*Trip starts at 3PM on April 10 Japan time in Tokyo. If flying in from another country, be sure to be in Japan/CLEAR CUSTOMS by that time.
Highlights
♨️ Unwind and rejuvenate with six nights in luxurious hot spring resorts and traditional ryokans across Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula.
🚗 Journey through scenic, hard-to-reach destinations like Yusuhara and Nakatsu Gorge via private car/bus with a small group of 5-9 guests.
🍲 Indulge in an elevated culinary experience, including 12-course kaiseki dinners, monkS' shojin ryori, and local favorites like Kochi's grilled Bonito.
🛕 Experience unforgettable and unique accommodations, including staying at a secluded temple on Mt. Koya and visiting Japan's oldest springs in Shirahama Onsen.
You’ve earned a vacation as awesome as this.
After two amazing trips, Rural Relaxation is back on the PacSet schedule for Spring – and it’s as exclusive as ever. Small Group Guaranteed Trip, it’s guaranteed to go with just 5 guests!
Staying at small ryokans and hot spring resorts throughout the trip and traveling by private car or bus, this is a journey that doesn’t just show you rural Japan; it invites you to participate in the fun stuff that locals love. Whether that’s roasting tea, crossing soaring suspension bridges, or just chilling with a local beer as you sit by (or in!) the river, Rural Relaxation brings you to a side of Japan that you simply can’t get in Tokyo or Kyoto. It’s our most immersive, impressive rural itinerary ever – with more of the upscale accommodations and hot springs you love.
The adventure begins in Kochi, where we’ll see one of Japan’s most well-preserved castles, grill Bonito, and enjoy a beer by (and maybe in) the local river. Hot springs and 12 course meals will be a regular happening there and in Iya Onsen, a secluded resort near breathtaking vine bridges and mountain vistas that must be seen to be believed. Tokushima and Takamatsu will feature some pretty impressive urban views (and dynamite local cuisine).
After Tokushima, you’ll board a ferry as we head to the Kii Peninsula to stay in a temple in the mist-shrouded hills of Mt. Koya. After exploring and sampling shojin ryori (monk’s cuisine), we’ll follow the Totsukawa River to another resort, exploring local haunts and lookouts along the way. While you’re here, take the opportunity to walk part of the Kumano Kodo pathway, or just take it easy as we visit the massive Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine. Finally, we’ll visit one of Japan’s oldest hot springs, Shirahama, for a little more resort fun to round out the trip.
Space is limited to just NINE people, so don’t wait; book today!
Trip itinerary
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After meeting in Tokyo, we'll relocate to Kochi to begin the journey. Be sure to be in Tokyo by 3PM to make the flight to Kochi!
Lodging: Comfort Hotel Kochi or similar
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Welcome to the city of Kochi! We’ll visit the city’s old castle before getting really involved with the locals at the city center, where you csn get a quick bite to eat, or just take it all in.
Lodging: Comfort Hotel Kochi or similar
Breakfast included -
After breakfast, we’ll hit the road and arrive in Nakatosa, where we'll check out their famous local market, shop for local sake, and sear the local dish du jour, Bonito!. After that, kick back and relax in the natural hot spring waters of our resort overlooking the ocean.
Lodging: Kuroshio Honjin Resort or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
After breakfast, we’ll make our way towards Yusuhara. Along the way, we'll stop to see the local architecture by famed architect Kengo Kuma at the Kumo no ue no Gallery (Gallery Above the Clouds), learn how to roast Hojicha Tea, make crafts, and unwind with a drink.
Lodging: Yusuhara Kumo no Ue Hotel Annex or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
We’ll make our first stop in the Nakatsu Gorges, where sparkling blue waters and rock formations will lead you down winding paths past some of the best remote scenery in Shikoku. Along the way, we'll pick some local fruits and hit a remote microbrewery to commiserate with some of the people that call this region home.
Lodging: Yusuhara Kumo no Ue Hotel Annex or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
We'll hop in the car/bus and take a scenic ride along the ridge of mountains known as the Shikoku Karst, separating Kochi from Ehime in the north. Further down the road, we'll visit a number of local shops, agricultural sites, and a temple before an early arrival to the the amazing Iya Onsen, where the hot spring baths are an incline rail ride away and the hospitality is out of this world.
Lodging: Wanoyado Iya Onsen or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
After a fancy breakfast at our host onsen, we will head further into the Iya Valley to the Oku Iya Rope Bridges, where you can carefully tiptoe across the river or ride on a self-propelled pull cart (which is way more fun that it should be). Speaking of fun rides: how about a chair lift up to a gorgeous lookout on Mt. Tsurugi? Take it easy with some wine and cheese by the lookout point, OR if you're feeling daring, take on the 40 minute stair climb to the top of the mountain. Then we descend into the Udatsu-lined streets of Wakimachi for a one-of-a-kind dinner inside a converted storehouse.
Lodging: Paysage Moriguchi or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
After so many days in the mountains, it's time for a dramatic return to the ocean - and that's exactly what awaits as we get to the Naruto Whirlpools. After seeing these natural marvels up close, we'll arrive in the city of Tokushima to see a performance of the city's beloved Awa-Odori, ride to the top of Mt. Bizen, and enjoy a dinner on the riverside.
Lodging: Daiwa Roynet Tokushima or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
A trip to this region isn't complete without a little trip to Takamatsu! We'll see the ruins of the castle in the center of the city before consuming the region's famous Udon and strolling through the gorgeous Ritsurin Japanese Gardens.
Lodging: Daiwa Roynet Tokushima or similar
Breakfast included -
It's time to say farewell to Shikoku! Next stop: Honshu and the Kii Peninsula. We'll ride a ferry across the bay to Wakayama City, where you'll get a chance to see some of this port city before we drive to the top of Mt. Koya. After dropping our luggage at our host temple, we'll wander through the mists to world-reknowned temples and masoleums the likes of which you've never seen.
Lodging: Kongo Sanmaiin Temple or similar
Breakfast, Dinner included -
We’ll get to bed early on Day 10 for Day 11, when we’ll get up early for a prayer ceremony with the monks at our host temple. After a delicious breakfast of the famed shojin ryori eaten by the monks, we’ll check out the waterfalls and walk over the Tanize Suspension Bridge as we enter Totsukawa, one of Japan's most remote towns. Tonight, get your appetite ready for a massive feast served at our resort!
Lodging: Totsukawa Onsen Subaru or similar
(Breakfast, Dinner included) -
After breakfast at the onsen, we’ll head inland for the center shrine of the famous Kumano Kodo Temple Pilgrimage route, Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine! Explore the grounds and chill in a cafe, or if you’re feeling ambitious, you can walk part of the pilgrimage trail past Japan’s largest torii gate! In the afternoon, we make our way down to the coast and check in at our last lodging: a hot spring resort in Shirahama!
Lodging: Shirahama Koganoi Resort and Spa or similar
(Breakfast, Dinner included) -
Today is a day completely dedicated to exploring Shirahama! We'll spelunk into the Sandanbeki Cave, cruise the shoreline, and visit the famous local fish market for everything from fresh sushi to pudding. In the afternoon, take a little me time for spa treatments or a dip in the pool before dinner.
Lodging: Shirahama Koganoi Resort and Spa or similar
(Breakfast, Dinner included) -
Return home and show pictures to your friends who thought Japan was just Tokyo and Kyoto. No, Carl, it’s not. Look at these waterfalls and this food, Carl. Get off instagram, yo.
(Breakfast included)
This trip includes…
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Trip Status |
Open for signups |
Deadline |
Jan. 30, 2026 |
Minimum guest #: |
5 guests |
Fly → JP On*: |
April 8 or 9, 2027 |
Starts in JP On: |
April 10 (3PM), 2027 |
TRIP PACE |
Light. Some optional hiking, but almost all transit is by private motorcoach. |
Extras |
Single Room (Hotels): +$1,000 Single (All lodging): +$1,500 |
*This is the date you should leave your home country.
Click for more info about:
FLIGHTS • REFUND POLICY
Click for more info about:
🛌 13 nights four-star accommodations (six nights hotel, six nights resort, one in a temple)
🥢 Includes 13 breakfasts, 3 lunch, and 5 dinners
🚅 All scheduled rail, sea, and air transport within Japan.**
🧳 Baggage shipping (up to 4 complimentary luggage transfers for one suitcase per trip)
😀 Professional, bilingual guides there to help with anything you might need
🎟️ Admission to all scheduled activities
📗 Customized Trip Guidebook and Pre-Trip Orientation Materials, mailed to you before the trip so you can prepare for the journey before leaving home!
🍫 Nightly turndown service with local sweets
❤️ Complimentary concierge service: we can help plan extra stops, pre-and-post-trip extensions, and more.
🗾 Much, much more!
NOT INCLUDED:
❌ Flights to Japan from your home country
❌ Travel insurance
❌ Meals not listed above
NOTES:
ADVANCE DEPOSIT: The trip does not have a final price yet. Final price to be announced later; anyone who signs up early gets a $50 discount and may get a fee-free refund of the deposit if they do not approve of the final price when it is announced.
SMALL GROUP GUARANTEED: Trip is confirmed with 5 guests and is limited to 9.
*All initial payments are a $300 deposit. The balance for the trip is due at the deadline for the trip.
**If a guest decides to go long distances on rail during free times, extra charges may apply.