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Matsue Horikawa Tour: Explore Historic Townscape and Nature With a One-Day Boarding Pass
4.5
21 Ratings
Matsue
Embark on a one-day boarding pass tour of Matsue Horikawa and explore its historic townscape and nature. See seasonal trees, wild birds, and sea creatures. Experience the castle town and the life of its citizens.
Embark on a one-day boarding pass tour of Matsue Horikawa and explore its historic townscape and nature. See seasonal trees, wild birds, and sea creatures. Experience the castle town and the life of its citizens.
Duration:
50 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Matsue Castle Town - A pleasure boat that takes you around the inner and outer moats surrounding Matsue Castle, a national treasure, in a small boat for about 50 minutes. The excavation that was built at the time of Matsue Castle’s construction and remains today is rare in Japan, and there is only a pleasure boat that can go around the castle…
- Matsue Castle Town - A pleasure boat that takes you around the inner and outer moats surrounding Matsue Castle, a national treasure, in a small boat for about 50 minutes. The excavation that was built at the time of Matsue Castle’s construction and remains today is rare in Japan, and there is only a pleasure boat that can go around the castle here. There are 17 bridges on the course, some low bridges that can only be passed through by lowering the roof of the ship, and popular attractions where you can experience the famous `` roofing ‘’, from small children to elderly people You can enjoy it.
What's Included
- All fees and taxes included
- All fees and taxes included
Additional Information
[Day-long Boarding Pass]
Take advantage of the freedom to embark and disembark at any of our three docks during operation hours upon purchase.
The route offers views of seasonal flora and fauna. Witness, not just read or hear from guides, about the various birds, fish, and insects. With luck, you might spot aquatic life like rays.
Experience the varied…
[Day-long Boarding Pass]
Take advantage of the freedom to embark and disembark at any of our three docks during operation hours upon purchase.
The route offers views of seasonal flora and fauna. Witness, not just read or hear from guides, about the various birds, fish, and insects. With luck, you might spot aquatic life like rays.
Experience the varied landscape, ranging from the historical urban scenery of the castle town to glimpsing the everyday lives of the locals.
- There is a slope. (Contact open space boarding place)
Location
大手前堀川遊覧船乗場
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(21 Ratings)
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Itrt
Feb 8, 2025
So Much Fun - I booked a small group tour with Shannon of Dream Vacations Japan to Matsue, a city of canals located on a peninsula between two lakes. We started our tour with a canal river trip. Actually, it was a trip in the moat that surrounded the Matsue Castle built in 1611. The boat ride was so much fun from beginning to end. Picture in your mind a group of senior citizens crawling on their hands and knees to get into the boat after leaving our shoes at the entranceway. There were no seats. Instead, we sat on either side with our backs against the side of the boat and our legs stretched out in front of us. The boat’s roof protects from sun and rain but it’s important to watch your head. There were a few bridges we went under with some so low that we had to squash down so the canvas top could be lowered so we could pass under the bridge. Toward the end of the trip, the boatman sang a song in Japanese (I think wishing us well). The boat ride was about 50 minutes. Besides a boat full of laughter, we enjoyed some beautiful scenery. A truly memorable experience and highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Petersam55
May 31, 2024
As a means of transportation within the city - Although it was June, it was a humid day and I hesitated to walk around.
I bought a ticket for the "Horikawa Meguri" tour, which takes you on a boat tour of the moat under Matsue Castle.
There are many boarding points, so it's very convenient.
Because the area is covered by the moat, you may have to make a long detour to get from your starting point to your destination.
I chose to take the boat as a way to avoid that.
Thanks to this, I was able to walk around the city without any stress.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yokon634
Apr 4, 2024
The boatman's talk is informative - I was a little tired, so I decided to get on board.
The boatman explained about Matsue Castle, the townscape, and its history while we cruised in the sunken kotatsu. We had to duck down four times on the way to the lowest part of the bridge! That was fun too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Misslinda53
Oct 3, 2023
Lovely boat tour in Matsue - The City of Water - Thoroughly enjoyed this little cruise around the canals of Matsue which surround the Matsue Castle. Although I do not speak Japanese and couldn’t understand the guide, it was still quite enjoyable. On the tour you will pass under 17 bridges. Some of these are very low, but the boats are build so that the roof collapses so it can pass under the bridge. If you are unable to sit on the floor, or do not want to lean in when the roof collapses, this might not be for you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
氏家良光
Sep 20, 2023
Please come on board. - It was a Sunday, but it was raining lightly, so my husband and I had the boat to ourselves. There was no problem as the boat had a roof. When we went under a low bridge, the roof folded up and we had to lie down. It felt like we were on an attraction. It was fun! The boatman was a gentle man, and he showed us his impressive singing voice along the way, and showed us the surrounding scenery. In total, we were able to feel the atmosphere of Matsue in just under an hour. It was all over in a flash, and we were having so much fun that we forgot to take pictures. Thank you very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
877jacquif
Sep 8, 2023
Great boat trip - you can turn up and get tickets on the day - Super little boats buzzing around on the Matsue canals. We joined a boat ride in August 2023 at a cost of 1200 Yen per adult and 600 per child. Most of the other passengers were Japanese and enjoyed the commentary from our fantastic tour guide and skipper. Occasionally, he also played little bits of recorded English commentary for us. It was a shame not to learn more about our skipper’s personal connection to the town and canals, though. He was very funny and made our fellow passengers laugh a lot. At one point, he sang a local song, which we all enjoyed. The canals themselves are beautiful. They are dotted with low bridges. Some are so low that the canopy of the boat has to be lowered, and all passengers must fold themselves close to the floor. An interesting experience! We saw herons, egrets, swallows, millions of dragonflies, and one solitary terrapin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eliza_b
May 28, 2023
An excellent boat tour of Matsue! - Excellent tour! We use the hop-on hop-off feature and we broke up our exploration of the city on foot with very entertaining boat tours. There is an English speaker system that explains the sites. If you are lucky to have another passenger translate what the guides are explaining it is a very entertaining ride! Thank you!!! The boat’s roof collapses as you go under bridges. Super fun and saw so much wildlife and nature. An excellent way to explore the city and a must for anyone exploring Matsue!! So much fun!
Review provided by Viator
Eliza
May 28, 2023
Excellent boat ride! A must for anyone visiting Matsue - Excellent experience! Super friendly staff and an entertaining ride experiencing the history and nature of the city. The boat’s lower the roofs for the bridges and it is very fun. An excellent introduction into exploring Matsue. We did the hop-on hop-off and it was so much fun breaking up walking with boat rides. We saw so much wildlife! They very nicely had an English speaker system explaining different spots but we were lucky on a ride and had another passenger willing to translate the guide for us and we learned even more. Thank you!!! Excellent boat ride! Recommend for anyone visiting Matsue!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J3437bi_
Dec 9, 2024
Good except the weather - It was good to participate in the event with a view that could only be seen by boat. It was just the worst weather and it was cold, and it rained hail. Conversely, Kotatsu was saved. The boatman's explanation is well amused. She sang especially well in a good voice❗️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N3706sj_
Apr 29, 2024
It's okay if it rains - I made a reservation during Golden Week, but it seemed like it would be okay to just show up. (Even with a reservation, there was a 1-hour wait, and I ate the lunch I brought with me while I waited.)
On the way, the boat passed under a low bridge that required the roof of the sun and rain protection sheet to be lowered.
I had a great time listening to the boatman's lively commentary.
Review provided by Tripadvisor