
October 5, 2016 issue
Newsletter from Guided Private Tours around Nagoya
Information
VISIT JAPAN Travel & MICE Mart 2016
VISIT JAPAN Travel & MICE Mart 2016 was held at Tokyo Big Site from 21 to 23, September, 2016. We have participated and met with many buyers (travel agencies abroad). We noticed that there are a wide varieties of needs and requirements. We have good opportunities in some areas but need to make further efforts in other aspects.
We thank those who have shared precious time with us at the Mart. We are looking forward to working with you as a partner.
Book buses well in advance!
Not only in Nagoya but also most of Japan, there is a shortage of buses. This is mainly due to the recent increase in the number of incoming tourists from abroad, especially from China. Another reason may be the aging and retirement of bus drivers and the difficulty to recruit new ones.
October and November are one of good seasons to travel in Japan. Weather is stable, temperature is moderate, and mountains are very beautiful, thanks to the changing colors of tree leaves. However, this is the high season for Japanese tourists as well. Especially on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, it is often difficult to find a bus to hire.
So if you or your customers need to hire a bus (or buses), please hurry up! Book buses well in advance.
Also please note that most of the bus drivers do not speak English (nor other foreign languages). Bus companies often refuse to offer a bus unless there is an accompaniying Japanese speaker.
Customers often ask us "We need a bus with English-speaking driver", which is not available in Japan.
A Portuguese-speaking guide is available now
A Portuguese speaking guide has joined in our team of guides. Tourists from Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries are mostly welcomed.
Now we cater for English, Chinese, Spanish, French and Portuguese speaking tourists. We are trying to recruit guides in other languages as well.
Tour Pick Up
1. Typical one-day Shirakawa-go and Takayama tour from Nagoya by car including Hida beef lunch
Itinerary for full day
tour (about 11 hours) |
4 pax | 6 pax | 8 pax |
---|---|---|---|
Nagoya (hotel pick up) => Shirakawa-go View point => Shirakawa-go (visiting Wada Family House) => Lunch in Takayama => Old streets in Takayama => Nagoya | 37,065 yen per pax (148,260 yen per group) | 25,530 yen per pax (153,180 yen per group) | 19,763 yen per pax (158,100 yen per group) |
Prices are estimates. Latest quoatation is available upon request.
Included: A licensed guide, admission to Wada Family House in Shirakawa-go, Hida beef lunch, a private car (jumbo taxi) with a driver, highway toll and parking fee, and 10% VAT.
Not included (variable costs): Transaction (money transfer) charge and admissions to other facilities.
*Inuyama Tour by public transportation (train) is also available. The price of the tour is about 57,000 yen for a group of 4 persons.
You may thing there is no need to explain about Takayama and
Shirakawa-go. They are the most popular destinations from Nagoya. About a
half of our customers ask for Tkayama and Shirakawa-go tour.
So here is our recommendation. If there are 4 or more travellers, it's recommendable to use a hired car (jumbo taxi) rather than train and regular bus services. Now Takayama and Shirakawa-go are connected to Nagoya by a highway. It takes less time to use a car than a train. Also schedule in Takayama and Shirakawa-go can be more flexible by using a car.
Here is a recommended itinerary for winter season. Because days are shorter in winter, it is recommended to leave a bit earlier and come back earlier.
7:30 Leave from hotel in Nagoya
10:00 Arriving at the view point of
Shirakawa-go and tour in
Shirakawa-go
11:30 Leave from
Shirakawa-go
12:30 Arriving at a restaurant in Takayama for
lunch
after lunch you walk and shop around old streets of
Takayama.
16:30 Leave from Takayama
18:30 Arriving at your hotel
Lunch is included in this tour, because may tourists are interested in Hida beef lunch.
2. Inuyama Castle and its castle town - half or full day tour from Nagoya by car
Itinerary for full day tour (about 7 hours) |
4 pax | 6 pax | 8 pax |
---|---|---|---|
Nagoya (hotel pick up) => Inuyama Castle => Urakuen Japanese Garden => Inuyama Castle Town => Nagoya | 29,241 yen per pax (116,964 yen per group) | 10,178 yen per pax (121,068 yen per group) | 15,647 yen per pax (125,172 yen per group) |
Prices are estimates. Latest quoatation is available upon request.
Included: A licensed guide, admissions to Inuyama Castle and Urakuen Japanese Garden, Japanese tea and sweet in Urakuen Garden, and a private car (jumbo taxi) with a driver, and 10% VAT.
Not included (variable costs): Transaction (money transfer) charge, parking fee and highway toll for a car, meals, and admissions to other facilities.
*Inuyama Tour by public transportation (train) is also available. The price of the tour is about 57,000 yen for a group of 4 persons (14,520 yen per pax).
Inuyama City is located about 25km north from Nagoya. It takes
less than one hour by car or by train from central Nagoya.
Its famous castle was built in 1537, and now it is the oldest existing original castle tower in Japan. It's one of the only five castles registered as a National Treasure of Japan.
Because it was built in the war-torn Sengoku period (16th century), the design of the castle is simple and the size is just enough for vigilance.
From the top of the castle tower, you can see a magnificent view of the Kiso River, where a cormorant-fishing is held during the summer. In a fine day, you can see skyscrapers around Nagoya Station in the south and mountain ranges from east to north to west.
Near the Inuyama Castle, there is an another National Treasure
'Joan'. Joan is a traditional tea house built in 1618. There are only
three tea house designated as National Treasure in whole Japan.
Joan is located in a Japanese Garden 'Urakuen'. Here you can enjoy a cup of Japanese green tea with a traditional sweet in addition to its beautiful garden.
The
castle town of Inuyama has been preserved and replicated to show the old
traditional townscape. Various museums, souvenir shops, Japanese
confectionery shops and restaurants stand along the streets.
It is a good place to enjoy old Japanese commercial streets near Nagoya especially for those who do not enough time to visit Takayama.
Lunch can be arranged from various options. Starting from local fast foods such as noodles to high end restaurants in hotels.
For those who love onsen (hot spa), there are several onsen ryokan (inns) nearby.
For the detail of the Inuyama, please see https://tourguides.nagoya/en/inuyama.html.
3. Half-day easy nature walk tour in Oni-iwa Valley by car (not recommended on a rainy day)
Itinerary for half day tour (about 5 hours) |
4 pax | 6 pax | 8 pax |
---|---|---|---|
Nagoya (hotel pick up) => Oni-Iwa => Michinoeki Shino/Oribe (rest room, shops, restaurants) => Nagoya | 24,300 yen per pax (97,200 yen per group) | 16,200 yen per pax (97,200 yen per group) | 12,150 yen per pax (97,200 yen per group) |
Prices are estimates. Latest quoatation is available upon request.
Included: A licensed guide and a private car (jumbo taxi) with a driver, and 10% VAT.
Not included (variable costs): Transaction (money transfer) charge, highway toll for a car, meals.
*Oni-iwa is not easily accessible by public transport. It is ideal to take lunch boxes for picnic.
Oni-iwa
valley is about one-hour drive from the central Nagoya. You can have a 1
to 2-hour walk in the mountain, especially along the stream. It's an ideal
afternoon walking experience. If you are tired of busy urban settings in
Nagoya, take a half day tour to breath the air in forests.
Oni-iwa is not in a deep mountain though it shows an unique natural feature. The bottom of a small valley is filled up with large rocks. It was believed that an oni (devil) lived in this hidden valley. Thus the name Oni-iwa means 'devil rocks'.
You
sometimes go underneath the piled rocks. There is a special route which
largely goes thorough a tunnel underneath the rocks. Unfortunately this
special route is open for the public only on the particular days of the
year due to the danger to fell off into the stream.
This small cave is where an oni (devil) was believed to live in.
There
are many rock walls but rock climbing is prohibited in the park. Large
rocks are filling the bottom of the valley. This is the unique feature of
the Oni-iwa park.
For the detail of Oni-iwa, please see https://tourguides.nagoya/en/oniiwa.html .
If you need more information and/or photos to show your customers, please do not hesitate to ask us. Send an inquiry mail to contact@tourguides.nagoya.
To unsubscribe, change e-mail address or add an e-mail address, please send a mail to contact@tourguides.nagoya.
Guided Private Tours around Nagoya is being operated jointly by Hitonomori Co. Ltd. and Fun Lead International Co. Ltd (registered travel agency with Gifu Prefecture No. 3-322).