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    HOW TO BOOK Make an Enquiry

    Exclusive Private Journey

    Snow Monkeys & Samurai

    3 Nights: price on request Trip Code: EPJ500

    Traverse the backbone of Japan, where the picturesque mountains are home to monkeys, sake and art among teetering rice paddies and towering peaks. Read more >

    Take a seat in the luxurious "gran class" car of the bullet train to speed north from Tokyo up into the Japanese Alps, home to some of the most spectacular rural landscapes in the country. Seventy percent of Japan is mountainous, and this range forms the backbone of Honshu, Japan's main island.

    Your first stop is Nagano, home of the 1998 Winter Olympics and Zenko-ji Temple - the most important Zen temple in Japan. You'll be based in the quaint village of Obuse, where you'll explore sake breweries and flower gardens and enjoy small-town alpine life.

    From here you'll also have the chance to visit some of the world's northernmost-living primates, the gorgeous "snow monkeys" who play for hours in natural hot springs baths in the mountains near Yudanaka Onsen.

    The Alps have a rich artistic heritage; local hero Hokusai - the master of woodblock prints - is honoured in excellent museums in both Obuse and Matsumoto. We'll connect you with an experienced artist to help you explore the legacy of this great master.

    Throughout this Exclusive Private Journey you will be accompanied by an top-class guide, stay in the finest accommodation and enjoy world-class dining. A driver and private car will be at your disposal for all transfers and sightseeing.

    For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 44 117 244 3380

    What, where, when and how...

    • Map & Dest.
    • Day by Day
    • Accommodation
    • Experiences
    • How to Book

    Snow Monkeys & Samurai - 4 Days

    Map for Snow Monkeys & Samurai

    Destinations

    • Nagano
      Nagano

      Read more >

    • Obuse
      Obuse

      Read more >

    • Yudanaka
      Yudanaka

      Read more >

    • Matsumoto
      Matsumoto

      Read more >

    Snow Monkeys & Samurai - 4 Days - Day by Day

    • Day 1-2 Obuse
      Day 1-2 Obuse
    • Day 3-4 Matsumoto
      Day 3-4 Matsumoto
    View all days

    Snow Monkeys & Samurai - 4 Days - Accommodation

    • Masuichi Kyakuden
      Obuse
      Masuichi Kyakuden

      Deluxe

    • Kai Matsumoto
      Matsumoto
      Kai Matsumoto

      Deluxe

    Snow Monkeys & Samurai - 4 Days - Experiences

    • Zenko-ji Temple
      Zenko-ji Temple

      Read more >

    • Snow monkeys
      Snow monkeys

      Read more >

    • Hokusai's legacy
      Hokusai's legacy

      Read more >

    • Obuse sake brewery
      Obuse sake brewery

      Read more >

    • The "black crow" castle
      The "black crow" castle

      Read more >

    • Soba noodle making
      Soba noodle making

      Read more >

    • Day 1-2

      Day 1-2

      You'll take the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano where this module begins high in the Japanese Alps.

      Travel on the bullet train will be in "gran class" – a luxury train car with reclining leather seats – and your guide will be waiting for you when you arrive on the platform at Nagano Station.

      Together with your guide you could break your journey in Nagano to visit Zenko-ji Temple or head straight on by private car to the see Japan's famous snow monkeys at Yudanaka Onsen. To escape the winter cold whole families of macaque monkeys play in the natural hot springs - a fantastic sight.

      You'll spend two nights in a beautiful ryokan inn in the small village of Obuse, not far from the snow monkeys of Yudanaka. Obuse belies its size with an incredible cultural and historical background and ongoing legacy; it was the home of Katsushika Hokusai, the world famous ukiyo-e woodblock print artist.

      On your second day you'll explore the galleries and museums of Obuse - just have a look at the experience tab below for an idea of what we can organise. For those interested in design, the Japanese Lamp Museum, housed in an old renovated storehouse, has a collection of almost 1,000 antique lanterns, lamps and candles that date from ancient times through until the mid-1920s.

      Another option is a visit to Obuse's floral garden, which comprises 15,000 square metres of landscaped flowerbeds, a hill garden and (somewhat unusually for Japan) an expansive lawn.

      Suggested Accommodation: Masuichi Kyakuden

    • Day 3-4

      Day 3-4

      On to Matsumoto today to see one of Japan's few remaining original samurai castles.

      Matsumoto's castle, known as the "Black Crow", retains the original wooden construction from when it was first built, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogun. The castle gets its name from its unusual black walls (castles in Japan are usually white) and the beautiful design is undoubtedly one of the finest examples in existence.

      Your guide will help bring a little of the castle's history to life, and climbing the steep wooden steps within you will really get a feel for what life was like for the samurai who were in charge of maintaining the security of this fortress.

      Suggested Accommodation: Kai Matsumoto

    View all days
    • Day 1-2

      1-2

      You'll take the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano where this module begins high in the Japanese Alps.

      Travel on the bullet train will be in "gran class" – a luxury train car with reclining leather seats – and your guide will be waiting for you when you arrive on the platform at Nagano Station.

      Together with your guide you could break your journey in Nagano to visit Zenko-ji Temple or head straight on by private car to the see Japan's famous snow monkeys at Yudanaka Onsen. To escape the winter cold whole families of macaque monkeys play in the natural hot springs - a fantastic sight.

      You'll spend two nights in a beautiful ryokan inn in the small village of Obuse, not far from the snow monkeys of Yudanaka. Obuse belies its size with an incredible cultural and historical background and ongoing legacy; it was the home of Katsushika Hokusai, the world famous ukiyo-e woodblock print artist.

      On your second day you'll explore the galleries and museums of Obuse - just have a look at the experience tab below for an idea of what we can organise. For those interested in design, the Japanese Lamp Museum, housed in an old renovated storehouse, has a collection of almost 1,000 antique lanterns, lamps and candles that date from ancient times through until the mid-1920s.

      Another option is a visit to Obuse's floral garden, which comprises 15,000 square metres of landscaped flowerbeds, a hill garden and (somewhat unusually for Japan) an expansive lawn.

      Suggested Accommodation: Masuichi Kyakuden

    • Day 3-4

      3-4

      On to Matsumoto today to see one of Japan's few remaining original samurai castles.

      Matsumoto's castle, known as the "Black Crow", retains the original wooden construction from when it was first built, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogun. The castle gets its name from its unusual black walls (castles in Japan are usually white) and the beautiful design is undoubtedly one of the finest examples in existence.

      Your guide will help bring a little of the castle's history to life, and climbing the steep wooden steps within you will really get a feel for what life was like for the samurai who were in charge of maintaining the security of this fortress.

      Suggested Accommodation: Kai Matsumoto

    Close all days

    How to book

    This is a short example module that can be used as a building block to plan a longer Exclusive Private Journey.

    To build your perfect Exclusive Private Journey, mix and match some of our existing modules or just get in touch with us and we will plan you a trip from scratch. Our service is completely flexible and we will be happy to arrange any combination of destinations, experiences and accommodation that you like.

    To begin planning your Exclusive Private Journey with the help of one of our expert travel consultants, don't hesitate to make an enquiry via our online form - or contact us directly by telephone or email.

    Contact us

    • GB Inside Japan UK office

      + 44 117 244 3380
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      + 1 303 952 0379
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      + 61 7 3186 8800
    • JAP Inside Japan - Japan office

      + 81 52 253 6068

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    Order a brochure or enquire today

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