If you're ready to ride the deepest powder, join us for the ultimate Women's Snowboarding Tour in Japan
Experience riding the snowiest major resorts on the planet surrounded by a group of like-minded women with a highly qualified Japow guide leading the way. You’ll spend the week exploring the Niseko United Resorts plus the nearby powder-magnets; Rusutsu, Kiroro and Sapporo Kokusai. The focus of this tour is riding powder, so this tour is best suited to snowboarders who are comfortable riding off-piste and in variable conditions. Your guide is one of the most experienced and qualified professionals in the industry and is on-hand to provide you with tips and feedback to improve your freeriding. We will also conduct safety sessions so you can fine-tune your use of avalanche safety equipment, and gain knowledge on travelling safely in backcountry terrain. Our small groups allow greater manoeuvrability and ease of access to the best experiences a destination can offer. Spend your days floating surfy turns through the deep powder and your afternoons and evenings visiting the regions most authentic onsen and our favourite locally owned restaurants. To enhance the experience, you’ll stay in a luxe 4-star hotel that’s near Hirafu’s famous shopping dining & drinking spots and you’ll have private transport on-hand for the entire tour.
Dates
Register your interest for winter 2024
Guest to Guide Ratio
6 guests : 1 guide
Price
Register your interest for winter 2024
Tour Type
Freeride - Off-piste, powder and trees
Why Travel With Mint
In a rapidly changing travel industry it’s important to know that your travel provider is accredited, accountable and responsible. We are a registered member of AFTA and IATA and conduct business in accordance with the ATAS Charter and Code of Conduct. When you travel with Mint you can have peace of mind that you are booking with a qualified and established travel operator with over 20 years of expertise. And as a full-service travel agent, we are able to take care of your flights, insurance, stopovers and pre or post tour arrangements.
RESORTS & INFO
Get in touch for a detailed tour itinerary and more info
NISEKO
Niseko needs little introduction, with its colossal amounts of snowfall and legendary freeriding, the resort has something for everyone. The four ski resorts in Niseko are accessible with a single ‘All mountain’ pass giving you access to kilometres of groomed runs and in-bounds tree riding options. However, if you’re looking to get into the waist deep stuff and the conditions are right, there are plenty of backcountry options right across the mountain. Apart from Niseko itself there are plenty of smaller resorts surrounding this area which share in the colossal snow storms and are home to some great terrain and quieter (or non existent) lift lines.
RUSUTSU
Rusutsu is just a 40 minute drive from Niseko and is one of our favourite places to ski and snowboard in Hokkaido for a number of reasons. Rusutsu scores huge quantities of the light, dry, fluffy stuff that Hokkaido is renowned for; it has some of the best fall line tree riding in Japan that is accessed straight off the lifts with minimal traversing; it’s perfectly manicured groomers are ideal for any level of rider; it gets minimal crowds in comparison to the nearby resorts and to top it all off it has a kooky amusement park complete with rollercoaster’s and carousel, weird but cool.
KIRORO
If you’re in search of uncrowded terrain and epic powder days (who isn’t?) then a day trip to Kiroro will blow your mind. With up to 18 metres of light, dry, famous Hokkaido powder snow each season, freshies are easily come by (and still enjoyed late into the afternoon). Perfect for intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders, a third of the slopes are rated as black runs, and being spread across two mountain peaks so there are countless opportunities to pick your line. Being a well established ski resort, Kiroro boasts an incredibly maintained lift infrastructure, meaning you’re bound to find your favourite tree-run to lap in no time.
OTARU
The city of Otaru is situated just a 45 minute drive from Niseko and this rugged coastline is surrounded by mountain ranges. We access three resorts from the port town of Otaru, Sapporo Kokusai, Teine and Otaru Tenguyama. Being located close to the ocean means these resorts receive the full brunt of the Hokkaido storms. The terrain here has some steep trees as well as nice long piste runs and rarely any crowds on weekdays.
SMALL GROUPS
We offer one of the smallest client to guide ratio’s in the industry which ultimately leads to a better experience for everyone. Our small groups allow greater manoeuvrability and ease of access to the best areas a destination can offer. When we are on mountain, our guest to guide ratio is maximum 6 people per guide. This also makes for a more personal experience between our guests and guides.
LUXE ACCOMMODATION
You'll stay in modern 4-star luxury at the Chatrium in Niseko. Located in the heart of Hirafu and only 600m from the ski slopes. Your room has floor-to-ceiling windows with mountain views, kitchenette and ensuite. The hotel offers a bar, cafe and restaurant, concierge services, a cosy lounge with a fireplace, Rhythm Niseko shop, boot dryers, equipment storage, complimentary laundry, Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, 24 hour fitness centre.
TOUR DETAILS
YOUR TOUR INCLUDES
✔ 4 Star Accommodation
For 6 nights you will stay at the Chatrium Niseko Hotel. All guests will stay in a twin share studio room. Solo travellers will be paired with another guest to share a room with. Rooms feature 2 comfortable single beds with high quality linen and duvets, plenty of room for your equipment, ensuite bathroom, kitchenette, free WIFI and thoughtful touches like bathroom toiletries. The hotel facilities include a convenient 24 hour Market for snacks and goodies, a Fitness Centre, an International ATM, a private locker to store your gear, a boot drying room and laundry.
✔ Daily Resort & Backcountry Guiding
5 days of resort and backcountry guiding are included on this tour. You’ll spend the week exploring the Niseko United Resorts plus the nearby powder-magnets; Rusutsu, Kiroro and Sapporo Kokusai with our professional and qualified backcountry guides.
✔ Freeride Tips
Throughout the trip you’ll have a qualified guide on hand who is always happy to pass on their knowledge and experience with you to help you up-skill.
✔ Backcountry Safety Skills Training
Throughout the week we will conduct backcountry safety skills sessions which will help snowboarders become familiar with the equipment and techniques to safely use avalanche safety equipment. You will also develop skills that will help you to be safer in the backcountry.
✔ Private Transport Throughout the Tour
You’ll have private transport on-hand to drive you to the resort each day to make your trip as care-free as possible. No public buses or waiting. Our guide will get you to the resort each day and of course to the onsen and 7-Eleven at the end of each day.
✔ All Breakfasts
Enjoy breakfasts daily at Niseko’s famous farm-to-fork cafe, Green Farm located within the hotel.
✔ Airport Transfers
Once you arrive at Sapporo New Chitose Airport, simply jump on the bus and in no time you’ll be transported to the Niseko Welcome Centre. Here, our local operator will meet you and transfer you to the hotel. Our door-to-door transfers make the trip a breeze. On departure day, we’ll drop you back at New Chitose Airport.
✔ Fully-Escorted Tour
Our guides are not only with you all day on-snow, they are also on-hand each evening. They are always more than happy to share their experience with you on the mountain, and share a drink and some laughs at the end of the day.
All our Japan Tours are 6 nights and run from Sunday to Saturday. You’ll ride every resort mid-week to maximise your time on-snow and avoid the weekend day-trippers. If 6 nights isn’t enough, then book one of our multi-tour combo’s. Join us in Niseko, then start a new tour in a different destination the following day. Ask us about tour combo ideas.
DATES
Register your interest for winter 2024
PRO-TIP – GO PRIVATE!
Book this tour as a private departure – with your own guide and all the benefits of a Mint group tour – for any group, big or small (even just one traveller). Get in touch to discuss.
WHY TRAVEL WITH MINT?
In a rapidly changing travel industry it’s important to know that your travel provider is accredited, accountable and responsible. Mint is a registered member of AFTA and IATA and conducts business in accordance with the ATAS Charter and Code of Conduct. When you travel with Mint you can have peace of mind that you are booking with a qualified and established travel operator with over 20 years of expertise. And as a full-service travel agent, we can take care of your flights, insurance, stopovers and pre-or post tour arrangements.
WHAT IS A FREERIDE TOUR?
Our Freeride Tours offer you the best chance to ride deep, Japan powder. Our experienced guides have an in-depth knowledge of the resorts we visit, which gives you the ultimate advantage when your chasing deep, un-tracked snow. We’ll aim to ride a lot of powder, glades and trees so please be prepared to ride in deep powder for 5 days straight. Of course weather and conditions are impossible to predict so guests must be prepared to ride anything.
WHAT HAPPENS ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DAY?
Once you’ve signed up for the tour we will send you through a comprehensive guide with details about the tour including the arrival and departure day process, a map of where we meet, recommended arrival and departure times, flight options, Visa requirements and transportation information.
WHAT IF I’M TRAVELLING SOLO?
About 99% of our guests are travelling solo, so you’ll be in good company. If you are travelling solo, you will be paired with another guest to room with. The accommodation for this tour is twin share i.e. 2 beds per room. Your group will be made up mostly of solo travellers so our groups generally mix well due to a shared interest in snowsports and an eagerness to explore all that Japan has to offer.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THIS TOUR?
Each tour is different, but we know that by offering one of the smallest client to guide ratio in the industry allows you to snowboard at your preferred pace, and ultimately leads to a better experience for everyone. We have a maximum of 6 people on this tour. This ensures you get the most out of your time with us, and keeping the groups small means less time waiting and more time riding powder.
IS THIS TOUR RIGHT FOR ME?
This tour is best suited to confident intermediate to advanced snowboarders who can ride off-piste, can link turns in powder snow, can make a variety of turn shapes and can traverse and hold speed. No prior backcountry experience is required. If you’re not sure, give us a call. Weather and conditions are impossible to predict so guests must be prepared to ride anything. There are lots of glades and trees – please be prepared to ride in the trees.
WHICH RESORTS WILL WE VISIT?
We keep the tour itinerary flexible so you can ride at the best resort on the day. Each day your guide will make the decision on which resort to ride based on a number of factors including weather, snowfall, group ability and interest. You’ll spend the week exploring the Niseko United Resorts and backcountry zones plus the nearby powder-magnets; Rusutsu, Kiroro and Sapporo Kokusai.
CAN I ARRIVE EARLY OR STAY ON AFTER THE TOUR?
For most tours you can arrive earlier or stay later. We can tailor the trip to suit your travel plans. Speak with one of our tour specialists when you are booking and they will be more than happy to assist.
WHO ARE THE GUIDES?
All of our tours are guided by friendly, knowledgeable and expertly trained guides who are passionate about the mountains. Most of our guides work for us season after season. Our lead guide has over 15 years guiding experience in Niseko and the surrounding region, so it’s fair to say they know all of the secret spots.
ARE FLIGHTS INCLUDED?
No, flights are not included. If you need assistance booking flights, we can book you the best flight options for the tour, with no booking fees.
DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?
Yes. All guests on tour need to be covered be comprehensive travel insurance. Once you have booked on the tour, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance. We offer all of our tour guests discounted snow specific travel insurance.
WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I’VE BOOKED?
Once you’ve booked your spot on tour, we will send you through a booking confirmation and provide updates about the tour including the arrival and departure day process, a map of where we meet, recommended arrival and departure times, flight options, Visa requirements and transportation information. We will send out a Pre Departure Guide 30 days prior to departure. Prior to the tour commencing we will invite you to a group chat which is managed by your tour manager and guides.
HOW CAN I CHECK MY ABILITY LEVEL?
The best way to check if a tour is suited to your ability is by speaking with one of our tour specialists. They will be able to determine if the tour you have selected is a good fit for your ability, as well as suggesting other tour options.
HOW DO I GET TO NISEKO?
We’ll provide you with a guide with details on how to get to Niseko. If it’s your fist time to Japan or if you’re unsure about travel arrangements, often we can link you up with other tour guests to travel with.
HOW DO I CHECK AVAILABILITY?
Speak with one of our tour specialists. As this is a small group tour with limited availability, it’s best to get in touch early to avoid disappointment.
ARE LIFT TICKETS INCLUDED?
We don’t include lift tickets for two reasons. Firstly, for guests who hold a valid IKON Pass or EPIC Pass, these can be used at Niseko United Resorts and Rusutsu Resort which offers a significant cost saving. Secondly, we want you to be riding the best snow each day which is why we have a flexible itinerary. There is no single lift ticket that covers all the resorts we ride, and we don’t want to lock you in to pre-purchasing lift tickets so you have to ride certain resorts. You can just purchase a lift ticket on the day, wherever we may end up. This means we can travel far and wide to score you the best snow; from the major resorts, to the smaller hidden gems. Lift tickets in Japan are inexpensive and typically range from USD $30 – $85 per day.
CAN I RENT EQUIPMENT?
Yes! We can arrange rental equipment for most destinations, however we do recommend bringing your own equipment. We recommend bringing a powder board for all our Japan tours.
WHAT EQUIPMENT SHOULD I BRING?
We’ll send you a gear guide as soon as you sign up for a tour. Japan can be a cold place in winter, with temperatures typically ranging from 0 to -20. We strongly recommend that guests dress in clothing specific for traveling in backcountry areas. We recommend that guests have a good quality waterproof jacket and pants, lightweight insulated layer, merino base layers, merino gloves and waterproof gloves, goggles with low light & high light lenses, sunglasses, balaclava, beanie, and a helmet is mandatory to ride in Niseko. We recommend that all guests bring their own snowboarding equipment for the tour (board, boots, bindings & outerwear). Powder boards are recommended
WHO WILL BE ON MY TOUR?
Your group will be made up of travellers from diverse backgrounds and will be varied in age. Our groups generally mix well due to a shared interest in snowsports and an eagerness to explore all that Japan has to offer.
PRICE PER PERSON
Register your interest for winter 2024
RESERVATION AND DEPOSIT
To secure your spot on tour a 50% deposit is payable to secure your booking. The balance is due 90 days prior to tour departure.
If you would like some more information or a quote for the tour you can contact us by:
1. ONLINE
Click on ‘Enquire’ below and send us your details. Once we receive your request one of our Japan Tour Specialists will be in touch with a with a quote, availability and further details about the tour.
2. OVER THE PHONE
Call us and follow the prompts to speak to one of our Japan Tour specialists.
Within Australia (03) 5296 0314
3. EMAIL
Drop us an email and one of our Japan Tour Specialists will be in touch with a with a quote, availability and further details about the tour.