Japan Walking and Culinary Tour

SET took us to parts of Japan that would not be on most itineraries.
Highlights were hiking up a river valley in the Japanese Alps with snow topped mountains and clear mountain streams. Then walking parts of the Nakasendo Trail along ancient routes through lush green forests, small traditional wooden villages and rice paddy farmlands.
Staying in traditional inns, houses and Buddhist monastery in the countryside through the tour and finishing the day wrapped in a cotton yukata and a warming onsen bath was delicious.
The culinary side allowed us to feast on multicourse Japanese meals, experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of various fish and food markets, search out some amazing small bars and restaurants and partake in ancient Japanese culinary rituals.

What a fantastic, fun trip. A huge thanks goes to the wonderful, enthusiastic Japanese guide Ryoko and SET’s marvellous tour leader Silvana.

Totally fabulous trip to Japan. Two very experienced guides – Silvana from SET and Ryoko the local guide based in Japan. Thanks to both of them everything went totally to plan. Not a train missed even though on a couple of occasions we caught three back to back. Ryoko is slick when it comes to organisation and even the busiest of days were paced so we got maximum enjoyment from the experience. Japan itself was just beautiful and turned on great weather for us, particularly the days we were tramping. The Japanese Inns were a great experience, one not to miss. Overall just loved the experience that SET provided. Thank you Silvana and Ryoko. First class 🙂

Have just completed the Japan Walking and Culinary SET trip and had a wonderful time. The combination of food and walking is great. Even in urban areas we walked a lot, so no worries about the waistline. Rural and wilderness sights are worth the effort. Congratulations to Silvana and Ryoko for their organisation of this trip.

The trekking of the ancient Nakasendo Trail was a real highlight and it was great to get off the regular tourist route and experience the beauty of natural Japan. Spring is a perfect time with all the new growth and wild flowers. The colour was extraordinary!
The food was both a visual and taste sensation.
Our guides Silvana and Ryoko were fantastic and gave us some great experiences. Also good to experience the different accommodations and stay with local people in their homes.
If you’re thinking about it, just do it!