- Days
- 8
- Participants
- 15 to 60 participants
- Cities
- Tokyo · Hakuba · Kyoto · Okinawa
Objectives
- Give top performers an exceptional trip that would be hard to recreate on their own
- Show Japan's diversity in one week: city, mountains, culture and islands
- Pace the stay with shared highlights and time to rest
- Close the sales year with a seaside awards ceremony
Participant profile
President's club, annual winners of a sales network and regional top performers, often traveling with a partner. Guests do not need to ski: the Hakuba day also offers snowshoeing, onsen and spa.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1
Day 1 — Arrival in Tokyo
- Meet-and-greet at Haneda, transfer to Palace Hotel Tokyo facing the Imperial Palace gardens (about 30 to 40 min)
- 4:00 pm — Check-in, travel booklet and winter packing list: what to bring for the snow and for Okinawa
- 7:00 pm — Welcome dinner in Azabudai Hills, the group split between Sushi Azabu (counter omakase) and Ochiairo Steakhouse Tokyo (teppan wagyu), then a shared drink at The Lovers' Lounge
Imperial Palace - 2
Day 2
Day 2 — Tokyo, the sword and Ginza
- 9:30 am — Sword initiation with a master: etiquette, stances and, for volunteers, cutting a rolled rice-straw target
- 12:30 pm — Lunch in Marunouchi, then a choice of afternoons: Ginza and its department stores, Meiji Jingu, or the hotel spa
- 5:00 pm — Main suitcases leave by courier for Hakuba; guests keep an overnight bag
- 7:00 pm — Teppanyaki dinner in the private rooms of Ginza Ukai-tei, Art Nouveau interior and wagyu cooked in front of each table
Ginza - 3
Day 3
Day 3 — Shinkansen to the Japanese Alps
- 8:30 am — Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano (about 1 hour 20 minutes), reserved car for the group
- 10:15 am — Private coach from Nagano to Hakuba Norikura (about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 depending on snow, snow tires and drivers used to mountain roads)
- 12:00 pm — Check-in at The Alps Hotel Hakuba, reopening on 15 December 2026 after renovation, at the foot of the slopes; lunch
- 2:00 pm — Fitting of rental ski gear and lift passes, or a first snowshoe outing in the beech forest with a guide
- 5:00 pm — Natural onsen, heated outdoor pool and sauna
- 7:00 pm — Dinner at the hotel, tasting of sake from Nagano breweries
三日目 · Hakuba - 4
Day 4
Day 4 — Snow day in Hakuba
- 9:00 am — Ski or snowboard lessons by level with English-speaking instructors, ski-out from the hotel; advanced skiers go with a guide to the neighboring resorts of the Hakuba valley
- For non-skiers: snowshoe hike, a visit to Hakuba village and its 1998 Olympic ski jump, or a spa day
- 12:30 pm — Lunch at the hotel or, for skiers out in the valley, at the summit of Hakuba Iwatake, at Hakuba Deli (Sky Ark building) and on the Hakuba Mountain Harbor terrace facing the Northern Alps
- 4:00 pm — Return, onsen, free time
- 7:00 pm — Fireside dinner, first part of the awards in an informal format
Japanese Alps - 5
Day 5
Day 5 — From the Alps to Kyoto
- 8:30 am — Coach from Hakuba to Nagano (about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30), luggage loaded in the hold
- 10:15 am — Hokuriku Shinkansen from Nagano to Tsuruga (about 2 hours), bento on board
- 12:30 pm — Change at Tsuruga to the Thunderbird limited express to Kyoto (about 55 min), with porters for luggage during the transfer
- 2:00 pm — Arrival in Kyoto, check-in at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, around the 800-year-old Shakusui-en garden
- Free afternoon: spa, walk to nearby Sanjūsangen-dō
- 7:00 pm — Kappo dinner in sub-groups at the counter of two-Michelin-star Kikunoi Roan and other counters of the same level in Kiyamachi
Kyoto garden - 6
Day 6
Day 6 — Kyoto, tea ceremony and evening with maiko
- 7:30 am — Early visit to Fushimi Inari shrine with a guide, before the crowds arrive
- 10:30 am — Private tea ceremony in a temple tea pavilion, led by a master, in groups of 20
- 12:30 pm — Buddhist vegetarian (shōjin ryōri) lunch in a temple
- Free afternoon: Gion, artisan workshops, shopping in Kawaramachi
- 7:00 pm — Dinner with maiko and geiko at The Sodoh Higashiyama, at the foot of the Yasaka pagoda: dance, ozashiki games and conversation with an interpreter
六日目 · Yasaka Pagoda - 7
Day 7
Day 7 — Flight to Okinawa and seaside gala
- 7:45 am — Check-out and coach to Itami Airport (about 50 to 60 min), group check-in
- 10:00 am — Domestic flight Itami–Naha (about 2 hours); Kansai Airport, 80 min from Kyoto, is the fallback depending on schedules
- 12:30 pm — Coach from Naha to Onna via the Okinawa Expressway (about 60 to 75 min), light lunch on the way
- 2:30 pm — Check-in at Halekulani Okinawa on the Onna coast; free afternoon at the spa, by the pools or on the beach (about 20 °C in winter, not ideal for swimming)
- 6:00 pm — Sunset cocktail on the Hau Terrace
- 7:00 pm — Gala dinner and the year's main awards, taiko opening, backup room reserved in case of wind
Okinawa sea - 8
Day 8
Day 8 — Free morning and departure
- Free morning at the resort, or from January to March, a humpback whale-watching trip from the west coast (about 3 hours, weather permitting)
- 12:00 pm — Check-out and transfer to Naha Airport (about 75 min), with a buffer for traffic
- Flights to Haneda (about 2 hours 30 minutes) or Kansai for international connections, or a direct flight from Naha to selected Asian cities
Okinawa
Budget
From €9,600 per person, excluding international flights
Indicative rate based on 30 participants in double rooms, 7 nights in 5-star hotels and a resort (2 in Tokyo, 2 in Hakuba, 2 in Kyoto, 1 in Okinawa). Included: reserved Shinkansen and limited express seats, coaches with snow equipment, Itami–Naha domestic flight in economy, luggage shipping, ski passes and rental, lessons, meals as per program, maiko evening, gala, guides and staff. Not included: international flights, ski insurance, drinks beyond packages, extras. As The Alps Hotel Hakuba reopens on 15 December 2026, the winter program runs from mid-December to March; New Year and Chinese New Year are the most expensive periods. A summer version (hiking in Hakuba) is possible, allowing for Okinawa's typhoon season from August to October.
Quick estimate
1560
€384,000
i.e. €9,600 per person, excluding flights
Indicative estimate based on the per-person rate shown for this programme. The exact quote follows your brief.
Frequently asked questions
How is luggage handled across four regions?
Suitcases go by courier from Tokyo to Hakuba the day before departure, then travel in the coach hold and with porters to Kyoto. From Kyoto to Okinawa, they are checked onto the domestic flight. Guests keep a small bag for the train journeys.
Do guests need to ski?
No. Beginners take lessons by level, and non-skiers can choose snowshoeing, a village visit, onsen and spa. On average, a third to half of an incentive group does not ski.
Why go via Tsuruga between Hakuba and Kyoto?
Since the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended to Tsuruga, it is the most reliable winter route: about 5 hours door to door with a single change. The direct coach road takes as long and depends more on the snow.
Is Okinawa worth it in winter?
Yes, for a gala and a quiet end to the trip: it is about 18 to 22 °C, resorts are less busy and humpback whales can be seen from January to March. Sea swimming, however, only becomes pleasant from April.
Can the Okinawa stay be extended?
Yes, a second night at Halekulani Okinawa makes it a 9-day program and allows a day in the north of the island, with Churaumi Aquarium about an hour from the resort. We recommend this variant when international flights leave Tokyo in the evening.
