Matsumoto Castle Tour: Explore Historic Narai-juku

Immerse yourself in Japan’s rich history on this 1-day tour from Nagano to Matsumoto Castle and Narai-juku. Explore the iconic castle, stroll through the charming streets of Narai-juku, and indulge in local specialties. All transportation included!

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Nawate Shopping District - The tour will start with a walk through the famous Nawate Street, also known as Frog Street, in Downtown Matsumoto. Completely closed off to private cars, this street provides a relaxing area to window shop, try some local ice cream and snacks, or visit the adjacent Yohashira Shrine.
What's Included
  • Transport Between All Destinations
  • English Speaking Guide
  • Seasonal Activity at Narai-juku
  • Entrance to Matsumoto Castle
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Accommodation
Additional Information

This thrilling 1-day journey to Matsumoto Castle and Narai-juku allows participants to immerse themselves in Japan’s intriguing past. They’ll have an intimate experience with the famed Matsumoto Castle and take a leisurely stroll through the charming Narai-juku. The tour also includes a chance to explore the city center of Matsumoto and try or even buy…

Location
Nagano Station
Please meet your guide by the appointed time at the meeting point, which is in front of the information board directly opposite the Shinkansen ticket gates in Nagano Station. The guide will be wearing a snow monkey resorts tag around their neck.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(15 Ratings)
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Adamrv8811rm
Feb 11, 2025
Day trip from Nagano - Full day out from Nagano with excellent service. Both locations well worth a visit. The guide, Devin, was knowledgeable and good company.
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Johncz2078cl
Feb 2, 2025
A must do - Devin was our guide , he was great , very knowledgeable, we were lucky as we were the only ones on the tour. Would highly recommend this tour
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Jianey2025
Jan 18, 2025
Jan 25 Narai and Matsumoto castle tour - Lovely tour. It was a small group of around 4 of us and our tour guide, Joyce, did a fantastic job of taking us around the castle and town. There was plenty of time for buying souvenirs and snacks which was good. Would definitely recommend for others if they are looking to book this trip as well.
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Tamaraps209ig
Jan 11, 2025
Can I give it 11 stars ? - This was a terrific opportunity to get in a lot of the best sights and sites in one quick day. It would have taken me days to put this together myself. The guide, Shawn, was a native English speaker and has a degree in the Japanese language and history so many fascinating facts and historical stories were told which made each place much more rich in context. Our driver was excellent so the ride was smooth and he had suggestions about the places we went. Overall, really useful and entertaining !
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Z4932yajessicah
Nov 30, 2024
Wonderful day - This was a great trip with the highlights of Matsumoto and Narai-juku. Our guide, Shawn, was incredibly friendly and helpful.
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Divya_jindal
Nov 22, 2024
An amazing day trip to Matsumoto & Haraijuku - My husband & I had booked this tour through our travel agent in India. Joyce is an amazing guide. Of all the other day tours we did in Japan during our trip, this tour was the best. Joyce had so much to say about the history of Japan which we were walking to Matsumoto castle & everything was clearly understandable. The tour was smooth & flexible. We loved the recommendations that she gave us while we were in Matsumoto. Overall, our experience was amazing with Joyce.
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Amy
Nov 5, 2024
Wonderful tour - This was a very laid back enjoyable tour. There was a mix up related to start time on my part and we were late, but Dai was very accommodating and adjusted time accordingly ( thank you for that)! Matsumoto castle was beautiful with a very interesting history. Narai Juku was picturesque. The day was easy and unhurried. We never felt rushed even after our late start. The drive through the countryside was beautiful. Our guide Dai was just a pleasure to hang with for the day. I would Highly recommend this tour.
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Ssornos
Sep 30, 2024
Matsumoto and Narai - It was an excellent trip. My friends and I enjoyed this trip very much, especially our guide (Joyce) was very informative and showed us not only the tourist's highlight but also the hidden away places. As well as a superb lunch of noodles ! Also thanks to the driver who drove us safely. I will definitely join other trips by Snow Monkey again.
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89manelm
Jul 30, 2024
Excellent tour to Matsumoto and Narai-Juku - Amazing tour visiting the interesting castle of Matsumoto and the surprising town of Narai-Juku were we ate in a delicious restaurant and visited a house where we learnt a lot of how they live. As we were a small group, our kind and funny guides Shawn and Devin answered all of our questions and explained a lot of japanese culture and history. It was a nice ride and our fantastic driver Mr. Hara also answered us some things. Thanks for the great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fbuk2
Apr 7, 2024
If you're looking for a fascinating day trip from Nagano, this is it! - We had a fantastic time with Devin as our guide touring Matsumoto Castle and the historic post-town of Narai-juku! My son and I were the only members on the tour, as it was late in the season, so we had essentially a private guide. Devin is super knowledgeable about the history of Matsumoto and Japan and just an overall great guy to spend the day with. The castle itself was breathtaking with Devin bringing its stories to life. As part of the tour, we headed to Narai-juku, which was like stepping back in time. Walking through the main street of the post town and visiting the old homes where the emperors stayed was amazing, Best of all was lunch at a local udon spot - hands down the best udon we've ever had! I couldn't recommend this tour and the Snow Monkey Resorts team more highly (we also went to the Snow Monkey tour the following day, and our guide (Yuseke, I believe?) was equally amazing. Everything from the patient email communications months before to the extra help setting up adjacent lodging at Uroikan, and then with the tour logistics itself with prompt pickups and dropoffs--everything was professional and top-notch. 10/10--we'd do this again with the Snow Monkey Resorts crew in a heartbeat the next time we're Japan.
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
March 2025
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