Japan Winter Rail Discovery with Airfare

Depart North America on Japan Airlines for your Trans-Pacific flight.

After clearing customs and immigration formalities you will be met by Goway's local representative and transferred to your accommodation in the city. The balance of the day is at leisure to relax or explore Tokyo at your own pace.

Start off your stay in Tokyo with a morning tour. Visit the Imperial Palace grounds and Nijubashi Bridge. The palace is the residence of the Emperor of Japan and the grounds are a relaxing spot for Tokyoites and visitors alike. Then visit Tsukiji Outer fish market. Walk along the alleys to explore the stalls and shop for goods. Next, visit Senso-Ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street. Senso-Ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, offers plenty to see including the bright red Kaminarimon Gate, a statue of the god of thunder, and a five-story pagoda. The bustling street known as "Nakamise" stretches for about 250 m from Kaminarimon Gate to Senso-Ji Temple and is filled with a plethora of shops. The tour ends in Asakusa after enjoying a stroll around.

This afternoon, meet your assistant and visit the nearest JR office to exchange your 14-day Japan Rail Pass. Assistance will be provided to exchange our pass and make your seat reservations. 

Japan has one of the most extensive, comfortable and modern rail systems in the world. The Japan Rail Pass offers foreign visitors the opportunity to travel on the extraordinary network of the JR Group at an economical price. The JR Pass allows travel on most JR trains, including Shinkansen bullet trains, limited express, express, rapid and local trains, as well as some local JR buses and the ferry to Miyajima island (near Hiroshima).

A full day to explore Tokyo, Japan’s sprawling, busy capital, offers a mix of the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to cherry trees in season and serene temples. 

The city is made up of a number of districts, each one with its own character and attractions. To get around the city, it is not impossible to walk from one to another but allow time. The Tokyo subway system is somewhat complex but all route maps and many signs are in both Japanese and English. 

Today you will be using your Japan Rail pass to travel to Nagano (approx 2 hour journey). You will have assistance to transfer from your hotel in Tokyo to Tokyo Station to board your first bullet train. The assistant will escort you to the train platform and then say goodbye. On arrival in Nagano, the rest of your day is at leisure.   

Nagano is the capital of the Nagano prefecture, often called the ‘roof of Japan’ as the prefecture has the highest mountain ranges in the country. You may choose to visit Zenko-ji Temple, a designated National Treasure built roughly 1,400 years ago. We suggest you try a soba noodle lunch or dinner, the region’s speciality. We also recommend you take the train to Matsumoto (approx. 50 mins), located at the foot of the Japanese Alps. Choose to visit Matsumoto Castle, the Ishii Miso Brewery or Nakamachi Street. If you stay until the evening you can watch the winter illumination show at Matsumoto Castle. If you happen to travel at the end of January, you may be in the city for the ice sculpture festival. Return back to Nagano for overnight.

This morning you will head to the Jigokudani Yaen Koen by public bus together with your guide to see the famous Snow Monkeys. Jigokudani literally means ‘hell’s valley’ due to the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of small crevices in the frozen ground, and it is in these baths that the resident Japanese Macaques like to bathe and winter is the best time to see them. The monkeys live in large social groups, and it can be quite entertaining to watch their interactions. Accustomed to humans, they can be observed from very close and almost completely ignore their human guests. The only way to access the park is via a gentle 2 km hike. The afternoon is at leisure with your private guide. Choose to visit the nearby charming town of Obuse known for its delicious chestnuts and the home of Hokusai, the famous painter and printmaker from Japan’s Edo period. Or choose to further explore Nagano.

This morning travel to Takayama which is a 4 hour journey by train. Takayama is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. To differentiate it from other places named Takayama, the city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. It now ranks as one of the prime candidates among travelers wishing to add a rural element into their itineraries.

Start the day with a visit to the local Miyagawa Market along the Miyagawa River in Takayama’s old town. Most stands sell local crafts and farm products such as vegetables, pickles and flowers. Then take a walk in the district called San-machi Suji, the traditional home of Takayama’s merchants and sake brewers, which has been preserved in almost exactly the same state as 200 or 300 years ago. Here are inns, shops and taverns which trace their history back many generations. Stop at a sake brewery to sample some sake. Takayama’s sake is renowned nation-wide, thanks to the clear water of the surroundings. Continue with a visit to the Takayama Festival Floats Museum, where the magnificent floats from the famous Takayama Festival are preserved. In the afternoon take a public bus together with your guide to the Shirakawago region. Your guide will show you around the village, famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukkuri translates as ‘Praying Hands’, as the farmhouse steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer, and are designed to withstand the heavy snows which fall in the region. You will be able to look around inside one of these and will see how life in Japan's mountainous region used to be.

Have a leisurely morning in Takayama and then take a short train ride to Gero Onsen (approx. 45 mins). Gero Onsen is one of Japan’s most famous hot spring towns. There are public outdoor baths and free outdoor foot baths throughout the town. Tonight, stay in a traditional Japanese ryokan and enjoy a multi-course kaiseki dinner. Your ryokan has indoor and outdoor onsen baths overlooking the surrounding mountains.

Leave Gero Onsen for Kyoto which is a 3 hour journey. Kyoto served as Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. It is one of the country's ten largest cities with a population of 1.5 million people and a modern face.

Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its exceptional historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and escaped destruction during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.

Some of Kyoto's main attractions are Nijo Castle, Sento Palace, Nishiki market, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Fushimi Inari Shrine and the preserved historic district of Higashiyama. There is so much to see, it may be worth extending your stay here.

Set out to explore some of Kyoto's most famous sites and discover the history behind this one thousand year capital. Tour Nijo Castle, noted for its gorgeous interiors and its "squeaky" nightingale floors which alerted residents to unwanted intruders (if Nijo Castle is closed, visit Ryoanji Temple instead). Continue to Kinkakuji Temple, famous for its Golden Pavilion covered entirely in thin layers of pure gold as well as for its exquisite Japanese gardens and koi ponds. Afterwards, visit Kyoto's Imperial Palace and gain exclusive access to the former residence of the Emperor of Japan (if the Palace is closed, visit Kitano Tenmangu Shrine instead). The tour ends at Kyoto Station (12:40-1:00pm) from where you can return to your hotel or continue to explore the city on your own.

Today we recommend you use your rail pass to visit Nara. Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784 and a few years later to Kyoto.

Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples. Some sites of interest Todaiji Temple, Horyuji Temple, Heijo Temple and Omizutori to name a few. Return back to Kyoto for overnight.

In the early morning, travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima which is a 2 hour train journey. When the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the city became known worldwide for this unenviable distinction. The destructive power of the bomb was tremendous and obliterated nearly everything within a two kilometer radius.

After the war, great efforts were taken to rebuild the city. Predictions that the city would be uninhabitable proved false. Destroyed monuments of Hiroshima's historical heritage, like Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien Garden, were reconstructed. In the center of the city a large park was built and given a name that would reflect the aspirations of the re-born city: Peace Memorial Park. We suggest you visit the Peace Park before continuing on.

Depending on the time you have left in the day, it is suggested you visit Miyajima this afternoon and if you are not able to, try tomorrow morning. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views. While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine island". This is because the island is so closely related to its key shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water.

There are also wild deer on the island that have become accustomed to people. In the day the deer wander around the same sites as the tourists, and in the evening they sleep along the walking paths. Return to Hiroshima for overnight.

On your way back to Tokyo, a stop at Himeji which is 1 hours away on your way to Tokyo is a great idea. Here you can spend the afternoon exploring the Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) due to its elegant, white appearance, is widely considered as Japan's most spectacular castle for its imposing size and beauty and its well preserved, complex castle grounds.

The castle complex as it survives today is over 400 years old and was completed in 1609. It is made up of over eighty buildings spread across multiple baileys, which are connected by a series of gates and winding paths. Return to Tokyo in the evening which is 3-4 hours journey.

Today make your own way to the airport for your onward flight. If you would like to extend any part of your stay, please inquire with our team.