About the tour
Embark on this half-day private tour to uncover Mt. Horaiji's history, stunning natural scenery and spiritual significance. There's so much to discover on the mountain and on the climb up the 1,425 hand-carved stone steps.
The tour covers the highlights of Mt. Horaiji, possible as a day trip - perfect if you love to walk or hike.
Spiritual significance
Mt Horaiji holds great significance in the Japanese 'Shugendou' faith, famous for mountain monks looking for enlightenment on rocky peaks.
Hear about this mysterious cultural history and the mountain's 1,300 year Shugendou legacy as we journey through the mountain's landscapes.
Learn more about Japan
Join our adventure of cultural discovery and natural exploration, where you'll have the opportunity to discover the essence of Mt Horaiji.
Don't just come and visit the mountain, let us give you the full story!
A must-see along the Golden Route
Mt Horaiji is up the mountain valley from Toyohashi, on the very popular Tokaido Shinkansen line.
A journey to Mt. Horaiji when going between Tokyo and Kyoto is a centuries-old tradition, so follow the pilgrim's path and come join us! Perfect for a day trip out of Nagoya too.
Tour highlights
- While showing you around the spectacular nature and sights of Mt. Horaiji, we share the legends and history.
- Enjoy local specialities of Central Japan and the Okumikawa area at lunch and at a charming snack shop (not included)
- See the views, atmospheric forest, and cultural history.
- Explore Mt. Horaiji’s 1,425 stone steps, they can feel like a spiritual experience!
- A roughly 4.5 hour tour, hiking around 3kms total (stair climb included).
Explore Sacred Mt Horaiji Tour
About your hosts
We are an Australian/Japanese couple that have loved this part of Japan for a long time. In 2023 we were able to buy our dream house not far from Mt. Horaiji, and we've made it our mission to spread our love of this incredible place and its stories as much as we can. Mt. Horaiji and this area deserve much more attention, and the local history needs to be preserved!
With both of us, we offer both native-level English and Japanese, which is useful when talking about the complicated cultural history of Japan.
We can't wait to share this place with you!
What we'll do in detail
Meet at Hon-Nagashino Station, 10:45am
An express train from Toyohashi arrives around 10:45am. After meeting we'll leave for Mt. Horaiji using a local bus.
Stroll through the old temple main street
See the charming and historical small village nestled in the valley below Mt Horaiji.
The Omotesando of the Horaiji Temple.
Lunch at a local speciality restaurant
This classic restaurant serves local specialities with local charm.
Climb the 1,425 stone steps through atmospheric forest and historic scenery
We'll scale the steps at a leisurely pace, seeing the sights and taking in the atmosphere.
See the temple grounds under the "mirror rock" cliff
We will walk through the temple grounds and enter a place with Buddhist monuments and sacred spaces from centuries past.
A view of the "mirror rock" behind the main temple building
Visit the mountain's main temple building, and Horai Toshogu Shrine
While taking a break after the climb and seeing the views, we'll share some of the fascinating legends of the main temple building, and talk about the Buddhist traditions of Mt. Horaiji. While exploring more of the mountain, we'll visit the Toshogu shrine nestled in the forest and see it's intricate painting and decoration.
Tour ends at the bus stop on the mountain, before taking a small bus down the mountain to nearby Yuyaonsen (for Yuyaonsen Station), 3:30pm
We make sure you can find your way to the train station from the bus stop at Yuyaonsen. From Yuyaonsen Station you can get the train back to Toyohashi Station for the Shinkansen.
Price
Up to 4 guests:
¥18,000
5 to 10 guests:
¥23,000
Please see inclusions and exclusions in the FAQs on this page. Food, drink, train and bus fares are not included.
Want more information about Mt Horaiji?
For more information about Mt. Horaiji and its history, Aichi Now has a great site about it.
Make a free booking request:
Add the booking request to the cart and 'check out' later, or use the contact form below
[Tour Request] Explore sacred Mt. Horaiji tour
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FAQs and details
Days and times
Summer months
The tour does not run in July, August, or September, due to the heat of Japanese Summer and the challenges it brings to any hiking trip, we apologise for any inconvenience.
Tour is available weekdays and Saturdays
Due to a lack of public transport options in the mountains, we cannot run the tour on Sundays, we apologise the the inconvenience. If you drive/rent a car, Sunday tours are possible.
Important times
For those travelling by train: We will help you to find the best Tokaido Shinkansen train to Toyohashi Station for the tour. The Iida Line (spelled i-i-d-a) runs from Toyohashi to this area, and it has few trains in the timetable, so there is unfortunately few options in the case of missing a transfer at Toyohashi. We will work with you to find alternatives and to make sure you can still see the mountain.
What is included/excluded in the price?
Not included in the tour:
- Train and bus fares
- Lunch, snacks, and any drinks or water (the tour area has vending machines and some access to drinking water)
What do I need for the tour?
- A good level of fitness
- Confidence/ability to walk on forest trails and many uneven, hand-carved steps - if you have a bad ankle/knee/back it's best not to do the tour
- Shoes suitable for walking - preferably hiking shoes or shoes with some grip.
- A hat, and preferably a sun shirt, sunglasses, and sunscreen - especially in warm months. We walk through the forest but there is still a chance of being sunburned. We provide insect repellent in warmer months.
- A water bottle (even a reused drink bottle)
- Sufficient travel insurance for this type of activity
Cancellations and bad weather
This tour cannot be run on rainy days or days after rain, due to the steps becoming dangerously slippery. Depending on the number of guests, we may be able to work out an alternative tour instead of cancelling.
Please see our page on Tour Policies and Conditions