Japan Winter Wonderland

HIGHLIGHTS

• Immerse yourself in the rich natural beauty & culture of Japan
• Visit Tokyo's Meiji Shrine & the Imperial Palace on a sightseeing tour
• See the sights of vibrant Tokyo at your own pace with a free day at leisure
• Marvel at 'Yubatake', a captivating "hot water field" in the middle of Kusatsu Onsen where steaming water cascades down a series of wooden troughs
• Enjoy free time to discover Sainokawara Park, a picturesque area with steaming hot spring streams scattered amongst walking trails.
• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go, famous for its heritage buildings and abundant snowfall
• Explore Takayama Old Town and walk along the old homes of Sannomachi Street
• Visit the world-famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, home to the world famous group of monkeys known to bathe in hot springs
• Take a step back in time in the traditional post towns of Narai-juku and Tsumago-juku

FLIGHTS

• Return international full-service flights (economy class) with Qantas Airways, surcharges may apply

ACCOMMODATION

• 8 nights of hotel accommodation

DINING

• Enjoy daily breakfast

ESSENTIALS

• English-speaking tour guides
• Airline taxes & surcharges

TRANSPORT

• Transportation by private air-conditioned vehicles

TRANSFERS

• Airport to hotel transfer on Day 1
• Hotel to airport transfer on Day 9 (if required & not provided by the hotel)

UPGRADES AVAILABLE

• Optional Tours: Optional experiences and tours may be available to add to your itinerary (paid on tour)

Day 1 Australia – Tokyo, Japan

Day 2 Tokyo sightseeing

Day 3 Tokyo Free Day

Day 4 Tokyo - Kusatsu Onsen - Nagano

Day 5 Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

Day 6 Nagano - Shirakawa-go - Takayama

Day 7 Takayama - Narai-juku & Tsumago-juku Post Towns – Matsumoto

Day 8 Matsumoto - Haneda/Narita Airport

Day 9 Tokyo, Japan - Australia

This Travel Offer is valid for travel on selected dates until the 3rd March 2026.

Minimum group size 28, maximum group size 40 per vehicle.

This Travel Offer is priced per person based on a twin share.

Departure Dates & Surcharges
See checkout for live dates and availability.

Single Traveller Supplement
For solo travellers, a mandatory single supplement of $835 applies.
Please note: Accommodation for single customers who are travelling on a tour or cruise package may be in a single room, depending on availability.

Child Policy
• No child discounts are offered. The full price applies to all children travelling with their parents.
• Valid for children 8 years old and over.
Please note: Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult 18 years old and over to travel. No unaccompanied minors are allowed.

Winter Driving Conditions in Japan
Please be aware that driving conditions in Japan during the winter months can be significantly impacted by snowfall and ice, particularly in mountainous regions where many scenic and onsen destinations are located. While we strive to maintain our scheduled tour itineraries, the safety of our passengers is our utmost priority.

Therefore, please understand that tour itineraries are subject to change, potentially with little notice, due to adverse weather conditions and road closures. This may include:

• Delays in departure or arrival times.
• Alterations to the planned route.
• Substitution of planned attractions or destinations with alternatives.
• In extreme cases, cancellation of certain portions of the tour.

Our experienced drivers are highly skilled in navigating winter roads; however, even with precautions, conditions can become hazardous quickly. We will make every reasonable effort to adhere to the original itinerary and provide the best possible alternative arrangements if disruptions occur. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility should weather-related disruptions occur during your tour. Our aim is to provide a safe and enjoyable experience, and your cooperation in these circumstances is greatly valued.

Departure Cities
Sydney, *Melbourne, *Brisbane, *Adelaide or *Perth.

Departure City Surcharges
• Melbourne & Brisbane: $100 per person
• Adelaide: $250 per person
• Perth: $550 per person

International Flight(s)
Full-Service Airline(s) Used
• Cabin Class: Economy Class
• Airlines: Qantas (subject to availability). 
Please note: 
• Flights are not guaranteed to be direct from your departure city to Tokyo
• Flights to Japan will likely depart from Brisbane or Sydney, with passengers flying from Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide transiting through one of these cities.
• Travellers departing Perth will depart on Day 0.
• We cannot accommodate one-way flights. Travellers must take all included flights within the package, and any flights intentionally forfeited will result in later flights being subject to cancellation.

Qantas Flights
Please note: Any Qantas flights used on this deal may be booked as part of a Qantas group ticket. Class upgrades and paid seating requests can be accommodated once you have received your flight information, upon request. However these requests are subject to availability and pricing at the time of the request and will incur additional fees that need to be paid the same day if the quote is accepted.

Preferred Airline Surcharge
Not available.

Arrive Early and Stay Behind Options
Not available.

Stopover Packages
Not available.

Outbound Flights
Please note: Due to flight scheduling and availability, some departures may occur on Day 0. Affected customers must be available to depart the day before. Flight times will be indicated on your final documents, issued 4-6 weeks before departure.

Missed Flights
If you fail to arrive for your outbound flight, you risk all flight and land arrangements in your destination being automatically cancelled by the airlines and land operator, respectively. Additional fees may apply to reinstate these services. If you miss your flight for whatever reason, please contact us as soon as possible to make arrangements.

Accommodation Used:
3-Star Properties (Self-Rated)
• Tokyo: Hotel Mystays Tachikawa, or similar
• Nagano: Sotetsu Fresa Inn, Nagano-Zenkojiguchi or similar
• Takayama: Hotel Hana or similar
• Matsumoto: Tabino Hotel Lit Matsumoto or similar
• Haneda Airport or Narita Airport Area (Day 8): APA Hotel Haneda Airport or similar OR Narita Tobu Hotel or similar

Please note: Accommodation/rooms offered are based on a lead-in room type and are subject to availability based on seasonality. In the instance a property is not available, a similar standard of accommodation will be provided. Properties will be confirmed and included in your travel pack, which you will receive 4-6 weeks before travel.

Extra Nights
Not available.
Please note: If you are interested in booking additional nights of accommodation pre or post-tour, please wait until you receive your travel documentation approximately 4-6 weeks before departure for the confirmed list of hotels. If booking your own additional accommodation directly with the hotel, please be aware that you may be required to change rooms at the start/end of your tour.

Maximum Room Capacity
2 people.

Triple Share
Not available.

Bedding Configuration
Twin or double (subject to availability).

Some optional tours may be offered on tour by your tour guide which will be paid directly to the guide.

• Visa fees and requirements
• Domestic transfers and flights not stated in the deal offer
• Meals/beverages not stated in the deal offer
• Highly recommended gratuities/tipping
• Optional activities/tours
• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• Any costs associated with an interruption to your tour as a result of an airline schedule change or cancellation
• Gratuities / tipping - Land
  Gratuities (tips) are not included for the services of the tour leader (when available) and driver throughout the tour. The recommended tip is $10 AUD per person per day paid in local currency. This covers the guide/leader and the driver and will be collected on tour.

Please note: Tipping for services provided is always a matter of personal discretion; however, please be aware that many locals consider tipping part of their normal remuneration, and they may approach you for payment; there's no need to be intimidated by the request.

Australian passport holders are eligible for Japan's visa exemption scheme for short-stay tourism and business travel. You don't need a visa if you're visiting for less than 90 days as a tourist, for a business trip or conference, or to visit friends and family.
 
We recommend you to use the Visit Japan Web to pre-register your details before arrival. Visit Japan Web is a web service to help smooth arrival procedures at the airport in Japan. You can register your information for Immigration and Customs procedures ahead of your trip, including the disembarkation card for visa exemption (for eligible travellers such as Australians). Once you have registered, you can use the QR codes from the service instead of paper forms as part of the procedures to enter Japan.

Important:

• Please start arranging your visa three weeks before departure to account for any delays due to consulate operating hours.
• Visa rules are subject to change. Please check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination/s you are visiting once you receive your travel documentation to ensure you have the most up to date information.
• It is your responsibility to be travel-ready and ensure that you are aware and comply with any destination or travel requirements, including the validity of all required travel documents.
• Passengers who are not Australian citizens must also check with the respective consulate or visa agency to determine what their visa requirements are and what personal identification is required.
• It is also important to note that some areas of employment, such as journalism, government authorities and charity organisations, may have additional restrictions in applying for visas. This may, in turn, affect the type of application required.

Voluntary Changes

Includes booking changes requested by you, including but not limited to those changes requiring an airline ticket or a Purchase Confirmation reissue.

 • Changes - $100.00 per booking + additional charges from the airline/cruise company/accommodation/other travel providers.

Name Changes Due To Passenger Error

• If the incorrect name has been advised to TWAC, charges of $100.00 per booking + any additional charges applied by the airline/cruise company/accommodation/other travel providers.

Supplier Fees

In the event the Travel Offer you have purchased is unable to proceed, and/or a travel Supplier is unable to fulfil the Travel Offer due to external circumstances (Limitation of Liability e.g. a Force Majeure event), there may be a fee or amount of money that is withheld by our Suppliers and is unrecoverable. This may be due to non-refundable airline tickets, cancellation penalties with cruise cabins or unrecoverable payments with our land/accommodation partners. TWAC has committed to these costs as your Agent and will endeavour to recover all funds committed and/or paid for your Travel Offer, but this may not be possible in all circumstances. If refunds are unavailable from Suppliers, we will endeavour to obtain a travel credit on the best terms available and communicate these outcomes to you. If TWAC cannot obtain a refund or travel service credit, or part thereof, this cost is passed on to the customer as a Supplier Fee. This fee is not revenue-raising and is paid to or withheld by our suppliers when recovering payments.

Although you should read all of the terms and conditions, the following is a summary of the most important:

• Our travel package is non-refundable, however you will receive a travel credit to be applied to our travel services.
• You, as our client, agree to check all documentation immediately for errors. Travel With A Cause (TWAC) does not take responsibility for incorrect dates or names supplied.
• Prices, including, in some cases, of confirmed bookings, may be subject to change. ​
• Some confirmed bookings are non-refundable if cancelled by you and it is your responsibility to check if this applies.
• We will be entitled to retain our service fees even if a booking is cancelled or does not proceed for any reason which is not our fault.
• It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of all information relevant to your travel plans, including but not limited to visa requirements and health precautions.
• There may be some additional fees or other incentives from Suppliers.
• We are not liable for the recent updates of any published Supplier content including websites and brochures

CANCELLATION POLICY
Tour packages are non-refundable. If your tour package is affected by Covid-19 related travel restrictions and you are unable to travel, you will receive either a free date change (credit that is specific to your original package and purchase value) or an open credit less any non-recoverable supplier fees to the value of your original purchase for use on any other tour or package available via the TWAC website.
 
Please note: Date change credits are subject to availability and not guaranteed until confirmed by TWAC, not the tour operator you are due to stay with.
 
We recommend you consider purchasing travel insurance with Covid-19 protection. The standard cancellation policy will apply if you cannot travel because you have tested positive for Covid-19.
 
Please note: All additional charges are payable in AUD (unless otherwise stated). 

Planning your next adventure is thrilling! While we hope for smooth travels, preparing for the unexpected is always smart. We highly recommend getting travel insurance when you book. Whether it's a medical emergency, a flight cancellation, a delayed suitcase, or an unforeseen event, ensure you're covered. For more info and advice, please visit: www.twac.com.au/travel-insurance or talk to your TWAC travel consultant.