2-Day Autumn Foliage Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Takayama & Shirakawago Charter Bus Tour (Round-trip from Nagoya) (with English-speaking Tour Conductor)

1. Easily visit Shirakawago and Takayama, two popular sightseeing spots, via bus from Nagoya.
2. A minimum of just 10 participants required for the tour departing on Oct. 2.
3. Experience the breathtaking sight of towering mountains covered in vivid red, yellow and green foliage.
4. With an English-speaking tour conductor by your side, there’s no need to worry about bothersome procedures to go through while sightseeing. Enjoy safely riding many different types of vehicles on the Alpine Route.
5. Look forward to riding environmentally friendly vehicles such as the electric trolley bus (the only of its kind in Japan), the Tateyama Tunnel Trolley Bus and more.

DAY 1
07:10 – 07:10
Meet at the Tour Bus Reception Counter inside ESCA underground shopping mall, which is near JR Nagoya Station Taiko-Dori Exit.
Emergency contact: 080-1609-2079 or +81-80-1609-2079 (from 16:00 on day prior to tour until departure).
*Dial only in case of emergency.

After conducting check-in, the tour conductor will lead participants to the bus boarding point.

If the minimum number of participants (25, or 10 on select days) is not met by 14 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be cancelled.
A minimum of just 10 participants are required for the tour to operate on October 2. Furthermore, if there are no bookings made 30 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be cancelled.
Also, depending on the number of participants a mid-sized tour bus may be used.
Please go to the meeting location on your own.
[Access] Exit JR Nagoya Station via the Taiko-Dori Exit and take the escalator down to the entrance to ESCA shopping area. Turn left at the 2nd hallway and head to the reception counter located at the next corner on the left (across from McDonald’s). At reception, please show a printed copy of the reservation confirmation sheet or a printout of the reservation confirmation e-mail.
07:30 – 07:30
Bus departs
The bus will head towards Takayama, taking breaks along the way.

Seats are assigned on the bus. Requests for specific seats are not accepted. Participants may not leave the tour midway through.
Please strictly follow all itinerary times during the tour.
Participants who do not follow the group may be asked to leave the tour. Refunds will not be issued in such cases.
10:30 – 13:00
Free time to stroll around Hida Takayama  (150 min)
Stroll around freely through the historic Kamisan-no-machi and Kamini-no-machi areas, known as “Little Kyoto.”
Please enjoy lunch on your own (not included).
*Please follow all instructed meeting times. The bus will depart on time and head to Shirakawago.
14:00 – 15:30
Walk around freely at Shirakawago  (90 min)
Stroll around freely at the World Heritage site of Shirakawago, a traditional village of ‘gassho-zukuri’ thatched roof houses surrounded by the idyllic scenery of rice paddies.
– 17:00
Arrive at Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel
10 minutes on foot from Toyama Station
Please enjoy dinner on your own (not included).
*A Western-style room will be provided.
*Guestrooms cannot be designated.
*Customers who will use the room as a triple will be provided with an extra bed in their twin room.
For details, please see the Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel homepage:
http://www.hankyu-hotel.com/hotel/toyamadh/index.html

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a sightseeing destination with many stairways, hills, and transportation transfers. Seating is non-reserved on all vehicles when passing through the Alpine Route, but participants may have to stand or sit with other people when vehicles are near or at capacity. Only folding-type wheelchairs may be brought. Wheelchair rentals are not available on the alpine route. Please bring your own. There is 1 handicap access restroom at Bijodaira, Murodo, Daikanbo, Kurobeko, and Ogizawa, and separate handicap access restrooms for men and women at Tateyama Station. If participating in a wheelchair, 1 accompanying participant must also come along to assist the wheelchair-bound participant.
DAY 2
08:00 – 08:10
Depart from Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel
Please eat breakfast and conduct check-out procedures on your own.

Tateyama Station  (7 min)
Tateyama Cable Car (approx. 7 min)

Bijodaira  (50 min)
Tateyama Highland Bus (approx. 50 min)

Stroll around Murodo  (90 min)
At 2,450 m, this is the highest point on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Towering 3,000 meter-tall mountains including Mt. Tsurugi, the most distinctive peak of the Japan Alps, and Mt. Tateyama are visible from this spot.
The peak time to see autumn leaves in this area in a typical year is from late September to mid-October. Please experience the area’s beautiful, naturally created scenery for yourself.
*Lunch is not included in the tour. The restaurant may be very crowded.
*Please walk around the area on your own.

In a typical year, leaves at Tateyama show their autumn colors from late September to early November, starting from the mountaintops and proceeding to the foot of the mountains as the season progresses. Please note that the foliage may not have changed colors yet, or may have already fallen due to climate conditions. The tour will not be cancelled or refunded in such cases. (Typical peak season: Late September to mid-October)

Murodo to Daikanbo  (10 min)
Take the Tateyama Tunnel Trolley Bus from Murodo to Daikanbo (approx. 10 min)

Daikanbo to Kurobedaira  (7 min)
Tateyama Ropeway links Daikanbo and Kurobedaira in about 7 minutes.
This 1,710 meter long ropeway covers a vertical gap of about 500 meters and has a capacity of 80 passengers. It provides a comfortable, safe ride with no shaking, maintaining a speed of 5 meters per second.
The peak time to see autumn leaves in this area in a typical year is from late September to mid-October.
The vividly colored autumn leaf views from the ropeway are spectacular.

Kurobedaira to Kurobeko  (5 min)
Take the Kurobe Cable Car from Kurobedaira to Kurobeko (approx. 5 min)

Kurobe Dam  (50 min)
At 186 meters high and 492 meters long, the Kurobe Dam is the largest dam in Japan.
After disembarking at Lake Kurobe, walk to Kurobe Dam (approx. 15 min).
15:30 –
Kurobe Dam Station to Ogizawa Station, then head to Nagoya
Head to Ogizawa by Kanden Tunnel Trolley Bus (approx. 15 min)
This ends sightseeing of the Alpine Route.
The bus will head towards Nagoya Station, taking breaks along the way.
Approx. 4.5 hours via the Chuo Expressway
– 20:00
Nagoya Station near the west exit
Tour ends upon arrival.
*Arrival time may be delayed by road conditions.

1. Planning Company: JTB Japan Travel Corp.
Address: 2-3-11 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa, Tokyo
Japan Tourism Agency Registered Travel Agent (No. 1955)

2. If the minimum number of participants (25, or 10 on select days) is not met by 14 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be cancelled.
A minimum of just 10 participants are required for the tour to operate on October 2. Furthermore, if there are no bookings made 30 days before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be cancelled.
Also, depending on the number of participants a mid-sized tour bus may be used.
Please go to the meeting location on your own.
[Access] Exit JR Nagoya Station via the Taiko-Dori Exit and take the escalator down to the entrance to ESCA shopping area. Turn left at the 2nd hallway and head to the reception counter located at the next corner on the left (across from McDonald’s). At reception, please show a printed copy of the reservation confirmation sheet or a printout of the reservation confirmation e-mail.

3. Included in the itinerary are: transportation expenses listed in the itinerary, the hotel accommodation fee (1 night stay with breakfast), sightseeing expenses, the tour conductor fee and associated taxes. Note that the tour conductor for this tour does not have an interpreter guide certification. Therefore, they are unable to conduct guiding when the tour disembarks at sightseeing locations.
Individual hotel rooms may not be booked for 1 child. Infants (0-2 years of age) cannot join this tour. They will not be able to board the bus even if brought to the tour meeting location.
Bus fare is required for children age 3 to 5 (no meals or bed provided). Please pay JPY 10,000 to the tour conductor for the tour charge on the day.
If changes in hotel room allocation arise as the result of cancellations, differences in payment may arise for other guests staying in the same room.
For example, if two people are planning to stay in one room, but one person cancels the tour,
the person who cancelled will be charged 50% of the tour booking charge, and the remaining one person will have the hotel room charge changed to the one person per room accommodation charge (the tour booking charge increases).
Also, a difference in cost will arise due to using a two person room for one person.

4. Final itineraries will not be sent to participants. The itinerary that is displayed when booking is the final itinerary. Depending on traffic, congestion, weather conditions, etc., the itinerary may have to be altered and/or a site visit shortened. Also, the itinerary order may be reversed. Refunds will not be issued in such cases. Thank you for your understanding.

5. In a typical year, leaves at Tateyama show their autumn colors from late September to early November, starting from the mountaintops and proceeding to the foot of the mountains as the season progresses. Please note that the foliage may not have changed colors yet, or may have already fallen due to climate conditions. The tour will not be cancelled or refunded in such cases. (Typical peak season: Late September to mid-October)

6. Seats are assigned on the bus. Requests for specific seats are not accepted. Participants may not leave the tour midway through.
Please strictly follow all itinerary times during the tour.
Participants who do not follow the group may be asked to leave the tour. Refunds will not be issued in such cases.

7. As this is a bus tour, there is no luggage transport service. Please bring only what you need for a 1-night stay in a backpack or other bag that is easy to carry. Temperatures on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route are typically 10 to 15 degrees Celsius colder than in Nagoya. Warm winter clothing will be necessary while traversing the route. Please participate in shoes which are easy to walk in. Participants may leave unneeded luggage on the tour charter bus, but note that the bus will take a different route from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa. On Day 2, the tour will sightsee in areas exceeding 2,000 meters in elevation. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius cooler than Nagoya, the departure location. The typical high temperatures are 10 to 13 degrees Celsius in September, and 5 to 10 degrees in October, so warm clothing will be required. Snowfall is also possible. Shoes which are easy to walk in, sunglasses, gloves, pocket warmers, scarves, hats, rain gear (rain coat or poncho rather than an umbrella), etc. will be useful to have.

8. Note that lunch and dinner are not included on Day 1 and Day 2. There is a service for hotel guests providing discounts at 6 of the hotel restaurants (excluding the sushi restaurant). Please ask at the hotel front desk for details.
Participants are responsible for paying for all charges not included in the tour booking charge such as drinks, food and other services at the hotel.
Breakfast at Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel will be a Japanese/Western-style buffet. Special menus for those with allergies or other dietary restrictions are not available.

9. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a sightseeing destination with many stairways, hills, and transportation transfers. Seating is non-reserved on all vehicles when passing through the Alpine Route, but participants may have to stand or sit with other people when vehicles are near or at capacity. Only folding-type wheelchairs may be brought. Wheelchair rentals are not available on the alpine route. Please bring your own. There is 1 handicap access restroom at Bijodaira, Murodo, Daikanbo, Kurobeko, and Ogizawa, and separate handicap access restrooms for men and women at Tateyama Station. If participating in a wheelchair, 1 accompanying participant must also come along to assist the wheelchair-bound participant.