Yamagata: From City Scenes to Mountain Springs Package Tour
Experience authentic Japan in the northeastern mountains
Yamagata City, the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture, is a hidden gem for those who want to experience it all- from city scenes to country escapes- without having to spend hours in transit between the two. Yamagata is the perfect place to experience traditional crafts, culinary and cultural activities, rich history, and plenty of sightseeing within very easy driving distances of each other. On this specially crafted 4 day, 3 night tour, take in the sightseeing highlights of this area, from hands-on culinary and crafting experiences and a visit to the mysterious mountain temple Yamadera, to a stay in a hot springs village near the beloved Mt. Zao and sake tastings at local breweries.
Tour at a glance
Inclusions:
- All lodging and accommodation fees
- Breakfast at hotel/ryokan on Days 2-4
- Lunch all four days
- Dinner on Days 1-3
- English-speaking interpreter-guide on all days
- On-trip remote support via WhatsApp or other instant messaging service
- Custom Google Map with dining recommendations for the area
- Transportation by private charter vehicle
- Round trip on Mt. Zao ropeway
- Sake brewery tour and tasting
- Yamadera entrance fee and guide
- Local Cooking experience experience
- Tea ceremony or wagashi experience
Exclusions:
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Optional purchases during guided time (local sake, etc.)
- Optional extensions or customizations to trip
We can also provide the following options for an additional fee:
- Add-ons to the tour
- E-bike rental
- Interpretation in languages other than English
- Maiko Performance
Minimum number of participants
2 participants
Maximum number of participants
Please inquire as experience availability depends on number of participants
Cost
From ¥424,000 + tax (per person, based on a 2-person plan estimate)
Tour Length
4 days, 3 nights
Tour availability
April to November
Please note that some experiences are seasonal and may not be available at certain times of year. If an specific activity is unavailable, it will be replaced with another experience.
Tour Start/End Location
Yamagata Station
Important notes
Dietary Restrictions:
Day 1: Introducing Yamagata City
Day 1 Tour Highlights
Arrive at Yamagata Station and meet your English-speaking interpreter/guide. Drop off your luggage at the night’s accommodations and walk through the city to your first experience.
For lunch, learn how to make traditional Japanese food from a local chef. This can be either a soba, tofu, imoni, mixed rice, bento, or sushi workshop, depending on guest tastes/ dietary restrictions.
After lunch, enjoy a guided history tour of downtown Yamagata. Explore the ruins of Yamagata Castle and surrounding park, and enjoy tasting dondonyaki (a famous street food in Yamagata, like a savory pancake), yakisoba, or other street foods. Visit Yamagata Prefectural Folk Museum (Bunshokan), a historic brick building evoking the Taisho era and filled with luxurious decorations and furniture.
Enjoy some free time in the afternoon to do some shopping/ exploring in downtown Yamagata. .
For dinner, gourmets rejoice! This is your chance to try one of the prefecture’s most famous products, wagyu, at one of Yamagata City’s finest yakiniku restaurants.
Day 2: Temples and Tea Ceremony
Day 2 Tour Highlights
After breakfast at your hotel, catch a morning train to ancient Yamadera, a Buddhist temple founded over 1,000 years ago. Meet with a local guide at the station, and walk together into the tranquil mountain town.
Learn about the history and spirituality of Yamadera and the area while hiking the 1,015 steps up to the main hall of the temple. If you are feeling especially adventurous, take a longer route by trekking on a tranquil back pathway to the Mine no Ura Tarumizu Ruins, a natural spot of spirituality and beauty behind Yamadera.
After your hike, enjoy a lunch of soba noodles (a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture) and try some local specialties and sweets in town, and part with your guide.
Transfer via private charter vehicle back to Yamagata city for a tea ceremony experience where you will learn the etiquette of Japanese tea ceremony and get the chance to whisk matcha the traditional way yourself. Alternatively, learn to make traditional high-end Japanese sweets used for tea ceremony and religious purposes from a master of the craft. After watching a demonstration by a professional wagashi maker, make 2 different designs of nerikiri sweets and enjoy the flowers of your labor.
For dinner, experience traditional Japanese culture and cuisine with a Maiko performance at a traditional ryotei. Ryotei, traditionally invite-only establishments, serve incredible multiple hour course menus you won’t want to miss!
Day 3: Hirashimizu and Hiking
Day 3 Tour Highlights
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel.
Transfer to the artisan village of Hirashimizu. Take part in a morning pottery experience at a local kiln which produces incredible works of art. Enjoy some time to shop at their store.
After your pottery experience, transfer via private charter vehicle to an onsen ryokan on Mt. Zao.
After dropping off your bag at your onsen ryokan, take the ropeway to the upper station and hike the remainder of the distance to the summit to see the magnificent crater-lake in summer or autumn, or enjoy the hoarfrost-covered trees that form into strange shapes known as Snow Monsters in the snowscape of winter.
Enjoy a kaiseki dinner at your onsen ryokan for the night. Have a magnificent kaiseki course dinner, explore the onsen village area by foot, and enjoy a night of relaxing in hot spring baths.
Day 4: Baths, Buddhism, and a Brewery
Day 4 Tour Highlights
After breakfast at your ryokan inn, take a last dip in the hot springs before returning to Yamagata City via private charter vehicle.
This morning, learn from a master how sake is brewed and experience the different flavors for yourself! This can be substituted for an alternate activity for non-drinkers.
Once you’ve had you fill of sake and seminars, enjoy a guided tour of a charming nearby Buddhist temple, followed by a visit to a local kimono shop.
Enjoy a ramen lunch at a nearby shop. Yamagata is home to the most ramen shops per capita in Japan, and each offers their own incredible spin on this delicious dish.
Collect your luggage, and return to Yamagata Station via bus. Bid farewell to Yamagata City (…for now!) and catch the train on to your next adventure.
Reservations
You can send a booking inquiry below. After we receive your inquiry, we will confirm if we can accommodate your group and tour dates and contact you from there.
Cancellation Policy
Our cancellation policy for this tour is below. Cancellation fees may vary according to exceptional circumstances.
21 days or more before date of tour
No penalty
20 days to 8 days before date of tour
20% of total price
7 days to 2 days before date of tour
30% of total price
1 day before date of tour
40% of total price
Day of the tour
50% of total price
After start of tour or no-show
100% of total price
