Iya Natural Wonders Tour

Natural Wonders Tour

Enjoy the natural beauty of Iya and Oboke

Encounter Iya & Oboke's breathtaking scenery

With towering mountains, lush forests, and emerald rivers, the Iya region's tranquil beauty is certainly a contrast to the urban chaos of Japan's bustling cities. On this tour the area's scenic landscapes can be fully encountered as you travel by boat through the craggy Oboke Gorge, drive through Iyakei Gorge via the one-lane "Old Iya Highway", walk though the historic mountainside village of Ochiai upon the charming trails, and criss-cross rivers and gorges via several suspension foot-bridges, including the Iya-no-Kazurabashi Vine Bridge.

And throughout the tour you will be able to take in lots of panoramic views from various locations overlooking Koboke Gorge, Iyakei Gorge, and the lofty mountains which surround the Iya Valley.

We will also stop for delicious lunch at a local restaurant that features the hand-made soba noodles which the Iya Valley is famous for producing. No doubt, if wishing to take in the renowned beauty of the Iya Valley and the Oboke & Koboke Gorges, then this is the way to do it!

Base Time:

7 hours

Not available on Wednesdays.
Includes pick-up and drop-off from any Iya Valley or Oboke area accommodation and/or via JR Oboke Station. Pick-up or drop-off elsewhere also possible, just let us know.
This tour typically lasts about 7 hours, but it can be reduced a bit if needing to catch a particular departing train from Oboke Station. Just let us know.
Add On sights possible, see below.
Available all year

Price:

Standard Taxi (1-3* people) ¥ 62,800

---

Jumbo Taxi (3-8 people) ¥ 81,200

with groups of 4 or more, please see the box below.

This is total price per private group (not per person)
All prices include tax
Includes vehicle, driver, and English speaking local guide
3 people in Standard Taxi is only recommended if 3rd person is a child or you are 3 small adults.
Meal fees not included.
Please pay your guide's lunch fee (about ¥900-1400)
Entrance fees not included (¥550/person Iya-no-Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, ¥1500/person Oboke Gorge Boat Cruise. Children are discounted. Please pay your guide's Boat Cruise ticket.)

Peeing Boy in Iyakei Gorge

Visual odyssey across continents

Button

Itinerary (fixed route) :

Pick-up from any local accommodation or JR Oboke Station
Oboke Gorge Boat Cruise
Koboke Gorge Suspension Footbridge
Koboke Gorge Viewpoint
Panoramic drive via the "Old Iya Highway"
Iyakei Gorge Viewpoints (Hi-no-Ji Bend, Peeing Boy Statue)
Local Lunch
Iya-no-Kazurabashi Vine Bridge
Biwa Waterfall
Ryugugake Park and Manpu Gorge Wire Bridge
Traditional Ochiai Village Walking Tour
Nagaoka-ke Historic House
Drop-off at any local accommodation or JR Oboke Station

Details About this Tour
- This is a Fixed Route Tour. If you would like to change the locations for this itinerary, please see one of our Custom Tours.
- This tour can start anytime between 8:00am and 11:00am.
- We are generally not available for this tour on any Wednesday.
- Pick-up and drop-off can be from any local accommodation or JR Oboke Station. Other locations that are not in Iya or Oboke can also be arranged but may include an additional fee and require extra time.
- We ask to please pay your guide's lunch fee (approx 900 -1400 yen.)
- Please pay for your guide's entry ticket for the Oboke Gorge Boat Cruise (1500 yen per person).
- On heavy rain days, it may not be possible to walk through some places such as Ochiai Village (but we will provide umbrellas), so we will just tour these places by car and extend time at other points. Also, the guide and driver will do their best to accommodate anyone who may be physically unable to handle the walking tours.

For Groups of More than 4 People

We always aim for you to have the most enjoyable time possible, and with groups of more than 4 people, we often tend to move through the sights and have lunch a bit slower than usual, so it may be better to add an additional 30 minutes to the tour time, especially if going via the Oboke area and/or Hotel Iya Onsen. With the Jumbo Taxi for such groups, the extended 30 minutes would be 5,800 yen extra, so the total fee for the 7.5 hour tour would be 87,000 yen. We will explain more after contacting via email.

+Add On options for this tour:

Though the Natural Wonders Tour is already pretty thorough, we can Add On some additional points to this tour to make it even more fantastic!

Rates for every 30 minutes of extension:

Standard Taxi with guide + ¥4500

Jumbo Taxi with guide + ¥5800

*these extension fees are per group, not per person.