A highly recommended winter trip for all ages!

This Trip Features;

• One of the most beautiful original castles in Japan; Matsumoto castle
• Amazing snow sculptures, thousands of three-tiered snowmen (Guinness Record) and music performance at Iiyama Snow Festival
• Beautiful and romantic fairytale-like Kamakura Igloos at Iiyama Snow Hut Village
• Chance to ski/snowboard on Sunday from 8:30am-12pm
• Wild but super cute Japanese snow monkeys at Jigokudani monkey park
• Delicious craft beers

See the 35th Iiyama Snow and Kamakura Festival! Iiyama City has some of the heaviest snowfall in Nagano so to make the snow less burdensome and more fun, they use it to build sculptures and Kamakura Igloos. Each year, the event grows in size and popularity. Music performances and fireworks also accompany the event. Last year, Iiyama added a new aspect to their snow festival: world-record breaking! They set a new world record for the number of three-tiered snowmen they could build in an hour: 1585 snowmen with 630 people. What snow-related record will they try to break next?

An easy 30mins trek to see the wild "but really cute" Japanese snow monkeys enjoying the natural hot spring at Jigokudani Monkey Park! See no monkey, hear no monkey, talk no monkey.

Visit Matsumoto castle; one of the most beautiful and most visited original castles in Japan.

This is probably the best winter trip we offer for non-skiers/snowboarders! Don't miss out!

Highly recommend trip for all ages

Saturday (Feb 10)

• Meet in Shinjuku at 9am
• Get on the bus
• Catch up on your sleep or chat with other members and get excited
• Short stop for lunch on the way
• Arrive at Matsumuto castle around 12:30pm
• Explore the beautiful Matsumoto castle
• Get on the bus at 2pm
• Short stop for lunch on the way
• Arrive at Iiyama City around 3:30pm
• Enjoy the Iiyama Snow Festival until 7:30pm
• Get on the bus/10 mins bus ride
• See the Kamakura Igloos and fireworks display until 9pm
• Get on the bus
• Arrive at the hotel around 10:30pm
• Check-in your room
• Enjoy the big hot bath
• Group party until you drop

Sunday (Feb 11)

• Breakfast at 7:30am
• Check-out of your room
• Try ski/snowboarding or walk around (8:30am-1pm)
• Have lunch
• Get on the bus at 1:30pm
• Arrive at Kanbayashi onsen around 2pm
• 30mins trek/walk to Jigokudani monkey park
• See the wild but cute Japanese snow monkeys enjoying the onsen
• 30mins trek/walk back to Kanbayashi onsen
• Get on the bus at 4:30pm
• Short stop for food/snacks on the way
• Arrive back in Shinjuku around 8:30pm

Cute onsening monkeys

Price includes;

• Private bus transportation (round-trip)
• One (1) hotel (shared) accommodation
• Buffet breakfast for Sunday
• Entrance fee to Iiyama Snow and Kamakura Festival
• Entrance fee to Matsumoto castle
• Entrance fee to Jigokudani monkey park
• Travel insurance
• Fun and cute (English-Japanese speaking) guide
• Chance to meet lots of people and make new friends

Extra;

• Private room for 2 persons (2,000yen/person)

Discounts;

• Birthday on Feb 10-11 (3,000yen)
• Early-bird (1,000yen) *Pay before 3pm on Jan 10
• Group of 4 or more (2,000yen/person) *Group name or leader required

The beautiful Matsumoto castle

• Itinerary may vary due to the weather, traffic conditions, and other unavoidable circumstances.
• Rooms will be allocated to your preference.
• Minimum of 3 and maximum of 4 persons per room.
• Male/Female only rooms are available.
• Group of friends can have their own room.
• Private room for 2 persons available for an extra fee on a first-come/first-served basis (limited rooms).
• Snow monkeys is one of the must see and visit tourists spots in Japan.
• Matsumoto castle is the most beautiful and most visited original castles in Japan.
• Waterproof (Gortex) hiking/trekking shoes are recommended for this trip.
• Please bring enough layers. It is a lot colder in the mountains than in the city.
• Food and plastic bags are not allowed in the monkey park
• Final details will be sent to the participants by email two days before the event.