Region sheet G-01
Japan has more hot springs than any country we know, and a bathing culture with its own manners. We go twice: south to Kyushu when the weather is mild, and north-west of Tokyo when the mountains are under snow.
When to go
Kyushu is at its best from October to early December, when the maples turn, and again in March and April. The summer is hot and wet and the typhoon season runs into September. The Alps protocol needs snow, so it runs only in January and February.
How it reads by season
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Winter | Snow towns in the Alps; Kyushu cool and clear |
| Spring | Kyushu in blossom, mild nights |
| Summer | Humid and wet; no departures |
| Autumn | Kyushu in colour, the best months of the year |
Two of our four route leaders speak Japanese. They handle the inns, the trains and the bath rules, so you only need to say good evening.
Protocols in Japan
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Onsen Towns of Kyushu
Nine days through the hot-spring towns of Kyushu, from the steam of Beppu to the black sand of Ibusuki, at a walking pace. From CZK 119,900 per person.
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Kusatsu and Nagano Snow Baths
Seven winter days in the Japanese Alps: the hot-water field of Kusatsu, the snow lanes of Shibu and the temple town of Nagano. From CZK 98,900 per person.
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Budapest Bath Circuit
Five days in Budapest, taking the city’s great baths one at a time, from the Ottoman domes of Buda to the yellow palace of Széchenyi. From CZK 24,900 per person.
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Hévíz Lake Weekend
Three days on the warm lake at Hévíz in western Hungary, where you swim among water lilies, with a morning on the north shore of Balaton. From CZK 13,900 per person.
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Bad Gastein Valley Week
Six days in the Gastein valley of the Austrian Alps: the waterfall town of Bad Gastein, high meadows and warm thermal pools. From CZK 38,900 per person.
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Salzkammergut Slow Lakes
Seven days around the lakes of the Salzkammergut in Austria, by boat, local bus and short walks, with Bad Ischl as the middle point. From CZK 42,900 per person.
Prices are indicative and per person; a manager confirms the final price when you send a request.