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Escape to the Mountains: Ninja, Soba & Sacred Cedars
Step out of the city and into the mist-shrouded forests of Togakushi, where Japan’s creation myths and ninja secrets come to life. This immersive 1-day adventure from Nagano blends hands-on tradition with ancient spirituality.
Tour Highlights:
Master the Soba Blade: Don’t just eat lunch—make it. Under the guidance of a master artisan, you’ll knead, roll, and hand-cut Togakushi’s world-famous buckwheat noodles before enjoying your creation.
The Path of the Ninja: Explore the historic 12th-century refuge of the Togakure school. Navigate the Ninja Trick House, a labyrinth of trapdoors and secret passages, and test your aim with shuriken throwing.
The Giant Cedar Avenue: Walk the ancient Togakushi Kodo pilgrimage trail. Pass through the iconic red Zuishimon Gate into a breathtaking cathedral of 400-year-old cedars leading to the hidden Okusha Shrine.
Perfect for Tokyo Day-Trippers! Easy access via Shinkansen.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
The meetup point is inside Nagano Station. Your guide will wait for you infront of the large Information Board and video montiors, directly across from the Shinkansen/Bullet Train ticket gates. They will be wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The meetup time is 09:15.
Itinerary
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1
Start your soba making journey from scratch with the help of your guide and the museum's expert soba artisans. Enjoy the fruits of your labor with a handmade soba lunch inside of the museum's restaurant seating area!
2 hours • Admission ticket included -
2Togakushi Shrine Chusha
Depart for the Togakushi Ninja Museum, with a short stop at the Togakushi Chusha Shrine along the way.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Togakushi Folk Museum Togakushi Ninja Museum
Once arrived at the ninja museum, your guide will accompany you to the ninja trick house to enjoy engaging and authentic puzzle-solving to escape the manor. Time permitting, you will have time to enjoy other aspects of the ninja museum during free time.
2 hours • Admission ticket included -
4Togakushi Shrine Okusha
Walking from the Ninja Museum with your guide, you will head toward the 'Okusha' (Upper Shrine) through the 'Zuishimon' Gate and along the giant cedar avenue. This is specactular landscape and ideal end point for the tour. The walk to and from the gate takes around 25-30 minutes (in both directions). Please note, due to time constraints and difficulty of the walk, we will not walk all the way to the Upper Shrine.
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour has a minimum of 2 guests to operate
- This tour includes a significant amount of walking, often along forest trails. While paths are well-maintained, the ground is uneven in places and requires a reasonable level of fitness to partake. The itinerary is designed to breakup periods of walking into 30-minute blocks. Please ensure you wear good quality shoes or boots.
- This tour is well-suited to children but they will need to be able to walk or be carried for up to 30-minutes at a time.
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour has a minimum of 2 guests to operate
- This tour includes a significant amount of walking, often along forest trails. While paths are well-maintained, the ground is uneven in places and requires a reasonable level of fitness to partake. The itinerary is designed to breakup periods of walking into 30-minute blocks. Please ensure you wear good quality shoes or boots.
- This tour is well-suited to children but they will need to be able to walk or be carried for up to 30-minutes at a time.
- This tour spends a considerable period of time outside. Weather conditions in Togakushi are often notably cooler than Nagano City, even in summer. Please also ensure you wear suitable clothing for the season and bring a waterproof jacket and/or umbrella as weather conditions can change quickly.
- This tour includes a 'soba' (buckwheat) noodle lunch in Togakushi village. If you have any dietary requirements please let us know at time of booking.
- Infants (0-5) are free of charge. An infant lunch is not included and the order will be made directly to the restaurant according to your needs.
- 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.
- Due to the amount of walking, this tour is not suitable for guests who are mobility impaired
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.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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