1-Day Tour from Nagano and Matsumoto Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle
Description
Defined by its mountains and natural landscapes, Central Japan is the literal heartland of this beautiful country and a road less travelled by many international visitors. This engaging one-day tour takes you to Matsumoto Castle - one of the few remaining original castles in Japan and a registered National Treasure - before heading high into the grandeur of the North Alps and onto the protected alpine oasis of Kamikochi. Led by a locally-based guide and including lunch and direct transport to and from Kamikochi, this tour captures the essence of Central Japan by combining two of its most iconic destinations.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your guide will lead you around the historic grounds of the castle while introducing you to its history, legends and secrets. Should you wish to, you can enter the castle itself and climb all the way to the top-floor of its six storeys or simply take the time to relax outside.
Stroll through the streets of Nawate-dori, also known as “Frog Street”, which is home to more than 50 shops, restaurants, and cafes most famous for selling all things frog-related.
Situated 1500 meters above sea level deep within the Chubu Sangaku National Park, Kamikochi is famous for its pristine natural state, beautiful rivers and ponds, lush forests, and dramatic mountain peaks rising to over 3000 meters. Your guide will lead you along a gentle walking trail starting at Taisho Pond and following the stunningly azure Azusa River, through mixed forest and onto to the parks famous Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge). Taking around 1.5 hours to complete the walk, you'll then have another 1.5 hours to yourself to grab a snack or coffee or walk a little further along the river. Set against the majestic backdrop of Mount Hodataka, Kamikochi never fails to thrill guests and is often listed as one of Japan’s best experiences.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This tour offers three different pick up locations: 1. Hotel Kokusai 21 in Nagano City at 07:50 2. Nagano Station in front of the information board right across the bullet train exit gates at 08:15 3. Matsumoto Station At the West Exit of the station, in front of the taxi stand at 09:45. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour is scheduled to conclude at Matsumoto Station by 18:30 and return to Nagano Station by 20:00-20:15. However, we cannot guarantee the end time as traffic could cause delays. For guests booking onward tickets to other destinations, we recommend doing so for times of 19:00 or later from Matsumoto, and 20:45 or later from Nagano Station.
- All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.
Reviews(114)
Luka is a very considerate and helpful. The service of the company was wonderful. We had a wonderful time.
I'm happy to take a day bus tour of Matsumoto Castle and Kamikochi and charter it for weekdays. If I get another chance, I'd love to attend.
Kieron was great, thanks for the tour
We had a good time on this day trip. Kieron was a great guide and we enjoyed his insights, as well had some nice conversations. Kamikochi was the highlight of the trip, it is such an amazing spot and we had a lot of fun there! I would suggest to make the Matsumoto part of the trip shorter to accommodate a bit longer experience in Kamikochi, as the time spent there felt a bit short. Otherwise, the day trip was a great value for money and we can recommend it!
Our tour from Nagano was the 2 of us joined by another couple, so with our guide Taka it was only 5 of us in a comfortable van. I really appreciate the small sizes of the groups. Matsumoto Castle was beautiful but be prepared for lots of people and climbing up and down steep castle stairs. After time walking around Matsumoto City, bus to Kamakura. Lots of tunnels since it's in the mountains. Beautiful walk in Kamakura with gorgeous views and lots of monkeys to see. We then transferred to a different bus to continue to Takayama with a new guide, Harry. Harry was so friendly and gave many great tips and suggestions for Takayama and for the rest of our trip. Highly recommend!
Fantastic day trip to visit Matsumoto and Kamikochi. Our guide was excellent and I was able to join a group that was coming from Nagano. Everyone made it a memorable day and I highly recommend this tour. It was a nice balance of narration and independent time to enjoy the sights.
Besides relating history of the castle, guide Tamio showed us where locals live and shared uniqueness of this spring water town. Day out at Kamikochi was another wonderful experience with insights on the birds and fauna.
A tour that was given by an enthusiastic guide! He had a lot of knowledge of the castle and its history! Kamikochi was breathtakingly beautiful and felt very serene.
Dear Anja, Thank you so much for your kind review! We are thrilled that you had such a "Prachtig" (beautiful) time with us. It’s always our goal to bring those stories to life! We’re also glad you found Kamikochi to be so serene, as it truly is a special place where nature feels untouched in Nagano. We hope those peaceful memories stay with you long after your return home. Warm regards, The Snow Monkey Resorts Team
Tamio was a fantastic host! Extremely knowledgeable throughout the whole tour and his English is excellent. Matsumoto castle was beautiful, Tamio provided extra insights in relation to the history. Kamikochi hike was an easy 3.5km flat trail, beautiful scenery. Highly recommend.
This experience exceeded my expectation. Kamikochi is truly beautiful. From the active volcano, glaciers and snow monkeys. Highly recommended if you have day to explore this area.
