From Tokyo - Shosenkyo Gorge & Wine Flexible Itinerary Trip

Highlights

• Shosenkyo - Japan's most beautiful gorge, river path and ropeway
• Tastings at two Katsunuma wineries, birthplace of Japanese wine
• Hottarakashi Onsen - open-air bath facing Mount Fuji at sunset
• Hoto noodle lunch, the dish of the samurai warlord Takeda Shingen
• Your guide drives, you taste - private van from your Tokyo hotel

Description

Yamanashi has three things in one valley: Japan's finest gorge, its oldest wine region and a hilltop hot spring that looks straight at Mount Fuji. Nobody else combines them in one private day from Tokyo. We collect you at your hotel and drive west for about two hours to Shosenkyo, a four-kilometre granite gorge that the Japanese rank as the most beautiful in the country. We walk the river path past the Kakuenbo rock tower and Senga Falls, and take the ropeway to the top for the view over the Kofu basin to the Southern Alps. Lunch is hoto, the fat noodle and pumpkin stew that the warlord Takeda Shingen fed his army. Then we drive into Katsunuma, the town where Japanese wine began in 1877. We visit two wineries - a historic estate with a stone cellar and a small family producer - and taste the Koshu grape, a light dry white that is now poured in London and New York. Your guide does the driving, so you do the tasting. In the late afternoon we climb to Hottarakashi Onsen, an open-air bath on a hilltop above Yamanashi City. The name means 'left alone', and the baths face east over the whole valley to Mount Fuji; at sunset, and then as the lights of Kofu come on below, it is one of the great bathing views of Japan. We drive back to Tokyo afterwards. WHAT YOU PAY IS WHAT YOU PAY The price is one fixed amount for your whole group: the private van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide for the day. There are no per-person supplements and no booking fees. The ropeway, wine tastings, onsen entry and lunch are paid by each guest on the day. GOOD TO KNOW Fuji is visible from the onsen on most clear days, best in autumn and winter. Wine tastings vary from a few hundred yen to about 2,000 yen depending on what you choose. Autumn colour in Shosenkyo peaks in early November. FLEXIBLE DAY This is your private tour, so the day is flexible. If you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby, write it in the booking notes or tell your driver-guide on the day and we will adjust the route where time allows.

Includes

Private air-conditioned van for your group only English, Urdu or Hindi speaking driver-guide Hotel pickup and drop-off within Tokyo's 23 wards Fuel, expressway tolls and parking Bottled water Child seat free on request One fixed price for the whole group - no hidden charges and no per-person supplements

Excludes

Shosenkyo ropeway (about 1,300 yen return per adult) Wine tastings (a few hundred to about 2,000 yen per winery, your choice) Hottarakashi Onsen entry (about 900 yen per adult) Lunch and snacks Gratuities (never expected)

Important Information

• The gorge walk is about 4 km on a paved path with some steps. Bring a towel for the onsen or rent one there; tattoos are accepted at Hottarakashi. Fuji is not guaranteed - cloud can hide it, especially in summer. Tastings, ropeway, onsen and lunch are paid by you on the day. Pickup and drop-off can be changed on request at no extra cost. Travelling with small children? Tell us their ages when booking and we will confirm the child-seat arrangement for your date. The day is flexible: to skip a stop, stay longer or add a place nearby, write it in the booking notes or tell your driver-guide on the day.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund