Northern Kyoto Tour (4 days)

DATES

4 days through the Year 2025

*except for February, from April 29 to May 8, June and August

TOUR’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Miyama, rural village in Kyoto with Japanese traditional thatched roof houses
• Stay in our 115-year-old renovated thatched roof house, CASA MIYAMA, in Miyama
• Ine, picturesque old fisherman village with Funaya, fisherman houses, on the seashore
• Stay in a Funaya, fisherman house, in Ine
• Amanohashidate, one of the three most scenic views in Japan, on the coast of Kyoto

ITINERARY

Day 1 // Miyama

We will pick you up at your hotel in Kyoto at 11am. Then, we will head to Miyama, famous for a picturesque village with about 30 thatched roof houses, “Kayabuki no Sato”. It will be one and half hours drive from Kyoto city. Unlike the famous touristic village of Shirakawago in the Japanese alps, “Kayabuki no Sato” is a village where people live and work in these thatched roof houses. It is a real authentic village of Japan. Once we arrive there, we will have a lunch, then we will stroll around to discover the village. We will photograph the village, and visit a folklore museum and indigo textile museum. When we are satisfiled with the village, we will leave to CASA MIYAMA, our 115-year-old thatched roof house hotel. After check-in CASA MIYAMA you can relax and enjoy the renovated traditional Japanese house with a photo gallery on the thatched roof attic. The house is just only for your group. At night you will have a dinner at CASA MIYAMA.

Thatched roof houses in Miyama, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Village of thatched roof houses in Miyama. ©Akashi Photos

Rice field in front of the village of thatched roof houses in Miyama. ©Akashi Photos

Casa Miyama. ©Akashi Photos

Day 2 // Ine

After breakfast at Casa Miyama, we will depart to Ine, a picturesque small fisherman village in the northern coast of Kyoto Prefecture on the Sea of Japan. It will be about one and half hours drive from Casa Miyama. Ine is considered as one of the most beautiful villages in Japan. The fisherman houses dot on the seashore. Their houses are called funaya, literally meaning “boat house”. The sea-level ground floor of funaya is a dock for their fishing boats and the second floor is a living space for them. On the way to Ine, we will stop at a local restaurant for a lunch. In Ine, we will roam around the charming fisherman village, and take a cruising boat to photograph the fisherman house from the boat. In the early evening, we will check-in one of the funaya hotels that was originaly used as funaya and now renovated as a hotel. The funaya hotel has the sea-level dock to relax and room with the breathtaking view of the Ine bay with funaya. The whole funaya is just only for your group. At night, we will have a dinner at a local restaurant.

Funaya, fisherman houses in Ine, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Fisherman village of Ine, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Fisherman village of Ine. ©Akashi Photos

Tuna at fishing port of Ine, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Day 3 // Ine & Amanohashidate & Miyama

We will wake up early to photograph fish market of Ine. Boats arrive from fishing and locals come to buy the fish. It is very unique and photogenic fish market open for public. After fish market, we will have a breakfast, then we will head to Amanohashidate. Amanohashidate, literally means “bridge that stands to the heaven”,  is three kilometer long sandbar with the width of as little as 20 meters that connects a bay from one side to another. The narrow path is lined with nearly 8,000 pine trees, making the place one of the best pine trees spots in Japan. In summer, people swim in the beaches along the sandbar.

Once we are in Amanohashidate, you can choose to take a boat, ride a bicycle or walk through the sandbar to reach the other side of Amanohashidate. Once we are the other side, we will visit a beautiful buddhist temple there and we will have a lunch there. After lunch, we will go up a hill to photograph Amanohashidate from above to capture the shape that Japanese people depict as a dragon flying to the sky. This view was painted by a famous Japanese Ukiyoe painter, Hiroshige, in the beginning of the 19th century of Edo period. After we captured the view of the Amanohashidate and enjoyed the unique landscape, we will head back to Casa Miyama. At night we will have a dinner in a local restaurant in Miyama and sleep at Casa Miyama that has a spectacular open air bath in the Japanese garden.

Fish market in Ine. ©Akashi Photos

Fish market in Ine. ©Akashi Photos

Amanohashidate ©Akashi Photos

Sandbar of Amanohashidate, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

A pine tree in Amanohashidate, Kyoto. ©Akashi Photos

Day 4 // Miyama

We will have a breakfast and leave to Kyoto by our van.  We will drop you off at your hotel at Kyoto at around 12pm.

NORTHERN KYOTO

Undoubtedly, one of the best cities to visit in Japan is Kyoto. Kyoto, the historical  and traditional town, is a must for tourists. But unfortunately most of the tourists visit only the city of Kyoto and don’t explore outside of Kyoto city. Kyoto Prefecture is full of places to visit. Especially, Northern Kyoto is full of is amazing and authentic rural Japan with stunning mountains and beautiful ocean.

Toru Morimoto and Tina Bagué, both professional photographers, have organized this photographic journey. They live in Miyama in Kyoto, so they are real locals of Northern Kyoto. They also run an accommodation, traditional Japanese house with thatched roof, in Miyama that travelers stay in this tour. You will rent the whole house, so you will not share with other guests. Toru and Tina will serve you through your stay.

This “PHOTO TOUR TO NORTHERN KYOTO” is a very unique photogenic journey, designed not only for amateur or advanced photographers but also for anyone who wants to live a unique and unforgettable experience in some of the most beautiful places in Japan.

PRIVATE TOUR

This is a PRIVATE TOUR which means this is a tour for a couple, family, group of friends. Participants do not travel with other people who they don’t know each other.

ACCOMMODATIONS & MEALS

During our photo tour in Northern Kyoto, you will stay at funaya, fisherman’s house, in Ine, and at Casa Miyama, a restored traditional Japanese 110-year-old thatched roof house, in Miyama. On this tour, breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all included.

PRICE

The tour price will depend on the number of participants and date. The price below is approximate, and the final price will be calculated each time once a private group is formed and before reservation.

• Price for 8 persons: ￥220,000 per person
• Price for 7 persons: ￥220,000 per person
• Price for 6 persons: ￥220,000 per person
• Price for 5 persons: ￥230,000 per person
• Price for 4 persons: ￥270,000 per person
• Price for 3 persons: ￥280,000 per person
• Price for 2 persons: ￥360,000 per person

RESERVATION

• To make the reservation, it is necessary to make a payment of the deposit of ￥80,000 per person or pay total amount of the tour. Payment must be made by bank transfer or credit card.
• Payment of the total cost of the trip must be made 60 days before the starting date of the tour.
• All transaction fees that occur for reservation are paid by the payer of the reservation.

*The tour price is fixed in Japanese yen(￥). When you make a payment, depending on the exchange rate with your currency, tour price in your currency will change.

The MIN. and MAX. NUMBER of PARTICIPANTS

For the trip to take place there must be a minimum of 2 participants and a maximum of 8.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is mandatory to have comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, emergency evacuation, repatriation of remains, dismemberment, and accidental death. You have to give us a copy of travel insurance before the trip.

CANCELLATION

If the cancellation is made more than 61 days before the start of the tour, deposit will be refunded in full. Deposit will not be refunded if the cancellation is made within 60 days before the start of the tour. For more details of cancellation and conditions of refund of the balance due after 60 days, please read our terms & conditions.

MORE QUESTIONS

For any doubts and questions about this photo tour to Japan, please send us an email to: info@akashitravel.com