Self-guided tour
Afternoon on arrival: Southern Alps water and the whisky forest
At a small distillery in a valley at the foot of the Southern Alps, see where whisky is made and compare whiskies of different ages. On the way back, fill a bottle with spring water at the roadside station to take to your inn.
- Duration
- Half day (13:00–15:40)
- Area
- Clear Streams & Mt. Kaikoma Area
- Start
- Kobuchisawa Station
- Getting around
- Train + taxi
- Best days
- Some stops close Tue, Wed; go Thu–Mon
What you can do
place-8017-hero.webpA distillery in the valley
See how it is made, then compare ages.
place-8015-hero.webpFill a bottle
Spring water from the tap at the roadside station.
Itinerary
13:00
Start at Kobuchisawa Station (taxi, about 15 min)13:15
A small distillery in a valley at the foot of the Southern Alps. The tour shows how the whisky is made, then you compare whiskies of different ages (booking required).
- Time there
- 90 min
- Hours
- Shop 10:00–17:00. Tours 10:30–15:30
- Closed
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open on holidays), New Year holidays
- Price guide
- About ¥2,000
- Booking
- Book externally
- Taxi, about 5 min (approx.)Route on Google Maps
14:50
Fill a bottle with Southern Alps spring water at the 24-hour tap to take to your inn. Pick local vegetables at the shop too.
- Time there
- 40 min
- Hours
- 9:00–18:00 (water tap, parking and toilets 24 hours)
- Closed
- New Year (closed Wednesdays, Dec to Feb)
- Price guide
- Free
- Booking
- No booking needed
15:40 · Where the day ends
Choose to head home or stay the night. If you stay, you can add another route the next day.
Stay the night
- Kuraya Post-town InnSample Hakushu
- Miharashi Highland ResortSample Kobuchisawa
Go home
Kobuchisawa Station
Taxi, about 10 min. About 2 hours to Shinjuku by limited express.
Tips
This route includes whisky, so travel by train and taxi rather than car.
Distillery tours need a booking. Book early.
Days and bookings
Closed days. Sawaoto Distillery (sample): Tuesdays and Wednesdays (open on holidays), New Year holidays. Sawaoto Distillery (sample) needs a booking. Go Thu–Mon.
Approximate cost
From about ¥6,300 per person (for two people)
- Entry, food and activities (per person)
- About ¥2,000
- Local transport (per car)
- Taxi, booked leg by leg: about ¥8,500
- Train from Tokyo (per person, return)
- Limited express Azusa, about ¥11,000 (not included)
Estimates only. Excludes accommodation and travel from Tokyo. Getting around locally
Guides and drivers
We can arrange a guide or a chartered taxi.