Shimane Private Tour: Cost, Charter, Guide and Corporate Groups
Shimane by private tour means one party, one vehicle and your own dates. We have run private journeys in Japan since 2005, licensed in Hong Kong (TIC 352969), and Shimane works the same way as the rest of the country: we build the route around your dates, then drive it.
Getting there
Shimane is reached by road through Matsue, the prefectural capital. The times below were measured on the actual route for a private car, not estimated:
- Tottori → Matsue: 1 h 39 min (OSRM, measured)
- Hiroshima → Matsue: 2 h 16 min (OSRM, measured)
- Okayama → Matsue: 2 h 37 min (OSRM, measured)
We meet you at arrivals or at your hotel and drive straight through — no transfers and no fixed departure time. The route and the stops can be adjusted on the day with your driver.
When to come
Shimane has a marked seasonal swing, and the month you travel changes the route as much as the scenery. The figures below are monthly averages for 2015–2024 measured at Matsue (Open-Meteo ERA5 archive), not estimates.
- Most comfortable: March, April, May, October and November — daytime highs of 12.4–21.6°C and 98–128 mm of rain a month.
- Hottest: August (average high 30.0°C); wettest: July (226.0 mm).
- Coldest: January (average high 7.8°C).
We build the day around the month you travel: in the hot months we start earlier, keep the middle of the day indoors or at altitude and drive in the cooler hours; in the cold months we keep the daily drive shorter and finish before dark. Send us your dates and we will confirm which stops still work in that season.
Shimane private tour cost
Current routes start at a fee set by days, party size and vehicle class. The fee covers the vehicle and driver, the licensed guide and the hotel nights inside the itinerary; international flights, visas and personal spending are separate. Because the vehicle and guide are shared, the per-person figure falls as the group grows.
Shimane private charter (car and driver)
A charter is the vehicle and driver only, with your own stops. It is the cheaper option when you already know where you want to go and do not need commentary — quoted separately from a guided tour.
Shimane charter cost
Charter pricing moves with the number of days, the vehicle size and whether the driver waits overnight. We quote it as its own line so you can see what the guide actually costs.
Guide cost: private guide versus driver
Guide fees are charged by the day rather than by the stop, so the length of the route matters more than how many places you visit. Three things move the figure: the language the guide works in, whether the day runs into the evening, and whether the guide travels with you between cities. We quote the guide as its own line, so you can see exactly what it adds and drop it on the days you do not need one.
A driver handles the road; a licensed guide handles the explanation, tickets and timing. On a scenery day the driver is enough. At temples, museums or a ryokan dinner, the guide is what turns a stop into a day.
Shimane corporate group tours
Companies book Shimane for department trips, management offsites and client hosting. One vehicle per team so groups can split, a fixed schedule that leaves room for a meeting or a site visit, and a single invoice covering transport, guide and hotels. We do not merge company groups into a shared coach.
Shimane incentive travel
Incentive trips reward a team that hit a target, so the itinerary has to feel earned: better hotels than the standard route, one signature dinner, and an activity the group will talk about afterwards. We plan around the award night rather than around sightseeing, and keep the budget lines separate.
Shimane family private tours
Families with children or grandparents need a slower rhythm: shorter drives, connecting rooms, meal times that fit, and the freedom to drop a stop when someone is tired. With an exclusive vehicle and guide, nothing is fixed to a group schedule.
What we cover in Shimane
Izumo shrine, Matsue castle, Iwami silver mine, Adachi museum garden. These are the places we build routes around; tell us which matter to you and we will sequence them by drive time rather than by map distance.
Routes you can book
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private tour in Shimane cost?
a fee set by days, party size and vehicle class, depending on days, party size and hotel tier.
Is a guide included?
On our private tour routes the licensed guide is part of the package; a driver-only charter is quoted separately and is cheaper.
Can a company group split into several vehicles?
Yes. We allocate one vehicle per team so each group can run its own schedule and rejoin for meals.
How far in advance should we book?
Two to three months for spring and autumn, earlier for cherry blossom week and New Year.
Shimane cost guide · Guide versus driver · WhatsApp 6888 4736 · Compare hotels on Trip.com
Shimane hotels: city hotels, five-star and onsen ryokan
Where you sleep decides how the day works, so we pick the base first and build the route around it. In Shimane we usually work with three tiers: a city hotel in the middle of the transport hub for short stops, a five-star hotel where the trip is a reward or a client-facing one, and an onsen ryokan for at least one night when the route passes a hot-spring town such as Tamatsukuri, Matsue.
City hotels in Shimane
Best when the itinerary moves every day: walkable to dinner, close to the station we leave from in the morning, and no time lost to transfers.
Five-star hotels in Shimane
Chosen for room size, service and a view worth paying for — usually one or two nights on a longer route rather than every night, which keeps the budget where it matters.
Onsen ryokan in Shimane
A ryokan is not just a room: dinner is served in the building, the bath is the point of the stay, and the pace slows deliberately. We book the ones that accept one-night stays and can cater for dietary requirements, and we tell you honestly when a ryokan is not worth the detour.
Hotel links: compare Shimane hotels on Trip.com · Japan hotel and onsen guide · or send us your dates and we will quote hotels inside the tour price.