Hop aboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat for a scenic ride up the Satetsu River where towering cliffs rise up on either side. The boatmen silently propel these hand-built cedar boats up the placid river using a long pole. As they punt, the boatmen recount tales in their local dialect and sing folk songs which echo off the cliffs.

Geibikei is known as one of Japan’s Three Great Gorges. It enthralls visitors with its dramatic cliffs, shafts of light, curiously-shaped stones and vegetation growing amongst the rocks. Spring brings cherry blossoms and wisteria. Autumn reveals the colored foliage this gorge is famous for. In deep winter, the gorge is transformed by a layer of snow and the boats get outfitted with heated kotatsu seats to keep passengers warm.