Snow trip to Nagano Japan with some time in Tokyo

The Trip — Snow trip to Nagano Japan with some time in Tokyo

Duration — 11 Nights

Origin — Singapore

Type of Trip— Skiing, Nightlife, Culture, Live Music, Temple Visits, Food, Wildlife, Bars

Trip Dates and Comments — March. Was a little late in the ski season.

Mode of Transportation — Aeroplane

Arrival Logistics — Landed at Narita, converted my JR East rail pass at the airport and jumped on the train to Tokyo

Cost per Person — $2000 plus

General Route — Few days in Tokyo with a few friends that lived there, out to Shiga Kogen for 7 days on the slopes and then back to Tokyo for some crazy good times before heading off.

Accommodation — Stayed with friends in Tokyo and at a nice hotel in Shiga Kogen.

Main Activities — Cultural experiences, Food, Wildlife, Sport and Exercise, Temple Visits, Nightlife, Bars, Live music.

Food and Drink Highlights — Park Hyatt Tokyo, the bar on the top has amazing views.

Essential Packing for this Trip — Snowboard, Warm jackets and clothes. Shoes that you can get off easy for shrines / temples but comfy enough to do a lot of walking around and preferably waterproof and warm for the snow.

Our Experience

Was lucky enough to catch some warm(er) weather in Tokyo and got some fantastic days in the gardens and temples with the cherry blossoms coming out. Also managed to jag a few days of fresh snow on the mountain. As it was late season the slopes were very quiet, a few school groups around and other tour groups but basically never had to cue for a lift and had many runs to myself, especially early in the morning.

On the down side the night life bearly had a pulse, spent some nights in bars with 2 or 3 other people and not much going on. Very few English speaking visitors around, none in the hotel I stayed at, and I could probably count on 1 hand the number I met on the slopes. Did see 2 or 3 in bars at night.

Best Bits

Love the food, the small bars and the fun nights out. The company helped a lot too.

Worst bits

Can be a bit tricky getting out through Nagano to the right place in the slopes.

Ratings

Rate the overall trip — 9/10

Rate the activity on your trip — 8/10

Rate the ease of logistics — 7/10

Value for money — 6/10

About The Traveller

Gender & Age Range
Male, 36 - 45

I’m from
Perth, WA

My favourite trip as of late
Japan - a week riding in Shiga Kogen and some time in Tokyo!

Travelling Style
Book the important stuff, but leave some flexibility in the schedule.

I like to go on the following types of trips
Adventure, AirBnb, Culture, Wine, Sportcations, Scuba Diving.

It’s a dealbreaker when
The price is ridiculous.

Continent I know the best
Asia