The 15 Best Nagano Tours & Alpine Day Trips

1.1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,020 reviews · from $151Our pick

Spend a full day in Nagano: Zenko-ji Temple, guided sake tasting, and Jigokudani snow monkeys with lunch and practical winter tips.

“Was an amazing tour. Shawn and Yama, our guides, were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and patient with the large group. The only suggestion I would offer is maybe including a pin drop for the pick up location for those of us who don't know the area but otherwise an incredible experience.”

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

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

Zenko-ji Temple, sake tasting and a real wild encounter with snow monkeys bathing in hot springs, plus a mountain-style lunch.

“Definitely recommend this tour! The whole experience was amazing and a must do if you are coming to Japan! Thank you to Dylan and Luca for making our experience enjoyable and sharing with us your knowledge.”

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3.Snow Monkey 1 Day Tour with Beef Sukiyaki Lunch

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

Tokyo to Nagano for beef sukiyaki lunch and a guided snow monkey visit in Jigokudani, plus optional Kamakura snow huts.

“The tour was amazing. Starting with a delicious sukiyaki lunch, it only got better. The snow monkeys and snow hut village were enchanting. Ichiro was nothing short of spectacular. He expertly guided us through the entire journey and his love and enthusiasm made a great trip even better. Overall, an excellent and very happy and memorable experience!”

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4.Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 128 reviews · 3 hours · from $88

Matsumoto Castle meets samurai training in a 3-hour guided tour with katana stances, costumes, and a National Treasure tower visit.

“Loved the whole experience. Matsumoto castle was really impressive, and our guide Naomi provided all sorts of valuable insights. Master Kai was awesome, and the samurai experience was truly special for me and my friends.”

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

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

One day to pair Matsumoto Castle with Kamikochi in the Japan Alps, with guided walks, included tickets, and transport handled.

“Travel guide Shin was excellent. Explained the highlights of the locations visited. Very patient. Kamikochi is a very nice place. Just as expected.”

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

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

A 12-hour day trip pairing **Matsumoto Castle** and the alpine wonder of **Kamikochi**, with guided history and valley walking.

“Excellent! Our guide Shin was fantastic. The scenery and walking were terrific. Highly recommend.”

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

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

Private Nagano day trip with snow monkeys, Zenko-ji, Obuse sake, and Shibu Onsen, with pickup, guide, and flexible pacing.

“We had a wonderful day with Hori! He was very knowledgeable about Nagano and we saw some beautiful landmarks. Our favorite was the snow monkey park!”

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8.Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $88

Tour Matsumoto Castle inside and train samurai kata with your chosen sword and outfit, led by an English guide in 3 hours.

“The most memorable part was our versatile tour guide and Samuri-sword instructor to keep all members of our party engaged in a once in a lifetime experience!!! We will always remember this guided tour for the unique, very Japanese experience that not many get.”

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9.Izakaya Food Tour in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $111

A 3-hour small-group izakaya food tour in Nagano with five dishes, two drinks, and night photos, led by guides who know where to go.

“I had a wonderful evening with Masa. I was is only customer, so I had is full attention. The establishments we visited were all very authentic and the food was very good. I especially liked the soba noodles and pickles made by one of the izakaya owner, a woman in her eighties. Masa is very knowledgeable about is hometown and about all there is to do around Nagano. I highly recommend his tour.”

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10.Matsumoto Castle Town Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 58 reviews · 3 hours · from $63Best value

Follow samurai footpaths to Matsumoto Castle, spot frogs on Nawate Street, then stroll Nakamachi cafes with an English guide.

“We had a very interesting and cheerful tour from Matsumoto Stadion to the castle and through some historic side streets. The guide was very friendly and accommodating, with extensive historical knowledge. He addressed our questions and wishes. We highly recommend this tour to everyone.”

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11.Food & Cultural Walking Tour around Zenkoji temple in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $91

Taste Nagano the local way near Zenkoji temple, with oyaki, matcha, and sake, plus small-group history walks and photos.

“Masa was a wonderful host and guide. As it was just the two of use it turned out to be a private tour. He speaks excellent English having lived many years in the UK and together with his knowledge of history and local culture really made the tour “alive”. Highly recommended.”

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

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

Spend 1.5 hours playing in Shiga Kogen snow, then hike to Jigokudani Snow Monkeys in hot springs, with lunch and guide included.

“The snow scooters at the park were very fun, and lunch was great! The snow monkey park was absolutely beautiful, and the monkeys made it even better. My husband and I enjoyed the hike itself as much as we enjoyed watching the monkeys. Hiroshi and Hana were wonderful guides, and we loved chatting with them. We did this as a day trip from Tokyo and highly recommend!”

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13.Nagano Ski Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · from $2,862

10-day Nagano powder skiing plus snow monkeys and classic Japanese performance nights, with lift passes, instruction, and private transport.

“Best ski tour ever! The combination of the cultural experience with expert guides made this a great trip. Jase took care of all of our needs. His guides lead us each day to the best snow on the mountain. The powder was Exceptionally awesome.”

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14.Matsumoto Discovery – Half Day Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · from $64

A small-group half-day walk through Matsumoto with a licensed English guide, castle admission, and downtown shop streets like Nawate and Nakamachi.

“Tom was an amazing guide and tailored the trip to my interests. Very knowledgeable and able to answer all the questions I had. Matsumoto castle is definitely a highlight of my trip.”

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15.Snow Monkey, Zenko Ji Temple, Sake in Nagano Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · from $631

Private Nagano day trip with Zenko-ji, Jigokudani snow monkeys, Obuse, lunch stop and a chance to taste sake.

“Great day and a great guide. Bhatti did a great job and always made sure we had everything we needed. I highly recommend the your to go see the monkeys and I highly recommend bhatti as your guide”

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