Ginzan Onsen & Zao Snow Monsters & Zao Fox Village 2-Day Tour

Our tour guide for the past two days was Tony, and he took very good care of us. He even gave us small gifts. It was very cold when we went to Ginzan Onsen, and he gave us heat packs. He also gave us heat packs and chocolate on the second day. When we couldn't enter the Fox Village, he found a way for us to go somewhere else. We went to Shiroishi Castle, which was very beautiful and worth a walk and taking some pictures. The driver was also very nice, drove very smoothly, and greeted everyone warmly when getting on and off the bus. We happened to encounter heavy snow when we went to Ginzan Onsen, which was very beautiful. On the second day, we went to the Zao Snow Monsters, and we were incredibly lucky! The weather was very clear. Although we couldn't ride the cable car to the very top because there were too many individual travelers, it was still very beautiful and worth it! I heard that the day before we went, Zao had a big snowstorm and the visibility was very poor, but the weather was clear blue skies today! So lucky~ We stayed at Kamesei Ryokan. The hotel looks very historical, but it's maintained quite cleanly. The rooms are also very large, and the breakfast is rich and delicious, with both traditional Japanese and Western breakfasts. Thank you to the tour guide and driver for their hard work these past two days! 👍

We had a marvelous time at Ginzan Onsen. The trip was definitely not rushed. We were able to compare its day and night view because our guide, Tom, gave us 3 hours to explore. My friend and I had an amazing time! Next was Zao ropeway which was equally wonderful! We love that Tom lets us enjoy the tour and make adjustments as needed. Definitely recommended!

wow! this trip was definitely value for money. The one night accommodation is the highlight of the trip! The travel agency gave us a traditional Japanese room with tatami! in addition, the dinner was fantastic and the breakfast was sumptuous! not to mention about the free to use Onsen! PS: There is a Lawson near the hotel too. On other itinerary, the admission was free except for the fox village. Sammy the handsome German-Chinese tour guide was knowledgeable about the places that we were going and was also very patience with late comers. We enjoyed following his tour and hope we are able to join his tour in future! And pls expect to sit in the bus for hours because the journey from Tokyo to Sendai is long and on the 2nd day, pls eat more for breakfast because we didn’t eat until 6pm at the rest and relax station.

Mr. Jude (蔡萌) is a responsible and friendly tour guide. Despite the unexpectedly worse-than-usual snowy road conditions, he did his utmost to accommodate our request to spend extra time at Ginzan Onsen to enjoy its beautiful gas-lit atmosphere. The highlight was the renowned Zao Snow Monster Ropeway tour. Even during peak hours on a busy Saturday, Jude successfully secured the ropeway tickets and thoughtfully arranged for us to stay longer at Jizo Sancho Ropeway Station (地藏山頂駅), allowing us to fully appreciate the Jizo Son (藏王地藏尊) and the spectacular Zao Snow Monsters (藏王樹冰). Thumbs up to Jude (蔡萌) for his dedication and excellent service.

The overall arrangement of the entire itinerary was reasonable, and each attraction was well-arranged. The key point is that we encountered good weather. It snowed on the first day we went to Ginzan Onsen, and the second day was sunny with the cable car operating normally. Also, there weren't too many people, so we were able to check in and take photos at the summit smoothly. However, the itinerary on the second day was a bit rushed, and no time was arranged for us to have lunch. We bought snacks to eat on the bus. Our guide was Tom, and overall it was okay, but there was no active communication before departure and he didn't respond to my questions about pick-up arrangements. He was easy-going and willing to help, but there is room for improvement in his professionalism.

A snow experience filled with joy and surprises! The scenery of the Ginzan River is incredibly beautiful. Plus, the weather was perfect, giving us a beautiful snowscape just like in a fairy tale. Although Mount Zao was extremely cold and the wind at the summit was piercing, it gave us an unprecedented and precious experience. But actually, the most important thing is that you arranged for a funny, humorous, attentive, and considerate warm-hearted guide, Carter Sasaki, who is super fluent in English and Mandarin, to lead us. His attentive service at all times really filled me and my family with warmth, as well as beautiful, unforgettable, and pleasant memories, even in this extremely cold weather. I hope to have the opportunity to travel around with Carter again.

Had two very happy days~ Played to my heart's content. The overall itinerary was very worthwhile. Special thanks to our leader, Xiao Cai (Cai Meng Ge), for thoughtfully arranging each itinerary and reminding us of some Japanese cultural points to note. Hard work to Cai Meng Ge for running up and down the entire journey, and also serving as a photographer + Reels director 🤣 I only have one thought about these two days: choosing the right leader makes the trip directly add up to full marks 💯. I felt very taken care of and brought home many memories. Looking forward to setting off together again next time 🇯🇵✨

A snow experience filled with joy and surprises! The scenery of the Ginzan River is incredibly beautiful. Plus, the weather was perfect, giving us a beautiful snowscape just like in a fairy tale. Although Mount Zao was extremely cold and the wind at the summit was piercing, it gave us an unprecedented and precious experience. But actually, the most important thing is that you arranged for a funny, humorous, attentive, and considerate warm-hearted guide, Carter Sasaki, who is super fluent in English and Mandarin, to lead us. His attentive service at all times really filled me and my family with warmth, as well as beautiful, unforgettable, and pleasant memories, even in this extremely cold weather. I hope to have the opportunity to travel around with Carter again.

The overall itinerary planning was very good. The only drawback was that on the first afternoon, we didn't get group tickets to the Zao ice trees. The tour leader refunded us and let us buy tickets and queue for the ropeway ourselves. Because it was the peak ski season, the ropeway queue made us doubt our lives. After queuing for the ropeway to the summit, it was already 3:30 PM, so we spent less than half an hour there before quickly queuing for the ropeway down the mountain. At 4:00 PM, we continued to queue for more than three hours until we reached the bottom of the mountain at 7:30 PM in the evening. The temperature on the mountain dropped sharply in the afternoon, and queuing for more than three hours made it difficult to breathe due to the cold. Plus, we didn't wear snow-proof jackets and gloves, so we could only endure until we got down the mountain. We didn't get to the hotel and eat until 10:00 PM. The tour leader, Tsai, was very attentive and thoughtfully bought us drinks and snacks to make up for this situation. I admire the driver even more for being able to safely and steadily take us to the hotel on icy roads at night. The hotel staff was also very considerate and had prepared hot pot when we arrived. At that moment, I felt like I had been saved and was very grateful. I suggest that next time, you could inform us in advance that if we don't get tickets, we can buy them ourselves on the website and try our luck. Also, inform us in advance about the possible long queue times and how to dress. Since the weather is often bad on high mountains in the afternoon, you might consider not going up the mountain. Fortunately, the members of the group were healthy and had no cardiovascular problems, otherwise it would have been even more troublesome and delayed the itinerary even longer. In short, I'm still grateful to the tour leader. At least the second day was very fulfilling, the weather was good, and everything went smoothly. We went to every spot on the itinerary and were lucky enough to see Mount Fuji. The above is my honest opinion and does not represent everyone's. Because I had too high expectations for the appearance of the Zao ice trees, I wrote this down to express my feelings. Thank you.

We truly enjoyed our tour with Mr.Jude. He was responsible, punctual, and very well organized throughout the trip. His clear explanations and deep local knowledge made every stop meaningful. He also took good care of our group’s comfort and safety, which made us feel completely at ease. We highly recommend Mr. Jude to anyone visiting Ginzan Onsen and Zao Snow Monsters tour.