Renewing our Tenryu Riverlands Tour Offerings for 2023/2024!
We are proud to again partner with our friends in the Tenryu Riverlands to offer a number of tours that help you discover the beauty and culture of southern Nagano. Our tours in Minami Shinshu now also offer pick up options from locations such as Nagoya, Nakatsugawa, Matsumoto, and more! For guests who are interested in seeing pricing and availability for pickup, please see this section below or inquire using the button at the bottom of the page. On this page you will find the following information:
— Introduction to Our Tenryu Riverlands Tours
— Where are the ‘Tenryu Riverlands’?
Lying around 4 hours / 270km to the west of Tokyo, the Tenryu Riverlands are a world away from the hustle and hum of the city. It may take a little extra effort to get there, but those who do discover a place of natural beauty, traditional culture and lots of adventure on and around the river.
INTRODUCTION TO OUR TENRYU RIVERLANDS TOURS
Nestled in the south of Nagano Prefecture, the Tenryu Riverlands are defined by the river from which it takes its name and a unique blend of tradition and adventure. For centuries, the Tenryu River served as a water road to the coast, stretching over 200km to the Pacific Ocean and in doing so, offering an alternate route into the mountainous heart of Japan. As such, life revolved around the river and distinct local industries and craft emerged.
While traffic on the river is much reduced in modern times, very quietly, it is now emerging as a place of adventure with whitewater rafting and other outdoor activities establishing the Tenryu Riverlands as a place where tradition meets adventure. We are proud offer the following tours in the region:
[SPECIAL EVENT] 1-DAY TOUR: ‘TOKIMATA HATSUUMA HADAKA MATSURI’ & ‘TENRYU FUNAKUDARI’ RIVER BOAT EXPERIENCE
Special Event
| 1-Day Tour: ‘Tokimata Hastuuma Hadaka Matsuri’ & ‘Tenryu Funakudari’ River Boat Experience | |
| Period | March 10th |
| Time | 09:45 – 15:40 |
| Meeting Place | Iida Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥30,000〜 |
Highlights
— Join the fun of the ‘Tokimata Hatsuuma Hadaka Matsuri’ – one of Central Japan’s most memorable festivals
— Enjoy the thrill and tradition of a ‘Tenryu Funakudari’ riverboat experience as move along the river road to the festival grounds
— Visit the region’s largest and most famous ‘sake’ brewery, Kikusai for a guided tasting
— Including lunch and all led by a local, English-speaking guide
Taking place each March, this special event tour takes you to the heart of the Tenryu Riverlands to join one of Japan’s most memorable festivals, the ‘Tokimata Hatsuuma Hadaka Matsuri’. Starting with a traditional ‘Ternyu Funakudari’ riverboat experience, you’ll move along the traditional river road to join the festival parade before watching participants enter the river with their floats. Including lunch and afternoon visit to Kikusai Sake Brewery, this fun and engaging tour is sure to be a highlight of your travels in Japan – see the tour page for full details.
1-DAY TOUR FROM MATSUMOTO: TENRYU RIVER RAFTING AND FRUIT PICKING
1 Day Tour
| 1-Day Tour from Matsumoto: Tenryu River-Rafting & Fruit-Picking | |
| Period | late-April to November |
| Time | 8:00 |
| Meeting Place | Matsumoto Station |
| Price | ¥135,000￥~/ Group |
Highlights
— Pick your own seasonal fruits at a local farm amongst beautiful scenery
— Enjoy lunch at a local venue offering a number of beloved Japanese soul-foods
— Get a look at the Tenryu River Gorge from above and enjoy the lovely view
— Raft for over 10 Kilometers down the Tenryu River with a fun-loving rafting instructor
Offering pick up from Matsumoto (other locations available upon request), this tour will take you from central Nagano to the southern reaches of the prefecture. With warmer weather than the rest of Nagano, this region is blessed with numerous fruit and vegetable farms, and guests on this tour will get the chance to go one of those farms and pick fruit of their own choice to eat. Afterwards, lunch at a popular local venue will be followed up by an afternoon of rafting. Fun for everyone, rafting on the Tenryu river offers excitement while still being accessible for beginners. Your rafting instructor will make sure you have a good time and your guide will be there to ensure you understand everything that is going on. Available from Spring through Autumn, this is a tour you won’t want to miss if you love the great outdoors and nature’s bounty – see the tour page for full details.
2-DAY TOUR: TENRYU RIVER-RAFTING, LOCAL BBQ & TEA-PICKING EXPERIENCE INC. HOT SPRING HOTEL
2 Day Tour
| 2-Day Tour: Tenryu River-Rafting, Local BBQ & Tea-Picking Experience inc. Hot Spring Hotel | |
| Period | mid-May – September |
| Time | Day1: 12:30-21:30 Day2: 10:00-16:20 |
| Meeting Place | Tenryukyo Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥50,000〜 |
Highlights
— Start your tour with the excitement with an afternoon of rafting on Tenryu River including the fun of white water and other activities led by a qualified instructor followed by a tempting local BBQ dinner to round-out a day of fun!
— Indulge in a tempting local BBQ dinner to round-out a day of fun!
— Enjoy an overnight stay at a traditional ‘onsen’ (hot spring) guesthouse including breakfast
— Follow the river deep into the heart of the region on your second day with a Tenryu Rhine-Kudari boat ride followed by tea-picking in the beautiful terraced fields of Nakaisamurai – one of Nagano’s most beautiful yet least visited landscapes
Operating from April until September, this engaging two-day tour takes you along the Tenryu River deep into the Tenryu Riverlands starting with river-rafting and barbeque dinner on the first day, followed by a traditional river boat and tea-picking on the second day in one of Nagano’s most scenic locations, the terraced tea fields of Nakaisamurai. All guided by a local guide and including accommodation a hot spring hotel overlooking Tenryu Gorge, this is one tour that is fun for all ages – see the tour page for full details.
[AUG 16-17 ONLY] 2-DAY TOUR: TENRYU RIVER RAFTING, TEA-PICKING & TOKIMATA FIREWORKS FESTIVAL
Special Event
| (Special Event) 2-Day Tour: Tenryu River Rafting, Tea-Picking & Tokimata Fireworks Festival | |
| Period | August 16-17th |
| Time | Day1: 12:30-21:30 Day2: 10:00-16:20 |
| Meeting Place | Tenryukyo Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥60,000〜 |
Highlights
— Enjoy an overnight stay at a traditional ‘onsen’ (hot spring) guesthouse including traditional ‘kaiseki’ (multi-course) dinner menu and breakfast
— Start your tour with the excitement with an afternoon of rafting on Tenryu River including the fun of white water and other activities led by a qualified instructor
— Experience the local fun and beauty of Tenryu’s Tokimata Fireworks Festival
— Follow the river deep into the heart of the region on your second day with a Tenryu Rhine-Kudari boat ride followed by tea-picking in the beautiful terraced fields of Nakaisamurai – one of Nagano’s most beautiful yet least visited landscapes
Descending from high above in Japan’s South Alps, Tenryu River runs more than two hundred kilometres through the mountainous heart of the country – a river road all the way to the Pacific coast that forges the local identity and feeds the riverlands. This immersive two-day tour takes on an exploration of the river in combination with its most popular summer festival, the Tokimata Fireworks including river-rafting on the first day followed by a traditional river boat and tea-picking on the second day in one of Nagano’s most scenic locations, the terraced tea fields of Nakaisamurai. All guided by a local guide and including accommodation a hot spring hotel overlooking Tenryu Gorge – see the tour page for full details.
[SPECIAL EVENT] 2-DAY TOUR: ‘SHIMOTSUKU’ WINTER FESTIVAL, TRADITIONAL FOOD & SAKE EXPERIENCE
Special Event
| (Special Event) 2-Day Tour: ‘Shimotsuki’ Winter Festival, Traditional Food & Sake Experience | |
| Period | December 15-16th |
| Time | Day1: 12:00-21:00 Day2: 09:30-15:30 |
| Meeting Place | Hiraoka Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥60,000〜 |
Highlights
— Attend the raucous and unforgettable ‘Shimotsuki Matsuri’, an intimate festival said to be the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed and much-loved film, ‘Spirited Away’
— Follow the Toyama River into the mountains and discover a traditional food culture over two days including one of the region’s best winter ‘gibier’ (wild meat) dinner courses at Shimabata and lunch on both days
— Be spirited high into the mountains above to the floating village of Shimoguri, one of the region’s most iconic destinations – a place of myth and fable – before visiting the region’s most famous sake brewery, Kikusui
— Including accommodation on Day 1 – with dinner and breakfast included- along transport to and from all destinations and led by a locally-based guide
Be spirited-away deep into Central Japan on this immersive two-day tour including attendance at the winter ‘Shimotsuki Matsuri’ and overnight stay at Shimabata Ryokan – a local inn renowned for its traditional ‘gibier’ (wild meat) menu. Along with visits to the floating village of Shimoguri-no-sato and Kikusui Sake Brewery and all led by a locally-based guide, this intimate and unique tour reveals a side of Japan that few international visitors experience – see the tour page for full details.
WHERE ARE THE ‘TENRYU RIVERLANDS’?
The name ‘Tenryu Riverlands’ refers to a scenic and culturally-rich region in the south of Nagano Prefecture – a region dominated by the Tenryu River, subsidiary waterways, farmlands, forests and mountains. Iida is the largest city in the riverlands, lying approximately 4-hours / 270km to the west of Tokyo, 2-hours / 120km to the north-east of Nagoya, and 2.5-hours / 165km to the south of Nagano City. For visitors heading to the region using the train network from locations including Tokyo and Nagoya – or further afield from Kyoto or Osaka – it will be easiest to take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Toyohashi Station and transfer to the JR Iida Line for the onward journey to Iida Station via Tenryukyo Station. One of Central Japan’s most scenic train journeys, the line follows the Tenryu River for much of the way, taking you deep into the heart of country and back to a place of tradition and adventure.
HOW TO GET THERE?
While Tenryu Riverlands take time to get to, the journey is simple from starting points as far away as Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen runs from Tokyo Station in the east to Shin-Osaka Station in the west. Among the stops along the line including Kyoto and Nagoya, Toyohashi Station acts as your gateway to the Riverlands. Running north from Toyohashi, the JR Iida Line runs almost 200km to Iida Station – the largest city in the Riverlands – along with stops at Hiraoka Station and Tenryukyo Station, and for much of that distance, follows the beautiful Tenryu River. Considered one of Japan’s most beautiful rail lines, it is best enjoyed using the Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service from Toyohashi. For example, for visitors coming from Tokyo to join our 2-Day Tenryu River Rafting, Tea-Picking & Tokimata Fireworks Festival Tour, the following service would get you to Tenryukyo Station in-time:
Tokyo: 08:33 – Toyohashi: 09:53 – Tokaido Shinkansen ‘Hikari’ service
Toyohashi: 10:08 – Tenryukyo: 12:24 – Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service
When coming from Osaka, Kyoto or Nagoya, this service would also get you to Tenryukyo in-time:
Shin-Osaka: 08:15 – Kyoto: 08:30 – Nagoya: 09:08 – Toyohashi: 09:36 – Tokaido Shinkansen ‘Kodama’ service
Toyohashi: 10:08 – Tenryukyo: 12:24 – Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service
One of Japan’s most beautiful rail journeys but largely unknown by international visitors, travelling the Iida Line is an experience unto itself and just another reason to go that little bit further to discover a deeper part of Japan.
PICK-UP LOCATIONS FOR TOURS
Looking to escape from the city for a little while? Already in rural Japan and looking for another experience to complete your stay? In either case, we can offer pick up from your preferred location in the following areas:
- Nagoya (And Surroundings)
- Nakatsugawa
- Kiso Valley (Nakasendo)
- Matsumoto
- Hirugami Onsen
- And more!
We understand that many of the meet up points listed for the above tours can be difficult to reach. With many of the stations listed being remote and on lines that only have a limited number of trains departing each day, travelers who are not yet used to getting around in Japan may have concerns about arriving on time. For that reason, we offer our pickup service to facilitate the ease of your trip to the Tenryu Riverlands, especially for larger groups of guests who will find it more difficult to book seats on trains or buses.
Additionally, our pickup service can be used to string together multiple destinations in the area. For example, if you are looking to visit a hot spring town in rural Japan for a 1-night stay, followed by a rafting trip the next, we can handle transport on each day for your group to ensure a smooth and enjoyable excursion. Please feel free to contact us for pricing and details!
