Day 1 – Tokyo – Day trip to Nikko

Meet your private guide at your Tokyo accommodation and together start a day trip to Nikko. A couple of hours from Tokyo, Nikko, situated in Tochigi Prefecture, is a destination famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Sites and beautiful nature. From the historic Toshogu Shrine to Lake Chuzenji and hot springs, there is much to see and do here.

Visit the Toshogu Temple, the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings.

Outside the city, head to Lake Chuzenji, a scenic lake in the mountains above Nikko. It is located at the foot of Mount Nantai, Nikko’s sacred volcano. From Lake Chuzenji, head to the Kegon Falls. The almost 100-meter tall Kegon Waterfall is the most famous of Nikko’s many beautiful waterfalls. It is even ranked as one of Japan’s three most beautiful falls, along with Nachi Waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture and Fukuroda Waterfall in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Night in Tokyo

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 2 – Transfer from Tokyo to Kawagoe

Under 1 hour from Tokyo, you will find the lovely, well-preserved town of Kawagoe.

Cobbled streets, 1,500-year-old shrines, Old “Kura” (warehouses), Kawagoe is an enchanting piece of living history, filled with charm.

Like many buildings in Kawagoe, theKitain Temple  was destroyed by the 1638 fire. The 500 stone Buddhist statues of the temple are one of the highlights. The statues date back from Edo, at the time when Japan was closed off to the world. The artists commissioned for the status created each one of them with different joyful faces instead of the usual serious Buddhist themes.

After the temple, visit the Kura no Machi ( Warehouse district) With its streets lined up with traditional wood and clay-walled warehouse-style buildings, it is obvious why the city is referred to as “Little Edo”. It’s important to notice that at the time Clay warehouses were very expensive to build, but Kawagoe was a wealthy city, and merchants could afford the investment.

Towering 16 meters above the city, the wooden Toni no Kaze is a beautiful remnant of the past, the symbol of the city and also a Japan’s cultural heritage. Even today, the bell rings 4 times a day (6am, 12am, 3pm and 6pm). The bell itself weighs 700 kilos.

In Kawagoe, there is a street completely dedicated to candies and other treats! Kashiya Yokocho is lined with dozens of Dagashiya (old-style candy stores). Eating your way along the street is absolutely a must-do.

Night in Kawagoe

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 3 – Day trip to Chichibu

Chichibu city is known for its impressive shrines and beautiful nature, including mountains that provide numerous hiking opportunities. Today will be a day full of fun and exciting activities.

Check-out from your Kawagoe accommodation and take the local train bound for Chichibu.

The Chichibu Geo Gravity Natural Park is a one-of-a-kind adventure venue and has an unbelievably scenic gorge as a setting, adding a photogenic element to their zip lines, swings and bungee jump.

Hitsujiyama Park is a park in Chichibu, known for its beautiful moss pink fields that typically come into bloom around late April to early May. The park has multiple types of pink moss or shibazakura spread over the undulating fields to give them hues of pink, purple and white. The flowers have been planted strategically to create colorful patterns that make for quite the display.

Next stop, the Chichibu shrine. The shrine is well known for its elaborate carvings that adorn the main hall and include depictions of creatures like tigers, monkeys and dragons. Many of the carvings were created by the same artists that were also responsible for the decorations at Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine.

Night in Kawagoe

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 4 – Transfer from Kawagoe to Takasaki

Today you will head to Takasaki in Gunma prefecture. Gunma prefecture is famous for its agricultural products, Daruma dolls and hot-springs.

Checkout from your accommodation in Kawagoe and head to Takasaki with the help of your private guide. After check-in at your new accommodation, you will start visiting the main sights of the area:

Starting with Byakue Kannon (White-Robed Kannon), a  huge statue of Kannon in Kannonyama. Over 40 metres tall, it’s one of the biggest in Japan. Visitors are allowed to walk up to the top for 300 yen, providing a great view over the city and surrounding mountains.

Next, you will visit the Shorinzan Darumaji Temple. This temple is believed to be the location where Daruma dolls were invented over 300 years ago. Today, over 80% of Daruma dolls in Japan are still made in Takasaki. The temple itself is the home of hundreds of Daruma piled on top of one another in hapless order. Although the traditional colour of Daruma is red, here there are also varying colours ranging from black to yellow.

You will then take part of a Daruma workshop. To use Daruma as lucky charms, you must first paint one of their eyes on, and when the wish has been granted, then paint the other eye on. At these decoration experience workshops, you can paint the Daruma’s entire face on, and create your very own original Daruma to take home as a souvenir.

Night in Takasaki

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 5 – Transfer from Takasaki to Niigata and Scenic Train Experience

Today, you will leave Gunma prefecture and head further north to Niigata prefecture.

Niigata is known for being a prime destination for Sake and fresh seafood. Checkout from your accommodation and take the local train from Takasaki to Echigo-Yuzawa station.

From Echigo-Yuzawa, you will board the scenic train. This special train line was developed around the concept of sake as Niigata is known for this beverage. Onboard you can enjoy special selected Sake from Niigata and local snacks and treats. While onboard you can also enjoy Jazz or Classical performances. The relaxing ride takes 3 hours to reach Nagaoka where you will hop on the bullet train bound for Niigata.

Arriving at Niigata, you will head to the Pier Bandai.

Pier Bandai is Niigata’s food and fish market. Just like any market in Japan, it is possible to buy and eat almost anything on the spot. Try Niigata’s specialty, “Murakami” which is a dried and salted salmon.

Did you know that another specialty of the area is Japanese Carp Koi? It is possible in Niigata to visit the most famous breeding facilities in Japan.

Ojiya Nishikigoi no Sato Village is the only place in the world where a wide variety of live Nishikigoi are on display. Dating back centuries, Ojiya is known for producing the best variety of koi fish in all of Japan. These large koi are uniquely colored and are often touted as living works of art.

Our next stop today will be Niigata Gokoku Jinja. The temple was established in 1868 as a Shintō shrine to remember persons from Niigata Prefecture who lost their lives in wars to protect Japan (gokoku means “defend the country”).

Night in Niigata

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 6 – Day trip to Sado Island

Due to its remote location, the island served as a destination for political exiles before becoming an important Gold mine. It is now a paradise for nature lovers. Early morning, meet with your guide and take a ferry ride directly to Sado Island.

The Osado Skyline is a scenic road through the Osado Mountains of northern  Sado Island. The skyline is a winding mountain road that takes roughly an hour to drive and offers panoramic views of the island from a number of vantage points.

Senkaku Bay is a scenic bay on the northwestern coast of Sado that has almost achieved National Park status. Thanks to its steep cliffs and scenery, Senkaku Bay is said to resemble Hardanger Bay in Norway.

During the Edo era, Sado Island was the largest producer of gold and silver in Japan. Sado Bugyosho used to be a government-controlled facility overseeing the production of gold. Mid-afternoon, return to Sado ferry terminal and take the return ferry to Niigata. End of the day at your accommodation. The evening at your leisure.

Night in Niigata

Inclusions: Accommodation, Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.

Day 7– End of the tour. Return to Tokyo or continue your Japanese Journey

After checkout, and depending on your plans, you will either take the bullet train back to Tokyo and take a flight back home, or you can continue your journey and head to another prefecture. From Niigata, it is easy to travel even further north or head off to the Tohoku region.

Inclusions: Breakfast, Private Guide, Transportation and Fees.