Iya Valley in 1 Day: Private Car & Driver, No Guide
- 6 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Instant confirmation
- Private tour
Highlights
For a more efficient way to explore Iya Valley, take a private taxi on a one-day tour! To start your day, meet your driver at your hotel near Oboke Staion. Potential stops on a six-hour tour include the Manikin Peeing Boy Statue, with stunning views of the steep surrounding mountains and turquoise Iya River; Iya Kazurabashi vine bridge, Ochiai Village, a small hamlet in the heart of Iya Valley with farm houses from the mid-Edo era; and Oku-Iya Kazurabashi double vine bridges. Note*1: The driver for this tour has a limited level of English. Your driver will communicate with you using a translation app. Please decide your itinerary or send a list of your desired sites to see 1 week before the tour date and send it directly to Japan Guide Agency. Note*2: Tour details has a possibility of change due to seasonal influence, Mt. Tsurugi and Okuiyanijukazurabashi is closed during the winter season, December to March.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private vehicle
- Customizable itinerary (4h: 2–3 sites, 6h: 3–4 sites)
- Local driver: The driver for this tour has a limited level of English.
What's not
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups
Itinerary
In the past centuries over 13 of these bridges offered passage over the Iya River, but nowadays only 3 remain. **Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridge is closed during winter season**
Visitors have a stunning view over the steep surrounding mountains and the turquoise Iya river, flowing more than 200 meters below them.
Oboke Gorge (大歩危, Ōboke) and neighboring Koboke Gorge (小歩危) a little ways downstream, are narrow, steep sided gorges near the entrance to the Iya Valley and popularly combined with a visit there. Cut by the swirling rapids of the Yoshino River, their names mean "big dangerous steps" and "small dangerous steps" as their jagged, rocky walls can be perilous to navigate. The gorges are one of the leading outdoor destinations in Japan, rivaling Minakami in Gunma Prefecture, and are known for their beautiful natural scenery and for the variety of outdoor attractions, such as whitewater rafting and canyoning, that can be enjoyed on the river.
Scarecrow Village is also known as the 'Scarecrow Village in the Sky' because of its location at an altitude of 900 metres. The villagers can be seen living a leisurely life, with people working in the fields of the village, basking in the sun under the eaves of private houses and enjoying well-wishers' meetings by the roadside. There are 27 villagers and 200 scarecrows! This is truly a 'scarecrow village'. Open all year round
*Closed during the winter season (December to March) Last stop of the day will be the double vine bridges of Oku-Iya Kazurabashi. These two vine bridges are located very close to each other and are called husband-and-wife-bridge. These bridges are definitely more of the adventurous type and should be avoided by people with fear of heights. There is also a small cable car that is operated by hand to cross over the river.
*Closed during the winter season (December to March) Mount Tsurugi is a 1955 meter high mountain that lies at the eastern end of the remote Iya Valley. The second tallest mountain on Shikoku Island, Mount Tsurugi is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains and a center of Shugendo, a Japanese folk religion based on mountain worship. Mount Tsurugi is a popular hiking destination and, despite its name which translates to Sword Mountain, far from a challenging climb. *If you want to visit Mt. Tsurugi, you have to extend the tour duration by 2 hours as it takes about one hour from Iya Valley to Mt. Tsurugi.
A small hamlet in the heart of Iya Valley with a collection of historical farm houses dating back to the mid-Edo era. Perched on a mountain side visitors can get an insight on the rural lifestyle and traditions that have been kept alive until the present day.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 522
- 42
- 31
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 25 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Top shelf tour!
We had Hero as our driver and he was amazing! Best tour we ever had. Very informative and helpful. The sites were breathtaking. Highly recommend!
5Great serive and an Amazing driver
I cannot praise both the tour operators and my driver, Mr Higashi enough. When there was a system glitch, the team was quick to respond and help. Mr Higashi was a fantastic navigator being incredibly steady on narrow roads making the drive feel completely effortless. He also shared where he could great local insights along the way. Thank you for the wonderful trip!
5Great tour experience
We had a fantastic experience on this tour in Japan. Our guide was excellent—very kind, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. He explained everything clearly and made the whole trip even more enjoyable. We visited beautiful places and everything was perfectly organized. We 100% recommend this tour!
5Excellent experience in Ina valley.
It was a wonderful experience. Mr. Hirai, who was our tour guide and was very knowledgeable and he knew what we wanted.
3Trip in Iya Valley
First of all I have to say that I would give 5 stars to my driver Mr.Higashi, a wonderful and kind person who showed me even more than what I expected to see in the incredible Valley. BUT. I booked a tour with a English speaking driver, and I didn't get it. Also, the provided device for translating wasn't really working, Mr.Higashi himself gave up some time in using it, so the communication became hard and not really functional. In the end of it, with a little bit of japanese, with a lot of Google translate, and especially thanks to Mr.Higashi's patience, the tour was really worthy! But I can't give 5 star at the whole experience.
5Experience the Iya Valley without renting a car!
If you want to see the highlights of the Iya Valley and do not have a car, you cannot beat this experience. Our guide Yuki was very knowledgeable, professional, and a great driver. She picked us up at our hotel, discussed what sights we wanted to see, then planned the ideal route. We were able to see everything on our list, including visiting the double vine bridge in late afternoon when there were almost no other tourists. This was an amazing experience and we'd recommend it to anyone looking to explore the Iya Valley.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is included for everyone.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Japan Guide Agency
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Miyoshi
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 5 experiences we list in Miyoshi.
- By number of reviews it ranks 2 of 5.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Miyoshi
Miyoshi is a mountain city in western Tokushima on Shikoku, gateway to the Iya Valley, its vine bridges and the rafting gorges of the Yoshino River.
Miyoshi occupies the mountainous western edge of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, where the Yoshino River cuts steep gorges through the interior. Awa Ikeda, the town on the river, is the main centre, and from it narrow roads climb into the Iya Valley, a deep, forested valley of hillside hamlets that long stayed remote.
Top-ranked sights in Miyoshi: Kazurabashi Bridge.
