Everything for your trip to Nagano in one place: model itineraries, where to stay, culture experiences, anime pilgrimage, power spots, events & festivals. Open any page for access, highlights and typical dates.
🗺 3 days, 2 nightsSpringChubu & Hokuriku ・ 9 stops ・ April
A spring route through Shinshu (Nagano) that starts with the cherry blossoms at Takato Castle Ruins Park and Matsumoto Castle, continues along the Nagano Electric Railway to Suzaka, Obuse and Yudanaka, and ends with Jigokudani Monkey Park and Zenko-ji. It combines castle blossoms, hot springs and Hokusai's town.
🗺 5 days, 4 nightsAutumnChubu & Hokuriku ・ 15 stops ・ October・November
An autumn route that starts at Narai-juku and Matsumoto Castle, then takes in the fall colors of Kamikochi, the hot springs of Okuhida and the Shinhotaka Ropeway, Hida-Takayama and Gero Onsen before ending in Nagoya. You travel from mountain foliage down to city foliage, losing altitude as you go.
🛏 4 neighborhoodsTokyo & Around
Karuizawa Station Area・Kyu-Karuizawa・Naka-Karuizawa & Hoshino・Lake Shiozawa Area
🛏 6 neighborhoodsChubu & Hokuriku
Matsumoto Station Area・Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi & Nawate・Asama Onsen・Utsukushigahara Onsen・Kamikochi・Norikura Kogen
🍣 5 placesTokyo & Around ・ Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Kansai
Under the guidance of chefs and instructors, you make nigiri and rolled sushi or hand-made soba noodles yourself and enjoy them on the spot. Classes are easy to join everywhere, from city-center studios in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto to soba country such as Togakushi in Nagano and Nikko in Tochigi.
🛕 6 placesTohoku ・ Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Kansai
A shukubo is lodging for pilgrims visiting a temple or shrine, where you can savor shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), join the morning service and experience a day in a place of prayer. You can stay in long-standing centers of faith such as Koyasan in Wakayama, Mt. Hiei in Shiga, Zenkoji and Togakushi in Nagano, and Mt. Haguro of the Dewa Sanzan in Yamagata.
🎬 3 placesChubu & Hokuriku ・ Chikuma, Nagano
An original anime about high school girls in a bowling club in Nagano who are sent back to Japan's Warring States period. Chikuma in Nagano, the setting of the story, is selected for the 88 Anime Spots.
🎬 2 placesChubu & Hokuriku ・ Ueda, Nagano・Ote, Ueda, Nagano
An animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda in which Kenji, a high school math whiz, joins his senior Natsuki and her relatives in the Nagano countryside to face a crisis that began in a virtual world. Ueda in Nagano, the model for the town where the Jinnouchi family lives, is selected for the 88 Anime Spots.
⛩️ ShrineChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagano, Nagano
A shrine made up of five shrines, Okusha, Chusha, Hokosha, Kuzuryusha and Hinomikosha, scattered at the foot of the sacred Mount Togakushi. Connected to the Ama-no-Iwato myth, it is introduced on the official tourism sites of Nagano City and Nagano Prefecture as "a power spot of myth and faith." The "Five Shrines Pilgrimage," walking along cedar-lined approaches to visit all five, is well known.
⛩️ ShrineChubu & Hokuriku ・ Azumino, Nagano
Made up of the main shrine in Azumino, the Okumiya (inner shrine) on the shore of Myojin Pond in Kamikochi, and the Minemiya (summit shrine) on the peak of Mount Okuhotaka, this shrine is known as the "chief guardian of the Japan Alps." Nagano Prefecture's official tourism site introduces it as a power spot, and the shrine's official website also describes the Myojin Pond area as a power spot. It is a place where the nature of the Northern Alps and faith are closely intertwined.
⛰️ NatureChubu & Hokuriku ・ Ina, Nagano
A mountain pass on the border between Ina City and Oshika Village, sitting directly on the Median Tectonic Line, one of Japan's largest fault lines. Known as a "zero magnetic field" spot, it is listed as a power spot on Nagano Prefecture's official tourism site as a place where the mind feels calm. Visitors come to spend quiet time at the "kiba" (energy spot) in the forest.
August
ZooChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagano / Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen
A park in the mountains of Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, where you can observe wild Japanese macaques up close. It's famous for its monkeys bathing in hot springs in winter. The entrance is about a 30-minute walk along a mountain path from the parking lot or bus stop, so wear shoes and clothing suited to the season.
CastleChubu & Hokuriku ・ Matsumoto / Kamikochi
🌸 Typical peak: Early Apr – Mid Apr
ParkCastleChubu & Hokuriku ・ Ina, Nagano
🌸 Typical peak: Early Apr – Mid Apr
Park
Mountain & highland🍁 Typical peak
Park🍁 Typical peakChubu & Hokuriku ・ Agematsu, Nagano
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Oct – Late Oct
Mountain & highland🍁 Typical peak
Lake🍁 Typical peak
Avenue & old town🍁 Typical peak
Castle🍁 Typical peak
Park & natureChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nagano / Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen
❄ Best season: Mid Dec – Late Feb
Mountain & highland
Old town
♨ OnsenChubu & Hokuriku ・ Yamanouchi, Nagano
♨ Day use Junior high school students and up ¥500, elementary school students ¥300 (bathing tax included) (as of October 2026)
♨ OnsenChubu & Hokuriku ・ Nozawaonsen, Nagano
♨ Day use Free (a small donation as a contribution to the yunakama) (as of October 2026)
🎆 AugustChubu & Hokuriku ・ Suwa, Nagano
🎆 Every year on August 15 (August 15 (Sat), 2026)
🎫 Combo ticketChubu & Hokuriku ・ 5 consecutive days (in 2026, usable from April 15 to November 10)
From ¥24,500
🚄 JR
Fastest: Approx. 1 hr 20 min (example timetable: Kagayaki 501)
Monthly temperatures, rain and what to wear are in our weather guide.
Itineraries, intercity routes and travel passes that cover several prefectures are listed under each of them.
