Matsumoto Everything Tour: Castle, Miso, Wasabi, Wine & Ukiyo-e
Description
Discover Matsumoto on this full-day tour designed to cover the city’s key cultural highlights in one rewarding day. Enter the black-walled Matsumoto Castle, a rare original fortress rich in samurai history, and explore at your own pace. Depart from Nagano (8:00 AM / 8.5 hrs) or Matsumoto (9:30 AM / 6.25 hrs). Visit a 150-year-old miso brewery for a guided tour and onigiri lunch. Enjoy free time at Japan’s largest wasabi farm, with time to try wasabi ice cream and local treats. Stop at a scenic countryside winery for a casual tasting of local wines. End at the Ukiyo-e Museum, home to a major woodblock print collection. On Mondays, this final museum stop is replaced by Matsumoto City History Village. ・Entry to Matsumoto Castle ・Miso brewery tour & onigiri lunch ・Free time at Japan’s largest wasabi farm & local treats ・Casual local wine tasting at a scenic winery ・Entry to the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum (History Village on Mondays) ・Matsumoto’s key cultural highlights in one day
Tour Options
Itinerary
08:00 – Depart from Nagano Station：Meet your guide in front of Beck’s Coffee, just outside the Shinkansen gates.
09:30 – Pickup at Matsumoto Station：Your guide will meet you at the Alps (West) Exit – look out for our light yellow Toyota van.
Enjoy a brief introduction from your guide before entering one of Japan’s most iconic castles. Then take your time to explore inside and snap photos at your own pace.
Take a guided tour of a 150-year-old miso brewery and enjoy a traditional lunch of miso soup and handmade onigiri.
Wander through the lush grounds of Japan’s largest wasabi farm. You’ll have free time to explore at your own pace, browse local souvenirs, and enjoy optional snacks like wasabi soft-serve or croquettes.
Enjoy a casual tasting of locally made Japanese wine, served as small samples at the counter, while taking in views of the surrounding vineyards and mountain landscape. Feel free to stroll the grounds or browse the cozy winery shop.
Explore timeless woodblock prints by masters like Hokusai and Hiroshige at the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, home to the world’s largest private collection of ukiyo-e art. On Mondays and substitute holidays, the final museum stop is Matsumoto City History Village instead.
15:45 – Drop-off at Matsumoto Station: This is the final stop for guests who joined from Matsumoto. Guests who started from Nagano will continue on to Nagano Station after this stop.
17:00 – Return to Nagano Station (for guests who started the tour from Nagano).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Start from Nagano Station (8:00 AM) or Matsumoto Station (9:30 AM). Please confirm your preferred meeting point when booking.
- Please note: on Monday departures, the final museum stop is Matsumoto City History Village instead of the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum.
- This tour is scheduled to conclude at Matsumoto Station by 15:45 and return to Nagano Station by around 17:00. However, please note that timing may vary due to traffic or weather conditions. If you are planning onward travel, we recommend booking trains departing after 16:30 from Matsumoto and after 17:30 from Nagano Station to ensure a comfortable buffer. ➤ Guests who joined the tour from Matsumoto Station can choose to end their tour there at 15:45. ➤ Guests returning to Nagano Station will arrive by around 17:00.
- On-time departure policy: Tours depart on time. We can wait up to 10 minutes after the scheduled meeting time. After that, late arrivals are treated as a no-show (no refund/reschedule).
- o8Experience is a locally based tour company offering private and small-group experiences across Nagano and surrounding regions. From food and culture to nature and history, we create meaningful journeys tailored to curious travelers. Visit o8Experience to discover more.
Reviews(4)
It was an excellent tour. We saw so many different things in one day. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your kind review. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and were able to experience so many different places in one day. It also means a lot to know that your guide was knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you again for joining o8Experience and for highly recommending us.
A fantastic tour. All the places to visit were interesting and definitely worth visiting. The pacing was well done. Masa got us into the Matsumoto castle before the crowds. The miso factory included lunch where we got to enjoy traditionally crafted 3 year old miso. Delicious but a rarity. The wasabi farm is the largest in Japan at the foot of the Japanese Alps so the setting was beautiful. The winery grew grapes we’re familiar with in California which I enjoyed more than the Yamanashi varietals (but that’s just me). And ukiyo-e museum was another must see. We missed the Hokusai museum in Obuse so we’re glad to be able to visit this one. Masa was a great guide, very informative and spoke excellent English.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the full Matsumoto experience — from entering Matsumoto Castle before the crowds, to tasting traditionally crafted three-year miso, visiting Daio Wasabi Farm, enjoying the winery, and exploring the ukiyo-e museum. It was a real pleasure guiding you, and we’re especially glad that the pacing felt comfortable and that each stop was meaningful. Thank you again for joining o8Experience and for sharing such thoughtful feedback.
Masa-san and Mr. Imamura were fantastic hosts, interpreters and ambassadors . They were kind, thoughtful, accommodating, and insightful at every point of interest and throughout the day. We couldn’t have asked for better or more professional guides. They represent the best of what makes Japan such a special and memorable place to visit: its people. We wanted to hit all of the highlights of Matsumoto (castle, wasabi farm, miso making) and this tour did all of that and more (wine tasting and wood block print museum). Although we covered a ton of territory, we never felt rushed, perfect timing and pace. Highly recommend this tour and it’s guide Masa!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are truly grateful for your kind words about Masa and Mr. Imamura. It means a great deal to hear that you felt well looked after throughout the day, and that the tour was not only enjoyable but also smooth, thoughtful, and well paced. Matsumoto has so much to offer, so we are especially happy to know that the experience allowed you to enjoy the area’s key highlights—from the castle, wasabi farm, and miso culture to the wine tasting and ukiyo-e museum—without ever feeling rushed. Your generous comments about the people of Japan are especially meaningful to us. We are honored to have been part of your visit and to have helped make your time here memorable. Thank you again for choosing o8Experience. We hope to welcome you back to Nagano and Matsumoto someday. Warm regards, Team o8Experience
Masa was very accommodating. We brought our luggage with us from Nagano and he was able to get us to Matsumoto station for our next train to Tokyo. The castle was beautiful with sakura in April. Masa was very knowledgeable about the city and gave us plenty of time to explore. The weather was somewhat limiting but we enjoyed a part of Japan that few will experience without local knowledge. Thank you Masa!
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are very happy to hear you enjoyed Matsumoto, the castle in sakura season, and your time exploring the city. We are also glad we could help make your transfer to Matsumoto Station smooth and convenient. Thank you again for joining o8Experience. We truly appreciate your warm words.
