Japan Hike, Bike and Raft

Trip Length: 14 days
Departure Dates: Mar - Dec

Known just as much for its high tech gadgets as its centuries old traditions, Japan is blessed with some of the most pristine scenery in Asia. With beautiful rivers, lakes and mountains, Japan really is the perfect place for a multi-sport adventure!

Day 1 Arrive Tokyo
Arrive in Tokyo at any time.

Day 2-3 Iya Valley
From bustling Tokyo we head to the remote Iya Valley on Shikoku Island. The best way to see Iya's amazing Oboke Gorge is by boat - or in a raft, as this is one of the best White Water Rafting spots in Japan!

Day 4-5 Kurashiki
We get a glimpse of old Japan at Kuarashiki, a picturesque town in central Japan which has retained much of its old world charm with beautifully preserved black and white walled merchants' homes and storehouses. An amazing bike ride takes us through the Kibi Plains, surrounded by bamboo forests and ancient burial grounds.

Day 6-7 Mt. Aso
Sitting inside the world's largest caldera, this small town is a great base for our journey up to one of Japan's most infamous active volcano. Dare to look over the edge and get a glimpse of bubbling lava - weather (and courage) permitting!

Day 8-10 Kyoto
Spend three nights in the traditional heart of Japan, which gives you plenty of time to experience some of the many great walks through temples and teahouses, shrines and shops, and maybe even spot a real life geisha!

Day 11-12 Hakuba
From culture to nature, head deep into the magnificent Japanese Alps for some outdoor fun - canoeing or kayaking, mountain biking or trekking, the choice is yours!

Day 13 Tokyo
Head back to Tokyo for our farewell dinner.

Day 14 Depart Tokyo

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Tokyo
Arrive in Tokyo at any time. Besides an evening meeting, there are no planned activities today as your fellow travellers will be arriving at different times. Please check at reception or on the GAP notice board for a message from your leader regarding the meeting details.

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the most modern cities in the world. It seems that every person on the streets has the latest version of everything. Ginza, is full of department stores selling the latest fashions, Akihabara is the place to try the latest new gadgets before they become available in the West and Shinjuku is the fast paced nightclub area. However, if you look under the glossy surface, Tokyo is still very traditional. Ladies still wear kimonos around town, people go to temples like Senso-ji to say a few prayers on their way to work and couples get married in their traditional wedding gowns in the beautiful grounds around the Meiji Shrine. In spring, couples, families and friends sit beneath trees sipping sake and admiring the cherry blossoms. Catch a performance of the traditional Kabuki plays in the park or, if you are fortunate enough, see the Sumo wrestlers throw each other out of the ring during one of the few 'Bashos' held each year.

Day 2-3 Iya Valley
Today we take our first amazing train journey to Shikoku, Japan's fourth main island, and it's most rural. Our train heads westbound for 4 hours through the most densely populated belt in the world. When we reach Okayama, we switch to a local train that takes us over the Seto-Ohashi Bridge. At 13.1 km long, it ranks as the world's longest two-tiered bridge. Our train takes us deep into the mountainous heart of the island and into the spectacular Oboke Gorge.

On day 3, we don our bathers and experience one of the highlights of the trip - white water rafting down the beautiful Yoshino River. Rafting in this area is widely regarded as the best in Japan, and by the end of the morning you will definitely agree! As if that was not enough excitement for one day, after lunch you can cross the Yoshino River by the Kazurabashi bridge - a 45 metre long suspense bridge made from mountain vines!

Day 4-5 Kurashiki
short train trip brings us to Kurashiki, our next destination. An important town for trade during the Edo Period (1600-1868), Kurashiki has retained much of its old world charm with beautifully preserved black and white walled merchants' homes and storehouses, set in a picturesque area along a willow lined canal.

Many of the storehouses have been converted into museums, souvenir stores, boutiques and cafes. Most famous among Kurashiki's museums in the historic canal district are the Ohara Museum of Art, a Western art gallery and the Museum of Folkcraft.

On Day 5 we set out by bicycle through the Kibi Plains. This amazingly scenic 15 km bicycle route takes us through rice fields, bamboo forests and ancient burial grounds, shrines and temples.

Day 6-7 Mt. Aso
We continue westwards to the very end of Honshu, before heading via an underwater tunnel to Kyushu, the 3rd largest island in Japan's archipelago. Kyushu was the birthplace of the Japanese civilization and is famous for it's laid-back people and shochu (Japanese liquor made from potatoes)

The highlight of this train journey is the last section, where we journey through Kyushu's magnificent central highlands and then ascend up the wall of the Aso Caldera, the largest Caldera in the world. This huge caldera contains the town of Aso, our destination, and several volcanic peaks.

Early on day 7 we head by bus to the foot of Mt Nakadake, one of the five peaks that makes up Mt Aso, and the only one that is still very much active! Weather permitting we can catch a cable car up to the summit, getting a glimpse inside the volcanic crater, and from there hike around the rim of the volcano before hiking back down the to our ryokan.

fter all this hiking there is no better way to relax then in one of the area's amazing sulphuric onsens!

Day 8-10 Kyoto
Continuing on to Kyoto, the former Imperial Capital and home of the country's most treasured remnants of Japanese imperial life. It is an approx. 1 hr bullet train journey from Himeji. Kyoto has some of the most magnificent temples in Japan which date back centuries. There are said to be 2,000 temples, shrines, palaces, museums and traditional gardens in Kyoto. Use your time to wander past huge wooden structures and multi storied pagodas, all linked with famous walkways and marvel at the huge temples of the Hongan-ji sect or the beautiful Golden Pavilion. Take time out to enjoy the Zen gardens like Ryoan-ji and the Silver Pavilion. There are some great walks to be done here, such as hiking up Fushimi Inari through 10,000 stunning torii gates (as seen on Memoirs of a Geisha!), take a leisurely stroll down the lovely Philosopher's path to Nanzen-ji or just walk around Gion and perhaps catch a glimpse of a Geisha going from teahouse to teahouse. Discover, for a full day, the Zen gardens, huge wooden temples, pagodas and shrines.

Day 11-12 Hakuba
Our final destination is located in the dramatic Japanese Alps. Hakuba was one of the sites for skiing in the 1998 Winter Olympics, however it is not just a winter destination. When the snow melts Hakuba becomes one of the best areas in Japan for outdoor activities.

Our day begins with a scenic canoe/kayak on the beautiful Aoki. With the dramatic snow capped Northern Alps as a background it is one of the most picturesque lakes in Japan. After a picnic lunch, we swap the paddles for pedals as we ride mountain bikes along old trade routes roads through old forests and fertile rice paddies.

Day 13 Tokyo
Our final train journey on Japan's amazing shinkansen takes us back to Tokyo, where we will have our last night's dinner together in an izakaya (Japanese inn).

Homeward flights should not be booked for departure before 10.00 to allow time to reach the airport once the morning trains commence their daily timetable.

Day 14 Depart Tokyo

Trip Prices

Date: Base Price:

• 04/12/2008: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 06/07/2008: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 08/02/2008: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 09/27/2008: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 11/22/2008: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 03/14/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 05/09/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 07/04/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 08/29/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 10/24/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD
• 12/19/2009: $2170 + local payment 250 USD

Departure Dates:

• 04/12/2008
• 06/07/2008
• 08/02/2008
• 09/27/2008
• 11/22/2008
• 03/14/2009
• 05/09/2009
• 07/04/2009
• 08/29/2009
• 10/24/2009
• 12/19/2009

Please contact us for more details.