Japan Winter Highlights Adventure Tour

Japan in winter is simply unforgettable. Join this nine-day tour to explore big cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, as well as sights you'll only find away from the bright lights like the iconic geisha district in Kanazawa. Visit the Swiss-like village of Shirakawa-go before heading to Kawayu Onsen to enjoy local-style accommodation and the traditional onsens (outdoor hot springs) that make winter tours in this country so fun. Make next winter something special in Japan.

Highlights

Discover samurai architecture in Kanazawa, combat winter's chill soaking in outdoor onsen spas, sleep in a traditional inn and enjoy a local dinner, create your own instant ramen in Osaka, celebrate the season at local festivals (select departures).

What's Included

Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Wellness Moment: Seninburo Hot Spring Visit, Hongū. CEO
led city tours of Tokyo. Ninja Temple visit. Nagamachi samurai district walk. Traditional inn stay with meals. Orientation walk of Osaka. Instant Ramen Museum visit (Osaka). CEO
led city tour of Kyoto, including entrance to Nijo Castle and Kinkakuji Golden Pavillion. Japan Rail (JR) pass (7 days). Transport to/from all included activities and between all destinations.

Accommodation

Hotels (6 nts), traditional inn (2 nts).

Meals Included

3 breakfasts, 2 dinners

Transport

Train, public bus, subway, walking.

About our Transportation

Japan's reliable public transportation is the best option for both the environment and for experiencing Japan like a local! We will ride several forms of transportation throughout the country, from Shinkansen bullet trains, to subways, funiculars, local trains, and buses. Note that often times we will have to carry our luggage from one mode of transport to another, so please consider this whilst packing.

Group Leader Description

All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the CEO is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting
we think it's the best of both worlds.

Emergency Fund

Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD $200 (or equivalent) as an 'emergency' fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control (ex. a natural disaster) require a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence!

Solo Travellers

We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi
share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and single travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.

Spending Money

Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.

What to Take

We suggest that you pack as lightly as possible as you are expected to carry your own luggage. Our trips in Japan use public transport and and most transport has limited luggage storage space. You will also be walking with your luggage in busy public train stations to catch connecting trains, so it is highly recommended that you travel light and have easy to handle luggage and capable of walking up and down the stairs with your luggage without any assistance. A large bag will be an inconvenience to you and will slow you down! We recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 10
15kg/22
30lb. Suitcases are not recommended for G Adventures trips! Most travellers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. In Japan it is common to ship your bag from hotel to hotel in order to travel easier through busy citites. Depends on bag size and weight, but an apporximation would be 15
20$/bag. You will also need a day
pack/rucksack to carry daily essentials like water, cameras, passport, i
pods etc. Takuhaibin
Japan's takuhaibin service is a convenient and reliable way to transfer luggage from one location to another throughout the country. Pick
up/drop
off/delivery dates and times can be easily scheduled (usually overnight) and costs are moderate. Service can be arranged at most hotels and airports. Using Takuhaibin to send your luggage between hotels, or from hotel to airport, is a great way to travel light and avoid hauling large bags on crowded trains or up and down stairs ' just be sure to pack an overnight bag with everything you'll need until you're reunited with your luggage the following day.