JAPAN
Japan's classics.
The 14 most popular matsumoto tours in Japan. What each one is really like, who runs it, and what you will pay.
Climb Matsumoto Castle, learn samurai history, then train basics with a katana in a short hands-on workshop near the tower.
“We had a fantastic time with our guide Shin and our Samurai teacher Kei. They were both extremely helpful and knowledgeable and it was a memorable experience. We would definitely recommend it. Thank you!”
Tour Matsumoto Castle and try a family-friendly samurai sword kata in traditional outfits, with English guidance and a small group pace.
“This was a fantastic experience. We’re so glad we signed up for this tour. Tim was our tour guide around the castle and he was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. The castle was everything we hoped for. Watch out for the stepRead more”
3-hour Matsumoto Castle Town walking tour with an English guide, castle entry, Nawate food street, and Nakamachi historic lanes.
“Shin was an incredible tour guide and made my visit to Matsumoto really fun and educational! I was the only person on the tour, so we were able to talk pretty extensively about Matsumoto. He knows a lot about the castle's architecture, and was able to get us inside quickly even on a busy holiday.…”
3-hour Matsumoto walking tour with an English-licensed guide: Matsumoto Castle, frog Nawate Street, and Nakamachi kura shops.
“It was excellent. The guide explained many things about Matsumoto, including information about the castle, temari balls, temples, shrines, shopping streets, and spring water wells. I was the only person on the tour so it was interesting.”
Guided Nakasendo Trail hike from Tsumago to Magome with Odaki and Medaki waterfalls, plus roundtrip transport from Matsumoto or Nagano.
“Brilliant - the weather was perfect, the guide (Joyce) was delightful - good fun and gave us so much interesting information and facts. The scenery was stunning and the villages, absolutely beautiful. The trek was just the right level: not too easy, not too difficult and just the right length of time for a day…”
Tour Matsumoto Castle then make and taste fresh buckwheat soba with a soba master in a 3-hour, small-group experience.
“Had a great time despite the weepy weather. Our guides Kentaro and Carol were helpful and great company. The experience was the highlight of our stay at Matsumoto”
Electric-bike ride through Matsumoto’s shrines, rivers, onsen village, and National Treasure castle, with easy pace and great guide info.
“Great way to see the Matsumoto area and had a great soba lunch from a local restaurant. The guide was very friendly and gave a good overview of the Matsumoto area”
Tour Matsumoto Castle and learn soba from scratch with an English guide, then eat the noodles you made in a short lunch.
“had a great time, Tom gave me plenty of info about the area and had some great stories. Highly recommend”
Handmade soba with a local master in Matsumoto, then grate real wasabi and enjoy a fresh lunch, all in a small group.
“We had an excellent experience making soba with the soba master and learning about/ making fresh wasabi with Elodie (our guide).”
Private Matsumoto Castle and sake tasting walk with an English-speaking guide, skip-the-line entry, and time to wander Nawate and Nakamachi.
“We had a wonderful relaxing afternoon spent with our guide Matsu. He was very courteous and provided us with lots of information about the area and the sites we were seeing. He also saved us over an hour waiting in line time by purchasinRead more”
Private Kamikochi walk with transfers and an English guide. Cross alpine bridges, spot wildlife, and enjoy car-free mountain air.
“great day out in beautiful park! plenty of good walking. thank you !”
A private, customizable Matsumoto day with English or French guidance, castle access, traditional miso, art, and old streets.
“We enjoyed a relaxed exploratory tour of Matsumoto today. Our awesome guide was Sylvain who walked with us for over 6 hours, guiding us through the beautiful streets of Matsumoto, exploring the old and new areas, walking down the Read more”
Early ride into Kamikochi for a guided walk to Taisho Pond, then Matsumoto Castle’s national-treasure tower and streets in one smooth day.
“Excellent tour. Kamikochi park is very beautiful definitely worth a visit. We took this tour to have an easy time getting to the park. Our guide was so kind and knowledgeable. We had a great day. Highly recommended”
Samurai sword training plus a guided Matsumoto Castle night tour with laser-mapped Winter Illumination. Small group, English guide, 3 hours.
“Great tour with a beautiful castle. Lots of historical facts. Great samoerai teacher. Fun to do.”
