Togakushi Soba Making & Ninja Museum Tour from Nagano

Make your own soba lunch, then navigate ninja secrets and sacred cedar groves

A full-day guided tour from Nagano combining hands-on soba noodle making, the Togakushi Ninja Museum, and a seasonal trek through Togakushi's spiritual heart: either hiking the pilgrimage trail to Okusha Shrine in green season or snowshoeing through the cedar cathedral in winter. An English-speaking guide leads all activities, and you eat the noodles you make for lunch.

Step-by-step itinerary

Soba making, Ninja museum, and shrine visit

• Make soba noodles with experts
• Enjoy handmade soba lunch
• Travel to Togakushi Ninja Museum
• Stop at Togakushi Chusha Shrine
• Explore ninja trick house (green season)
• Free time at ninja museum
• Hike cedar avenue to Okusha Shrine (green season)
• Or snowshoe cedar avenue (winter season)

The experience

Togakushi sits in the mountains above Nagano, and this tour builds around three things you do yourself rather than watch. You start by kneading, rolling and hand-cutting buckwheat dough into soba noodles alongside the museum's local artisans, then eat what you made for lunch in the museum restaurant. The guide walks you through each step, and the whole process takes the morning.

After lunch you head to the Togakushi Ninja Museum, with a short stop at Togakushi Chusha Shrine on the way. In green season (mid-April to mid-November), your guide takes you into the Ninja Trick House to solve its puzzles and trapdoors: an authentic recreation of how the Togakure clan trained. In winter, you strap on traditional kanjiki snowshoes instead and trek through deep powder, trading the trick house for an exclusive, uncrowded walk through the snow-laden cedars. Either way, you have free time to explore the rest of the museum.

The day ends at the spiritual center of Togakushi. In green season, you walk the ancient Togakushi Kodo pilgrimage trail, pass through the red Zuishinmon Gate and hike a 400-year-old cedar avenue (some trees stand over a century old), then climb stone steps to the secluded Okusha Shrine. In winter, when the upper shrine closes under heavy snow, the trek focuses on the cedar cathedral itself, which you reach by snowshoe. The whole tour runs roughly eight hours from Nagano, including transport to and from the mountain. You walk about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) on forest trails, with stone steps in green season or deep snow in winter.

What’s included

• Guided tour at all attractions with an English-speaking guide.
• entry to the Togakushi Ninja Museum in green season.
• transport from Nagano to Togakushi and between activities.
• kanjiki snowshoe rental in winter.
• your own handmade soba noodles for lunch in the museum restaurant.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except WednesdayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to2d 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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

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

Is this one for you?An English-speaking guide leads every step, so you follow comfortably even if you don't speak Japanese. The tour works for all fitness levels except those with mobility impairments, though the 4 kilometers of forest walking and seasonal terrain (stone steps or deep snow) mean you should be comfortable on your feet for several hours.

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Top questions

Can children come?

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

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit or have mobility concerns?

The tour involves sustained walking on forest trails, about 4 kilometers total, with stone steps in green season or snowshoeing through deep powder in winter. It is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, but the operator notes it is suitable for all other fitness levels. Sturdy walking shoes are essential year-round. Waterproof snow boots and warm, waterproof clothing are strongly recommended for winter departures.

What do I actually make and eat for lunch?

You make Togakushi soba noodles from scratch: kneading, rolling and hand-cutting the buckwheat dough under guidance from the museum's expert artisans. You eat your own handmade noodles for lunch in the museum's restaurant. If you have dietary requirements, let the operator know at booking. Infants (0–5) ride free but lunch is not included for them and is ordered directly with the restaurant according to your needs.

How does the tour change between winter and green season?

In green season (mid-April to mid-November), you explore the Ninja Trick House at the museum and hike the Togakushi Kodo pilgrimage trail to Okusha Shrine, climbing stone steps through the cedar avenue. In winter (mid-November to mid-April), the trick house closes and you strap on traditional kanjiki snowshoes instead, trekking through deep snow to the Zuishinmon Gate and the cedar cathedral. The Okusha Shrine building itself is closed due to heavy snow, so the trek focuses on the spectacular cedar avenue.

What's included in the price, and do I need to book the Shinkansen separately?

The tour includes the guided experience at all attractions, entry to the Togakushi Ninja Museum (in green season), transport from Nagano to Togakushi and between activities, kanjiki snowshoe rental in winter, an English-speaking guide, and your handmade soba lunch. The Shinkansen bullet train ticket from Tokyo to Nagano is optional and can be added at checkout. Public transportation options are available near the meeting point.

What should I wear and bring?

Wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes year-round. Togakushi is notably cooler than Nagano City even in summer, so bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella: weather changes quickly in the mountains. For winter tours (mid-November to mid-April), waterproof snow boots and warm, waterproof clothing are strongly recommended for the snowshoeing segment. Check the daily forecast before you go.