Scenic Hiking Tour with Footbath, and Refreshments or Kaiseki Lunch in Minoh, Osaka
Overview
Hike the mountains of Minoh Park and take in the region’s rich nature, culture, and history. Your guides will lead you to various scenic spots, including an observation deck. Finish off your beginner-friendly hike with a footbath overlooking the Minoh River, then enjoy tea or local beer and sweets at the ryokan Otowa Sanso, and a kaiseki lunch if you wish.
Highlights
- An easy hiking tour suitable for beginners
- Rest at the tranquil Otowa Sanso after your hike, where you can soak your feet in a footbath and enjoy refreshments
- Enjoy spectacular views from the observatory and the mountains of Minoh Park
- Choose from freshly roasted hojicha tea, two kinds of tea pairings, or Minoh local beer etc
Key Information
Important Information
• Participants must be aged 80 or younger • The number of guides will depend on your group size, but there will always be a minimum of 2 guides • The hiking course may change, or the tour may be canceled in case of inclement weather • The tour will be canceled if the weather forecast broadcasted by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) at around 06:55 on the day of the tour indicates that the probability of rain is 60% or higher, or the maximum temperature is 35℃ or higher • The minimum number of participants for this experience is 2, and the maximum is 8. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the tour will be canceled • The tour will automatically be canceled if participants are more than 30 minutes late • When your reservation is being confirmed, we will ask for the lead guest to fill out a registration form • The guide in charge will contact the lead guest in advance. Please confirm directly with the guide if the hike will be held on the day • If the hike is canceled, the footbath and teahouse experience will also be canceled • Please let us know the names and phone numbers of everyone in your group before you leave for the hike so that we can contact you in case of an accident during the hike • The guided hike is free of charge; the fee you pay is for insurance, refreshments at Otowa Sanso, and the use of the inn’s footbath • Lunch reservations cannot be made on the spot; please book the kaiseki lunch add-on in advance if you wish to enjoy lunch at Otowa Sanso after your hike • Note that lunch reservations may not be guaranteed. If the restaurant is fully booked on your selected tour date, we will inform you in advance and reschedule or cancel your add-on booking • Guests with children aged 13 or younger will be served lunch in a private room in Otowa Sanso. Usage of the private room carries a surcharge of 10% of your total lunch bill (including additional orders, if any); please pay the surcharge on-site • For hygiene and safety reasons, you may not be able to participate in some of the tour contents depending on your health condition on the day; we will check your health condition on the day of the tour
Description
On this easy hiking tour, volunteer guides will lead you through Minoh Park (Meiji-no-Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park) on the outskirts of Minoh City, an area with rich nature located just a 30-minute train ride away from central Osaka. During the tour, you’ll hike the mountains of Minoh Park and stop by various spots with spectacular scenery, including an observation deck. At the end of the tour, you’ll return to Takimichi, Minoh Park’s popular main paved trail, and conclude your hike in front of Otowa Sanso, an elegant, tranquil inn from the Taisho era (1912–26) nestled within the maple forest of Minoh Park. At Otowa Sanso, you’ll get to use its footbath and tea lounge overlooking the Minoh River, usually reserved for guests only. After a dip in the footbath to soak away the aches of the day, enjoy some refreshments, which include freshly roasted hojicha tea or Minoh’s local beer, as well as sweets to accompany your drink. You’ll get to try a unique Minoh Park specialty, momiji tempura (crispy, deep-fried maple leaves). You can also enjoy a kaiseki lunch at Otowa Sanso if you wish; please choose the add-on before checkout. If you’ve booked the kaiseki lunch add-on, your drink and sweets will be served during the lunch. After the end of the experience, we recommend continuing to explore Minoh Park — walk along Takimichi and grab a bite from its many tempura shops, or hike further to the Otaki waterfall, one of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls.