Aomori Small Group Day Tour | Oirase Stream, Hakkoda Mountains, Takayama Inari Shrine, Tanesashi Coast

We booked three day trips in Aomori: P1 - Oirase Stream & Hakkoda Mountains; P2 - Takayama Inari Shrine; P3 - Tanesashi Coast. PLAN1 - The Oirase Stream, Hakkoda Mountains, and Lake Towada route was an excellent day trip. Although the summit of Hakkoda Mountain was closed due to strong winds, and we could only stay for 5 to 10 minutes with no visibility due to heavy fog, the weather didn't cooperate! However, Oirase Stream and Lake Towada were incredibly beautiful, and I highly recommend this day trip. We left Lake Towada to stay overnight at the Prince Hotel by the lake, and the next day, we walked along the lakeside back to Lake Towada to catch the JR bus to Aomori, which cost ¥3,480. This day trip felt like it offered great value for money.

I was the only guest in the trip as other two guests cancelled their plan suddenly. Luckily the guide called Narita さん was super caring and helpful throughout the whole day journey. For example, he planned every sightseeing spots with considering of the weather, and also explained everything in details using the phone translator. His おすすめアイスクリーム (しじみClam) was delicious 😛The views on that day were magnificent especially on Cape Tappi! Thanks for everything, Narita san!

Our driver, Mr. Fujii, was very conscientious and responsible, good at communication, and had excellent driving skills. He was very patient in communicating and sharing with us. The friends in this small group were also very harmonious and friendly. The driver would carefully remind us of icy and slippery roads or areas with deep snow. The travel companions also helped each other. Fortunately, when we arrived at Hakkoda Mountain, there weren't too many people, and the waiting time was very short. The scenery was indeed beautiful, and it was also very cold. Aomori had rain and snow the night before, and we were prepared for the ropeway to be suspended and the itinerary to be changed. But the next day, we were lucky enough to have a sunny day. When visiting Oirase Stream, Mr. Fujii would also use a translator to tell us the difference in the scenery in different states. Finally, chasing the stunning sunset on the sleepy return journey was even more unforgettable (I asked the driver to make a heart with me, and he did it, hahaha). Klook's one-day tour is really high quality, and the connection is also very smooth. I have already purchased tours in both Japan and South Korea, and they are all very good and satisfactory. Highly recommended.

Bus departed conveniently at Aomori Station West Exit, with the guides ready to receive us. Was more of a maxi-cab rather than a bus. That made our journey feel a lot more personal than it would have felt like a tour group. The guide-driver was more than accommodating and would use Google Translate to translate his instructions and comments about the place from Japanese to English. The locations we went to - Hakkoda Ropeway, Oirase Gorge and Lake Towada — were far from the city centre, so this was a really worthwhile trip that we took.

First time joining a Klook local tour - results: 1. Hakkoda Ropeway - Heavy snow the day before, heavy rain on the day of. The ropeway was closed 😅. We could only reach the ropeway station to use the restroom before leaving, and went to the Jogakura Bridge instead, where we struggled to admire the supposedly beautiful autumn leaves in the wind and rain. 2. Oirase Stream - After taking photos of the autumn leaves at Oirase Stream Park in front of the Hoshino Resort, we drove to two of the scenic spot entrances, only to find them blocked off due to landslides. The entire section was closed to traffic and pedestrians that day 😅. Indeed, the entire stream along the road had turned into a raging Yellow River. The water was very fast and looked dangerous. 3. Lake Towada - The waves were too high, so the sightseeing boat was cancelled 😅. We braved the rain to visit Towada Shrine and then had lunch. Fortunately, although all three planned itineraries were cancelled for this day trip, the local tour group still tried their best to take us to see non-scheduled scenic spots, where we saw very beautiful autumn leaves. They took us to ＜Jogakura Bridge, Lake Towada Observatory, Nakano Momiji Mountain area, Nakano Shrine＞ instead. The service was pretty good.

Our Japanese driver and guide will arrive 15-20 minutes early for pickup in a car or van. This is a small group tour, and communication will be facilitated using a translation device. We will stop at all possible locations for guests to take photos. Typically, day trips return early, but this time we went over schedule, and the guide provided very detailed explanations. Oirase Stream is absolutely stunning and must be visited on a day with good weather. The driver will allow guests to walk for 20 minutes, then get back in the car, walk for another 20 minutes, and so on. This way, even those not accustomed to long walks won't find it tiring. It was excellent!

This was my first time using Klook for a self-guided trip in Japan, and I found it incredibly convenient! This itinerary took me to Aomori, the northernmost point of Honshu, and the train tunnel to Hakodate. Driving up to Cape Tappi, I could see Hokkaido in the distance, and the Takayama Inari Shrine left a deep impression on me. It's a truly beautiful architectural site, and I even saw a pair of lovely girls in kimonos taking photos there. Finally, the driver took us to Tsuru no Mai Bridge and the Tancho Crane Nature Park, both featuring very charming architecture. By then, it was getting dark, and we arrived in Aomori after 6:30 PM. This private car day tour offered excellent value for money!

Highly Recommended Day Trip! This day trip was absolutely wonderful and covered so many scenic spots that I wouldn’t have been able to visit all in one day on my own. The small group size made the experience even more enjoyable and personal. A special thanks to our driver, 安田(Yasuda-san) who went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time. He was very polite, patient, and an excellent driver — we all felt safe and comfortable throughout the journey. He also brought us to many beautiful scenic stops that were perfect for taking photos! At Mount Hokkota Ropeway, we were lucky to experience the beautiful transition from autumn to winter as we rode up — truly a magical and unforgettable moment! Overall, it was a fantastic day filled with breathtaking scenery and great photo opportunities. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see the best of the area in just one day!

Amazing day! Driver was excellent, very communicative (he used a translator ) and pleasant. Due to weather we deviated to the secondary itinerary but was still an amazing experience and fantastic day! We were lucky enough to see the edge of Hokkaido when the weather improved a little. Favorite place was the Inari shrine.

I joined this tour in early January, and there were 6 people in total that day. It was snowing heavily in Aomori during that time, so I was very glad that I joined this tour, as I didn't have to drive in the snow myself, and the roads we traveled were full of snow. When we gathered in the morning, the Japanese driver was waiting for everyone at the station on time, and then we set off for Mount Hakkoda. It was very windy that day, but fortunately, the Hakkoda Mountain Ropeway was not out of service (it was out of service a few days earlier). Although after reaching the summit, we could only see the ice-covered trees closest to us due to the heavy snow and wind, we managed to see them after all. Next, the driver took us to the Oirase Stream, stopping at Sukayu Onsen along the way for us to take pictures. At the Oirase Stream, we stopped at Kumoi no Taki Falls and saw the frozen waterfalls. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant by Lake Towada for lunch at our own expense. The simple Japanese lunch tasted okay and wasn't too expensive. After lunch, we had enough time to walk along the shores of Lake Towada on our own. Finally, before returning to Sendai, the Japanese driver took us to a shrine to pray together, and he used simple English and body language to explain to us how to pray at the shrine. You could tell he really put his heart into explaining it to us. Overall, this was a good day tour. You can easily visit the main tourist attractions.