Heavenly Promenades: Tea harvesting at Gifu's Machu Picchu, Kaidan Meguri at Tanigumi-san Kegon-ji Temple
Harvest tea leaves and stroll through the lush, verdant tea fields of the Kamigare Tea Plantation in Kasuga Village, Ibigawa Town, a little-known region dubbed "Gifu's Machu Picchu". Take home tea leaves with a gentle, sweet aroma ready for brewing, as souvenirs after completing your tea plucking activity (please note that due to time constraints the tea leaves you will be bringing home are different to the ones from your harvest). Next, head to Kegon-ji Temple, a destination Japan’s oldest pilgrimage with around 1,300 years of history, and said to grant spiritual gains. Try out "kaidan meguri" (the practice of going down to the basement of the main hall of the temple to search for a lock in complete darkness) for yourself! For lunch, look forward to a delicious and wholesome meal made from Ibi medicinal herbs cultivated at the foot of Mount Ibuki from days of old and local Mino vegetables - fresh produce proudly grown in Gifu Prefecture.
Overview
- Season
- 2025/6/1~11/30 (Excluding Tues. and Wed.)
- Activity Time
- 6 hours
- Place
-
Machu Picchu in Gifu: Tea fields in the sky (example)
〒503-2502 Gifu Prefecture, Ibi District, Ibigawa Town, Kasuga Rokugo
- Detail
-
[Departure point] Gifu Station or Gifu-Hashima Station
[Destination] Gifu Station or Gifu-Hashima Station
[Meeting time] 09:50
[Number of participants] 2 to 8 people
[Detailed Schedule]
・9:50 - Meetup at Gifu Station South Exit or in front of Gifu-Hashima ticket gates
・10:00 - Departure with guide-interpreter through chartered car service
・11:00 - Tea-harvesting activity and leisure time at "Gifu's Machu Picchu" aka "Tea Plantation of the Heavens"
at Kamigare District (70 mins)
・12:30 - Lunch made from Ibigawa medicinal herbs and souvenir shopping at Ibigawa Town (60 mins)
・14:10 - Visit and walk around (kaidan meguri) Kegon-ji Temple, a destination of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage,
Japan’s oldest pilgrimage route (70 mins)
・16:30 - Arrival and dispersal at Gifu Station or Gifu-Hashima Station
* This itinerary is an example
[Reference price] From 54,100 yen per person
[Recommended points]
Stretching from the midpoint to the summit of a mount, from the innermost parts of Ibigawa Town, at the Kamigare District at an altitude of about 300 metres lies the Kamigare Tea Plantation. Journey through this course to the well-kept secret of a tea plantation, also known as "Gifu's Machu Picchu" on social media.
● Harvest your very own tea leaves at the "Tea Plantation of the Heavens", also home to a well-known variety of tea called
"Koraicha", cultivated for centuries. A rarity even in Japan, delight in the flavor of this prized tea variety, depending on the
timing of your visit.
● After your visit to Gifu's Machu Picchu, savor a wholesome meal made of Ibi medicinal herbs, also a local specialty handed
down from ancient times by generations prior, sourced from Kasuga Village, located on the Gifu Prefecture-side of Mount
Ibuki, famous for its abundance of herbs with a revered history said to date back to the time of warlord Oda Nobunaga.
● Founded in the year 798 (Enryaku 17), Kegon-ji Temple of the Tendai sect is the 33rd destination along the Saigoku Kannon
Pilgrimage route. It has a unique atmosphere permeating the place, from the oizuru (sacred garments for pilgrims) hall
where pilgirims who have fulfilled their vows change from their kimono to the oizuru, to the main hall with pillars adorned
with bronze carps that annul a pilgrim's period of abstainment when touched. This temple, also known as Tanigumi-san, is
also part of the “Top 33 Spots of Hida and Mino” list for both cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf viewing.
[Contact Information]
Discover-GIFU
Phone number: +81-(0)58-265-4831 (weekdays 9:30-17:30)
Email address: customer@gifu-tj.jp
- Precautions
-
・ Please wear comfortable clothes that you can easily move and walk in.
・ Please choose from Gifu Station or Gifu-Hashima Station as your pickup and dropoff points.
・ Please note that the tour may be cancelled in case of inclement weather.
