Welcome to PacSet 5.0!
Welcome to the new PacSet website! Really!
Yes indeed: just a little over seven years since our last big shift, we are proud to welcome you all to the PacSet Website 5.0!
This is our first big change to our web infrastructure in a while, and while it bears a lot of similarities to the last version of the site, it’s a whole new beast under the hood. While we’ve been working on this thing for a few months at this point, there are probably a few bugs that still need to be worked out here and there, so please bear with us a bit as we keep tweaking stuff.
This new site would not have been possible without the help of friend and alumni Jess, who spent a lot of time over the last few months moving content over from 4.0, editing stuff, writing new content, and being just an amazing awesome person. If you love the new site, she’s the person to thank.
Personally, I’d like to thank her for her patience with me since this entire process really began to unfold as we were also finishing the busy Fall 2025 schedule and I was working with our accountant to get end-of-year financials wrapped (bonus shout to our amazing accountant Ann). I cannot thank Jess enough for being part of this process and giving PacSet’s web presence a new lease on life.
A few bonus thank yous to the designers, UI experts, and friends who helped with proofreading, tweaking, and keeping us sane through this whole process: DW, Finni, Jialing, Remedy, Stephanie, Susan, and Yena . We’d love to hear your feedback too; drop us a hello over at the contact page.
Of course, a new website calls for a bunch of other updates, so…
CONFIRMED TRIP PRICES!
We have big news and updates in terms of trip prices! Up until now, we’ve had price estimates out for most of these journeys, but beginning this week, we’ve been able to confirm a few prices. They are:
May 14/15* - 29, 2026
NIIGATA • SAKATA • KAKUNODATE • MORIOKA • AOMORI • HIROSAKI • HAKODATE • LAKE TOYA • SAPPORO
🍜 Two-week culinary feast across Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Joetsu
🏯 Explore a samurai town, onsen resort, and historic fortress
🍎 Indulge in sake flights, crab, ramen, and apple specialties
💎 Premium 4-star lodging, all meals, and transport included
CANCELED (LACK OF SIGNUPS)
Taste of Japan North 2026
Estimated Price: $5,295
Final Price: $5,495
This was a trip we more or less expected would exceed its budget a bit; a lot of the Tohoku and Hokkaido content we’ve been running lately has gone over budget since hotel prices are going up! Still, for an “all meals included” trip with a lot of fancy extras, we’re happy we can offer this much for that price. Join the feast, friends!
Note: These next two trips can be combined. Read on for details…
June 28* - July 6, 2026
ASAHIKAWA • MT. KURODAKE • FURANO • SAPPORO • OTARU • LAKE SHIKOTSU
⬆️ Escape the heat in Japan's beautiful northern island
🌷 See iconic flower fields, blue ponds, and Mt. Kurodake
🍜 Explore Sapporo's city life and Otaru's charming port town
♨️ Unwind lakeside with hot springs, boating, and fireworks
$3,395
HOKKAIDO ADVENTURE 2026
Estimated Price: $3,495
Final Price: $3,395
Our inaugural Hokkaido Adventure trip is going down in price! Whoo-hoo!
This trip marks our first sojurn to Asahikawa and Furano to frolic in the flower fields and take in some of the best weather Japan gets in the summertime. This trip is eight fabulous nights of mountain exploring, onsen-entering, good food sampling summer joy – not to mention the fancy onsen stay that comes at the end!
July 7 - 14, 2026
KAGOSHIMA • KIRISHIMA • IBUSUKI • YORON • NAGO • NAHA
🌊 Discover Japan’s beautiful, subtropical Amami and Okinawa islands
♨️ Relax at two luxury resorts: mountain hot spring and beachside
🐠 Snorkel on a magical, vanishing beach in beautiful Yoron Island
✈️ Seamlessly fly, sail, and explore between islands and cities
$3,595
ISLAND HOPPER 2026
Estimated Price: $3,495
Final Price: $3,595
Who wants to go snorkeling? Of course ya do!
We have lined up two resorts in beautiful, sunny Okinawa for you. We’ve also got some amazing bonus stops in Kagoshima City, where we’ll bury ourselves in a relaxing sand onsen (yeah, that’s a thing) and kick back in Japan’s little slice of paradise. You’ll swim, you’ll chill out, you’ll get the kind of summer vacation that you’ve been waiting to take. You know the one.
COMBO: HOKKAIDO ADVENTURE AND ISLAND HOPPER!
$6,490
That’s right friends - you can do both trips for a discounted price. Like, whoah. Plus, you’ll get an extra night of hotel in between the trips and more time to explore. Holy cow!
For those of you keeping score, here’s what doing both trips gets ya:
SIXTEEN nights (eighteen days) of travel to some of Japan’s most exciting regions.
THREE resort properties where you’ll be able to relax a whole heckuva lot. You can book ten massage appointments if you like; it’s your vacation after all!
You get all the stuff included on both trips PLUS an extra night for a whole $500 less! Mathematically this should not be possible, but it is.
July 29/July 30* - August 9, 2026
HAKODATE • AOMORI • HIROSAKI • AKITA • KAKUNODATE • TOKYO
✨ Three Iconic Festivals: Nebuta, Kanto, and Hakodate
🦀 Explore Northern Japan: Fortresses, fresh seafood, and majestic mountains
🎒 Small Group Trip that includes baggage shipping and 10 nights of comfort
🏯 Samurai history & city finale: Kakunodate charm followed by a Tokyo free day
CANCELED (LACK OF SIGNUPS)
SUMMER MATSURI 2026
Estimated Price: $4,795
Final Price: $4,895
This one is a little expensive for two reasons: it’s limited to 10 guests, gets confirmed with only 5 guests, and we’re paying a premium on hotels since two of the three hotels we booked are right in the middle of the festivals we’re going to.
And honestly, that’s the best part of this one: you’ll be in the middle of everything. We cannot wait to take you all to FOUR of the best summer festivals in Japan!
PacSet VS. The Robots T-Shirts are in the mail!
For those of you who were so kind as to place an order during last year’s sales drive, I am pleased to report that your shirts are in the mail. Be on the lookout for a wearable piece of cotton adorned with a fox absolutely annihilating a city-invading robot. Hawt.
One last thing…
While we’re planning for a busy 2026 and 2027, we need your help to keep that busy-ness going! If you love what we do at PacSet and want to support us, please tell a friend! Share the new website, drop our name on social media… all that cool stuff. We’d love that. Thank you in advance for the support, and we’ll see you all next week!
