4.0Gembi Valley(243 reviews) - A must if in the area Valleys
This isn't a place to base your trip around but certainly a must if you are travelling to the area. The gorge is beautiful; stunning blue water, a beautiful rocky gorge with heavy flowing water and nice walks. We were there in Autumn so the gorge, water and colourful leaves were a stunning mix of nature. This is a place to stop for and hour or so and you can have some dango and tea for a rest and top shelf customer service. The flying dango is an attraction in its own right - you put 400 yen in a flying fox basket and get your fresh snack from across the gorge - nice;) The best part was the effort by the staff to make me feel special by putting out the Australian flag and playing the national anthem over the loud speaker - the Japanese around me were gob smacked and proud as they should be - one of the best examples of customer experience I've ever hadSee more..
4.5Dakigaeri Valley(154 reviews) - A nice stroll albeit too early for autumn colours Valleys
We stayed over at Kakunodate town and visited this place in October. There is a free shuttle bus from the Tourist information centre in Kakunodate to Dakigaeril Valley during autumn leaves viewing period. However, we missed the 11.00am shuttle service and took a taxi to the gorge and caught the 3.00pm shuttle bus back. Taxi fare was about 2700 yen. The colours of the gorge was changing, not fully at its peak, but still very beautiful. It was a 2 km easy walk to the waterfall along a narrow path (which was the reason for the gorge's name). There was a festival selling local delights when we were there, and we enjoyed the kids performance too.See more..
4.5Geibikei(80 reviews) - Gorgeous green gorge Thursday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Bodies of Water • Valleys
Geibikei gorge is in the south of Iwate Prefecture, which is in the northern Tohoku region of Japan. Our Boatmen use a simple wooden pole to both propel and steer the boats. This kind of boat ride in Japan is only found at Geibikei gorge. The gorge is special for its traditional Tohoku boats and beautiful, surrounding nature.It is great in all seasons. The"kotatsu"boats from December to February are especially good for enjoying Japanese culture along with the scenery. Throwing the "balls of luck"during the walk at the halfway point of the ride are another special feature of the experience.See more..
