[Spring Only] 1-Day Tour from Nagano: Snow Walls of Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route

Head high into Japan’s tallest mountain range via the legendary Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route and onto the ‘Roof of Japan’. With two pickup points in Nagano City , this engaging tour to the immense Snow Walls of Tateyama and one of Japan’s most dramatic landscapes using mountain transports to and from the Nagano-side of the mountain to ascend to almost 2500 metres above sea level. Led by an English-speaking guide, you will be accompanied on every leg of your journey to the ‘Roof of Japan’ and back down again – the perfect way to experience one of Japan’s more remote and stunning landscapes.

*Please note that this tour is quite likely to be booked out well in advance. In the case that the original start times of 07:50 (Hotel Kokusai 21) and 08:15 (Nagano Station) are fully booked out, we will open up a new time slot thirty minutes earlier of 07:20 (Hotel Kokusai 21) and 07:45 (Nagano Station) to accept additional bookings. This time slot will only open after the original tour times are fully booked. (all other aspects of the itinerary will also move forward by thirty minutes)*

Are you looking to visit the Alpine Route in Summer or Autumn, outside of the operating dates for this tour? Check out our Green Season version here!

Highlights

• Experience of one Japan’s most iconic sights – the immense Snow Walls of the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route!
• Enjoy a unique variety of mountain transports to reach the summit of 2450 metres above sea level and access the ‘Roof of Japan’
• Witness the dramatic alpine landscape of Japan’s highest mountain range and expansive Chubu Sangaku National Park by walking through the surrounding snowfields
• With pick-up and drop-off available in Nagano City!

Want to join this tour from Tokyo? It’s easy to do! Scroll to the bottom for our FAQs including train services that can you use to join the tour!

Description

The tour begins in Nagano City with meetup points at Hotel Kokusai 21 followed by Nagano Station. Your guide will greet you and the other guests and quickly have you board the bus to begin your journey to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. Arriving at Ogizawa Station around 09:45 your guide will give you time to prepare for your ascent before boarding the Kanden Tunnel trolley bus at 10:00 or 10:30 (dependent on how busy the route is on that day) – the first of a variety of mountain transports you will utilize to reach the summit.

First stop is the Kurobe Dam. Constructed between 1956 and 1963, this immense structure require the labor of up to 10 million people and is Japan`s highest dam. A source of national pride and emblematic of man`s attempts to conquer nature, your guide will give you time to enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, before starting the next leg of your journey toward the top.

The Tateyama Ropeway is a highlight of your adventure upwards. Spanning 1700 meters, you will be transported upward to the final stop of Daikanbo, before taking the final trolley bus to the final station, Murodo. At 2450 meters, this is Japan`s highest station – an isolated outpost in an inhospitable, dramatic landscape.

Vast amounts of snow fall on the landscape each winter making it inaccessible until spring brings warming temperatures and the chance to carve a route through the ice. Rising up to 20 meters above, the stunning snow corridor is one of Japan’s most iconic sights dwarfing people and tours buses alike! Your guide will allow you between 1.5-2 hours to stroll the area (depending on the pace of your), including time to explore the museum and surrounding area.

Between 15:00 and 15:30 your guide will collect you and begin the journey back down, descending back to Ogizawa where the tour bus will be waiting. Boarding the bus and returning to first to Nagano City between 18:00 to 19:00.

*Please note – all listed times are estimates of the expected itinerary and can be affected by weather and traffic conditions and peak busy periods.

MEETUP POINTS

This tour operates to and from two points in Nagano City – Hotel Kokusai 21 and Nagano Station. This is a group tour therefore please ensure you are at your selected meetup point prior to the meetup time to avoid any chance of missing the tour bus. The tour will need to depart on-time:

1  /  HOTEL KOKUSAI 21 @ 07:50 (If fully booked for main time slot; 07:20)

The meetup point is at the entrance of Hotel Kokusai 21. Please note that this is group tour and there are other pick-up points therefore the tour will need to depart on-time. Please be at the entrance prior to the meetup time and look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The tour will need to depart on-time.

2  /  NAGANO STATION @ 08:15 (If fully booked for main time slot; 07:45)

The meetup point is inside the station, in front of the Information Board directly across from the Shinkansen ticket gates. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. Please ensure you are there prior to the meetup time as the tour will need to depart by 08:20.

NOTES

Included

• Transport from / to Nagano and Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route via Ogizawa Station
• Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route return ticket
• English-speaking guide

Excluded

• Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ tickets to & from Nagano
• Lunch & other snacks or drinks
• Accommodation

Other Information

• *Please note that this tour is quite likely to be booked out well in advance. In the case that the original start times of 07:50 (Hotel Kokusai 21) and 08:15 (Nagano Station) are fully booked out, we will open up a new time slot thirty minutes earlier of 07:20 (Hotel Kokusai 21) and 07:45 (Nagano Station) to accept additional bookings. This time slot will only open after the original tour times are fully booked. (all other aspects of the itinerary will also move forward by thirty minutes)*
• Please wear suitable shoes for walking through snow and cold conditions (with the possibility of temperatures below 0°C).
• Please bring sunglasses as the snow in combination with sunlight can produce intense glare. We also recommend wearing snowboots or good quality walking boots, if you wish to walk on the snowfields.
• This tour is not wheelchair accessible and may not be suitable for mobility-impaired travellers. Should you have any concerns about your ability to join the tour, please contact us to discuss prior to booking.
• This tour does not include lunch. Snacks can be purchased at different mountain stations with different restaurants to choose from at the summit.
• In case of extreme weather conditions, routes to the snow corridor might close. In such a case, the tour will be cancelled with full refund.
• The itinerary is based on the traffic conditions being optimal. We will adjust the schedule according to traffic conditions and pace of the group on the day of the tour.
• Infants (aged 0-5) are free of charge. As a result, we cannot guarantee that a seat on the tour transport will be available for infants and they may be required to sit in the lap of an adult.
• Given the popularity of the Alpine Route and the need to wait for transports on busy days, we cannot guarantee the end time of the tour however it should be no later than 19:00. We ask that all guests cooperate with the instructions of the guide, including meetup times for transports, to avoid any chance of delay.
• The tour application deadline is 1 day before the tour date at 17:00.