From Tokyo - Fuji Whisky Distillery Flexible Itinerary

Highlights

• Reserved factory tour inside a working Mount Fuji whisky distillery
• See malt and grain whisky made on one site - rare anywhere in the world
• Tasting included, with non-alcoholic options for drivers and under-20s
• Whisky made from snowmelt filtered through Mount Fuji itself
• The south side of Fuji, away from the Kawaguchiko crowds

Description

Every whisky tour out of Tokyo goes to the same place. This one does not. On the south-eastern skirt of Mount Fuji, 620 metres up at Gotemba, stands a distillery that was built in 1972 because the climate there was judged the closest thing in Japan to Scotland - cool, dry, averaging 13 degrees. It is one of very few distilleries anywhere that makes both malt and grain whisky on a single site, with four pot stills, and every drop is made with water that fell as snow on Mount Fuji and filtered down through the volcano for decades. We collect you at your Tokyo hotel and drive about two hours south-west. Your reserved factory tour takes you past the mash tuns, the fermentation washbacks and the four pot stills, and into the bottling hall, where - unlike most distillery visits - the line is usually running in front of you. Video and audio guide are available in English. The tasting at the end pours the house single malt and grain whisky; anyone under twenty, and the driver, is served the non-alcoholic tea instead, which is normal here and not an afterthought. Afterwards you have time in the tasting bar and the shop, which carries bottles that are hard to find outside Japan. From the grounds, when the cloud lifts, Mount Fuji stands twelve kilometres away and fills the sky. We finish the day on the Fuji side rather than rushing back: a stop at a viewpoint on the Gotemba plain for photographs of the mountain from the south, where the shape is broader and the snowline sits differently from the Kawaguchiko side everybody photographs. This is a day for people who like how things are made, not a checklist of viewpoints. FLEXIBLE DAY This is your private van and your day. If you want to stay longer at one stop, skip another, add a viewpoint or change the order, write it in the booking notes or just tell your driver-guide on the day. There is no extra charge for changing the plan.

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 Reserved distillery factory tour and tasting for your group 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

Food and drinks (optional - bring your own or buy on the day) Bottles bought in the distillery shop Gratuities (never expected)

Important Information

• The distillery tour is included and we reserve it for your group. Tasting of whisky is for guests aged 20 and over; younger guests and the driver are served non-alcoholic drinks. The distillery is closed on Mondays and on some public holidays, and tour places are limited. If it is closed or full on your date we will tell you before the tour and you can choose either a visit to the whisky museum and tasting bar instead, or a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. Pickup and drop-off can be changed on request at no extra cost. Travelling with small children? Write their ages in the booking notes and we will have the right child seat in the van. This is a flexible private day - tell your driver-guide on the day if you want to change the order, stay longer somewhere or skip a stop, at no extra cost.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund