Ultimate Itinerary for Mountains and Art in Japan
Phase 1: Tokyo-Aizu
Day 1: Tokyo to Aizu-Wakamatsu (Transit Day)
08:30 – Pickup in Tokyo: Depart hotel via Kan-etsu / Ban-etsu Expressway.
10:30 – Ouchi-juku (1.5 hrs): Visit this beautifully preserved Edo-period post town nestled in the mountains. Walk along the unpaved main street lined with thatched-roof houses and try the local takewari or negi-soba (soba eaten with a green onion). We recommended visiting Bond Farm, an organic farm with cute ducks or Garden Cafe b Restaurant for a honey themed lunch.
12:30 – Drive to Lake Inawashiro (45 mins): Scenic route along the base of Mount Bandai.
13:15 – Lake Inawashiro & Lunch (1.5 hrs): Stop at the shore for photos of Mount Bandai reflected on the lake water, and enjoy a local Aizu sauce-katsu-don lunch.
15:30 – Check-in at Aizu-Wakamatsu / Higashiyama Onsen: Drop-off at your ryokan or hotel within the 8-hour window. For those who wish to experience the Samurai culture of the region or are fans of Demon Slayer or the film Kill Bill, a Samurai and Sword experience can be arranged at the hotel in a scene of the Demon Slayer. The experience is hosted by the choreographer behind the sword scene in Kill Bill. Our Recommended hotel stay is: Ashinomaki Onsen Ookawaso.
Day 2: Aizu-Wakamatsu Local Exploration
09:00 – Hotel Pickup: Start the historical circuit.
09:15 – Tsuruga Castle (1.5 hrs): Explore Japan’s only red-roofed samurai castle, walk the park grounds, and visit the tea house (Rinku-an). After, guest can participate in an akabeko (a bobbing-head paper mache toy of the region) painting experience.
11:00 – Sazaedo Temple & Iimoriyama (1.5 hrs): Visit the unique double-helix wooden pagoda built in 1796 where visitors ascend and descend without crossing paths.
12:45 – Lunch on Nanokamachi-dori (1.5 hrs): Stroll down this traditional street featuring Taisho-era architecture, sake breweries, and lacquerware shops.
14:30 – Suehiro Sake Brewery or Oyamada Villa (1.5 hrs): Take a quick tour and tasting at one of Tohoku's most famous sake distilleries.
17:00 – Return to Hotel
Phase 2: Aizu-Wakamatsu → Zao Onsen
Day 3: Aizu to Zao Onsen via Yamagata (Transit Day)
09:00 – Pickup from Aizu: Drive north via the Tohoku Expressway towards Yamagata.
10:30 – Yamadera / Risshaku-ji Temple (2.5 hrs): A cliffside temple complex made famous by poet Matsuo Basho. Note: Reaching the upper sanctuary involves climbing ~1,000 stone steps. Alternatively, your charter can drop you at the scenic lower grounds and river views.
13:00 – Lunch in Yamagata City (1.5 hrs): Sample famous Yamagata beef (Yonezawa beef style) or cold buckwheat noodles (Hiyashi Soba).
15:00 – Arrive at Zao Onsen (1 hr transit): Drive up into the mountains.
16:00 – Drop-off at Zao Onsen Ryokan / Resort We recommend the Takamiya Ryokan Miyamaso.
Day 4: Zao Mountain & Scenic Surroundings
09:00 – Hotel Pickup
09:15 – Zao Ropeway & Okama Crater (2.5 hrs): Take the ropeway up for alpine panoramas. (If visiting between late spring and autumn, take the scenic Zao Highline drive directly to the emerald-green Okama Crater Lake).
12:00 – Lunch in Zao Village (1 hr): Try Jingisukan (grilled mutton dish cooked on helmet-shaped iron plates, a Zao specialty).
13:30 – Kaminoyama Castle or High-Altitude Onsen Drive (2.5 hrs): Visit nearby Kaminoyama to explore its historic castle and preserved samurai residences, or soak in public footbaths (ashi-yu) along the town. Many guests request to visit Ginzan onsen as an alternative, a quaint and picturesque onsen town nestled in the mountains.
17:00 – Return to Zao Onsen
Phase 3: Zao Onsen → Tsuruoka (Dewa Sanzan)
Day 5: Zao Onsen to Tsuruoka via Mogami River (Transit Day)
09:00 – Departure from Zao Onsen: Head west toward the Shonai Plain.
10:30 – Mogami River Gorge & Scenic Boat Ride (2 hrs): Stop at Tozawa for a traditional flat-bottom boat trip down the Mogami River while the boatmen sing regional folk songs.
13:00 – Lunch at Kamo Aquarium or Shonai Coastline (1.5 hrs): Head to the coast and visit the world-famous Kamo Aquarium, known for housing over 50 species of jellyfish in giant illuminated tanks. Alternatively, we recommend a traditional Japanese style lunch.
15:00 – Chindo / Tsuruoka Historic Silk Mill or Chido Museum (1.5 hrs): Explore western-style historical buildings and traditional samurai gardens.
17:00 – Drop-off at Tsuruoka Hotel / Yunohama Onsen Our recommended hotel is Kameya, because almost all of their rooms have an onsen inside with the healing waters of natural hot springs.
Day 6: Sacred Mount Haguro & Tsuruoka Culinary Heritage
09:00 – Hotel Pickup
09:30 – Mount Haguro & 5-Story Pagoda (2.5 hrs): Part of the 3 sacred peaks of Dewa Sanzan. Walk through ancient cedar forests to view the national-treasure 5-story wooden pagoda. Walk with the yamabushi, learn about dewa sanzan heritage (Mount Haguro: Represents birth; features 2,446 stone steps through 300-to-500-year-old cedar trees and a National Treasure five-story pagoda.
Mount Gassan: Represents death; the highest peak housing the main high-altitude shrine of the range.
Mount Yudono: Represents rebirth; serves as the mystic inner sanctum where photography and shoes are traditionally forbidden
12:30 – Shojin Ryori (Buddhist Vegetarian Lunch) (1.5 hrs): Dine on traditional mountain-vegetable cuisine prepared by Yamabushi monk traditions at Saikan or a local specialty restaurant.
14:30 – Oyama Sake Village / Kato Yoshiharu Brewery (1.5 hrs): Tsuruoka is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Tour a local brewery producing top-tier Dewa33 sake.
17:00 – Return to Hotel
Phase 4: Tsuruoka → Tokamachi / Minami-Uonuma
Day 7: Tsuruoka to Tokamachi along the Sea of Japan Coast (Transit Day)
08:30 – Depart Tsuruoka: Scenic coastal drive along Route 7 down toward Niigata Prefecture.
10:30 – Sasagawa Nagare Coast (1 hr): Stop along this 11km stretch of dramatic rock formations, sea caves, and crystal-clear water along the Sea of Japan.
12:30 – Lunch in Niigata City / Northern Culture Museum (2 hrs): Enjoy fresh coastal seafood or famous Niigata Koshihikari rice, followed by a visit to the sprawling traditional estate of the Ito family (Northern Culture Museum).
15:00 – Drive South to Tokamachi / Uonuma Valley (1.5 hrs)
16:30 – Check-in at Ryokan / Hotel in Minami-Uonuma Our recommended hotel stay is ryugon.
Day 8: Tokamachi Art & Rice Terrace Circuit
09:00 – Hotel Pickup
09:30 – Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel (Tunnel of Light) (2 hrs): Experience the famous art installation featuring reflecting pools inside a natural canyon tunnel.
12:00 – Hoshitoge Rice Terraces & Local Uonuma Koshihikari Lunch (2 hrs): View the cascading rice fields that define rural Niigata, followed by a multi-course local farm-to-table meal centered on regional rice and mountain herbs.
14:30 – Echigo-Tsumari Art Campo / Matsudai Nohbu (1.5 hrs): Tour open-air contemporary art installations integrated into the natural farmland environment.
17:00 – Return to Hotel
Phase 5: Minami-Uonuma / Tokamachi → Tokyo
Day 9: Tokamachi to Tokyo via Yuzawa Mountain Pass (Transit Day)
09:00 – Hotel Pickup in Minami-Uonuma
09:30 – Echigo-Yuzawa Sake & Craft Center (Ponshukan) (1.5 hrs): Visit Yuzawa station for the famous sake-vending wall (sampling over 90 Niigata sakes) and local rice souvenir shops.
11:30 – Drive south on Kan-etsu Expressway towards Gunma (1 hr)
12:30 – Ikaho Onsen or Shibukawa Lunch Stop (2 hrs): Stop near Shibukawa for famous Mizusawa Udon (one of Japan's top three udon styles) and take a quick walk up the iconic 365-step stone stairs of Ikaho Onsen town.
15:00 – Final Highway Drive to Tokyo (2 hrs): Head straight into Tokyo metropolis.
17:00 – Drop-off at Tokyo Hotel or Airport
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