Private day trip · Day trip from Tokyo
Minakami Ropeway & Doai - Private Day Tour from Tokyo
Ride the ropeway up Mount Tanigawa, climb the 486 steps of Japan's deepest railway station, cross a gorge bridge and try crafts in a mountain village. Gunma's alpine side. One fixed price per group.
Private · your group only◆11 hours◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private day, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Minakami is the mountain gateway of Gunma, where the Tone River comes out of the hills and Japan’s snowiest peaks begin. In two hours from Tokyo you are among alpine ridges, gorges and hot springs, on roads the tour buses do not use.
We collect you at your Tokyo hotel and drive north up the Kanetsu expressway. The first stop is the Tanigawadake Ropeway, which lifts you 1,300 metres up the side of Mount Tanigawa to the Tenjindaira plateau. From late May to October a chairlift continues to the ridge, with a view across the Mikuni mountains; in the deep snow of winter it is a white world.
Back in the valley is Doai, the deepest railway station in Japan: the down platform is 70 metres underground inside a tunnel, reached by a staircase of 486 steps that the Japanese call the Stairway to the Moles. Your guide walks you down and back up – it is a strange and unforgettable place.
Lunch is in the valley, then Takumi no Sato, a village of craft houses where you can try soba making, indigo dyeing or pottery, and the Suwakyo Bridge over the Tone gorge, where you can watch bungee jumpers if you do not want to be one. We finish with a free foot bath in Minakami Onsen before the drive back to Tokyo.
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. Your Tanigawadake Ropeway return ticket is included in the price. Any craft workshop you choose is optional and paid on the day. Lunch is optional – bring your own or buy in the valley.
Good to know
The 486 steps at Doai are optional – anyone who prefers can wait at the entrance. The ropeway may close in high winds; if so your guide substitutes another stop, or you can choose a full refund for the affected booking. Autumn colour peaks in mid October.
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.
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Tanigawadake Ropeway to the Tenjindaira plateau at 1,300 metres
- Doai - Japan's deepest railway station, 486 steps underground
- Takumi no Sato craft village - soba making, indigo dyeing, pottery
- Suwakyo Bridge over the Tone gorge and a free foot bath in Minakami
- Private van from your Tokyo hotel with an English, Urdu or Hindi guide
Said plainly
Minakami is much cooler than Tokyo, and the ropeway top is cold even in summer - bring a warm layer. Doai station's 486 steps are optional. The ropeway closes in strong wind; your guide substitutes another stop, or you can choose a full refund for the affected booking. Your ropeway ticket is included. Workshops and lunch are optional and paid by you on the day. Pickup and drop-off can be changed on request at no extra cost. Travelling with small children? Add their ages in the booking notes and we will bring child seats at no extra cost. The day is flexible: to skip a stop, stay longer or add a place nearby, write it in the booking notes or tell your driver-guide on the day.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Tanigawadake Ropeway to the Tenjindaira plateau at 1,300 metres
Doai - Japan's deepest railway station, 486 steps underground
Takumi no Sato craft village - soba making, indigo dyeing, pottery
Suwakyo Bridge over the Tone gorge and a free foot bath in Minakami
Private van from your Tokyo hotel with an English, Urdu or Hindi guide
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private air-conditioned van for your group only
- English, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Tokyo's 23 wards
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
- Bottled water
- Child seat free on request
- One fixed price for the whole group - no hidden charges and no per-person supplements
Yours — paid on the day
- Summer chairlift above the ropeway (optional, about 800 yen return)
- Craft workshops at Takumi no Sato (optional, about 1,000-2,000 yen)
- Food and drinks (optional - bring your own or buy on the day)
- Gratuities (never expected)
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
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From¥64,000
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