Gifu Ukai (cormorant fishing) watching on board and Gifu castle SS 6-hour trip with English speaking guide for 1-3 guests (UKAI-01)

Gifu Ukai (cormorant fishing) watching on board and Gifu castle SS 6-hour trip with English speaking guide for 1-3 guests (UKAI-01)
[Until 15 October,2024]

Ukai’ is an over 1300 year-old fishing method that uses trained birds called cormorants ("U" in Japanese) to catch fish from rivers.

In ancient times, ukai was enjoyed by nobility, including warlords and the Imperial Family. Today, on summer nights, ukai is staged for sightseeing purposes — and as a way of preserving Japanese culture. It’s a spectacle that involves ‘usho’ (ukai masters) setting out on wooden boats with flaming lanterns hanging from them. Masters deploy cormorants on leashes to dive for sweet fish. The methods for ukai have remained unchanged since ancient times, so ukai is truly a well-preserved Japanese tradition.

Ukai is held on the Nagara River from mid-May to mid-October every year. The famous historical figures such as the warlord Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the famed poet Matsuo Basho, and the king of comedy Charlie Chaplin admired this Ukai.

Gifu’s ukai is still receives the Imperial Household Agency’s patronage to this day. Sweet fish caught during ukai season are delivered to the Imperial Family.

More details about Ukai, refer to "Visit Gifu official site" from here.

This tour includes Ukai watching on the boat (with dinner box bento) and famous Gifu castle and Gifu big Buddha statue sightseeing. This tour is for individuals pax (1-3pax) due to the difficulty of purchasing Ukai tickets.

If the number of your group is 4 or more, please ask us.

[Itinerary]

15:00              Meet our guide at JR Gifu station (Guide drives you to sightseeing spots by a compact car)
15:20-15:50   Gifu big Buddha statue (in Shohoji temple)
16:15-17:30    Gif castle (using ropeway)
17:45-               Ukai explanation by Ukai master (guide will translate)
18:45-              Time to on board and take dinner box bento on the boat. (with a guide)
19:45-20:30    Ukai watching on board. (without a guide during the Ukai watching)
20:45               Return to the shore (meet our guide again)
21.00               Guide will drive you to JR Gifu station by a compact car (tour terminates at the station)

 

Price of this tour
-Basic price for one group: 56,500 yen per/group including English-speaking guide, fuel, highway tolls, parking fees, and tax.
-Additional price for individual: 9,600 yen per/person including dinner box bento, admission ticket for Ukai, entrance fee for Gifu castle, ropeway, big Buddha statue.
[For example, if your group is 3 pax/ the total price is 56,500+(9,600x3)=85,300 Japanese yen]
This tour service start/terminate at JR Gifu station.

If you need special arrangements, please ask us.

For the list of other tours in Chubu(Central) region, please refer to here.

If you are interested in this tour, please ask the availability at first from the link below. Ukai season is from 11 May to 15 Oct.

[In this trip, you can.....]
: Watch and feel the Japanese traditional cormorant fishing [Ukai].
: Visit famous sightseeing spots in Gifu as like Gifu castle (using the ropeway) and big Buddha statue in Shohoji.
: Include dinner bento box. Enjoy Japanese cuisine on the boat before starting Ukai.
: A driver drives you between JR Gifu station and sightseeing spots by a compact car.

Note- There are some days that we can't purchase the tickets, due to Ukai's popularity.
Ukai may be cancelled by typhoon, terrible rain, strong wind and so on. In this case, we will reimburse to you.
This tour is for individuals pax (1-3pax) due to the difficulty of purchasing Ukai tickets.
If the number of your group is more than 3 or you have any questions, please feel free to ask us.

Mode of payment

Payment can be made by online credit card payment system. We accept VISA/MASTER/AMEX/JCB. Customer may pay the part of amount as a deposit to secure the reservation. Basically, customers are requested to pay all amount prior to the day of the tour.

Customize tour for you

Above itinerary and price are just an example. You can customize your tour for your particular needs and interests. Please tell us your needs and interests. We can provide you with a customized itinerary and quotation.

Operators

Fun Lead International Co., Ltd. (travel agency registered in Gifu Prefecture)