Snow Wall Tour from Kanazawa: 20-Meter Alpine Corridor

Walk between walls of snow taller than a six-story building on Japan's highest mountain pass

A full-day tour from Kanazawa climbs the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route by bus to Murodo, where you walk the snow corridor: a passage carved through drifts that rise 20 meters above the surrounding landscape. The route includes a stop at Ashikuraji, where you learn how Mt. Tateyama figured in Japanese beliefs about heaven and hell, and time to explore the museum and snow fields at the summit. An English-speaking guide leads the group. Return to Kanazawa Station by early evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Tateyama Alpine Route and Snow Wall

• Travel from Kanazawa to Mt. Tateyama base
• Visit Oyama Shrine and Enma-do
• See the bridge between living and dead worlds
• Continue bus journey to Murodo Station
• Walk along snow walls and snow fields
• Explore museum and surrounding area
• Return to Tateyama Station
• Bus back to Kanazawa Station

The experience

Ten hours door-to-door, most of it on a tour bus climbing into the Japanese Alps. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route stretches across a mountain range and cuts through gorges and highland terrain that sits inaccessible most of the year: winter snow closes it until spring warming carves a passage through. You start at Oyama Shrine, the traditional trailhead where pilgrims and hikers have begun their ascent to Mt. Tateyama for centuries. Your guide explains the shrine's role in the mountain's spiritual geography: Enma-do, a temple dedicated to the god who judges the dead, sits here alongside a bridge marking the divide between the living world and the world beyond. Then the bus continues upward.

Murodo Station sits at the roof of the range, and that is where the snow walls appear. Winter deposits so much snow that the landscape becomes impassable. The route you walk exists only because crews cut it through each spring. The corridor rises 20 meters, taller than a six-story building, and stretches across the snow fields in both directions. You have 1.5 to 2 hours to walk the area, explore the museum, and stand among the drifts. The scale stops most people mid-step: tour buses look small against the walls. By 3:30 pm the group regroups and the bus begins the descent. Arrival back at Kanazawa Station is around 7 pm.

What’s included

• Tour bus transportation from your starting station (Kanazawa or Toyama) to Murodo and back.
• English-speaking guide for the full day.
• time to walk and photograph the snow corridor and explore the museum at Murodo.
• the stop at Ashikuraji and Oyama Shrine with guide commentary on the mountain's spiritual history.

Options for this experience

2 options

Departure from Toyama StationGuide in English · Available from 1 May 2027Meeting point: Toyama Station, 1-225 Meirinchō, Toyama, 930-0001, Japan

Departure from Kanazawa StationGuide in English · Available from 1 May 2027Meeting point: Kanazawa Station, 1-1号 Kinoshinbomachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0858, Japan

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 May 2027

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Snow Monkey Resorts Tours (Machinovate Japan Ltd.)

Is this one for you?Choose the Kanazawa departure if that station is on your route. Choose Toyama if it's closer to where you're staying or traveling through.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6): free.

How long is the actual walking at the snow wall?

Your guide allows 1.5 to 2 hours to walk the snow corridor and explore the surrounding area and museum at Murodo, depending on the group's pace.

What is Ashikuraji and why do we stop there?

Ashikuraji is the traditional starting point for climbs up Mt. Tateyama, where Oyama Shrine and the temple Enma-do sit. Your guide explains how the mountain was viewed in Japanese beliefs about heaven and hell and the role these sacred sites played in that spiritual geography.

Can I start this tour from Toyama instead of Kanazawa?

Yes, you can choose to depart from either Kanazawa Station or Toyama Station at checkout. The route and inclusions remain the same.

What happens if the snow walls are not accessible on the day of my tour?

All activities are subject to availability and weather conditions. If any part of the itinerary cannot be carried out as scheduled, the operator will contact you to discuss alternatives or amendments.