Rural Family Adventure: Treasures of Japan's Heartland

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Overview
Highlights
- Visit some of the best rural regions and old capitals of JapanMeet free-roaming animals - Japanese deer and macaques
- Cycling through peaceful countrysideOutdoor kitchen experience in the peaceful terraced rice fields with local farmers
- Pottery making experience at one of the ancient kilns in the rural communityScenic boat ride along the Hozu River down to Arashiyama in Kyoto
- Make your own paper lantern at the oldest studio in KyotoA thrilling Taiko drumming lesson with a famous professional team
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- Full-time services of an English-speaking tour guide
- 7 nights in hotels and Japanese-style inns (Ryokan and Minshuku)
- Daily breakfast, 1 lunch and 6 dinners
- All transportation between tour locations
- Entrance to museums, temples and other sights on the group's itinerary
- Forwarding of one item of luggage on two occasions
Itinerary

Accommodation: Hotel
Arrive in Nara. Feed the freeroaming deer in Nara Park. Meet your tour guide and other group members at the tour hotel. There will be a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Minshuku (Family-run guesthouse)
This morning, we travel by train to Asuka, Japan’s first permanent capital. We rent bicycles and explore the village with its picturesque scenery and surrounding countryside. After lunch, we continue our leisurely...
Accommodation: Minshuku (Family-run guesthouse)
We join a young farming family in Asuka and help them harvest seasonal organic vegetables. Harvesting is great fun and a fascinating experience. After this good exercise, our hosts set up an outdoor kitchen in a r...
Accommodation: Minshuku (Family-run guesthouse)
Today we travel by train and bus to Sasayama, an ancient castle town which flourished as a transportation hub linking western Japan with Kyoto. We stop at an Tambayaki pottery village famous for some of the oldest...
Accommodation: Minshuku (Family-run guesthouse)
There is so much to see in Sasayama! There is the site of Sasayama Castle, originally built in 1609 as part of an offensive against rebels based in Osaka. We begin our own exploration of the town in the area where the Samurai warriors used to live. We’ll also see insi...
Accommodation: Hotel
This morning we travel to Kameoka and then enjoy a scenic two-hour boat ride along the Hozu River down to Arashiyama in Kyoto. Arashiyama is a lovely area of western Kyoto famous for its bamboo groves. We visit the monkey park on Mount Aras...
Accommodation: Hotel
This morning we visit Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine and walk through thousands of beautiful vermilion gates which line the paths on Mount Inari. We continue to a traditional Japanese paper lantern studio and try our hand at making a small pape...
Our tour ends after breakfast at the tour hotel in Kyoto. Your guide will offer advice on your journey to the airport for your homeward flight, or on onward travel in Japan if you are extending your stay.
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Dates & Availability
- We ask for a 20% deposit on booking and the final balance 2 months before your tour starts.
- Child rates apply to those under the age of 18 at the time of travel. Single room occupancy is not available to those paying child rates.
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Oku Japan.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics
What's excluded
- Flights
- Airport transfers
- Pay locally for drinks with meals and for lunches
- Entrance fees to museums, temples etc. not mentioned in the itinerary
Accommodation
If you or any other person included on the Booking Form wishes to cancel their booking, the cancellation will be effective from the UK working day (normally Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays) on which we receive your written notification by email, mail or fax. The following cancellation charges will apply:
- 60 days or more: deposit only
- 59-42 days prior to departure: 30% of the total tour price
- 41-15 days prior to departure: 50% of total tour price
- 14 days prior to departure: 100% of the total tour price
- We advise you to take out insurance against irrecoverable cancellation costs.
If any member(s) of your party is/are prevented from traveling, the person(s) concerned will be able to transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing the following requirements are complied with. We must be notified of the transfer(s) in writing (giving full details of the original and substitute party member(s)) not less than two weeks before departure. A transfer will not be possible if there is a waiting list for places in which case the available place must be offered to the next person on that list. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with an amendment fee of USD45 per person, per element must be paid before the transfer can be affected.
8 Breakfasts, 1 lunch and 6 Dinners
Suitable for children aged 5 and upwards.
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