Southern Japan Experience

What's Included

• Accommodation
  Hotel (9 nights), Homestay (1 night), Japanese Inn (1 night)

• Takamatsu - Ritsurin Garden & Sanuki Folkcraft Museum

• Takamatsu - Naoshima day trip (ferry, public bus & bicycle)

• Matsuyama - Matsuyama Castle

• Usuki - Local Sake brewery visit and tasting

• Usuki - Japanese home-cooking experience

• Beppu - 'Hells' of Beppu (Jigoku)

• Beppu - local onsen

• Beppu - Steamed dinner (Beppu style)

• Ogi - Rice terraces

• Mount Aso - Daikanbo Observatory

• Mount Aso - Nakadake Crater

• Mount Aso - Sunasenri trail hike

• Mount Aso - Takachiho gorge rowing boat ride

• Mount Aso - Takachiho Shrine

• Arita - Tonbai Wall Alleys walking tour

• Arita - Tozan Shrine

• Nagasaki - Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum

• Meals

  3 breakfasts, 4 dinners

• Beppu - Steamed lunch (Beppu style)

• Mount Aso - Sunasenri trail hike (or Kusasenri trail, weather and access dependent)

• Mount Aso - Ogi Rice terraces

• Nagasaki - Glover Garden

• Nagasaki - tram day pass

What's Not Included

• Tipping and Gratuities

• International Travel

Transport

• Train , Ferry , Public Bus , Private bus , Metro , Bullet Train

Accommodation

• OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
• The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
• TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS
• Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own.
• CHECK-IN TIME
• Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
• PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
• If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
• RYOKANS & MINSHUKUS
• Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning.
• AVAILABILITY
• The recent huge increase in tourism to Japan has put a lot of pressure on accommodation. On occasion, we may need to change accommodation from what is listed in the itinerary in order to operate your departure with minimal changes.
• ONSENS
• We like to encourage travellers to visit traditional Japanese 'onsens' while in the country as it is a quintessential local experience. In public onsens this means bathing naked with others of the same gender. While the experience can feel strange at first for some, most of our groups end up enjoying this activity. There is very specific etiquette for visiting onsens - your leader can give you some tips and instructions. Please be aware that travellers with tattoos may not be permitted to enter public onsens. Private onsens may also be available - talk to your leader for more information. See our guide to onsens here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-onsen-guide/

Included Activities

• Takamatsu - Ritsurin Garden & Sanuki Folkcraft Museum
• Takamatsu - Naoshima day trip (ferry, public bus & bicycle)
• Kotohira - Kompira-san
• Iya Valley - Kazura-bashi (vine bridge), Nagoro "Scarecrow" Village & Buke Yashiki samurai house
• Matsuyama - Matsuyama Castle
• Nagasaki - tram day pass
• Nagasaki - Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Museum
• Yakushima - Local dinner
• Yakushima - Shiratani Unsuikyo National Park hiking

Important Information

• 1. We are currently unable to offer a single supplement, airport transfers or additional accommodation in Japan due to limited availability.
• 2. It is essential that you pack light and compact for rail travel in Japan. Luggage size restrictions apply. Please review the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.

Mode of Transport

• Train , Ferry , Public Bus , Private bus , Metro , Bullet Train

Accommodation

• OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
• The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
• TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS
• Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own.
• CHECK-IN TIME
• Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
• PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
• If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
• RYOKANS/MINSHUKUS
• Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many ryokans will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some ryokans may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in a ryokan. Hotels and ryokans will charge extra fees if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning.
• Read more about ryokans here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/traditional-japanese-ryokan/
• AVAILABILITY
• The recent huge increase in tourism to Japan has put a lot of pressure on accommodation. On occasion, we may need to change accommodation from what is listed in the itinerary in order to operate your departure with minimal changes.
• ONSENS
• We like to encourage travellers to visit traditional Japanese 'onsens' while in the country as it is a quintessential local experience. In public onsens this means bathing naked with others of the same gender. While the experience can feel strange at first for some, most of our groups end up enjoying this activity. There is very specific etiquette for visiting onsens - your leader can give you some tips and instructions. Please be aware that travellers with tattoos may not be permitted to enter public onsens. Private onsens may also be available - talk to your leader for more information. See our guide to onsens here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/japan-onsen-guide/

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