Coimbatore Adventure Club

Date: 07-18 Feb, 2025

If you have ever craved for the most exotic winter, Japan delivers it. Join us to experience Japan, during its most beautiful season. We have curated this itinerary to travel in Japan like a local, to cover only the places that are exotic during Winter. Our trip is exactly timed to experience some of the festivals, that happens only for a week in Japan – the Sapporo Snow Festival, the Ouchijuku Snow Festival and the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival - to capture Japan’s enchanting moments.

Why this itinerary is special for us?

With the help of our friends in Japan, we have created this itinerary that is non-existent on the internet, after a tedious preparation that went on for the last 6 months. The itinerary is designed to feel cozy, by staying in handpicked onsen hotels, and rushing through breathtaking landscapes on different modes of transports, including the Hayabusa (the fastest train on earth). This journey has a perfect mix of comfort, adventure, and authenticity. Our itinerary is designed to cover an impressive range of destinations, venturing far beyond the usual tourist hubs. We’ll explore regions that truly showcase Japan’s seasonal magic, uncovering hidden gems and distant towns that most visitors miss. With carefully chosen dates to coincide with vibrant local festivals, this trip promises to give the best VFM you will ever find.

What makes this itinerary different?

This itinerary is designed for explorers, who wish to cover most of Japan in the shortest possible time. The number of towns we are covering in a week makes this itinerary very unique. However, we recommend this itinerary only for those looking for a non-touristy vibe, ready to live on Japanese food, on all 11 days. And if you think Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Fuji are the only places to visit in Japan, this itinerary will change the way you see.

Why did we choose to do Japan in winter?

Every season in this country has its charm, but winter? It’s an entirely different world. Winters in Japan are packed with festivals. Winters are exciting to try sizzling onsens, visit sparkling winter villages, go up to the ski resorts and to try delicious seasonal food. Besides, winter brings massive sales and deals in Japan that will make the shopaholics happy. This itinerary is going to be packed with magical sights that most tourists don’t get to see. Winter is a totally underrated time to visit Japan.

So, join us as we explore Japan beyond the guidebooks. Come for the adventure, stay for the stories, and leave with a piece of Japan forever etched in your heart.

Trip Highlights:

Tokyo:

This iconic capital is where we land in Japan—a city synonymous with technology and innovation. We will have a slice of Tokyo's charm on the first day. From Street-Hopping by day to Nightlife by the night - Tokyo Never Sleeps! We will explore the buzzing streets that keeps the city alive till dawn. We will have a day for shopping or for Disneyland or TeamLab Planets. We will also go to the Tsukiji outer market and Skytree observation deck.

Ouchijuku:

We will be travelling from Tokyo to this charming post town that comes alive during winter, exactly when the Snow Festival happens. This village is an impeccable choice as we are travelling in February. This is a traditional village built during the 16 centuary, giving us a glimpse into a bygone era with its retro ambiance. Our hotel here has its own onzen and we can experience it.

Sapporo:

We will take the world's fastest Bullet train - The Hayabusa to the northern most part of Japan - Sapporo. Have a look at the map, and you will understand that the Hayabusa bullet train (510 kms in 2.5 hrs) will travel under the sea (53kms) to reach the northern island of Japan. Right on time, we will be experiencing the ice festival in Sapporo where sculptures are carved out of ice and lively displayed, and we'll indulge in snow activities. Sapporo is the most dreamy winter destination on our planet.

Otaru:

Another festival, in another city, the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival. Again, this happens only for 8 days a year and it exactly falls during our visit. Also, we will be visiting the Kokusai Ski Resort in Otaru for snow activities like skiing and snowboarding.

Kyoto & Osaka:

A place where you can see the Japan's past in life. A slow pace in the city gives us a chance to immerse ourselves in traditional Japanese culture. Experience the multifaced city enjoying the modern attraction, historical landmark and excellent culinary treats.

Koyasan:

Experience a truly mountain retreat and the center of Shingon Buddhism, Japan's most sacred and serene location offering a unique blend of spiritual history and natural beauty.

Shirakawago:

We are going to this historic village located in the mountain regions of Gifu, renowned for its traditional Gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. We will be staying in one of the traditional houses in this winter village. Simply google "Shirakawago in winter" and see the magic that unfolds.

Back to Tokyo:

We will be taking our return flight to India from Tokyo.

Note: Detailed itinerary will be shared with confirmed participants.

🏯 PACKAGE COST

₹1,50,000/-

Payment Schedule:

1) First payment: For slot confirmation - ₹25,000 (non-refundable)

2) Second payment: By 6-Jan-2025 - ₹40,000

3) Third payment: By 1-Feb-2025 - ₹30,000

4) Balance: During the trip

Note: Advance payments can also be made through credit cards.

Inclusions:

All basic expenses required for your trip in Japan, are included in the package cost.

☑ All accommodations (10 nights)

☑ All transports throughout the country

☑ Domestic flight ticket from Sapporo to Osaka

☑ Bullet train tickets inside Japan (including Hayabusa)

☑ Cable car tickets to ski resorts

☑ Few breakfasts & traditional village dinners.

☑ CAC trip lead cost

Exclusions:

✖ Flight tickets (Approx ₹55,000 from/to Bangalore)

✖ Tourist Visa (Approx ₹3500)

✖ Travel insurance (Approx ₹1000)

✖ Meals would be approx. ₹2000 per day. This is the cost of a normal meal and not for a meal at a fine dine restaurant. As we have time constraints almost every day, we may not be having meals at fine dine restaurants.

✖ Any personal transport expenses for places not mentioned in itinerary.

✖ Cost incidental to any change in the itinerary/stay on account of flight cancellation due to bad weather, ill health, roadblocks, landslides, floods and/or any factors beyond control. If flights get cancelled due to weather, we will arrange alternative stay at minimal cost.

How the payment and costing work for exploratory trips:

We would like to inform you that exploratory trips work much different than other regular trips in CAC.
Once you are confirmed for the trip, participants are added to a Splitwise group to track and equally share all actual expenses, including accommodations, transportation, and activities.
All day-to-day actual expenses will be recorded in the Splitwise app by participants.
Any balances need to be settled before the trip ends.
The total trip cost will not exceed the amount published in the itinerary.
This system ensures transparency and shared responsibility for expenses among participants, while also guaranteeing that the overall cost remains within the advertised budget.
Please note, as this is an exploratory trip, we are able to do this trip in such low prices.

🏯 GENERAL INFO

Basics:

Total number of slots: 9
Age group: 18 to 45
A valid Indian Passport with at-least 6 months validity.
We will be coordinating with you for your Visa application.
Gender ratio: To encourage female travelers, we will ensure that there is a min of 40% female participants.
Please note that there could be small changes in the itinerary due to local restrictions, and suitable alternative plans will made in such cases.
All activities are subject to weather and local rules.

Who can join:

First preference for solo participants and couples.
Generally we don't allow group participation in any of our trips. However, you are permitted to bring along one of your friend or a family member with you.

Flights:

Flight from India have to be booked as mentioned below:
- Arrival at Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) on 7-Feb-2025 before 4 PM. We will be leaving the airport together by 5:30 PM.
- Depart from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) on 18-Feb-2025 any time.
We will try to travel together from India. At the time of confirmation, we will let you know which flights needs to be booked, so that the entire team travels together. We can help you if you really need any flight booking assistance.
Please book flights only after you make the advance payment for the trip, and after receiving an acknowledgement from CAC about your slot confirmation.

Accommodations:

All accommodations are triple sharing, sometimes 4 sharing in bigger rooms.
Accommodation types vary from modern hotels, traditional Japanese houses, Airbnb's, and onsen hotels.

Food:

Vegetarian food will be hard to find in most places. But we will try to get Japanese veg food arranged for you. However vegetarians must carry some ready-to-eat food packets from India.
Please note, we will strictly avoid visiting any Indian restaurants, as our schedule requires us to keep moving. We encourage everyone joining us to embrace and enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine.
Most of the places in the itinerary where we will be travelling are very rarely visited by Indians. And chances of Indian food are almost NIL.

Cancellation Policy:

No Refund of the advance will be provided.
If for any reason your visa is rejected by Japan Immigration, we will provide the complete refund of the trip cost paid by you.

Registration & Selection Process:

If you are interested in this trip, please register yourself by clicking on the link at the end of this itinerary.
If you are selected for the trip, you will receive an invite from us to join the trip and to make the advance payment. Please note that the selection process will be at the complete discretion of Coimbatore Adventure Club.
Registering for the trip does not guarantee a slot in the trip.
For exploration trips, first preference is given only for those who have previously travelled with us.

Important Notice:

Coimbatore Adventure Club reserves the right to remove any participant from the trip at any time if they engage in any illicit or inappropriate behavior. This policy is in place to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all travelers. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Contact Us:

For any booking-related query, the central contact point is +91 94888 00444 (only WhatsApp). If you would like to have a talk with us, please put a WhatsApp message on this number and we will call you.

Click for Registration Form

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