Niigata Sip & Savor Sake Tour 2025
Niigata, Sado Island, Nikko, Kinugawa Onsen, and Tokyo!
Journey to discover the Heart of Sake
Get a deep dive into this tour with our new blog post!
Do you LOVE sake? Want to combine extraordinary sake sampling with gorgeous natural scenery and exquisite hot springs? Our new-for-2025 Sip & Savor Sake Tour is for you! Journey to Niigata Prefecture, renowned as being the heart of Japan’s sake industry, and enjoy SIX different sake tasting experiences. You’ll experience the breadth of subtle flavors created by each regional brewer, plus eat your fill of exquisite seasonal cuisine to perfectly match that day’s sake samples. Plus, you’ll even get to have lunch with real geisha in Niigata, known locally as geigi, and watch them perform traditional shamisen and dance numbers, a truly rare opportunity sure to become a treasured memory.
If you’re in the Niigata area then you can’t miss out on a visit to remote, stunning Sado Island. Difficult to get around on your own, our tour will allow you to explore this magnificent destination and discover how ancient fishermen used to practice, including sightseeing around the Shukunegi fishing village and trying out a tarai-bune tub boat ride in the harbor.
A Sado Island visit wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Sado Kinzan Gold Mines, including a gold panning hands-on experience. You’ll also try taiko drumming, a tradition practiced all over Japan, but made completely unique on Sado Island, where oni (demon) masks are donned to dance with the beat of the drums.
A central highlight of this tour is the “Sake no Jin” Sake Fair, held annually since 2004. Originally conceived to be an Oktoberfest-style event for sake lovers, it takes place over two days in March and features over 100 local producers with samples galore, plus sake-related presentations and educational activities. If you love sake this event is not to be missed!
Uncover the world of Japanese sake, soak away your stress in soothing hot springs, or just stroll around and browse for fascinating omiyage gifts. Journey to discover the Heart of Sake with our Sip & Savor Sake Tour this March!
Destination Highlights
Niigata City – “Sake no Jin” Sake Festival – Fukushimagata Lagoon – Sado Island – World Heritage site “Nikko Toshogu” Shrine – Kinugawa Onsen – Tokyo – and more!
Tour Includes
9 nights fantastic accommodations – 25 premium meals – Onsen (Hot Springs) – WiFi router – HNL Airport Lounge – Unique activities & experiences – and much more!
Price
Full Package $4,990 (Adult) / Land Package $4,090 (Adult)
Niigata Sip & Savor Sake Tour 2025
Tour Details
9 NIGHTS / 10 DAYS IN JAPAN
For an in-depth look at the many activities and destinations you’ll visit, please see our itinerary here (PDF file): Sip & Savor Sake Tour Itinerary
Short on time? Check out the schedule summary below!
Itinerary Summary
| Day | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 06-MAR | HNL Airport departure on Japan Airlines (nonstop flight) |
| 2 | 07-MAR | Arrive in Tokyo (HND), light dinner, rest at hotel |
| 3 | 08-MAR | Shinkansen (bullet train) to Niigata City, Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery tour + tasting, Niigata dinner and sightseeing |
| 4 | 09-MAR | Fukushimagata Lagoon Nature Park, Special lunch with geisha performance, “Sake no Jin” Sake Fair – taste from over 100 local sake producers! |
| 5 | 10-MAR | Shopping at Pier Bandai (omiyage), Zoshunkaku Guest House Museum, Suwa Shrine visit, Gokaibishi Ouman Sake Brewery tour + tasting, Ponshukan Sake Museum |
| 6 | 11-MAR | Jetfoil boat ride from Niigata to stunning Sado Island, Toki no Mori Crested Ibis Sanctuary, Obata Sake Brewery tour + tasting, Nishi-Mikawa Gold Park and gold panning experience, hot springs! |
| 7 | 12-MAR | Sado Island “tarai-bune” traditional tub boat ride experience, Shukunegi Fishing Village, unique “demon taiko” drumming experience, historical Sado Gold Mine, hot springs! |
| 8 | 13-MAR | Jetfoil from Sado Island back to Niigata, strawberry picking at local farm, head to Kinugawa Onsen in Tochigi Prefecture, hot springs! |
| 9 | 14-MAR | Nikko Toshogu Shrine (UNESCO World Heritage site), Watanabe Sahei Sake Brewery tour + tasting, Nikko wood carving hands-on experience, hot springs! |
| 10 | 15-MAR | Head to Tokyo, “yakatabune” lunch cruise on the Sumida River, free evening in Tokyo at your own pace |
| 11 | 16-MAR | Free morning and afternoon to explore Tokyo (hotel room available all day until departure), meet bus in early evening, head to Haneda Airport, depart for HNL on nonstop flight with JAL |
