Nozawa Onsen Japan Ski Tour 2027

Ski into Japan's Timeless Village

A hidden gem for skiers seeking serenity, soul, and snow

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• A small-group guided Japan ski & cultural experience featuring Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, Madarao, Snow Monkey Park, and Tokyo

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🧳 Start planning your trip today!

Regular price: $4,800 per person

Early booking price: $4,500 per person

· Tokyo stay and round-trip bullet train travel are included.
· Limited to 6–8 guests for a more personal experience.
· Based on double occupancy
· Airfare to Japan is not included.

Includes 8 nights of lodging at comfortable, well-appointed accommodations in Tokyo and Nozawa Onsen, daily breakfast, one traditional Japanese dinner at Sakaya Ryokan, lift tickets for 5 days at Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, and Madarao, a Snow Monkey Park excursion, scheduled ground transportation during the tour, and full guide support throughout the tour.

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❄️  Why Nozawa Onsen?

Legendary Snow
With over 36 feet (433 inches, 11 meters) of snowfall each year, Nozawa offers world-class powder for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.

Authentic Charm
Unlike resort-style destinations such as Niseko in Hokkaido, Nozawa Onsen is a 400-year-old hot spring village steeped in Japanese tradition and local life.

Natural Hot Springs (Onsen)
Soothe your muscles in 13 free public bathhouses, each with its own character and story. Bonus challenge: see if you can handle the famously hot water locals love!

Walkable Village Vibes
Cobblestone streets, cozy izakayas, and steaming onsen smoke rising into snowy skies — Nozawa is straight out of a winter postcard.
 

💡 What Makes This Tour Different?

Many Japan ski tours focus only on the mountain. This tour is designed for skiers and snowboarders who want more than just a resort.

You’ll stay in Tokyo before and after the ski week, travel to Nagano by bullet train instead of taking a long airport-to-mountain van ride, ski three different Nagano areas — Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, and Madarao — and experience the traditional atmosphere of one of Japan’s most beloved hot-spring villages.

Snow Monkey Park, daily breakfast, and one traditional Japanese dinner at Sakaya Ryokan are also included, adding unforgettable travel experiences beyond skiing.
 

🔑 Where You’ll Stay

This tour includes two nights in Tokyo and six nights in Nozawa Onsen.
 
In Tokyo, you’ll stay at Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier, a well-appointed hotel with excellent access to restaurants, shops, and transportation. One night is included upon arrival, and one final night is included before departure.
 
In Nozawa Onsen, you’ll stay at Sakaya Ryokan, one of the village’s most established traditional ryokan, located in the heart of town. Staying in the village allows you to enjoy the full Nozawa experience — skiing, hot springs, evening walks, local food, and the timeless atmosphere of a Japanese onsen village. 

Sakaya typically sells out early for peak winter dates, but we've secured rooms for our tour participants.
 
All accommodations are based on double occupancy.

🎿 The Slopes

Nozawa Onsen + Shiga Kogen + Madarao — three classic Nagano ski experiences in one trip.

This tour includes five ski days across three classic Nagano ski areas.

Nozawa Onsen is your home base, offering over 36 runs, 30 miles (50 km) of skiable terrain, long groomers, fun tree areas, and one of Japan’s most charming ski village atmospheres.

We’ll also take ski excursions to Shiga Kogen, Japan’s largest ski area, and Madarao, a fun local mountain known for playful terrain, tree skiing, and a relaxed Nagano atmosphere.

This tour does not include backcountry or sidecountry terrain.

🐒 Snow Monkey Park Excursion

A visit to Snow Monkey Park is included in the tour.

During the week, we’ll take time away from the slopes to visit the famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani, known for soaking in natural hot springs during the winter months. It’s one of Nagano’s most memorable cultural and wildlife experiences, and a perfect complement to the ski portion of the trip.

Depending on weather and snow conditions, the exact timing of this excursion may be adjusted during the tour.
 

🍜 Après-ski & Evenings 

After skiing, enjoy the timeless atmosphere of Nozawa Onsen — soak in the hot springs, walk through the village, and experience traditional Japanese mountain hospitality.

One traditional Japanese dinner at Sakaya Ryokan is included during your stay in Nozawa Onsen. This is a special evening to enjoy seasonal Japanese cuisine in a classic ryokan setting.
 
Daily breakfast is included throughout the tour, so you can start each day ready for skiing, sightseeing, or travel.

🚄 Comfortable Access by Tokyo Stay + Bullet Train

After a long international flight, we do not put you directly into a 5+ hour van ride to Nozawa Onsen.

Instead, you will spend your first night in Tokyo, recover from jet lag, and travel comfortably to the mountains by Shinkansen bullet train the next day.

Nozawa Onsen is about 2 hours by bullet train from Tokyo Station followed by a 30-min shuttle ride from Iiyama Station. Your main luggage and ski bags can be transported separately, so you can travel light and enjoy a much more comfortable journey.

🗼 A Smooth Finish in Tokyo

After the ski week in Nozawa Onsen, we’ll return to Tokyo for one final night before departure. It’s a chance to experience another side of Japan — modern city life, great restaurants, shopping, and the vibrant atmosphere of Tokyo.

This tour includes two Tokyo hotel nights in total: one upon arrival and one before departure. 
 

👍 Experienced Guide

Your tour guide, Jimi Omori — a Japanese native, PSIA-certified examiner, and founder of Japan Ski Club — will accompany the group throughout the tour and be on the slopes with you during ski days.
 

⭐️ Ready for a ski trip that blends adrenaline, serenity, and soul?

This is not just a ski package. It is a small-group guided Japan ski tour built around skiing, hot springs, food, culture, and comfort — all centered around the traditional onsen village of Nozawa Onsen.
 

🏔️ Nozawa Onsen Awaits

Your unforgettable winter adventure starts here — in one of Japan’s most charming mountain villages!

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Itinerary

✈️ Suggested Flights:
U.S. departure: January 29, 2027
Arrive in Japan: January 30, 2027
Depart Japan: February 7, 2027
Return to the US: February 7, 2027

Your U.S. departure date may vary depending on your flight schedule.
You may also extend your stay in Japan before or after the tour. 

👉 Tour Price Includes

• 1 night in Tokyo on arrival + 1 night in Tokyo before departure at: Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Premier, a well-appointed hotel
• 6 nights of upscale ryokan accommodation in Nozawa Onsen at: Sakaya Ryokan, an upscale Japanese-style hotel 
  (all accommodations are based on double occupancy, with 2 people per room)
• Round-trip Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Iiyama Station
• Transfer between Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen
• 8 breakfasts (2 in Tokyo and 6 in Nozawa Onsen)
• 1 Japanese-style dinner served at Sakaya Ryokan, Nozawa Onsen
• 3-day lift ticket for Nozawa Onsen
• 1-day lift ticket for Shiga Kogen
• 1-day lift ticket for Madarao
• Round-trip transportation from Nozawa Onsen to Shiga Kogen and Madarao
• Snow Monkey Park excursion
• Full support and attentive service by Jimi Omori & our staff throughout the trip.
• All applicable taxes, fees and basic gratuities.
  
  

👉 Tour Price does NOT include

• International air fare to/from Japan
• Airport transfer between Narita/Haneda Airport and the Tokyo hotel
  - Guests may arrive on different flights and at different airports, so this transfer is not pre-arranged. Please contact our staff by WhatsApp after arrival, and we will help you choose the best option.
• Travel insurance
• Ski / snowboard rentals
• Lunches
• Dinners except for the one Japanese-style dinner at Sakaya Ryokan, Nozawa
• Drinks and alcoholic beverages
• Personal expenses
• Optional lessons or private mountain guides
• Any sidecountry / backcountry guiding
• Additional hotel nights before or after the tour
• Single room supplement, if requested and available

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From the Founder

Nozawa Onsen holds a very special place in my heart.
 
It’s where I first taught skiing back in 1984, marking the beginning of my lifelong journey in the world of ski sports. As a cross-country athlete, I trained year — round — through snow and under the summer sun — right here in this village, practicing both ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

When I wasn’t on the slopes or training, I worked at a local guesthouse called Minshuku Tofuya - still operating today - delivering fresh tofu to inns and hotels throughout the village.
 
Over 40 years ago, through teaching skiing and working in the community, I came to understand the true essence of Nozawa Onsen - the warmth of its people, the richness of its traditions, and the deep connection between daily life and the surrounding land.
 
Those early days not only shaped my career, but also sparked a lasting appreciation for everything that makes Nozawa Onsen such a unique and unforgettable destination.
 
Eventually, I moved to Frisco, Colorado, to begin a new chapter - as a professional fly fishing guide.
 
My home mountains in Colorado are world-renowned resorts like Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, and Keystone - icons of the Rockies that many of you may already know. These destinations offer incredible terrain, modern facilities, and breathtaking alpine scenery.
 
But even these famous Colorado resorts don’t have everything.
They don’t get the 36 feet of snowfall that blankets Nozawa each year. And they don’t have the onsen - those natural hot springs that soothe your body and soul after a long day on the mountain.
 
I’d love to invite you to return with me to my soul hometown.
 
Just imagine yourself skiing through the snowy mountains of Nozawa and exploring the beautifully preserved, culturally rich village below.
 
I hope you’ll join me in experiencing this hidden gem - a place I proudly call my soul home.
 
 
Jimi Omori
Founder / Japan Ski Club