Overall Rating

Tohoku Private Guided Tour

Tohoku Private Guided Tour4.5/52
Tohoku Private Guided Tour4.5 out of 5 based on 2 reviews
  • Would Revisit
    100%
  • Would Recommend
    100%
Cheap Flights
Tohoku Private Guided Tour Enquire
Price p/p Rate per person for private group of 5 for 3 night 3 day trip
Base/invoice currency is Japanese Yen
*Displayed price may vary slightly due to currency fluctuations
USD 1,371

TOHOKU GUIDED TOURS
PRIVATE GROUPS ONLY

Location: Japan | Tour Focus: Guided | Terrain Focus: Off-Piste, On-Piste, Backcountry, Sidecountry
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
Price p/p Rate per person for private group of 5 for 3 night 3 day trip
Base/invoice currency is Japanese Yen
*Displayed price may vary slightly due to currency fluctuations
USD 1,371
These PRIVATE guided trips will maximise your Northern Tohoku powder experience. Minimum 3 nights/3 days guiding. Options of cat skiing, in-resort powder hunting, lift-access sidecountry & backcountry touring options. Resorts include Shizukuishi, Geto Kogen, Tazawako, Ani, Hachimantai, Amihari & Appi.
View inclusions & Add-ons
Click here for rates, dates & availability
Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
Custom Booking Period
Min Days
Price
Availability
Custom Booking Period: Jan 09 - Feb 25, 2025
Min Days: From 4
Price: Enquire
Availability: Enquire
Enquire

Tohoku Guided Trips

The Tohoku guided trips are for private groups (ie you cannot join a group as a solo / small group) with a group size of up to 5. The per person rate is greater if you have a group of 2, 3, or 4 people. You can customise the duration of your Iwate trip, with a minimum of 3 nights and 3 days of guiding.

Ski areas in the Iwate region and Akita Prefecture are generally on the smallish side (apart from Appi Kogen & Shizukuishi which are moderately sized ski areas) and these can get a little boring just skiing in the resorts for several days. However with little competition for the fresh powder, the ski areas in the region are fabulous for a day or two and are particularly good if you have a guide that knows where to find the endless powder stashes.
 
So if you are with your family or group and want to experience some of the best skiing in the area, a bespoke tour of northern Tohoku will be the goods.

There are no set days or dates that the tour needs to commence and it's up to you, along with guide availability. If you have any questions or want to check guide availability, you can make a booking request

Guiding Options

Depending on your group's abilities, fitness level and preferred skiing/riding style, there are a variety of options for your epic adventure. The type of skiing or riding is up to you; choose from side-country, backcountry, from small objectives to big ones like climbing Mt. Iwate, or upgrade to some cat skiing.

Resort Powder Guiding: If you're looking for a day of being shown all the best lift-accessed and easily skiable snow with very little effort, this product is for you. Local knowledge from the guides will open up the best stashes and hidden lines that you wouldn't even know existed without a guide. 

Lift Accessed Backcountry: This option is all about accessing the best possible powder using existing lift infrastructure. A little work will be required here and there, but generally this type of guiding is all about maximising your powder vertical and minimizing your hiking. The powder stashes you can find with just a bit of effort might surprise you.

Backcountry Touring: Iwate provides plentiful backcountry touring options, especially in the secret nooks and crannies that make this region so special. Unlike many other regions in Japan, Iwate has a surprising amount of wide open backcountry, leaving skiers to make big lines independent of trees. Since there are so many options, it mostly depends on weather and your level of fitness as to whether you use the lifts a bit, or just go touring.

Snowcat Skiing/Riding: As an add-on you can include some guided snowcat skiing at Hachimantai Cat or Shizukuishi Cat.

Guiding is from a qualified English speaking guide with a maximum guide to guest ratio of 1:5.

Resorts Visited

For lift-accessed options there are various ski resorts within easy reach of the Hachimantai Mountain Hotel.

Options include:

Hachimantai Mountain Hotel

Nestled at the bottom of Mt. Iwate, this 4 star onsen hotel is ski-in/out to Panorama resort and near Shimokura ski resort.

The guided trip includes accommodation in the high-end and recently remodelled mountain rooms. All rooms feature en-suite bathrooms and showers. All guests have access to in-hotel hot springs and sauna.

Breakfast and dinner is provided by the hotel; they serve up a variety of buffet options both Western and Japanese food.

You can find more information on the Hachimantai Mountain Hotel here.

Rates, Inclusions & Add-Ons

2025 rates

 Group
Size
 3 nights/
3 days
 4 nights/
4 days
5 nights/
5 days 
 5  ¥225,000  ¥295,000  ¥355,000
 4  ¥250,000  ¥330,000  ¥399,000
 3  ¥276,000  ¥370,000  ¥455,000
 2  ¥360,000  ¥485,000  ¥595,000
 1  ¥620,000  ¥835,000  ¥1,030,000

 

Inclusions
  • 3+ days of guiding with qualified English speaking guide
  • 3+ nights of lodging at Hachimantai Mountain Hotel
  • Pickup at Morioka Bullet Train Station (Tokyo/Aomori access)
  • Transportation by private vehicle to a wide variety of ski locations. The operating region is within 90 minutes of the Mountain Hotel.
  • Daily breakfast & dinner buffets at the hotel
  • Daily lift tickets
Add-ons
  • Cat skiing upgrade (subject to availability)
  • Avalanche safety equipment or touring equipment rentals
Not Included
No exclusions to display

Japan Ski Tours (also known as JST) Terms & Conditions

Updated for 24/25 Season

Please carefully read the policies below before you make a reservation.

Payments

A 50% deposit will secure your reservation. Once the deposit is received, the remaining balance must be paid within two months of the trip departure date. Once we receive your full payment, we will email you a copy of the receipt.

Credit card payments may be made through our secure website via Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Cancellation

Once we receive written notification that you are canceling your trip the following fees will apply.

  • Of the total price of the reservation, a fee of 25% will be charged for all cancellations made more than 4 months before the start of your trip.
  • Cancellations made between 2 and 4 months prior to the start of your program will be charged a 50% fee.
  • Cancellations made with less than two months of advanced notice will not be refunded.

Unfortunately, due to the time sensitive nature of our business, and the difficulty in re-booking a trip close to the departure date, we cannot make exceptions to this policy.

Responsibility and dependence on suppliers

Japan Ski Tours cannot be held responsible for snow conditions. Trips cannot be cancelled or amended on the basis of snow conditions. No refunds will be made if you voluntarily leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. Refunds will be at the discretion of JST if you are involuntarily forced to leave a trip for any reason. No refunds will be given for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals, services, lift tickets or any component of the trip not utilized. JST acts only as an agent for the other companies providing or offering accommodation, lift tickets and other services and as such has no control over any services or products provided by these supplying companies.

All bookings made are subject to the booking terms and conditions under which these services are provided. JST and its suppliers reserve the right, without liability or right of compensation, to prohibit or restrict any activity, or cancel or alter any service or itinerary component, without notice.

JST will not be held responsible for the inability of the suppliers to comply with any special request relating to age, medical conditions, physical ability or disability, dietary requirements, allergic conditions, smoking or non-smoking accommodation.

Cancellation by JST

JST reserves the right to cancel any trip prior to departure, including a confirmed trip, due to circumstances beyond our control. If this occurs you will be given the option of changing to another trip or receiving a full refund. JST is not responsible for any incidental expense you have incurred as a result of your booking (i.e., airline tickets, equipment purchase or third party equipment rentals, hotel reservations, etc). If you choose an alternative trip and it is at a lower value than your original trip you will be refunded the difference. If the alternative trip is of a higher value then you will pay the difference in price.

If Japan Ski Tours cancels a trip due to an act of God such as a natural disaster, volcanic eruption, or other unforeseeable naturally occurring event which impedes the safety of our program, the terms under the section, “In the event of an act of God such as a natural disaster, or any other unforeseeable naturally occurring event that destabilizes or otherwise makes skiing unsafe” will apply.

What Storm Chasing means

While we do "storm chase" as much as possible, we are constrained by the limitations of our itinerary and hotel reservations. There may be instances where we have to leave our base accommodation and move to the next area as soon as a storm is coming in. If you're not willing to run the risk that the timing of the itinerary might not work with the storm systems during your trip, your best bet is to rent a Camper Van and travel around in real-time with the storms. Since our trips aren't Camper Van based, we'll be following our itinerary as described on our website and storm chasing within those limitations.

Change of Date

Date changes are subject to availability. Date changes may be requested at anytime up to 2 months prior to your departure date. Date changes made between 2-3 months prior to the trip will be charged a ¥15,000 fee per person. A ¥10,000 fee will be charged per person for all date changes made more than 3 months prior to the trip.

Medical and Emergency Evacuation Insurance

Due to the inherent risk involved in alpine pursuits, and in the interest of your safety, Japan Ski Tours strongly recommends all participants to bring insurance that provides full medical and emergency evacuation coverage. Japan Ski Tours will NOT provide insurance for participants on any JST trip. If a participant does not have proper insurance documentation he/she will be liable for her own medical and emergency evacuation expenses and will receive no refund, date change, or any kind of compensation from Japan Ski Tours. Please take this seriously and lean on the side of caution.

Hazard Management and Skier Responsibilities

Managing risk is JST’s number one priority. Our guides manage significant hazards inherent to sidecountry pursuits (e.g. avalanche, inclement weather, tee-accidents, rock fall, and high winds) but they cannot eliminate them. Please clearly understand that skiing in bounds and out of bounds is an inherently hazardous sport and both actions are only undertaken with the full knowledge and consent from the participant that these are inherently dangerous activities. You are choosing to engage in an activity in which skiers have been injured and worse. While these accidents are indeed infrequent, they may occur at any time and be out of our control. We ask that participants acknowledge that risk, and make their own choices about whether or not to engage in this activity. We ask that each participant is physically and mentally fit, is properly attired and equipped, and continues to assess him/her-self throughout the trip to ensure as safe a time as possible. We ask that participants honestly and accurately describe themselves, in terms of fitness, health and skills, and their equipment to their guides, and that they adhere to the advice of their guide.

In the event of an act of God such as a natural disaster, or any other unforeseeable naturally occurring event that destabilizes or otherwise makes skiing unsafe

Other natural disasters or naturally occurring disruptive events: In the event of any other natural disaster or unforeseeable act of God which makes skiing in Japan unsafe, impedes or cancels transportation or route infrastructure on, to, or from partner ski resorts or Japan, all cancelled clients will receive a 50% refund or a 75% credit towards a future trip when skiing in Japan is made safe again.