1 Day Tour from Kanazawa & Toyama: Snow Wall and Mysterious Valley

The stunning Japanese Alps stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan with beautiful scenery throughout. In the Northern Alps in Toyama prefecture is the famous Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. This route stretches across a mountain range and goes over magnificent gorges, charming lakes and seemingly endless highlands. During the winter time this area is transformed into a white paradise, with snows walls that can stretch as high as 20 meters(60 feet). On this tour you will ride one of our company’s buses to get to the highest point, in Murodo, where you can walk along this snow wall and enjoy the other winter sights in the area. On the way there, we will have a brief stop in Ashikuraji, the traditional start of the climb to Mt. Tateyama. Learn about how people viewed heaven and hell and this mountains role in those. Let’s venture together into history and then the “Roof of Japan” and revel in this mountainous region’s beauty.

If you are coming to Japan past mid-April but still want to see the Alpine Route, we offer a Green Season tour from the Nagano Side which operates from mid-June through early November. Check it out 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 meters 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

• Walk around the traditional start of the hike to Tateyama and see a shrine with Enma, the god of the underworld, and a bridge that separates the world of the living from the dead

*For those looking to join the tour from Tokyo, please see the FAQ Section below

*This tour starts from April 30th and runs until mid-June. The Alpine route opens on April 15th and if you want to see the Snow Walls between the 15th and 29th, please visit our tour that leaves from the Nagano side.

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

Description

This tour will start at Kanazawa Station at 8:00 A.M.(if your pick-up is Toyama the meeting time is 9:00 A.M.), where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. You will have the opportunity to put your belongings in a coin locker or send your luggage to the next hotel as well if you feel the need. Once you have left the inside of the station building, we will hop on the company bus and head towards the Tateyama Alpine Route and the Snow Walls.

After about an hour and a half we will arrive at the base of Mt. Tateyama at Oyama Shrine. This was where most hikers and pilgrims would start their ascent to the top of the mountain, the same area where we will be going later. Mt. Tateyama was worshipped as a place of hell and heaven and in this town, you can see the hell side of the mountain. Enma-do is unusual as it is a place to worship Enma, the god that decides who goes to heaven and hell. Down the ravine slightly is also the bridge that represents the divide between the world of the living and the world of the dead. After that little bit of exploration we will hop back on the bus and restart our journey to the top.

As the bus slowly makes its way up the mountain it will finally come up to what this area is known for, the snow walls. Over the course of the year the size of the walls decrease in size over the summer to be rebuilt during the winter months. Once we arrive at the station, we will break for lunch. Feel free to look around and have something at Murodo or a bento/boxed lunch that you brought! After eating we will head back to walk along the great white barriers. It takes about 35 minutes to walk along the route and come back, but you can take more time if you want.

The final part of the tour before heading back is the highlands. You will have about an hour and a half to walk around, shop and enjoy the natural paradise that is the “Roof of Japan”. There are many interesting views and formation around the station and throughout the highlands. Have a snowball fight, make a snowman or walk to some of the intriguing formations. It is simply one of the most stunning and unforgettable places you’ll ever be!

Around 15:30 we will all meet up again and prepare for the descent back down to Tateyama. Enjoy the views as we head down using the bus and cable car again before boarding the tour bus and heading back to Kanazawa. We should be back at Kanazawa Station by around 19:00 (and Toyama by around 18:30) where we will say our goodbyes!

Note: Please be aware that times are just estimates and can vary based on the weather conditions.

TOUR MEETUP POINT

1 / KANAZAWA STATION @ 8:00 A.M.

The meetup point is outside of the Shinkansen ticket gates, in front of the information center. If you are heading out from the gates, look forward and to the right and you will see a four large sumo wrestlers lined up. This is where we will be meeting. For those coming from outside the station, you will find this sign immediately inside of the East Entrance of Kanazawa Station. You may wait nearby there until the tour begins at 8:00 A.M. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

2 / TOYAMA STATION @ 9:00 A.M.

The meetup point is in front of the Tourist Information Center in the middle of Toyama Station, across from the ticket office. It is in the center of the train station and you’ll be able to find your tour guide next to the spiral stairs. Please wait there until 9:00 A.M. when the tour starts. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

NOTES

Included

• English speaking guide
• Tour bus transportation from Kanazawa Station (or Toyama) to Murodo
• Tour bus transportation from Murodo back to Kanazawa (or Toyama)

Excluded

• Lunch
• Accommodation

Other Information

• This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or rain coat if necessary.

• In winter the temperatures will be below 10℃ at the high , and in the morning and evening may be close to or below 0℃. Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for snowy and cold conditions. There may also be snow and ice on the road/sidewalk, and so you should take care to not slip by preparing the correct shoes for such conditions.

• There will be free time along the way for guests to enjoy the locations at their own pace. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.
• Infants (0-5) are free of charge. We also 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. We apologize for this possible inconvenience.