Day Tour
Japanese giant flying squirrel tour
Watch the giant flying squirrel spread out it’s cloak-like wings and glide into the forest during dusk. Through many years of surveys and research, we have gained an insightful understanding on their ecology and movement patterns which allowed us to have a sighting rate of over 90% over the past few years (2018: 97.8%, 2019: 97.8%). The acrobatic stunt performed by this wonderful creature will make our guests gasp in amazement!
Price
Japanese giant flying squirrel tour
per person
| Adults | 3400Yen Prices fluctuate during peak seasons.（The peak season is April 27~29, May 3~5, July 13~15, July 20~August 31, September 14~15, September 21~22.） |
|---|---|
| Children | 2500Yen 5 to 12 years old Free for Toddlers (4 to 6 years old) Prices fluctuate during peak seasons.（The peak season is April 27~29, May 3~5, July 13~15, July 20~August 31, September 14~15, September 21~22.） |
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Plan Details
| Period |
2024/3/8(Fri)～2024/11/30(Sat) |
|---|---|
| What is included in the travel/plan price |
・Guide fee ・accident insurance premium ・binoculars rental fee |
| Minimum number of participants per group | 1 person/people |
| Minimum number of participants | 1 person/people |
| Maximum number of participants | 30 person/people |
| Tour Conductor | No |
| Start Time | 10 minutes before the tour (reception starts 30 minutes before t |
| Tour Time | About 90 minutes |
| Reservation Deadline | 3:00pm |
| Payment Method |
Creditcard    
|
- Meeting Place -
Address is displayed when location is selected.
Picchio Visitor Center
- Important Points -
- Although it says "Payment method: Credit card", you cannot make online payments on the reservation page.
Payment will be made locally by cash or credit card. - There would be a possibility that other customers would be present during the tour.
- Children age 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian.
- Children age 3 and under will not be able to participate (even with a guardian or a parent).
- Please note that the tour would not be cancelled in light rainy weather. However, it would be cancelled in the events of a storm (We will contact the person who had made the reservation at least 1.5hours before the scheduled departure)
- Other -
- Things to bring: Flashlight (Phone flashlights are OK)
* It is not necessary during the tour, but it would be good to have something to illuminate your path on the way back to the visitor center.
- Cancellation Fee -
In cases where the customer cancels the contract after the contract has been completed, 1 customer will be charged a cancellation fee from their travel fee at the following rates. In cases where multiple people are participating and a portion of the customers cancel their contracts, we will charge the remaining customers a fee based on the difference according to the change in the number of people (around 1 vehicle/1 room per person) using transport and accommodation facilities.
| 48 hours prior to tour departure | 24 hours prior to tour departure | on the day of the tour |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 50% | 100% |
- Plan Provider Company -
Picchio
Hoshino, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture 389-0194
Sales Manager：Otsuka
Contact Phone Number：+81(0)267-45-7777
Application
※Link to an external site
Plan Contents
Course details / Schedule from March to November
Picchio Visitor Center … Japanese giant flying squirrel tour (about 90 minutes) … Finish
We are observing wild flying squirrels on this tour. The tour may end earlier or later, depending on the flying squirrel’s movement behaviour.
*If the flying squirrels are not seen in their nesting boxes on the day of the tour, the tour would be cancelled (we will contact you in advance).
A creature that glides through the night - Learn their ecology and behaviour
The tour begins with a lecture on the Japanese giant flying squirrel’s ecology and behaviour, with detailed explanations on its diet and its movements. Of course, we will also provide tips on how you could best observe the flying squirrel during the tour!
What do they get up to in the nesting box?
The second part of our tour takes the guests outside to a flying squirrel’s nest box. With our specially installed camera in their nest box, our guests will be able to take a peek at how the flying squirrel prepares itself before it leaves their nest box for a night full of climbing and gliding.
One of the biggest flying squirrels in the world!
When all of their preparations are done, they are ready to leave their nest box and glide into the forest at dusk. The Japanese giant flying squirrel is one of the biggest flying squirrels in the world!
Look, they’re gliding!
As dusk fully settles in, the flying squirrel will leave the nest and glide silently into the forest. This strange and wonderful sight will have guests exclaiming in amazement. If all goes well and the observation is a success, guests will receive a Picchio original “Flying Squirrel Watcher Certificate”.
The mystery of the Japanese giant flying squirrels
One interesting fact about these flying squirrels is that they cannot survive in areas that have no forests, and they play an important role in keeping the forests healthy. However, they are hardly seen during the day as they are nocturnal animals. After seeing them up close in person, we hope that you gained a little bit more insight into Japan's unique animals, and their importance in the forests here in Japan.