Beyond Tokyo: Kawazu Cherry Blossoms & Snow Monkey Tour

Day 1

Tokyo Narita Airport or Haneda Airport

Welcome to Tokyo! You will be met at the arrival gate by an AJT representative holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

NOTE 1: The meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour after 11 AM. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to your hotel on your own.

NOTE 2: If you wish to stay extra nights before the tour starts, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Day 2

Kawazu (Nanadaru Falls / Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival)

After breakfast, we travel to Kawazu, a coastal town on the Izu Peninsula. We will travel inland to the Seven Waterfalls of Nanadaru - a series of scenic falls, each beautifully framed by the lush woodland landscape. Then we will go to enjoy the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the blossoming of the Kawazu Cherry Tree. These trees are beloved for being the first sakura trees to bloom in Japan. Take some time to admire the beauty of these bright pink blossoms, and try some cherry-flavored festival sweets.

Breakfast / Dinner

Izu-Imaihama Tokyu Hotel or similar class

Day 3

Mt Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi / Kubota Itchiku Museum / Kachi Kachi Ropeway), Matsumoto (Matsumoto Castle)

This morning, we take a drive to Lake Kawaguchi. If the skies are clear, you can get a distant glimpse of Mount Fuji's majestic snow-capped cone. We will stop first at the Kubota Itchiku Museum, to explore the silk-dyeing techniques mastered by artist Itchiku Kubota, and see his unfinished masterpiece "Symphony of Light" - a tribute to the wonders of nature. Then we'll take a ride on the Kachi Kachi Ropeway which, if the weather is good, offers passengers impressive views of Mount Fuji and the surrounding countryside. After, we continue on to Matsumoto to see imposing Matsumoto Castle, also known as Black Crow castle for its ebon-colored exterior. At last, we head over to the hotel for a relaxing evening.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Ryokan Biyu no Yado or similar class

Day 4

Yudanaka (Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park), Obuse (Hokusai Museum), Nagano (Zenkoji Temple), Bullet Train to Tokyo

Today, we will drive to Yudanaka for a visit to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Here you can observe the adorable Japanese Macaques or "Snow Monkeys" in their native habitat. They come to these hot springs to bathe and groom each other, which is fascinating to watch. Then we head over to the town of Obuse and the Hokusai Museum. Hokusai was one of the Edo period's most acclaimed artists for his Ukiyo-e style of painting, producing the 36 views of Mt. Fuji, including the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa, and many of his masterpieces are collected here awaiting your discovery. After, we will travel to Nagano and see the city's greatest Buddhist Temple - Zenkoji. The temple exterior and grounds are impressive, bordered by enormous wooden temple gates, while within the temple the first Buddha statue ever brought to Japan is purportedly hidden. Finally, we will zoom at high speed, on a Shinkansen "bullet train", returning to Tokyo for a last relaxing night in Japan.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro or similar class

Day 5

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends.
Checkout time is 11 am.
Transfer to Narita Airport or Haneda Airport by Airport Limousine Bus.  

Breakfast

NOTE 3: The departure airport transfer is ONLY available on the last day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights after the tour, we will provide full instructions in advance for you to transfer to the airport on your own.

NOTE 4: If you would like to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.