Karuizawa Falls & Old Ginza - Private Day Tour from Tokyo

Karuizawa is where Tokyo goes to cool down. An hour up the mountain, it is a town of larch forests, old summer villas, a famous shopping street and, in the right season, the best autumn colour within reach of the capital. It is awkward by train and bus. In a private van it is easy.

We collect you in Tokyo in the morning and drive north. The first stop is Shiraito Falls, a curtain of spring water three metres high and seventy wide, falling in white threads through the forest. Then Kumoba Pond, the mirror-still lake ringed with maples, where a short loop path gives you the classic Karuizawa photograph.

In town we walk Old Karuizawa Ginza, the street of bakeries, jam shops and honey stands that has been serving summer visitors since the Meiji era, and stop at the Former Mikasa Hotel, a wooden Western-style hotel from 1905. Lunch is in Harunire Terrace, the riverside cluster of restaurants and cafes under the trees.

In the afternoon we drive out to Onioshidashi, the black lava field left by Mount Asama’s 1783 eruption, with a temple built in the middle of it and views of the still-smoking volcano. On the way back to Tokyo there is time for Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza if your group wants outlet shopping.

What you pay is what you pay

The price is one fixed amount for your whole group: the private van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide for the day. There are no per-person supplements and no booking fees. Onioshidashi entry, the Mikasa Hotel ticket, lunch and anything you buy are paid by each guest on the day.

Good to know

Karuizawa is several degrees cooler than Tokyo, so bring a layer. Autumn colour peaks late October to early November. Onioshidashi can close in heavy snow or when Mount Asama’s alert level rises. If so, your guide substitutes another stop, or you can choose a full refund for the affected booking instead.

Flexible day

This is your private tour, so the day is flexible. If you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby, write it in the booking notes or tell your driver-guide on the day and we will adjust the route where time allows.