Why Hike Japan?
'Forever grateful. Your love of Japan shines through.'
‘The holiday of a lifetime’. Why should anyone who travels all the way to Japan expect less?
Why Hike Japan? Passion for travel, knowledge, insights. With 20 years experience as Japan specialists, HJ’s’s real strengths are in creating brilliantly crafted itineraries.
With knowledge, many years experience, and humour, guides who work with HJ really know their stuff when it comes to managing groups, be it in the urban jungles of Japan, on country paths, or in the mountains.
Find your perfect tour
Our History
2003 / Hike Japan established. First tour Imperial Pilgrimage Route.
Hike Japan was established as a UK company by Bob Heffill. First tour was the Imperial Pilgrimage Route tour to Kumano (covered by local newspaper as a first on the Nakaheji pilgrimage for an overseas group!) in autumn 2003.
Hike Japan advises British travel companies on how to arrange and run tours in Japan, running tour itineraries for them for several years.
2007 / Our busiest year since Hike Japan was established.
2010 / Quest Japan established with company office in Tokyo
Hike Japan adventure walking tours was reborn as the Quest Japan Limited, although the Hike Japan brand and website remain in place. Partners in the newly named business are Bob Heffill and Isao Matsuzawa, Isao has 30 years’ experience in the travel industry in Japan where he was appointed General Manager (Inbound) at NTA, Japan’s second largest travel company.
Quest Japan is a company bonded with the Japanese government.
Localizing the business brings advantages, whilst bonding guarantees client financial protection under the new banner.
2013 / 10th Anniversary Roof of Japan Trek
The highlight of this tour, celebrating 10 years since Hike Japan was founded in 2003, was a full 8-night traverse of the North Japan Alps from Tateyama to Yarigatake and the Hotaka Ridge to Kamikochi.
A world class trek. Three guides and ten clients.
2019 / New Hike Japan website
Development of a well-designed, more easily navigable, and informative new website with Authentic Style.
New tour line-up. Itinerary, dates, and price details available on request.
In addition to our direct client business, we operate as an inbound destination management partner with specialist tour operators, notably in the United States, Canada, Russia, and the Netherlands, a role we will continue to develop in partnership with other travel companies.