Itinerary Details
If you are looking for some places far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, the Tohoku region offers the chance to witness a more traditional side of Japan where spirituality and the beauty of nature take center stage. The autumn season makes a perfect time for hiking through Tohoku of Japan. With cool breezes, from samurai towns to temple lodgings on sacred mountains, from soaking in Ginzan onsen to tucking into Japanese cuisine at izakaya restaurant, this itinerary makes a perfect add-on to any of our Japan trips.
Welcome to Japan! On arrival in Tokyo, your private guide will be ready to welcome you at the airport. You will be transferred to your hotel with a private car and driver.
Independent exploration awaits upon arrival in Tokyo, with options to investigate neon-illuminated city streets, experience diverse culinary delights, or take a respite in your hotel, prepping for the impending metropolis adventures.
Accommodation option:
- Hotel East 21 Tokyo (Okura Hotels & Resorts)
breakfast and lunch
Begin your tour at the serene Meiji Shrine, a magnificent 20th-century Shinto monument set in a beautiful forest and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. Then take a walk along Omotesando Street, a broad tree-lined avenue.
Then visit a tranquil retreat at Hama-rikyu Gardens, a serene oasis amid the bustling city. Stroll through the meticulously manicured landscape, admiring the traditional Japanese gardens, tranquil ponds, and picturesque teahouses.
Continue to Asakusa, Tokyo's old town. Here, enter the massive gates to the ancient Buddhist temple of Sensoji, which is Tokyo's oldest temple and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that for centuries has been providing temple visitors with many traditional local snacks and souvenirs.
Accommodation option:
- Hotel East 21 Tokyo (Okura Hotels & Resorts)
Meiji Shrine
Asakusa
breakfast and lunch and dinner
Today, we will travel to the north of Tokyo to a town famous for its picturesque landscapes of mountains and forests - Nikko. Our tour starts from Nikko falls at the entrance of Nikko National Park, it is a popular destination for travelers who wish to experience the natural beauty of Japan.
Here you will find the lavishly decorated Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will take a walking tour of the shrine complex which is situated within the beautiful forest. We end the day by spending the night in a Ryokan, or traveler's inn, and enjoy a delicious traditional Japanese dinner served by the welcoming Ryokan staff.
Accommodation option:
- Kozuchi No Yado Tsurukame Daikichi (Ryokan)
Nikko National Park
breakfast and lunch and dinner
In the morning, say goodbye to Nikko, and travel about two hours through a series of mountain roads to reach the Oze Marshland where our hiking begins. The park stretches into four prefectures and is a popular destination for hikers.
Depending on different season you'll see lots of unique plants and wild flowers, such as white skunk cabbages in the spring, yellow alpine lilies in the summer, and fiery red and yellow foliage during the fall.
In the evening, we will spend the night in a quaint mountain lodge nearby Ozu's other famous landmark, the Lake Ozenuma.
Accommodation option:
- Kuroyuri Hyutte (Mountain Lodge)
Oze National Park
Lake Ozenuma
breakfast and lunch and dinner
In the morning, we'll continue the hiking through Oze Marshland. The path is marked by wooden walking planks along the way that help guide you safely through the natural beauty of wetlands. At the end of the hiking trail, a bus will take us to Okutadami Lake. The man-made lake was built to assist the nearby hydro-electric power plant which is the largest one in Japan. Here, you will take a sightseeing cruise across this beautiful lake.
Transfer to Oyuonsen. In the evening, relax in the open-air onsen (hot spring) and enjoy another traditional Japanese dinner at a nice and homey ryokan.
Accommodation option:
- Kairi (Onsen Ryokan)
Oze Marshland
Okutadami Lake
breakfast and lunch
The Shinkansen bullet train will take you to Tsuruoka, a city particularly famous for the legendary Three Holy Mountains of Dewa.
Blessed with towering mountains, vast open plains, and long stretches of rich coastline, Tsuruoka City is a rural farming city in the vast open plains of the Shonai Region. This is region has an absolute treasure trove of hidden gems to explore.
Accommodation option:
- Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse
breakfast and lunch and dinner
Today we'll travel southwest to Mount Haguro, one of the three mountains that make up the sacred Dewa Sanzan. Each mountain represents a different step of the cycle of life - birth (Mount Haguro), death (Mount Gassan), and rebirth (Mount Yudono). Yamabushi mountain priests who practice the ascetic shugendo religion make a pilgrimage between the Dewa Sanzan mountains, and you might see them in their white robes on Mount Haguro.
From the foot of Mount Haguro to the summit it's a leisurely 2-hour walk through atmospheric cedar forests where some of the trees are over 1,000 years old. You can always stop at the tea house part way for a break and to admire the stunning views.
After reaching the summit and exploring Gosaiden shrine, you'll be rewarded with a wholesome Buddhist vegan shojin ryori meal at your simple shukubo temple lodging - one of our favourite overnight experiences in Japan.
Accommodation option:
- Kanbayashi Katsukane Shukubo
Mount Haguro
breakfast and lunch and dinner
Staying in a temple lodging is bound to be unforgettable, we'll travel to the next destination: Ginzan Onsen town. Ginzan Onsen was built around a small silver mine centuries ago and is now one of the most charming onsen towns in Japan. The traditional wooden ryokan inns lining the streets, their lights gleaming warmly over the river, with little bridges crisscrossing between them - the chance to truly relax.
Here you'll stay in a ryokan where you can soak in the hot spring baths and enjoy a leisurely kaiseki course meal before retiring for the night.
Notes: For the winter season from December to February, we suggest to book the hotels of Ginzan onsen at least six months in advance.
Accommodation option:
- Ginzanso Ryokan
Ginzan Onsen
breakfast and lunch and dinner
Ginzan Onsen has a 500-year history and is bordered by red bridges over streams, retro wooden inns, and lit gas lamps built along the roadways, creating a movie-like environment.
We will spend the whole day exploring this small onsen town and soak in mineral-rich waters of onsen. After refreshing yourselves in onsen baths, you can venture out for dinner at an izakaya restaurant, always a popular and lively destination. A variety of dishes cater to all tastes.
Accommodation option:
- Ginzanso Ryokan
Ginzan Onsen
breakfast and lunch
After spending two nights at Ginzan onsen, we will be transferred to Sendai, it's a city with a vibrant food culture and a long history. Nowadays Sendai is known as "the city of trees".
After lunch, to Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle). Built in the rule of the first leader of Sendai, Date Masamune, the castle grounds now is a park where you can feel the real sense of history and have an amazing bird view of the city on the top.
Then, your driver will transfer you to the luxury Zuihoden Mausoleum built in 1637. It was designed in the ornate style of the Momoyama period and designated as a national treasure in 1931. Stairs on a gentle incline near the entrance and a grove of quite cedar trees provides a marvelous setting for walking.
Accommodation option:
- The Westin Sendai
Sendai Castle
Zuihoden Mausoleum
breakfast
You will be picked up and taken to the airport for your return flights home.