1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines
Sitting just outside Nagano City, the forests of Togakushi are home to some of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines, sacred places that are linked to the myths of the creation of Japan itself, and the mountain refuge of the Togakure Ninja. This engaging tour gives insight into the daily lives of the ninja, taking you along short sections of the pilgrimage trails of the ‘Togakushi Kodo,’ and deep into culture, myth, and legend. This tour includes a hands-on soba making experience, visits to two of the most important Shinto shrines, the Togakushi Ninja Museum, and ends with a stroll through the grand avenue of giant cedar trees.
Options
1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines
What's included in 1-Day Togakushi Tour: Soba making, Ninja Town, and Hidden Shrines
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Tonkururin
Start your soba making journey from scratch with the help of your guide and the museum's expert soba artisans. Enjoy the fruits of your labor with a handmade soba lunch inside of the museum's restaurant seating area!
Togakushi Shrine Chusha
Depart for the Togakushi Ninja Museum, with a short stop at the Togakushi Chusha Shrine along the way.
Togakushi Folk Museum Togakushi Ninja Museum
Once arrived at the ninja museum, your guide will accompany you to the ninja trick house to enjoy engaging and authentic puzzle-solving to escape the manor. Time permitting, you will have time to enjoy other aspects of the ninja museum during free time.
Inclusions
- Guided tour at all listed attractions
- Transportation fee from Nagano to Togakushi and between activities/attractions
- Entry ticket to the Togakushi Ninja Museum
- English-speaking guide
- including your own handmade noodles
- Shinkansen/Bullet Train ticket
- Accommodation
- Additional food, snacks & drinks
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour has a minimum of 2 guests to operate
- This tour includes a significant amount of walking, often along forest trails. While paths are well-maintained, the ground is uneven in places and requires a reasonable level of fitness to partake. The itinerary is designed to breakup periods of walking into 30-minute blocks. Please ensure you wear good quality shoes or boots.
- This tour is well-suited to children but they will need to be able to walk or be carried for up to 30-minutes at a time.
- This tour spends a considerable period of time outside. Weather conditions in Togakushi are often notably cooler than Nagano City, even in summer. Please also ensure you wear suitable clothing for the season and bring a waterproof jacket and/or umbrella as weather conditions can change quickly.
- This tour includes a 'soba' (buckwheat) noodle lunch in Togakushi village. If you have any dietary requirements please let us know at time of booking.
- Infants (0-5) are free of charge. An infant lunch is not included and the order will be made directly to the restaurant according to your needs.
- Due to the amount of walking, this tour is not suitable for guests who are mobility impaired
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- The meetup point is inside Nagano Station. Your guide will wait for you infront of the large Information Board and video montiors, directly across from the Shinkansen/Bullet Train ticket gates. They will be wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The meetup time is 09:15.
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended due to the amount of hiking (approximately 4 hours)
