Stroll through the traditional post towns of Magome and Tsumago, enjoy Southern Shinshu’s hanamomo blossoms in red, white, and pink, and witness Japan’s most beautiful starry sky in Achi Village, complete with strawberry picking over two memorable days.
Options
1 People / 1 Room
2 People / 1 Room (Price per person)
3 People / 1 Room (Price per person)
4~5 People / 1 Room (Price per person)
The Highlight
- Experience Achi Village “Japan’s No.1 Starry Sky” Night
- Admire Achi Village’s hanamomo blossoms in red, white, and pink, plus seasonal strawberry picking
- Explore the historic post towns of Magome and Tsumago on the old Kiso Road
- Overnight stay at a hot spring inn in Southern Shinshu
The Experience
Experience Achi Village “Japan’s No.1 Starry Sky” Night
Achi Village in Nagano Prefecture has been ranked No.1 as the place where stars appear the brightest by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (Note 1). Surrounded by mountains on all sides, artificial light is minimized, allowing visitors to enjoy stargazing under clear skies and pristine air.
On the “Starry Sky Night Tour,” take a gondola ride to the mountain summit at an altitude of 1,400 meters. On clear nights near the new moon, countless stars fill the sky, while as the moon waxes, you can enjoy the brilliant glow of first-magnitude stars and visible planets alongside the moon.
In 2006, Achi Village was selected as No.1 nationwide for star observation in the National Continuous Stargazing Survey (Star Watching Network) conducted by the Ministry of the Environment. The village also received the Group Award and the Minister of the Environment Award at the 29th Nagano Prefecture Minamimaki Conference held in 2017.
Admire Achi Village’s hanamomo blossoms in red, white, and pink, plus seasonal strawberry picking
Hanamomo blossoms bloom beautifully in shades of red, white, and pink, creating a stunning gradient that delights the eyes. Please enjoy these vibrant peach blossoms in full bloom. Best viewing period: Mid-April to early May (typical year)
Enjoy all-you-can-eat strawberry picking grown with snowmelt water from the Central Alps. (Varieties include Akihime, Benihoppe, and more.)
Explore the historic post towns of Magome and Tsumago on the old Kiso Road
The Nakasendo, one of the Five Routes of Japan that began at Nihonbashi and was developed under Tokugawa Ieyasu, runs through the Kiso region and is therefore also known as the Kisoji.
Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku were post towns that once served as resting points for travelers along this historic route. Magome-juku is also the birthplace of Shimazaki Toson, author of Before the Dawn, which famously begins with the line, “The Kiso Road runs entirely through mountains.”
Even today, these towns retain the atmosphere of the Edo period. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through their charming streets and experience the historical scenery firsthand.
Overnight stay at a hot spring inn in Southern Shinshu - Hirugami Onsen Yumoto Hotel Achigawa
Renowned nationwide for its silky-smooth hot spring water, said to make your skin feel up to three years younger after just one soak. Enjoy a wide variety of baths, including a large open-air bath and a cave bath, and relax to your heart’s content.
Dinner features a Japanese kaiseki meal prepared with seasonal ingredients from Shinshu. Meal Dinner: Japanese kaiseki / Breakfast: Japanese set meal Room type: Japanese-style room with toilet Notes:
- Guest rooms do not have a private bath; please use the large public bath.
- The cave bath and sauna may be temporarily closed without prior notice depending on circumstances.
- All rooms are smoking rooms. Guests requesting a non-smoking room will receive deodorizing treatment; please indicate your request in the remarks section. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー Information about tour operator Name: H.I.S. Co.,Ltd. Address: Kamiyacho Trust Tower 5F 4-1-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6905, JAPAN Registration number: No.724 by Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency
Information about tour Place of departure and destination: from TOKYO to NAGANO/GIFU Number of days of travel: 2 Days Means of transportation: Chartered bus Name of bus company: Yamato Kanko Meals: Breakfast x1, Dinner x1 Minimum number of passengers to operate: 25 People Number of GUIDE(s)：1
Tour Operator Information Company Name: H.I.S. Co., Ltd. Department Name: Inbound Travel Division DMC Department Kanto Team Address: Shinjuku i-Land Tower 9F, 6-5-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN, 163-1309 Registration No.: No. 724 by the Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency Membership: Full Member of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA)
Contact Information Department Name: Inbound Travel Division DMC Department Kanto Team Address: Shinjuku i-Land Tower 9F, 6-5-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN, 163-1309 Tel: +81- 50-1748-5754 Opening hour : 10:00~18:00 (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays)
Tour Operations Manager: Kyota Kasai
- The Tour Operations Manager is responsible for transactions related to your travel at the sales office handling your travel arrangements. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the explanations provided by the staff about this travel contract, please do not hesitate to contact the above-mentioned Tour Operations Manager.
Please read and understand the Terms and conditions below. Travel Terms and Conditions:Domestic Package Tours Travel Agency Terms and Conditions:Section of Package Tour Contract
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Guide Services
Languages Spoken by Guides
- Japanese
Itinerary
- Include: Dinner
- 09:40Shinjuku (Departure at 9:40 AM) ※ For departures on April 18 and 25, departure will be at 9:20 AM, 20 minutes earlier.
- ＜Chuo Expressway＞
- Achi Village, Nagano Prefecture (Hanamomo blossom viewing featuring red, white, and pink flowers / approx. 50 minutes)
- Hirugami Onsen Yumoto Hotel Achigawa ★ After an early dinner, depart at around 6:20 PM ★
- Heaven’s Sonohara – Base Station ↓ ＜Gondola ride / approx. 15 minutes＞ ↓ Summit Station
- ★ Stargazing time ★
- ＜Gondola ride / approx. 15 minutes＞
- 21:20Hirugami Onsen Yumoto Hotel Achigawa (Arrival around 9:20–9:40 PM)
- Include: Breakfast
- Depart from Hotel (Enjoy breakfast at Hotel)
- Tsumago-juku (Stroll through the atmospheric post town along the Kiso Road / approx. 50 minutes)
- Magome-juku (Walk through the retro townscape & free lunch on your own / approx. 120 minutes)
- Michi-no-Eki Minami-Shinshu Toyooka Marche (Shopping / approx. 30 minutes)
- Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture (or nearby area) (Strawberry picking / 30 minutes)
- ＜Expressway＞
- 20:00Shinjuku (Arrival around 8:00 PM)
Price Details
How to Use
- Voucher will be sent via email. Please show your e-voucher at designated location.
Purchase Notice
- The tour will be guided by a Japanese-speaking guide. An English-speaking assistant guide will be provided.
- If the minimum number of 25 participants is not met, or if the tour cannot operate due to force majeure such as disasters or accidents, the itinerary may be changed or the tour canceled up to 3 days prior to departure (13 days prior for tours including accommodation).
- Lunch on Day 1 is not included. Please purchase lunch at a service area or prepare it on your own.
- For departures on April 18 and 25, the departure time will be 9:20 AM, which is 20 minutes earlier than usual.
- Depending on traffic conditions on the day, visit durations may be shortened or the order of visits may be changed.
- Tour scheduling is based on average flowering periods; however, peak bloom timing may vary due to weather conditions.
- If hanamomo blossoms are not in bloom as expected, viewing may be substituted with hanamomo flowers in the Hirugami Onsen area.
- The tour will operate once the minimum number of participants is reached, regardless of flower conditions.
- For strawberry picking, depending on growing conditions, it may be changed to a plated all-you-can-eat style or replaced with a souvenir.
Stargazing may not be possible due to weather conditions. If it rains but the gondola operates, the stargazing tour will still proceed. In case of suspension due to strong winds or severe weather, the gondola fee will be refunded as follows:
- Adults (12 years and over): ¥1,500
- Children (6–11 years): ¥700
- Infants (3–5 years): ¥500
No chairs are provided during stargazing. Please bring your own mat or ground sheet.
- The summit of Heaven’s Sonohara is at high altitude and can be very cold even in April. Please bring warm clothing or a jacket.
- Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes.
- For children aged 0–2 staying at Yumoto Hotel Achigawa, a facility usage fee of ¥2,000 (excluding tax) must be paid on-site.
- There are no bathtubs in the guest rooms; please use the large public bath.
- Guests with tattoos are generally not permitted to use the large public bath. Please inform us in advance if you have any tattoos. (If applicable, you may be required to cover them or use the bath at a different time from other guests.)
Important Booking Information
- After the scheduled departure time, the tour will depart at the discretion of our staff. Please arrive strictly on time.
- Scheduled times and itinerary details are subject to change due to road or traffic conditions.
- In the event of late arrival requiring taxi use or additional accommodation, we cannot accept any related claims or expenses.
- Depending on the number of participants, a medium-sized or small bus may be used.
- The bus is not equipped with a restroom.
- Smoking is prohibited on the bus. Seat reclining is generally not permitted (except on select tours).
- No refunds or compensation will be provided for unused benefits or inclusions.
- If you have food allergies, please inform the staff at the time of booking. We will make reasonable efforts to remove the relevant ingredients.
- Requests for special arrangements must be made at the time of booking. Additional charges may apply. Requests will be accommodated where possible, and written confirmation of your circumstances may be required.
- In accordance with Japanese labor regulations effective April 1, 2019, meal times during the tour may serve as the tour conductor’s rest period. In some cases, the tour conductor may stay at a different accommodation. During free time, guests are generally expected to explore independently.
- Lost items will be kept for two weeks after the tour ends. Perishable items or items difficult to store will be disposed of immediately.
- Participation with pets is not permitted.
- Bus seat assignments are determined by the company.
- In emergencies, guests may be seated together with the tour conductor.
- If the minimum number of 25 participants is not met, or if the tour cannot operate due to force majeure such as disasters or accidents, the itinerary may be changed or the tour canceled up to 3 days prior to departure (13 days prior for tours including accommodation).
- Requests for seat preferences, smoking/non-smoking hotel rooms, or allergy accommodations may not always be met and may be declined in advance after explanation.
- For online bookings, all information will be provided by email only. No documents will be sent by post.
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellation made at least 21 day(s) before departure date, Fully refundable (100% refund)
- Cancel during 8 ~ 20 day(s) of departure, will charge 20%
- Cancel during 2 ~ 7 day(s) of departure, will charge 30%
- Cancel on 1 day(s) before departure, will charge 40%
- Cancel on activities date, will charge 50%