sea, Kanazawa receives a tremendous amount of snow. In the afternoon, we tour the Kenrokuen Garden, considered by the Japanese to be one of the three best gardens in Japan. The garden takes on a completely different perspective covered in snow. Breakfast at the ryokan and lunch at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Medium)
Day 14: Kyoto
In the morning, we travel by express bus to the city of Kyoto. Steeped in history and tradition, Kyoto has in many ways been the cradle of Japanese culture. A stroll through Kyoto is a walk through 11 centuries of Japanese history. For many, just the name of Kyoto conjures up the classic images of Japan: streets of traditional wooden houses, the click-clack of geta (wooden sandals) on the paving stones, geisha in a flourish of brightly colored silks, and a tea master deliberately warming water and making tea. In the afternoon, we will attend a traditional tea ceremony and will try our hand at calligraphy in a traditional Machiya-style home. Breakfast at the hotel and lunch at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 2 Hours; Walking: Light)
Day 15: Kyoto
After breakfast we start the day at the famous Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) Buddhist Temple and Garden, built in the late 15th century where we will be joined by a local, English-speaking Japanese guide. At Ginkaku-ji, in addition to the prototype of today's Japanese style room, we will find a beautiful moss garden and a famous dry garden. Later in the morning, we travel by taxi to Sanjusangendo. This awe-inspiring temple was built in the 12th century, and houses over 1,000 Buddha statues. After lunch on the Sannen-zaka (three year slope), we will have some free time for shopping along the Sannen-zaka and Teapot Lane, both lined with shops selling handicrafts, local snacks and souvenirs.
Later in the afternoon we will take a relaxing stroll through the Higashiyama district where you can find many traditional handicrafts in small stores located along the narrow, stone-paved lanes winding through the traditional homes, shops and restaurants. Next, we visit Kennen-ji Temple, the first Zen temple established in Kyoto over 800 years ago. Here you will have some free time to contemplate one of the many Zen-style dry gardens located on the temple grounds, visit the teahouse built in the 16th century by a disciple of Sen-no-Rikyu, the originator of the modern tea ceremony, or roam the temple with the guide to discuss Zen Buddhism. Afterwards, we walk to the Gion Geisha District to attend a "Meet a Maiko" (a Maiko is a geisha in training) session. Here you will meet an actual Maiko face to face, who will serve you tea and sweets, perform a traditional Geisha dance, pose for pictures with you, and answer any of your questions. Then we will explore the famous Gion Geisha district, where we will see the tea houses and geisha houses where the Geisha live and work, to learn more about this mysterious world. In the evening we will have our Sayonara Dinner. Breakfast at the hotel and lunch and dinner at a local restaurant included.
(Travel: 30 Minutes; Walking: Heavy)
Day 16: Home
It's time to say Sayonara (Goodbye). You will be escorted to the Kyoto train station, where you will take the Express train to the Kansai International Airport, just outside Osaka, or return to Narita Airport by Shinkansen and Narita Express train on your own for your flight back home. (If you are flying out of Narita Airport, be sure to schedule a flight in the late afternoon or evening.) Breakfast at the hotel included.
(Travel: To be determined; Walking: Light)