Embrace Nature Through Hiking, Tea Ceremony, and Zen Meditation in Kobe

【OUTLINE】 

Hike Mt. Rokko with a National Licensed Guide Interpreter, who is also a tea ceremony instructor. The walk includes visits to Buddhist temples and a waterfall. The highlights of the tour are a Zen meditation and tea ceremony experience in nature. You will learn the Japanese traditional philosophy of being one with nature throughout the tour. 

【HIGHLIGHTS】 

• Enjoy 5 hours of hiking up Mt. Rokko, one of the most famous mountains in Japan, located close to Kyoto and Osaka.
• Stop at local gems: unexplored temples and a representative waterfall in Kobe.
• Experience Zen meditation and tea ceremony! You will feel the Japanese traditional philosophy of being one with nature.
• A tea ceremony master, who is also a National Licensed Guide Interpreter, will guide you.
• You will have an unforgettable, off-the-beaten-track experience in Japan that few others have the chance to enjoy.
  

【SCHEDULE】

Meet up at Shin-Kobe Station → Get lunch → Hiking → Have lunch → Zen meditation and tea ceremony experience → Wrap up at Shin-Kobe Station

【DETAILS】

Meet up at Shin-Kobe Station at 10 a.m. We start our walking tour after we get onigiri/sandwiches for lunch!

On our way to reach our destination, Tairyu-ji Temple, we will stop by at Tokko-in Temple or Nunobiki Waterfall. After we visit Tairyu-ji Temple, we will have a picnic lunch at a resting spot with the roof.

After lunch, you will enjoy Zen meditation and a mindful tea ceremony in the middle of nature.

On the way back, we will take a different route.

Notes: We may take the same route in the following cases:
- if it is rainy and it is hard to walk on the trail.
- if there is a guest wearing shoes not suitable for walking in the mountain.
- if there is a guest who finds the walk challenging.
In the case of the above, we will stop by at either Tokko-in Temple or Nunobiki Waterfall, whichever we did not visit on our way up. 
*Walking distance: 8 km, Elevation: 340 m, Total ascent: 590 m

<Highlight: Tairyu-ji Temple＞
Established in 768 and deeply associated with significant figures in Japanese history and culture.
You can enjoy the beauty of native forests around the temple.

【THINGS TO NOTE】 

• Time：5 hours
• Meeting point：In front of the ticket gate of Shinkansen at JR Shin-Kobe Station
  1-3-1 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe, Hyogo 650-0001
  
• Access：
  ●Shinkansen
  Approx. 30 minutes from Kyoto station/ Approx. 10 minutes from Shin-Osaka station
  ●Train
  Approx. 3 minutes from JR Sannomiya Station on Kobe City Subway
  ●Taxi
  Approx. 10 minutes from JR Sannomiya Station
  
• Language support：English
  
• Included：Tour guide fee, Tea ceremony fee
  
• Excluded：Lunch
• Items to bring：Comfortable shoes for walking/ hiking
• Participation requirements：Please note that Mt. Rokko is a mountain, not a hill, and you are going to walk on a trail. (Walking distance: 8 km, Elevation: 340 m, Total ascent: 590 m)
• Free Wi-Fi：×
• Toilet：Available（Western style）
• Other things to note：
  ・Travel insurance is not included in this tour; please arrange it yourself.
  

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

7 to 4 days before the tour date: 40% of the tour price will be charged
3 to 2 days before the tour date: 60% of the tour price will be charged
The day before the tour date, on the day of the tour: 100% of the tour price will be charged