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A Premium 2-Day, 1-Night Trip to Nasu Highlands: Feel the Breath of Nature and Wildlife
A Complete Guide to Breathtaking Views, Hot Springs, Gourmet Food, and Thrilling Safari Experiences

A Premium 2-Day, 1-Night Trip to Nasu Highlands: Feel the Breath of Nature and Wildlife

[Disclosure] This article contains affiliate links.

Hiking Mount Nasu: Panoramic Views of Nature and the Breath of an Active Volcano

The journey begins at Mount Chausu, the main peak of the Nasu Mountain Range. Boarding the Nasu Ropeway, one of the largest gondolas in the Kanto region, you are instantly lifted into another world beyond the tree line in just four minutes. Beyond the large glass windows lies a vibrant green carpet spread out beneath your feet and a boundless panorama of the Kanto Plain. As you rapidly gain altitude, you will feel your daily stress blowing away with the wind.

The moment you step off at the summit station, 1,915 meters above sea level, you will be amazed by the crisp, clear air. Before your eyes is the rugged yet beautiful rocky terrain unique to an active volcano. As you step firmly along the mountain trail lined with jagged, reddish-brown lava rocks, the faint white smoke rising from the ground makes you feel firsthand that 'the Earth is alive.' It is the beginning of the ultimate detox time, breathing in the powerful energy of nature.

Waiting for you after climbing the steep rocky area is a 360-degree spectacular view that simply cannot be captured in a photograph. If you are lucky, you might encounter a magical sight of a pure white sea of clouds spreading beneath your feet. It is a luxury to simply surrender yourself to the art woven by nature at the silent summit, where only the sound of the blowing wind echoes. Pack your comfortable sneakers and a jacket for temperature control in your backpack, and experience this overwhelming scale with your whole body.

Hotel Sunvalley Nasu: An Ultimate Healing Space and Magical Illuminations

Embracing a pleasant sense of fatigue, we checked into Hotel Sunvalley Nasu, a premier resort representing the Nasu Highlands. The sight of multiple buildings with different atmospheres scattered across the vast grounds feels like a single village built in the forest. The main attraction is, without a doubt, the exquisite hot springs where you can enjoy a variety of spring qualities. Soaking up to your shoulders in the thick, milky-white 'sulfur spring,' the water blends into your skin with its unique aroma. Furthermore, if you hop over to the 'weak alkaline spring' that gently envelops your skin, you will feel the fatigue of the hike softly melting away with the steam.

As the sun sets, the grounds transform from a daytime resort vibe into a breathtakingly romantic space. Illuminations decorating the trees emerge in the darkness of the forest, and the silhouette of the church emitting a warm glow makes you feel as if you have wandered into a rural European town. The crisp, cold night air and the sparkling lights filling your vision further accelerate the sense of the extraordinary.

Taking a leisurely stroll through the corridor of light while enjoying the night breeze in a yukata after a bath is pure bliss. With only the quiet sounds of the forest as background music, there is no better situation to talk about the memories of the day with your loved ones. Please check the link below to see the full picture of this ultimate stay that unwinds both mind and body.

Savor Local Ingredients! A Blissful and Luxurious Buffet

After relaxing your body and mind in the hot springs, it's time for dinner, arguably the highlight of the trip. This time, we chose the luxurious buffet plan featuring Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, and the quality far exceeded our expectations! The moment you step into the venue, your eyes are greeted by about 100 colorful dishes. The savory aroma wafting from the sizzling iron plates of the live kitchen instantly grabs your appetite.

While you might find yourself hesitating with a plate in hand, you absolutely cannot miss the various dishes made with local ingredients unique to the Nasu Highlands. The crisp sweetness of fresh highland vegetables and the warm hot pot where the umami of the broth deeply permeates are so delicious that a smile naturally spills out with every bite. And to satisfy your separate stomach for dessert, there is a special dessert corner crafted by an exclusive pastry chef. The jewel-like cakes lined up in the showcase and the special yogurt with an irresistible rich milk flavor all boast a delicate finish unique to hotel-made sweets.

A dream-like dining table that grants all your selfish desires of 'I want to eat this, and I want to eat that too.' This time, where you can enjoy as much first-class taste as you like, elevates the satisfaction of the trip to its peak. Fairs featuring seasonal ingredients are also held, so it's a delightful point that you can encounter new deliciousness no matter when you visit. Be sure to check the link below for this blissful moment that satisfies both your stomach and your heart.

How to Enjoy Nasu Safari Park: A Thorough Comparison of Two Entry Styles

Waking up a little early the next morning, we finally headed to the other highlight of this trip, Nasu Safari Park. This facility is full of excitement as we humans 'intrude' into the area where wild animals live leisurely. Actually, to make the experience here the best it can be, the choice of 'how to tour the park' becomes very important.

There are several ways to tour the park, but they can be broadly divided into two choices: 'enjoying a private space' or 'seeking the ultimate thrill.' We have summarized the features of each in an easy-to-understand manner.

Entry MethodFee (Excluding Basic Admission)Features and Recommended Points
Own CarGuide Fee 500 yenYou can tour slowly at your own pace. Ideal for those who value a completely private space.
Wild Ride1,500 yen (Reservation Required)Get up close to the animals in a wire-mesh bus. Experience an overwhelming extraordinary event, such as feeding meat to lions.


If you want to enjoy it without hesitation with your family or partner, using your own car is the standard, but this time, thinking 'Let's have an experience that can only be done here!', we decided to take the plunge and try a special plan. What kind of emotion did this choice bring us? We will deliver the real charm of the two styles along with plenty of photos.

Safari Experience in Your Own Car: The Charm of Enjoying at Your Own Pace

First, let's talk about touring in your own car, which can be said to be the royal road of safaris. The greatest appeal of entering with your own car is, above all, the promise of a 'completely private space.' Listening to the audio guide playing in the car, you can shout out loud, 'Look over there!' or 'It's so close!' without worrying about the eyes of others, which is a luxurious time unique to your own car.

Just outside, separated by a single pane of glass, is a completely wild world. You can enjoy the impact unique to a safari park at your own pace, with giraffes leisurely passing right next to your car and zebras peering into your windows. Since you can feel the breath of nature while sitting in a comfortable, air-conditioned seat, it is safe for families with small children or on days with poor weather. Animals may lick the car body or rub against it, so you might need to be a little prepared for your car to get dirty.

Even so, just by adding a 500 yen guide fee to the basic admission, driving your beloved car into an extraordinary space just like Jurassic Park is incredibly exciting! The high degree of freedom to stop the car for a moment and aim for a photo opportunity when you think, 'I want to take a picture from this angle!' is also an irresistible point for camera lovers.

A Thrilling Experience on the Wild Ride: Feeding Meat to Lions!

And this time, what I absolutely wanted to experience was the Wild Ride, where you charge into the beast area in a special wire-mesh bus without glass windows. To get straight to the point, this is a must-experience! It was a series of overwhelming thrills that are more than worth paying the extra fee for. From the moment you board the rugged camouflage bus and the doors slam shut, you are enveloped in an exhilaration as if you have become a member of an expedition team.

The highlight of the tour is, without a doubt, directly feeding the king of beasts, the lion. Even through the wire mesh, the male lion approaching to a distance of just a few dozen centimeters has a breathtakingly intimidating presence. When you offer raw meat using tongs with trembling hands, you hear the raw sound of thick fangs bared and bones being crushed with a 'crunch!' Then, there is the low growl that echoes in the pit of your stomach and the smell of the beast. The moment you bathe in the overwhelming power of the wild with your whole body is undoubtedly the most goosebump-inducing experience of a lifetime.

To be able to feel the 'wild' deep within the lion's golden eyes so closely, even from inside a safe bus. This tingling tension, which can never be experienced on a tour in your own car, will definitely become a story for a lifetime. If you are looking for premium adrenaline that you can never experience in everyday life, do not hesitate to book the Wild Ride! Check the link below right now for the details of this great excitement. * Reservations are required for the Wild Ride, and tickets can only be purchased through Asoview.

Close-up Communication with Herbivores

What calms the heart pounding from the overwhelming impact of the lions is the interaction time with the adorable herbivores. When you offer special pellets (snacks) through the wire mesh of the bus, zebras, giraffes, and donkeys gather around as if to say, 'We've been waiting!' Seeing them skillfully stretch out their long tongues or beg for 'more' with their round eyes will make your face break into a smile, making the previous tension seem like a lie.

Among them, what stole my heart was the encounter with a white deer with a divinely beautiful coat. The velvety soft touch of its lips as it pecks food from your gently extended palm, and its calm, gentle eyes. It is a moment where you can directly feel the warmth of life, which is the exact opposite of the strength of a fierce beast. Noticing real details that you can never understand from picture books or TV, such as the fact that a zebra's coat looks surprisingly stiff or that a giraffe's eyelashes are amazingly long, is also unique to this close distance.

Before I knew it, I found myself frantically capturing the unique expressions of the animals on camera. This interaction experience, which makes both adults and children smile without reason, is a magical time that deepens your attachment to the animals. When you visit Nasu Safari Park, please enjoy heartwarming communication with them to your heart's content.

Experience Soul-Stirring Emotion and Ultimate Healing in the Nasu Highlands

Starting with the magnificent natural panorama shown by Mount Nasu, the blissful hot springs and premium buffet enjoyed to the fullest at Hotel Sunvalley Nasu, and the highly exciting Wild Ride where we felt the breath of the wild firsthand at Nasu Safari Park. This 2-day, 1-night trip was a series of the most luxurious times that completely reset our stiff daily lives. In particular, the thrill of feeding raw meat to a lion at a distance where you could almost reach out and touch it will undoubtedly become a lifelong memory. For a weekend short trip or a special anniversary, why don't you head to the Nasu Highlands, where soul-stirring emotion and ultimate healing await?

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