Wild Bird Sanctuary Forest Guided Tour in Nagano
Description
Picchio's nature watching tour takes advantage of the abundant nature surrounding Karuizawa, immersing guests in a tranquil forest environment to enjoy nature as it is. There is the opportunity to see wildlife including Japanese squirrels, montane brown frogs, and many bird species. Our expert guides share their knowledge and passion, hoping to inspire people to love and engage with Japanese nature. *Guided in Japanese and basic English (English ability varies by guide). ■ Important Notes ・Rain: Held in rain (bring rainwear). Cancelled only in severe weather. ・Trail: Approx. 2km unpaved. No strollers or wheelchairs. ・Infants (0-3): Free, but please bring a baby carrier as they may get tired. ・Bring: Water bottle (refills available at reception) & bug spray/long clothes in summer. ・Parking: Use Hoshino Area P1 (next to Sonmin Shokudo, 5-min walk). Extra parking in peak seasons. ・Cancellation: 100% fee applies for no-shows or if you arrive too late to join.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A naturalist guide will lead guests on a leisurely stroll through the Karuizawa National Wild Bird Sanctuary Forest in search of a variety of woodland wildlife, explaining the inner workings of the forest ecosystems as they go.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(17)
Our tour guide おぐっちゃん was amazing! She was so knowledgeable and made the experience so fun & informative. The views were excellent and it made me feel more connected to nature. I want to try the night tour next time. Highly recommend if you’re visiting Karuizawa!! 10/10
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are incredibly happy to hear that our guide, Ogucchan, made your nature tour so fun and informative with her knowledge and passion. It's truly special that the excellent views made you feel more connected to nature. Our aim at Picchio is to offer unique nature experiences in Karuizawa that deepen your understanding of the forest. When guests like you feel this connection, it helps others discover the importance of coexisting with nature. We are thrilled you want to try our night tour next time! The forest offers different discoveries after dark. Each season brings new highlights here, so we hope you'll visit us again soon for another adventure. We are looking forward to seeing you! Picchio Guides
Beautiful forest and a very engaging, informative tour. The guide spoke enough English to communicate the essentials—no major language issues. The group included a wide range of ages, from very young to older participants, which made the pace a bit slower than we’d prefer, but it was still a lovely and worthwhile experience.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are so pleased you found the beautiful forest and our nature tour engaging and informative. It’s great that our guide communicated the essentials in English, ensuring clear understanding. We appreciate your feedback about the pace due to the wide range of ages in the group. As "forest animal guides", we always aim to provide a fulfilling experience for everyone, adapting our approach so all can discover nature's wonders. We will continue to refine our tours to balance different paces while offering a rich experience for every visitor. We hope you'll visit Karuizawa again. Our natural beauty changes with each season, offering new discoveries every time. We look forward to seeing you! Picchio Guides
Very fun & informative!! Such a nice guide and learnt so much! Not many birds in this season but learnt so much about the forest, it's animals and insects. Fascinating.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy you found our Nature Walking Tour in Karuizawa "very fun & informative" and learned much about the forest, its animals, and insects. Though birds were fewer, your insights into Karuizawa's nature are truly rewarding. Please visit our Wild Bird Sanctuary Forest again to discover more seasonal wonders! Picchio Guides
The tour guide was very nice and talkative. It was a very good trip. The visitor centre is located in a very tranquil, beautiful place where we were able to feel the nature and closely see the true beauty of scenery in karuizawa. The route was not too difficult to walk but at the same time it was very adventurous and gives a sense of adventure. All in all it was a very worthy experience and I would recommend my friends and family to visit or even join the tours
Thank you for your kind review! We are delighted you enjoyed your trip to Karuizawa. It's wonderful to hear you found our visitor center tranquil and beautiful, allowing you to connect with nature and appreciate the scenery. We aim to make our paths enjoyable, and we're happy you felt a sense of adventure. Our guides are passionate about the forest and its creatures, and we are glad this came through. We offer unique natural experiences throughout all seasons here in Karuizawa. We would love for you, your friends, and family to visit us again. We look forward to welcoming you back! Picchio Guides
It was super informative and I loved how they adjusted the tour cause of the heavy rain, and it was so interesting to explore parts of the forest.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We are truly happy to hear you found our tour super informative and enjoyed exploring the forest. We are especially glad that our team could adjust the tour well for the heavy rain, making your experience comfortable and interesting despite the weather. Our guides deeply love the forest and its creatures, and we strive to share this passion and knowledge with all our guests. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed your unique adventure in Karuizawa's nature. The forest changes with each season, offering new discoveries and beauty every time. We hope you will visit us again to see Karuizawa in a different light. We look forward to welcoming you back! Picchio Guides
I was very excited when my husband and I found this place online and the experience was even better than expected. I have been birding for many years so had my own binoculars and online field guides but I was thrilled to see that they had quality binoculars for my husband to borrow. The grounds were beautiful and everyone was so friendly and helpful. A wonderful place for nature enthusiasts of all ages.
It was my first time to participate in early morning bird watching. Even if I recorded the call, I couldn't identify it as self-help, but he explained the voice I could hear from all over and carefully taught me how to listen to it repeatedly. In addition to birds, they also explained about ecology and Karuizawa plateau from animal traces, and we had a meaningful time. It was a one-person event, but there was no problem at all. Thank you very much.
Our guide Oh-chan taught us a lot of things, so we had a great time touring and it was a quick time!
The guide (Mr. Bug) made a big effort to translate everything for us and made the whole tour interesting and worthwhile for us bird enthusiasts but also for the smallest kid. Respect for making it so engaging for everyone and thank you for your kindness!
Great guide and friendly staff. Nice to get out in the fresh air and hear the sounds of nature. We had a bit of snow so they provided some snowshoe gear.
