Snow Monkeys & Cranes of Japan

• Summary
   
• Itinerary
  & Map
• Reviews
   
• Field
  Reports

This extraordinary Japan expedition blends an array of fascinating wildlife with the exquisite wintertime landscapes of the country. Birders and photographers are in heaven as we visit Arasaki, Kyushu, where nearly 12,000 hooded and white-naped cranes winter each year. We continue on for our snow monkeys expedition, visiting these stirring creatures in Jigokudani in central Honshu, as they soak in the region’s thermal baths. Our Japan tour culminates with a boat trip to the ice edge of the Shiretoko Peninsula, where we greet Steller’s sea eagles, the planet’s largest and most powerful raptor.

Japan Expedition Highlights:

• Immersion in the amazing crane population of Arasaki Crane Reserve, with expert guide, Mark Brazil, by your side.
• Visit to the 1966 World Heritage Site of Gassho-Zukuri Village, with its iconic tall, gabled-roof architecture.
• Accommodations during the snow monkeys tour at an artistic and delightful hotel in Jigokudani, with its own onsen (natural thermal spring).
• Observing flocks of 100 or more red-crowned, or Japanese, cranes as they leap, pirouette, posture, and trumpet around us.
• A must for Japan adventure travel, a visit to Akan National Park, with its scenic crater lake and steaming sulphuroles.

When you travel with Zegrahm Expeditions virtually everything is included in the cost of your Japan tour:

• All accommodations and meals with the group
• Daily activity options, from nature hikes to temple visits
• All gratuities, from porters to tour guides
• Company of an experienced expedition leader throughout
• All transfers on the group arrival and departure days
• Welcome briefing to get acquainted and get a good sense of what’s to come
• All park fees and permits
• Comprehensive pre-departure packet to prepare you for your trip, with everything from currency information and weather to local customs and a packing list to prepare you for your Japan expedition
• Medical and emergency evacuation insurance
• Dedicated program manager and air coordinator to answer all of your questions