Yama Yoga
+ Deep Iya Tour
Find your center in the heart of Iya
Are you interested in having a personalized yoga lesson with an awesome view from a secluded Iya kominka farmhouse? Well, one of our top English speaking guides is also Iya's skilled yoga teacher, and she will take you to either her exclusive "Yama Shala" yoga hideaway for a private indoor lesson, or out to a stunning viewpoint in the center of Historic Ochiai Village for an outdoor lesson (weather permitting).
The yoga lesson takes about 70 to 80 minutes, then afterwards you will have some herbal tea you can help pick fresh from the garden.
After the lesson you go to a local restaurant which offers a range of meals (including delicious vegetarian sets) or you can go to a hand-made soba noodle restaurant. Next you'll go for an in-depth walk upon the ancient paths of Ochiai Village where you'll also go into a historic thatched roof farmhouse, as well as through the famed Scarecrow Village, out to the tranquil Double Vine Bridges, and to various viewpoints including Manpu Gorge and its awesome footbridge.
You can also see some more info at the Yama Yoga website.
Base Time:
7 hours
Price:
Standard Taxi (1-3* people) ¥ 60,900
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Jumbo Taxi (3-4 people) ¥ 79,800
+ ¥600 per person Activity fee
Itinerary:
+Add On options for this tour:
The Yama Yoga Tour goes to some of the best spots deeper in the valley, but we can Add On some additional points to this tour to make it even more special, or you can even opt to have your yoga lesson on Mt Tsurugi!
Rates for every 30 minutes of extension:
Standard Taxi with guide + ¥4350
Jumbo Taxi with guide + ¥5700
*these extension fees are per group, not per person.
+ Please contact about any additional time
At the farthest end of the valley is a mountain pass that is also the base for Mt Tsurugi. From here a chairlift goes half-way up the mountain to 1750m where there is an awesome space for doing yoga at the campground here with views looking down into the Iya Valley.
- Yoga here possible May to the beginning of November
- Round trip tickets ¥1900 per person (please pay your guide's ticket if interested in doing yoga here).
+ Add 30 minutes of taxi & guide time.
The lower quarter of the valley is this beautiful undeveloped gorge, and through here the original cliff-hugging road into Iya was built about 100 years ago. Viewpoint stops here include the panoramic Hi-no-Ji Bend and the sublime Peeing Boy Statue which is perched 200 meters above the river.
+ Add 30 minutes taxi & guide time.
This small but very well curated museum is full of interesting artifacts regarding Iya life, customs, and its legends connected to ancient samurai and the former Emperor of Japan.
- Tickets ¥410 per person, children discounted.
- Closed on weekends in winter.
+Add 60 (or 90) minutes of taxi & guide time
Convenient for those traveling to/from Oboke Station and/or hotels in the Oboke area, this tranquil boat cruise goes through the center of Oboke Gorge, with fantastic up-close views of the beauiful rock formations.
- Boat tickets are ¥1500 per person (please pay for your guide's ticket).
- 9am - 5pm (last boat 4:30)
- If both starting and ending your tour from accommodations in the Iya Valley, then including the boat cruise will add 90 minutes of taxi & guide time.
+ Add 60 minutes of taxi only time**
For a bit of natural relaxtion, choose to include one of the valley's soothing hotspring (onsen) as a final stop on your tour, where you are sure to tranquilly forget about all of your life's troubles.
- Entry fees range from ¥1000 to ¥1700 per person depending on onsen location, children discounted
**Having a guide is not necessary if bath is taken at the end of the tour, so the fee would be for 60 min. extra taxi time only ( +¥4900 / 60 min standard taxi, +¥7500 / 60 min jumbo taxi)
Other One Day Guided Tours
To help with your planning and to know what to expect, please see our page about
Iya Valley Tours
Discover the Wonders of Our Hidden Home
For Travel Agents, please see here