Taxi Touring Courses

We have created a few suggested Taxi Touring routes which optimize the travel time needed along with the best points of interest. But if you would like to create your own course, please explain when you contact us. 

Although our drivers only speak a little bit of English, we always do our best to accommodate foreign visitors. But we also offer interactive Guided Tours with an English speaking local guide if you are interested. For more information, please check our Guided Tours page.

* Please Note: the fixed routes given here are based on departure/return to JR Oboke Station however departure/return to any Oboke and Iya area hotel is also possible. Please let us know when contacting from where you wish to depart/return.

* Some sights have entrance fees and they are not included in these prices.

* Also understand, the route stopping points may not go exactly in the order listed here due to either weather considerations or road construction. We will go in the optimum order of that particular day for your benefit.

**Also if you would like to include lunch we can include a stop at a restaurant for any course (additional time fee may be needed), however we also recommend getting some snacks or a lunch box before departure instead to have along the way. Next to JR Oboke Station is Boke Mart store which has a variety of food and drinks available.

Fees for these Taxi Touring courses are based on our hourly rates 

¥4900 Small taxi (up to 4 people)

¥7500 Jumbo taxi (up to 9 people).

Nishi-Iya Course                 2 hours   ¥9,800 (small taxi)

This course goes to the main sights of Nishi-Iya, including the main Kazurabashi Vine Bridge and viewpoints in the upper part of the Iyakei Gorge.

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Heike-Yashiki Historic House Museum → Ⓒ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓓ Iyakei Gorge, Hi-no-Ji Bend Viewpoint → Ⓔ Peeing Boy Statue → Ⓕ JR Oboke Station

Higashi-Iya Course             6.5 hours  ¥31,850 (small taxi)

This course goes to the main Vine Bridge in Nishi-Iya as well as the deepest points of Higashi-Iya (known as Oku-Iya "Deep Iya") which includes going to the Scarecrow Village, stopping at the beautiful and secluded Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges, an extended stop at the base of Mt Tsurugi, allowing one to go up the mountain via chairlift.**

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓒ Ochiai Village Viewpoint → Ⓓ Soba Dojo Restaurant (lunch break) → Ⓔ Nagoro Scarecrow Village → Ⓕ Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridge → Ⓖ Minokoshi, Mt Tsurugi Chairlift → Ⓗ JR Oboke Station

** the stop at Minokoshi, Mt Tsurugi is about 40 minutes. This is enough time to go via chairlift part of the way up the mountain to the upper chairlift station ("Nishi-jima Station") and see a great view of the Iya Valley from there. However this is not enough time to fully hike to the top of the mountain from Nishi-jima Station. The further hike would take an extra 2 hours to/from the summit. If you would like to extend for this hike you would need to arrange a Customized Touring Route. The round-trip chairlift ticket is ¥1900 extra per person.

Iya Onsen Hot Spring Course  3 hours  ¥14,700 (small taxi)

This course goes to the main sights of Nishi-Iya, and also makes an hour long stop at the lovely river-side Iya Onsen Hot Spring, which is at the base of Iyakei Gorge and accessed by private cable-car. 

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Iyakei Gorge, Hi-no-Ji Bend Viewpoint → Ⓒ Iya Onsen Hot Spring → Ⓓ Peeing Boy Statue → Ⓔ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓕ JR Oboke Station

Oboke & Iya Area Course     4 hours   ¥19,600 (small taxi)

This popular course goes to many of the main highlights and viewpoints of both sides of the Iya Valley as well as the Oboke Gorge Pleasure Boat.

(For trips on or after Sept 11, 2023 the small taxi fee for this course will be ¥19,600.)

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Oboke Gorge Pleasure Boat Cruise → Ⓒ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓓ Ochiai Village Viewpoint → Ⓔ Ochiai Historic Village → Ⓕ Iyakei Gorge, Hi-no-Ji Bend Viewpoint → Ⓖ  Peeing Boy Statue → Ⓗ JR Oboke Station

Oboke & Oku-Iya Area Course    7 - 7.5 hours*

¥34,300 - 36,750 (small taxi)

If you want to fully see and experience what Iya has to offer, one must get out to Oku-Iya ("Deep Iya"). This extensive course covers all the main sights and viewpoints of the Iya Valley and Oboke Gorge. It includes the Hi-no-ji Bend and Peeing Boy Statue viewpoints in Iyakei Gorge as well as the Ochiai Village viewpoint, an hour long ride through the dense forest on the Oku-Iya Mountain Monorail, a stop at the unique Scarecrow Village of Nagoro, a visit to the enchanting Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges, and the Oboke Gorge boat cruise. 

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Iyakei Gorge, Hi-no-Ji Bend Viewpoint & Peeing Boy Statue → Ⓒ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓓ Ochiai Village Viewpoint  → Ⓔ Oku-Iya Mountain Monorail → Ⓕ Nagoro Scarecrow Village → Ⓖ Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges → Ⓗ Oboke Gorge Pleasure Boat Cruise → Ⓘ JR Oboke Station

*the Oku-Iya Mountain Monorail is temporarily closed. The re-opening date is not yet known. Without the Monorail stop, this course would take about 6.5 - 7 hours (¥31,850 - ¥34,300)

Legend of the Heike Course   5.5 hours   ¥26,950 (small taxi)

Local legends say that 800 years ago upon losing the Genpei War, many of the fleeing Heike samurai warriors came to the Iya Valley to hide, and they brought with them the young Emporeror Antoku to keep him safe. This touring course goes to many of the historic spots that are connected to this legend.

Ⓐ JR Oboke Station → Ⓑ Kazurabashi Vine Bridge, Biwa Waterfall → Ⓒ Bukeyashiki Kita-ke Historic House, Hoko-Sugi Giant Cedar Tree → Ⓓ Asa-ke Historic House → Ⓔ Higashi-Iya History and Folklore Museum → Ⓕ Kurishido Hachiman Shrine → Ⓖ Ochiai Village Viewpoint → Ⓗ JR Oboke Station

We also offer interactive Guided Tours of the Iya Valley with English speaking guides.

Please see here for more details.