2016 Snow Monkey and Winter Tour of Japan
The 2016 snow monkey tour is no longer accepting bookings. Please contact Japan Photo Guide to help plan your custom escorted tour of Japan!
Japan Photo Guide is proud to announce our first Winter and snow monkey tour of Japan! The snow monkeys of Jigokudani have become one of the most asked about subjects to photograph and while there are other tours that focus on the snow monkeys, most of them also focus on the Winter wildlife of Hokkaido. This tour will introduce the snow monkeys but also focus on Winter landscapes as well as visiting Kyoto and Mt. Fuji as Winter provides the best chances for clear views of Japan’s most iconic mountain. The 2016 Snow Monkey and Winter Tour of Japan is designed for photographers, but spouses or friends of photographers are welcome!
Intro & Highlights
Just a few of the highlights:
-12 nights, 13 days in Japan
-Snow Monkeys in Jigokudani
-Shirakawago's beautiful traditional farmhouses covered with snow
-Private meeting and portrait session with Geiko or Maiko in Kyoto
-Winter gives best chance for clear views of Mt. Fuji from Kawaguchiko, along with fireworks festival.
-Small group size of 10 or less, with average size around 6-8.
Tour Itinerary
Here is the current plan for the 2016 Snow Monkey and Winter Tour. Some adjustments may be made.
Days 1 - 2, Night 1 - Tokyo
Feel free to arrive earlier, but the first day of the tour is February 10th in Tokyo. We will stay 1 night in Tokyo to let you settle in a little and explore Japan's vibrant capital. If New York is the city that never sleeps, Tokyo is the city the doesn't even slow down! A truly unique megalopolis, full of energy, lights and more food experiences that you could hope to try. For a city of this size (greater Tokyo area is around 35 million), Tokyo is amazingly clean, safe, provides ample and on time public transportation. We could spend the entire trip in Tokyo and not run out of things to do, see, experience, shop and eat but for now, two days will have to do. We will return to Tokyo at then end of trip so that you can do some shopping on that last day and not have to bring your purchases with you for the duration of the trip. Depending on the schedule of fall leaves, we might visit some parks in Tokyo but we will certainly experience the city. Tokyo is a great place for cultural experiences. These will be arranged depending on the interest of the group. For example a cooking lesson with a Japanese chef in her home is a fabulous cultural experience I can recommend as well as others ranging from tea ceremonies to learning to play traditional Japanese instruments and more!
Days 2 - 4, Nights 2 - 3 - Jigokudani
Snow Monkeys! Not sure I need to say more as I'm sure you've seen the photos and done some research if you are here, but Jigokudani Monkey Park is where we will go to see wild monkeys bathing in hot natural spring, or "onsen" in Japanese.
Days 4 - 6, Nights 4 - 5 - Kanazawa
Kanazawa is wonderful city on the western coast of Japan. Like Kyoto, it has a great mix of modern and traditional Japan. Some highlights will be Kenrokuen, Japan's most famous garden, old geisha and samurai districts and potential side trips to Noto Peninsula and Shirakawa-go. During the winter, Shirakawa-go, famous for it's traditional style farm homes, has a special event where they light up the homes in the evening.
Days 6 - 9, Nights 6 - 8 - Kyoto
After breakfast we will travel to Kyoto. Kyoto is my favorite city in Japan and perhaps the world. It has a wonderful mix of modern and traditional Japan with food that is just as rich as Kyoto's history. Truly a unique place! Highlights include some spectacular temples and shrines like the Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji, Nanzenji, Kokedera and Fushimi Inari Taisha. Also we will check out some of the historic areas of Kyoto like the Geiko District (Geisha in Kyoto are referred to as Geiko) of Gion, beautiful Higashiyama neighborhood and the relaxing Path of Philosophy. Depending on availability and group preference, we will also have a portrait session with a Maiko, a Geiko apprentice, or some Japanese models wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Another cultural experience here might be to visit a real sword smith for a short demonstration.
Days 9 - 12, Nights 9 - 11 - Kawaguchiko
After Kyoto we will head back north to Yamanashi Prefecture and the Fuji Five Lakes. The Winter months provide the best chances of clear views of Mt. Fuji, so we will explore different views of one of Japan's most iconic symbols along with being there for the Kawaguchiko Fireworks Festival.
Days 12 - 13, Night 12 - Tokyo
We will leave Kyoto after lunch and take the bullet train back to Tokyo. We will explore more of the city and check out some of Tokyo's sights or arrange some cultural experience/exchange. The last night of the tour is February 21st so you should schedule your flight from the 22nd or of course you can leave Tokyo as you need to!
Included Meals
Day 1 | D
Day 2 | BD
Day 3 | BD
Day 4 | B
Day 5 | B
Day 6 | B
Day 7 | B
Day 8 | B
Day 9 | BD
Day 10 | BD
Day 11 | BD
Day 12 | B
Day 13 | B
Extension
There is no current extension planned for this tour. Please contact Japan Photo Guide if you are interested in arranging one!
Accommodations
While Japanese accommodations are typically smaller than other countries, we will stay in a combination of Japanese Ryokans and "Western" style hotels, that will typically be 3 or 4 star accommodations. Japan is generally a very safe country, but certainly all of the places we will stay will be in safe locations as well as being convenient to our trip itinerary and being comfortable. Here are a few of the hotels I often reserve to give you an idea of the types of accommodations you can expect:
Tokyo | Royal Park Hotel, The Shiodome
Kyoto | Royal Park Hotel, Kyoto
Miyajima | Grand Hotel Arimoto
There are some areas of Japan where we will not be able to find hotels to stay in as nice as these or times when we may sacrifice slightly on luxury in order to spend more time sleeping (in other words, staying closer to our photography locations in Japan), but all accommodations will be clean, safe and comfortable enough to get good night's rest.
Investment
Snow Monkey and Winter Tour | 6695
Single Occupancy Fee | 700
Your investment per person, for this tour included:
- Accommodations for 12 nights for two people per room. Single rooms are available for a supplement of 700 $USD and are due to availability.
- Services of your photo leader and other local guides when applicable.
- Chartered bus/car transportation on most days (if 4 pax or less, we may use some public transportation or regular taxi, but it will be included).
- First Class Bullet train (shinkansen) tickets or JR Pass when necessary
- There will be one setup airport transfer depending on the most popular time to arrive. This is optional to take advantage of and we will help you if you need to make other arrangements.
- Breakfast on most days and some other meals indicated on the itinerary.
- Most temple, shrine and park fees are included unless there are some optional experiences you wish to take part in.
Your investment does not include:
- Airfare to/from Japan or any fees associated with your tickets. Japan Photo Guide does have a relationship with a travel agency in Japan and can help you with airfare, but this is completely optional. If making your own reservations, it is very important to contact Japan Photo Guide before doing so to make sure times will work with the group.
- Participants from from some countries may need a visa to visit Japan. Japan Photo Guide can help you with the process, but there may be additional costs.
- Any meals/activities/experiences during free time are not included and some of these while together are optional and are not included.
- While some meals will be included, often there are additional beverages that are not included like alcohol and sometimes soft drinks.
- All personal expenses are not included.
- Medical or travel insurance is not included.
Other Notes About Your Investment
These prices are in United States Dollars are based on a group of 6 - 8 participants. If the group turns out to be 5 participants, there is small group fee of $425 USD per person.
Photo Leader
Evan Pike, professional photographer and founder of Japan Photo Guide will be your main guide in Japan. Evan spent more than 4 years living and traveling around Japan as a freelance photographer. Though currently living in the USA, Evan returns to Japan 2 - 4 times a year for weeks at a time. Through personal experiences and connections gained by living/traveling within Japan, Evan offers guidance, assistance, and photography tips, to create a much more meaningful vacation for those visiting Japan. The main idea behind Japan Photo Guide is to create unique experiences and memories that will last much longer than the vacation itself. Evan can speak intermediate Japanese--conversational, situational and functional.
Testimonials
Japan Photo Guide has helped more travelers from more 6 different countries visit and experience Japan. Please take a look at the testimonial page for the most recent reviews of guided tours of Japan, but here are a few quotes taken from the reviews:
Our group had a strong interest in landscape photography and he prepared many options and locations so that we could create our art in a variety of different locations. Other highlights of the trip were a portrait session he planned with locals as well as introducing us to Japanese food and culture including a private cooking lesson with a Japanese chef in her home. I am looking forward to visiting Japan with Evan’s easy going personalty and warm smile!
Your ability to bridge the gap between U.S. and Japanese culture made the country come alive for me. You made it easy for me to see and do things that would have been extremely difficult and in some cases impossible.
Nothing is more valuable when visiting a new place than someone with first-hand knowledge of and experience with the geography, the culture, the people, and the sights. Your energetic and enthusiastic guidance through Tokyo made our trip effortless and maximized our enjoyment of this amazing city.
Gallery
Photos from some of the places we plan to visit:
Additional Notes
Earthquakes
Earthquakes occur daily in Japan but high majority of them are so small they are not felt. In most cases, buildings in Japan are built to strict regulations to withstand moderate earthquakes but of course no place is completely safe nor can we predict earthquakes. In the unlikely event that we experience an earthquake of significance, it is important to be familiar with safety procedures. Japan Photo Guide highly recommends searching the web for this information but here is a good place to start your search.
A Typical Day
Each day will very slightly depending on such factors as weather, special experiences planned, time of year, location we are in, but an average day goes like this:
1. Wake up before sunrise for morning photography session.
2. Return to hotel for breakfast and perhaps a short rest.
3. Depending on the location, there will be either general sightseeing, free time or special experiences planned during the day. We might leave the hotel as early as 830 or as late as lunch time.
4. Sunset/night photography session.
5. Dinner and in some cases there could be night photography session will be after dinner instead of just after sunset.
Of course, you do not have to attend all sessions and special experiences if you want some free time, extra sleep!
The Tour and What to Expect
Japan Photo Guide tours are designed with specific photography goals in mind but to simply photograph Japan isn't enough. When possible and depending on the make up the group, cultural experiences will also be available to participate. These experiences are option and in some cases may come with an additional cost. In addition to time spent together in photography opportunities, there will be built in free time to explore Japan on your own if you wish. These other experiences and free time and built in the tours so that if spouses/friends/partners want to come that aren't as serious about photography, can still come along and have a good time, but also so that everyone can get the most out of the trip to Japan.
In regards to photography sessions, planned schedule with preferred places to go, but it is important that due to weather, lighting conditions or other circumstances that we stay flexible. In some cases, the next day plan may not be decided until the evening before or even morning of. There will be some cases where we have a few options and will leave the decision up to a group vote.
All accommodations and hired transit (as well as public transit) will be clean, safe and hotels will have private bathrooms and showers. In general, Japan is a very safe and clean country, but still be mindful of valuables and your camera gear.
Please be aware that while we will not be taking place in any extreme workouts, there will be a considerable amount of walking and participants should be in good physical condition and health. In addition to walking quite a bit, both on flat surfaces and uphill/stairs, we will also be waking up before sunrise for some of the better photographic opportunities.
Terms and Conditions
Your investment for this tour included:
- Accommodations for 12 nights for two people per room. Single rooms are available for a supplement of 700 $USD and are due to availability.
- Services of your photo leader and other local guides when applicable.
- Chartered bus/car transportation on most days (if 4 pax or less, we may use some public transportation or regular taxi, but it will be included).
- First Class Bullet train (shinkansen) tickets or JR Pass when necessary
- There will be one setup airport transfer depending on the most popular time to arrive. This is optional to take advantage of and we will help you if you need to make other arrangements.
- Breakfast on most days and some other meals indicated on the itinerary.
- Most temple, shrine and park fees are included unless there are some optional experiences you wish to take part in.
Your investment does not include:
- Airfare to/from Japan or any fees associated with your tickets. Japan Photo Guide does have a relationship with a travel agency in Japan and can help you with airfare, but this is completely optional. If making your own reservations, it is very important to contact Japan Photo Guide before doing so to make sure times will work with the group.
- Participants from from some countries may need a visa to visit Japan. Japan Photo Guide can help you with the process, but there may be additional costs.
- Any meals/activities/experiences during free time are not included and some of these while together are optional and are not included.
- While some meals will be included, often there are additional beverages that are not included like alcohol and sometimes soft drinks.
- All personal expenses are not included.
- Medical or travel insurance is not included.
Insurance
Japan Photo Guide requires you to have health insurance that covers you while traveling. Travel insurance is strongly encouraged to help reduce risk of financial losses that could occur. Different restrictions and limitations apply to travel insurance so please contact your insurance provider of choice and read over the details of their policy carefully. Take into account factors such as weather, missed connections, unable to travel due to sickness, family emergency, injury, unexpected financial problems, airline strikes, or other personal issues.
Health Requirements
In most cases, tours in Japan require moderate activity levels but there will be a lot of walking. Additionally, you may find it difficult to adjust to multiple time zone changes depending on your country of origin. Waking up before sunrise for morning photography sessions also need to be taken into consideration as well as carrying your own photography equipment.
It is important to contact Japan Photo Guide before booking with any health or dietary concerns.
Most of the trip we will not be too far from hospitals or medical facilities, but there could be some days and time during transit where we are not within close range of immediate medical care.
Booking, Deposits, Cancellations and Refunds
Booking is available by first come first serve basis. To book a tour, you must submit the booking form and your deposit of $800 USD per person. Your spot is not reserved until you have submitted a form for your party and deposit per person. When booking less than 4 months in advance, payment in full is necessary.
If you need to cancel, you must submit the cancellation form and agree to the following conditions:
100 Days or more | You can receive a refund minus a $275 USD minimum cancellation fee per person plus any associated costs/fees (including credit card fees) charged by companies providing services, accommodations and experiences in Japan. Depending on the trip, fees could be in the amount of 25% to up to 100% of tour cost.
61 - 99 Days | You can receive a refund minus $550 USD minimum cancellation fee per person plus any associated costs/fees (including credit card fees) charged by companies providing services, accommodations and experiences in Japan. Depending on the trip, fees could be in the amount of 25% to up to 100% of tour cost.
60 Days or less through end of trip | No refund.
Tour Plan and Potential Changes
Japan Photo Guide designs tours with specific plans and goals in mind to experience all Japan has to offer, but in some cases, changes may need to be made without advance warning. Such changes could include but not limited to, accommodations, sightseeing schedule and experiences. When these changes need to be made, especially if weather is the factor for change, when possible, Japan Photo Guide will try to get input from the group when possible.
Model Photography Release
Japan Photo Guide reserves the right to use your picture, portrait, or photograph taken on tour in all forms and media and in all manners, including composite or distorted representations, for advertising, trade, or any other lawful purposes. Any photographs submitted to Japan Photo Guide also may be used online or printed for promotional use.
Note about the use of the word "Guide" in Japan Photo Guide:
I am not an official licensed guide in Japan or anywhere else! Japan has very strict guidelines on becoming an official guide. Basically there are 3 levels:
1. English Speaking Guide(ESG): Officially licensed guide. She/He can do guiding, escorting, interpreting or doing anything
2. English Speaking Escort(ESE): Non-Licensed. She/He can escort the group and give them the instruction or information but cannot provide the history, culture, tradition and so on.
3. English Speaking Assistant(ESA): Non-Licensed. She/He will just help boarding train or bus, or helping check-in etc.
I am number 2, ESE. This means that I cannot be paid to teach you about Japanese history, culture, traditions and so on. The "guide" in Japan Photo Guide is meant for photography guide, not guide of Japan. Any payment is not to hire me as an "English Speaking Guide" in Japan.
Cost
6675
USD$ per person
Tour Schedule
Tour dates: Feb 10th. 2016
Extension dates: Feb 22nd, 2016
