Japan’s 12 Best Day Trips in Nagano

1.Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 833 reviews · 8 - 12 hours · from $135Our pick

Visit Zenkoji Temple, taste Nagano sake, enjoy a generous local lunch, and see snow monkeys on this well-paced guided day trip.

“The day trip was absolutely amazing - exploring the temple, sake tasting and the food was so much more than expected and sooo yummy!! The snow monkeys were incredibly cute and fascinating to watch. Tom is one of the best tour guides we've ever had - very informative, funny and genuinely kind. He even took the time to AirDrop locations and recommendations for places to go on the coach ride home, which was such a thoughtful touch, along with handing out stickers. If you want to see the snow monkeys, you must do this trip! It's 100% worth the money. Thank you”

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2.Snow Monkey 1 Day Tour with Beef Sukiyaki Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 295 reviews · 1 day · from $151

See Japan’s snow monkeys, enjoy beef sukiyaki, and visit Nagano’s winter scenery on a long but rewarding day trip from Tokyo.

“Great day. Very long but totally worth it. Only piece of feedback is to make the pickup point a bit easier. We were very much on time but because the pickup was quite far away from the park, and in an unfamiliar area, we nearly missed the coach due to not knowing which road to take to find the pickup point (there were at least 10 others who had the same issue). "George" was lovely and was very funny. Thanks/Arigato Gozaimas!”

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3.Snow Monkey & Nagano Customiseable Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 138 reviews · 1 day · from $466

Review of Tokyo’s private Snow Monkey and Nagano day tour, with luxury transport, flexible stops, practical costs, timing, and honest tips.

“Javad was gracious and freely giving of his time and knowledge. He was patient, well informed and unerringly polite and helpful. The entire trip was extraordinary and our whole family loved the day. Javad stretched the tour by more than an hour which makes for a long day but the car was extremely comfortable and the regular breaks were perfect. A must do trip whilst in Tokyo. Don’t miss the Snow Monkeys they are adorable!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $201Top rated

Combine Matsumoto Castle and Kamikochi on a guided day trip from Nagano, with transport, castle entry, mountain walks, and free time included.

“It was a full day of activities! We enjoyed the tour of the castle and city of Matsumoto. Our hike into the Kamikochi area was breathtaking. Devan was a great guide, very friendly and personable. We really enjoyed our day!”

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5.Full-Day Tour: Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Alpine Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 78 reviews · 12 hours · from $180

Review of the Matsumoto Castle and Kamikochi tour from Nagano, with castle history, Frog Street, alpine walks, timing, price, and practical tips.

“Shin was our guide for our day trip to Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi, and our family thoroughly enjoyed this experience! Shin was attentive and helped us learn about the history of the places we visited. Of course the highlight of our trip was the Alpine Valley. The walk to the Kappa bridge is breathtaking and it’s a MUST experience if you are visiting Nagano!”

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6.Private Nagano 1-Day Tour:Snow Monkeys,Zenko-ji,Obuse,Sake,Onsen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · from $337

Review of Nagano’s private snow monkey, Zenko-ji, Obuse, sake, and onsen tour, with practical advice on timing, value, transport, and guides.

“Tour guide was informational and his recommendation for lunch was awesome. Took us to a cherry farm during our tour. This was a private tour. We felt safe with him. Even chased an overly aggressive snow monkey away.”

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7.1 Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · 9 hours · from $165

Review of the 9-hour Shiga Kogen snow tour with snow play, Japanese lunch, and a visit to Jigokudani’s famous snow monkeys.

“It was the best day and highlight of our Japan trip!! Our guide Endo was amazing. We have a 1 and 2 y.o babies and he was so accomodating ang patient. He explains things clearly. We had so much fun in the snow. The snow monkey is a bit of a hike especially with children but it was so worth it. I definitely would recommend this trip! Endo also took lots of wonderful photos for us!Thank you Endo, you are amazing!”

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8.1-Day Tour from Matsumoto: Walk the Nakasendo Trail

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $211

Walk Japan’s historic Nakasendo Trail from Tsumago to Magome with an English-speaking guide, mountain views, forests, waterfalls, and old post towns.

“Kevin was a great guide traveling along the old Nakasendo trail. He knows the history and is an avid hiker in Japan. You will experience some of what commuters faced back in the day traveling between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). Bring fit legs (some stairs) and you will have a great time.”

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9.1 Day Tour From Nagano to Matsumoto Castle and Narai-Juku

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $201

Review of Nagano’s 10-hour Matsumoto Castle and Narai-juku tour, with castle entry, Frog Street, seasonal activity, transport, price, and tips.

“i think for us the Narai-juku post town was the highlight of our tour. A cart came by and we ate the traditional sweet potato. A great experience to just stroll down the longest post office street. The Frog Street was ok ( I don't like frogs haRead more”

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10.Nagano Private Two Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $489

Explore Nagano’s snow monkeys, Zenkoji Temple, Obuse, and ryokan life on a private two-day tour with guide-led sightseeing.

“early start from Tokyo to get to Nagano station but well worth it. Picked up from the station by our friendly guide Wei. Driven around in a private car. Saw a huge temple and walked around the village. Highly recommend the "spicy ice creaRead more”

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11.Nagano/Matsumoto: Matsumoto Castle and Narai-juku Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 1 day · from $180

Review of the Matsumoto Castle and Narai-juku day trip from Nagano, with samurai history, mountain views, transport tips, costs, and practical advice.

“The guide dedication to impart each and every part of history was commendable.. overall it was superb 🙌🌟”

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12.Snow Monkey Park & Miso Production Day Tour from Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $176

Visit a 300-year-old miso brewery, stroll Obuse, and meet wild snow monkeys on an 8-hour tour from Nagano.

“We had a great time on this tour. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano and were met at the station. We then boarded a small bus for the tour. The miso soup portion was surprisingly very interesting with a tour of a large, family-owRead more”

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