1-Day Tour from Nagano and Matsumoto Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle

From $208.53 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

Select Date and Travelers

You can select up to 14 travelers in total.

Adult (13-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 14

Child (4-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 14

Infant (0-3) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 14

Book online or call: +1 437 970 2890

Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Transportation to all listed destinations inc. direct access to/from Kamikochi
English-speaking guide
Entry to Matsumoto Castle & guided tour
Guided walk followed by free-time at Kamikochi

Lunch
Shinkansen or other onward travel tickets
Accommodation

Overview

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.

Meeting points

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Matsumoto Castle

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.

1 hour 15 minutes
Nawate Shopping District

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.

30 minutes
Kamikochi

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.

3 hours

Additional Info

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.

Free Cancellation

June 11100% refund

June 12No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

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.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.9

53 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

51
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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 51 reviews with 5 stars

Great day trip from Nagano

Published on Nov, 2024

Endo-San was a warm and engaging tour guide. In addition to sharing a lot of history, he carefully explained our itinerary so we would know what to expect. Pickup and drop off went without a hitch. Seeing a group of snow monkeys on our hike was an unexpected treat.

Castle, monkeys, frogs and landscapes

Published on Nov, 2024

First the Castle in Matsumoto was incredibly impressive landmark, it was interesting hearing some trivia about these Japanese Castles and what they were used for. The valley we walked through heading up to Kamikochi had some breathtaking views, and a small group of snow monkeys to boot. I appreciated how easy it was, jumping in the van from Nagano station, and being taken on a guided tour of these great places. Shout out to Dai for walking us through the different sites. JB

Wonderful Tour

Published on Nov, 2024

Dai was a super star! He was very patient and very informative. It was so good having someone explaining things to us. The walk at Kamikochi was wonderful. Extra special was seeing the snow monkeys. Thank you Dai ( and our driver) See you in New Zealand one day Christine and Ian

Highly recommended tour conducted by Shawn

Published on Nov, 2024

Shawn was a friendly and knowledgeable guide who took good care of the tour group during our trip to Matsumoto Castle, Nawate Street and Kamikochi. Thanks to his suggestion, we managed to try amazing Apple Shinshu beef in Nagano. As a testament to his amiable character, a lovely pigeon suddenly flew over and perched on his arm while he was giving commentary as evident in the photo shown.

Book this tour.

Published on Nov, 2024

Awesome tour. Devin is a very good guide who knows the city. We had a good time. Would recommand. Transportation is confortable. Big day but worth it.