Itinerary

3 Island Japan 2008

Itinerary

Saturday, March 29, 2008
Day One:

Arrival in Okayama, Japan

Welcome to Japan! Most will be arriving late, so we'll hold the welcome dinner on the next night. All accommodations are included in the tour price.

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Day Two:
Free day in Okayama/Welcome Dinner

There are lots of things to see and do in Okayama. Visit the famous and historic Black Castle of Okayama and walk around town. Other sights include the Korakuen Garden (one of Japan's official Three Great Gardens) and the Okayama Oriental Museum. For those interested, we can go to a bike shop and see the downtown shopping area. Welcome dinner and orientation at one of Okayama's finest restaurants.

Monday, March 31, 2008
Day Three:
Bike Pick-Up and Ride to Arifuku Hotsprings
About 95 miles
The riding starts today! We'll be taking a bus one hour out of town to the rental location to pick up the bikes. Then, we'll ride north through the Japanese Alps and along the coast of the Sea of Japan to our evening resting place: a 600-year old, completely natural historic hot springs resort, tucked away in the countryside and known for its healing properties.

Tuesday, April, 1, 2008
Day Four:
Arifuku Hot Springs to Chinsui Hot Springs
About 125 miles
Experience riding you never thought existed in Japan. Today, we’ll travel south through the backroads of Honshu Island and ride stunning vistas along the Sea of Japan. Smell the sea and see the land – half of today’s riding is along the coast, the other half is on the interior. We’ll be staying at a hot springs resort town in the mountains as cherry blossoms float in the air and koi fish swim in a stream below your window.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Day Five:
Chinsui Hot Springs to Kurakawa Hot Springs
About 210 miles
Fairly long day of riding on this day. We’ll ride some fantastic roads, see many temples and old farm houses. We’ll be riding the roads of the “real” Japan – the Japan most foreigners never see. We’ll ‘Ride the Dragon’ – a long stretch of road with hundreds of twisties. It’s a blast! We’ll ride south to the island of Kyushu, the most Southerly and Westerly of Japan’s four main islands. Kyushu is known for its friendly, festive locals and is considered to be the birthplace of Japanese civilization. Toward the evening, we’ll stay at a nationally-renowned Kurakawa hot springs. This particular hotspring is very special and very high-end, with some guest houses dating over 350 years old. Even members of the Royal Family have stayed here!

Thursday, April 3, 2008
Day Six:
Kurakawa Hot Springs to Yufuin
About 130 miles
Another day of world-class riding. Explore volcanoes, backroads and small towns of Kyushu. Ride around the rim of the largest caldera in the world at Aso-kuju National Park. This mountainous area has many volcanoes and the world’s largest caldera basin, with a circumference of about 55 miles. The Aso area also has a magnificent view of Aso-Gogaku Five Mountains, including meadows and the active volcano, Mt. Naka-Dake. We’ll stay at a hot springs resort under the shadow of volcanoes, overlooking the town of Yufuin, where the rhythmic ringing of temple bells can sometimes be heard.

Friday, April 4, 2008
Day Seven:
Yufuin to Shikoku Island and Misaki Pennisula
105 miles
Today, we’ll make a side-trip to the Iwashita Museum – an amazing collection of hundreds of motorcycles from around the world (including the 1600cc Amazonus!) Then we’ll take a ferry from Kyushu Island to Shikoku Island where we’ll feast on seafood in a little fishing town on the Misaki Peninsula. Food is literally carried straight from boats to the kitchen to your table. It doesn’t get any fresher than this!

Saturday, April 5, 2008
Day Eight:
Misaki to Kazurabashi
180 miles
We’ll ride across the island of Shikoku to the Kuzaribashi area where we’ll ride through more than 60 tunnels before lunch. This is by far the best day of riding. Twisties, mountains, tunnels, LOTS to see! After a superb day of riding, we’ll be stay at a top-notch hotel that provides a tram-way to the uppermost outdoor pools overlooking the valley. Absolutely breathtaking.

Sunday, April 6, 2008
Day Nine:
Full Circle (Farewell Dinner)
About 70 miles
We’ll ride back to Okayama on the island of Honshu and turn in our bikes after crossing some of the largest suspension bridges in the world. Our farewell dinner will be in Okayama, where we’ll picnic near an idyllic lake surrounded with blossoming cherry trees in full bloom. This will be our day to relax, kick back, chat and say our goodbyes.

Monday, April 7, 2008
Day Ten:
Flight Home from Okayama, Japan.