Kitakanto Area Päiväretket

Kävimme Kioton-kierroksella Thean kanssa. Ryhmässämme oli noin 10 henkilöä, ja kierros kesti noin 2,5 tuntia. Tämä oli loistava tapa nähdä ja ymmärtää Kioton historiaa. Sekä 9- että 12-vuotiaani pitivät kierroksesta, jopa enemmän kuin aiemmin tänään osallistumastamme kitsune-työpajasta. Thea oli erinomainen siinä, miten hän antoi ryhmälle aikaa ottaa valokuvia, rukoilla eri pyhäköissä halutessamme ja auttoi ottamaan mukavia perhekuvia. Vinkki: Varaa aika noin tunti ennen auringonlaskua, jotta näet joitakin temppeleitä päivänvalossa, mutta myös Gionin yöllä lyhtyjen valossa.

When planning our trip to Tokyo with the kids, I was very careful in choosing a tour. My choice turned out to be absolutely excellent. Meeting our guide, Kanazawa Seiga, was also incredibly fortunate. Our meeting point was Tokyo Station at 8 AM, and since our accommodation was in the Ariake area, I was worried about being late even though we woke up early to prepare and took the bus. However, I was so grateful that the guide kept in touch via KakaoTalk, providing updates, and even came to pick us up from the bus stop to the meeting point. Thankfully, we made it onto the bus right at 8 AM. During the journey, the guide smiled brightly and shared many interesting stories. I thought our second child wasn't paying attention, but it turned out they listened to everything the guide said and even recounted it to me, which made me proud. I thought we wouldn't be able to see Mount Fuji, but it was incredibly clear and visible, making this a truly satisfying tour. The guide also took many enthusiastic photos and provided excellent information, which was wonderful. I will definitely book this tour again next time! Thanks to you, it was a very happy tour.

Virkistävä pakopaikka Tokiosta, sillä se tarjoaa täydellisen yhdistelmän luontoa, kulttuuria ja herkullista ruokaa. Paikalliset merenelävät olivat tuoreita ja maukkaita. Merenrantapuisto oli hieman pettymys, sillä nyt on kukkuloiden kukinta-aika, mutta koska puisto on suuri, siellä oli silti mukava kävellä vihreässä metsässä. Lapsille on huvipuisto ja leikkipaikka, mutta aikaa leikkimiseen ei ollut. Kaiken kaikkiaan Ibaraki tarjoaa toisenlaisen puolen Japanista, joka on ehdottomasti tutustumisen arvoinen, kun tutustuu luonnonkauniisiin puistoihin, vierailee temppeleissä ja pyhäköissä sekä nauttii merinäköaloista.

Osui juuri sopivasti, kun Hitachi Seaside Parkin sinikellot kukkivat, ja koska Tokiosta sinne matkustaminen omin päin olisi ollut hankalaa, ilmoittauduimme Klookin päiväretkelle. Oppaamme oli Elsa, lempeäkiielinen kiinalainen tyttö. Tokiosta matka kesti noin kaksi tuntia, ja ensimmäinen pysähdyspaikka oli Oarai-pyhäkkö ja merenrantatorii. Pyhäköllä on yli tuhat vuotta historiaa, ja sen ulkopuolinen puutarha on erittäin rauhallinen. Pitkät portaat johtavat alas merenrantaan, josta voi ihailla torii-porttia. Elsa auttoi meitä ottamaan upeita kuvia! Myöhemmin menimme Naka-Minaton kalamarkkinoille lounaalle. Kalamarkkinat eivät olleet suuret, mutta vaikka oli arkipäivä, turisteja oli paljon, ja jouduimme jonottamaan lounasta pitkään! Olimme melkein myöhässä kokoontumisesta, joten pyysimme Elsaa auttamaan kommunikoinnissa. Hän auttoi meitä myös ruoan noutamisessa, mistä olemme todella kiitollisia! Viimeinen pysähdyspaikka oli retken kohokohta, sinikellomeri. Hitachi Seaside Park on niin laaja, että maksoimme itse puistojunasta päästäksemme kukkamerelle. Sitten otimme kuvia ja kiertelimme vapaasti, se oli todella upea ja kaunis näky! Olimme onnekkaita saadessamme niin mahtavan oppaan ja ryhmän jäsenet. Kaikki kokoontuivat ajoissa, ja autossa kaikki lepäsivät hiljaa häiritsemättä toisiaan. Vietimme yhdessä miellyttävän päivän!

The tour leader was great and emphasized the importance of being on time, mentioning that the bus would leave otherwise. This reminder was very helpful, and everyone was on time today, February 2nd. Lunch was delicious. The snow tubing and sledding in the morning were a lot of fun. The weather was great, with light, fine snow falling. We had a lot of fun. The strawberries were delicious, and we ate so many we were stuffed. The tofu skin making experience in the afternoon was fantastic. It was my first time making tofu skin myself, and it was a lot of fun. Today's itinerary was wonderful. We were constantly eating and on our way to eat, haha. It was an excellent trip. The tour leader and guide were Taiwanese, very helpful, and helped me take photos. They were very nice. This trip was great, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to play in the snow.

I’ve joined quite a few tours labeled as “small group,” but they often end up being larger than expected but this one truly delivered. The group was genuinely small, which made the whole experience feel more relaxed and enjoyable. We visited three locations, and I really appreciated how the guide gave us the freedom to explore each place at our own pace. As a solo traveler, I loved being able to wander around and discover things on my own while still getting helpful recommendations from the guide on where to go. One tip: make sure to check the flower calendar for Hitachi Seaside Park before booking, as different flowers bloom throughout the year. I was hoping to catch the nemophila, but during my visit, only the daffodils were in bloom, which were still beautiful in their own way. Overall, this is a great tour if you enjoy a balance of guidance and independence. I highly recommend it, especially for solo travelers who value flexibility.

Many thanks to Mr. Gao Hongmiao for his meticulous and patient care. He made every part of our itinerary today incredibly smooth! ♥️ Although we didn't go to the waterfall, we saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom and caught the tail end of winter. In one day, we experienced the spring of blooming cherry blossoms, enjoyed all-you-can-eat freshly picked strawberries, and saw the pure white snow that only appears in winter. Plus, we were back in Tokyo by 6 PM, with time to shop at the mall. We did so much in one day; it was truly great value for money, and I highly recommend it.

I almost wanted to cancel this trip because the flower season was over, but then I thought a suburban tour would also give my feet a rest. The date was the Friday after Golden Week, so there were far fewer tourists, and we hardly had to wait in line for anything. The three stops on the itinerary weren't far apart. Initially, it was just 'get on the bus - sleep - attraction - eat - attraction - go back.' It took over two hours to get to the first attraction, even without much traffic. At Oarai Isosaki Shrine, I think the main point is to go down the stairs to the beach. For the fish market, you really need to do your research beforehand and decide immediately which restaurant you want to eat at, otherwise, you definitely won't have enough time. The last stop was a park. I initially thought it was just a nature park, but it actually had playground equipment, so it's a great place for those with kids. Since the flowers had already withered this time, we took the guided tour bus that circles the park. One loop took about 40-50 minutes. The park is truly enormous; if you don't take the bus, you'd need to rent a bicycle, or you'd be exhausted from walking. In summary, this tour isn't one where the guide takes you around the attractions; it's all free time, so it's essential to do your homework beforehand.

Oppaamme oli erittäin ystävällinen, ja kun pyysimme suosituksia Tokion lähialueen ravintoloista, hän etsi ne huolellisesti, minkä ansiosta saimme nauttia herkullisista aterioista. Ainoa miinus oli, että matka-aika oli odotettua pidempi, joten kohteessa vietetty aika tuntui hieman lyhyeltä. Näin oli arkipäivänä, joten viikonloppuisin matka-aika voisi olla vieläkin pidempi.