Start in Kyoto / End in Toyama Tokyo Disneyland / Tokyo DisneySea / Kyoto / Osaka, Universal Studios
Join us on our Hokuriku Japan Tour: The Haiku Route in spring 2024!
The Hokuriku region of Japan boasts plenty of attractive places with incredible natural scenery. It is no wonder that this gorgeous backdrop has inspired many arts and crafts that originated in this area centuries ago. You would be surprised to hear that Hokuriku is not very much visited by foreign travelers yet, mainly because of its remote location. This tour gives you the opportunity to visit off-the-beaten-track places in Hokuriku, get inspired by parts of the route that famous Haiku poet Basho walked in the 17th century, and you can enjoy beautiful flowers and budding green everywhere in this abundantly blessed part of Japan.
Hokuriku Japan Tour Description
1. We visit beautiful places with incredible natural scenery such as Kurobe Gorge and Mikatagoko Lakes and old villages with traditional houses such as Miyama and Gokayama.
2. We visit several unique traditional craft workshops. You can experience these crafts hands-on using materials such as gold leaf and Japanese washi paper.
3. The accommodations we stay in are diverse to offer you various overnight experiences. We stay at a hot spring hotel and temple lodging during the tour.
Wifi is available on the bus.
Special Precautions for group tours and your safety
* We will prepare one mask per person per tour day. * Before you get on the bus, everyone has to sanitize their hands with sanitizer that will be provided by us. * There will be a maximum of 13 people on a bus that fits 22, so there is enough space between participants. * We will provide everyone with one special health drink per day to keep everyone’s immune system up. * We will provide everyone with one fresh bottle of mineral water per day.
Toyama Castle ParkToyama City Glass MuseumKansui ParkCanal CruiseOld Merchant House in IwaseTram in Toyama
Day 1: Kyoto
We will have a meet and greet at the hotel in Kyoto individually. We can arrange your transfer from Kansai International Airport or Itami Domestic Airport to Kyoto upon your request. There is a lot to see and do in Kyoto, so if you arrive earlier, please enjoy exploring highlights such as the Fushimi Inari Taisha, the Toji Temple, and the Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) by yourself. Shin-Miyako Hotel or similar -/-/-
Day 2: Kyoto – Miyama – Obama
Your English-speaking guide will meet you at the hotel lobby. First, we visit Miyama, a small village that is known for its traditional houses with thatched roofs. Then we continue to Fukui Prefecture, where Obama is famous for producing chopsticks. You will get the chance to make your own chopsticks at the Wakasa Obama Food Culture Museum. Fun fact: Obama City gave chopsticks as a gift to former US President Obama when he was elected. Hotel Uminpia or similar B / L / D
In the morning we enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Mikatagoko Lakes from a high-up viewpoint. We stop in Sabae City in the afternoon to learn more about its two important products; lacquerware and eyeglasses. You can see a demonstration where they make lacquerware products at the Urushino-sato Museum. We also visit the Megane (eyeglasses) Museum. 96% of eyeglasses in Japan are made in this city. Then we visit the famous Zen Buddhist temple Eiheiji. Afterwards, we stay at a monastery lodge close to the temple where you can experience zen meditation and enjoy a Buddhist vegetarian dinner. Hakujukan or similar B / L / D
Day 4: Eiheiji – Tojinbo – Kanazawa
In the morning, we drive to Tojinbo which is a thrilling place with a series of cliffs on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The cliffs average 30 meters in height and stretch for 1 km. Then we visit the very unique Kokeno-sato which is a moss garden. You will be surprised how moss can be so beautiful. After lunch, we head to Kanazawa, which is the biggest city on this tour. We visit the Kenrokuen Garden, one of the top three gardens in Japan, and the neighboring Kanazawa Castle Park. Hotel Nikko Kanazawa or similar B / L / –
Day 5: Kanazawa – Chirihama Nagisa Driveway – Wajima
We continue our visit to Kanazawa in the morning, as there are many places to see in this beautiful city. Higashi Chaya is a Geisha district with old wooden houses and a beautiful townscape where you can buy great local souvenirs including gold leaf products. You will also get a chance to make yourself a gold leaf souvenir at a workshop. Then you can choose your own lunch at the Omicho Market, which is a local food market with many seafood stores. You may see different fish, crabs, and vegetables according to the season. Before leaving Kanazawa we cannot miss Myoryuji, also known as the Ninja Temple because of its hidden tricks. Then we drive to Wajima, a small town on the Noto Peninsula. You will likely enjoy riding the scenic Chirihama Nagisa Driveway. Hotel Koshuen or similar B / – / D
In the morning, we drive through the Noto Peninsula to visit some nice photo spots. Shirayone Senmaida is a terraced rice field with the ocean in the background. Mitsukejima is very unique because this little island looks like a battleship. Then we drive to Hime which is facing Toyama Bay, which has been nominated as one of the most beautiful bays in the world. From the sightseeing boat, you can see the 3000 meters-high Japan Alps Mountains looming in the background which is very unique scenery. Tonight we stay at a hotel of ryokan (Japanese-style inn) with a hot spring. Umiakari or similar B / – / D
Day 7: Himi – Gokayama – Inami – Takaoka – Toyama
The first place we will visit in the morning is the small village Gokayama. Here you will see old folk houses with very steep thatched roofs to avoid the heavy snow accumulating in the winter. You can try your hands at making Japanese paper using the traditional way. Next stop Inami is famous for wood carving. There are still about 120 artisans who make mostly transom decorations. After visiting the Zuisenji Temple which has many beautiful wood carvings, you can wander around the old town while stopping at artisan’s workshops. Takaoka is a town renowned for casting metals, and they produce most copper products in Japan. You can walk around the old town and see one of the three Great Buddha statues in Japan, Takaoka Buddha. We stay two nights in Toyama City. Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar B / L / –
Day 8: Toyama – Kurobe Gorge – Namerikawa – Toyama
We drive to Unazuki to enjoy a scenic train ride for about 80 minutes in the Kurobe Gorge. You can enjoy an amazing view from the small train. Then you can go hiking from the last stop, Keyakidaira Station from where there are beautiful sites on the way such as the Man-eating Rocks. After enjoying the natural beauty of the gorge, we stop at Namerikawa before going back to the hotel. This is a fishing town that’s famous for catching firefly squid. You can see the wonderful natural light show of the squid in the spring season. In other seasons, you can still enjoy the light that is emitted by the plankton. After we arrive at the hotel, let’s go out for a farewell dinner. Excel Hotel Tokyu or similar B / L / D
Day 9: Toyama – Iwase – Toyama
Today, we use public transportation to go around Toyama City. First, we go to Toyama Castle Park and the Toyama City Glass Museum by tram. The building of the Glass Museum boasts amazing architecture and was designed by Kengo Kuma who also designed the Tokyo Olympic main stadium. The exhibition of glass artist Dale Chihuly is really beautiful. Then we take a boat along the canal to the port town of Iwase. This town flourished because of a rich trade, and we will visit one of the merchant houses whose former owners made a fortune by trade more than 100 years ago. We finish the tour at Toyama Station. It takes 2 hours to Tokyo by shinkansen from here. Thank you very much for joining us on this tour, and we hope to see you again! If you’d like to extend your stay, we can arrange your transfer or accommodation upon your request. B / – / –
Arrival and departure: Starts in Kyoto and ends in Toyama Tour date: spring 2025* (9 days and 8 nights) Tour price: TBA*
*Exact dates and prices TBA. If you want to be updated on this tour’s schedule and price once it’s been decided, please fill out the reservation & inquiries form below and we will let you know once there is news!
INCLUDED
6 nights Western-style accommodation, 1 night Japanese-style accommodation, and 1 night temple accommodation (*hotel type is subject to change) Private minibus transfers from day 2 to day 8 Comprehensive escort of our professional English-speaking tour guide as described in the itinerary Meals as described in the itinerary (8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners) Admission fees to sites as listed in the itinerary
EXCLUDED
International airfares Transportation to Kyoto and from Toyama Meals that are not included in the itinerary Travel insurance Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks Personal expenses such as telephone and laundry bills Gratuities
EXTENDED PLAN
You can extend your vacation before/after the tour in Kyoto, Toyama, Tokyo, or other places. Please contact us for more details.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Transport: Travel by air-conditioned private minibus (from day 2 to day 8) and baggage handling free Arrival/Departure: We start the tour in Kyoto and finish at Toyama Station. If you need a hotel and transfer, we can arrange them upon request Meal Requests: Vegetarian, halal or special meals can be arranged *Please note that the tour schedule and prices are subject to change without notice
CANCELLATION POLICY
46 days or more prior to arrival date in Japan: no penalty 45-31 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 10% of the tour fee 30-15 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 20% of the tour fee 14- 8 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 30% of the tour fee 7 – 3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 50% of the tour fee Less than 3 days prior to arrival date in Japan: 100% of the tour fee
Feedback From Clients (for other tours)
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Marcel – 2019 Summer –
Highly recommended! The guide didn’t only tell us a lot about the history of Japan but she also told us a lot about Japanese customs and culture. We used the knowledge we gained during the tour throughout the rest of our trip in Japan, it is very useful to do a private tour at the start of your holiday so that the rest of your trip becomes a lot smoother.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
L. I. – 2019 Autumn –
Very interesting bicycle tour through Tokyo The day after we arrived we did a bicycle tour through Tokyo with a very pleasant guide. She told us a lot during the tour and was very helpful in giving tips for the rest of the day. The tour was varied, with a bunch of different sights in a short period of time. It was also interesting to receive background explanation from someone with a non-Japanese background in addition to the Japanese guides we had during the rest of our stay as it gave a different perspective on past and current events. This was a great tour!
