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Offered languages
- Japanese
- English
Experience the spiritual and cultural heart of Nagano on this private, fully guided day tour with a government-licensed guide and a private vehicle and driver. The highlight is magnificent Zenkoji, one of Japan's most important temples for over 1,400 years, where your guide leads you along the lively Nakamise approach and into the grand main hall. From there you can venture into the mountains to Togakushi Shrine, whose inner sanctuary is reached beneath an awe-inspiring avenue of giant cedars, with ties to ninja and ascetic traditions.
The tour also reveals Nagano's samurai past in the Matsushiro castle town, home of the cunning Sanada clan and their treasure museum, and the artistic charm of nearby Obuse, where the great painter Hokusai left masterpieces at the Hokusai-kan and Ganshoin Temple.
Because this is a private tour, the pace and itinerary flex around your interests, making it easy to enjoy the very best of Nagano comfortably in a single day.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Nagano or your preferred place around Nagano Station. Please use email for any communication before the tour.
Itinerary
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1
Zenkoji is one of Japan's most important and beloved temples, founded some 1,400 years ago and home to a hidden Buddha statue revered as the country's oldest. Stroll the lively Nakamise approach and into the grand main hall with your guide, who explains the temple's history and the famous pitch-black 'okaidan' passage beneath the altar.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
2Togakushi Shrine
Nestled in the mountains north of the city, Togakushi Shrine is a revered complex of shrines linked by forest trails. The approach to the Okusha inner shrine passes beneath a magnificent avenue of towering centuries-old cedar trees. Your guide shares the area's myths and its ties to ninja and mountain ascetic traditions.
40 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Matsushiro Castle
Matsushiro Castle was the seat of the Sanada clan, who governed this castle town for generations. Walk the restored gates, stone walls, and grounds with your guide and step into the surrounding samurai district, where former residences and earthen-walled lanes preserve the atmosphere of feudal Japan.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Hokusai-kan
In the charming chestnut town of Obuse, the Hokusai-kan museum celebrates the great ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai, who spent his final years here. View vivid paintings and two ornate festival floats with ceiling art he designed, as your guide introduces his life and influence.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
Beside Matsushiro Castle, the Sanada Treasures Museum displays armor, swords, documents, and heirlooms of the Sanada family, famed for their cunning in the wars that unified Japan. Your guide helps bring the exhibits to life with stories of the clan's most celebrated warriors.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Ganshoin Temple
Ganshoin Temple in Obuse is famed for the magnificent phoenix glaring down from its main hall ceiling, painted by Hokusai in his eighties. Your guide explains this masterpiece and the temple's quiet garden, also linked to the haiku poet Kobayashi Issa.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Togakushi Folk Museum Togakushi Ninja Museum
Near Togakushi's middle shrine, this folk and ninja museum explores the legendary Togakure school of ninjutsu that flourished in these mountains. With your guide, see ninja tools and exhibits and try the tricky trick-house maze, a fun and hands-on look at ninja history.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Obuse-machi
Obuse is a refined little town known for its chestnut sweets, sake breweries, and ties to the artist Hokusai. Stroll the tidy lanes and open garden passages with your guide, browsing craft shops and sampling local treats in one of the most charming townscapes in the Nagano area.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Additional info
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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