Hi everyone! I have a scheduled week trip on the last week of February 2026 and I have a few questions on my itinerary and transportation options:

  1. I am arriving in Narita and plans to go straight ahead to Nagano via shinkansen. I will be spending 2 nights each in Nagano, Kanazawa, and Takayama. Do you think this is feasible for a solo traveler? How is the snow situation by end of Feb?
  2. I plan to rely on public transportation alone. Some major spots I want to visit are Togakushi shrine, Shirakawa-go, Hida no Sato, and Shinhotaka ropeway. Maybe Matsumoto castle if I still have time. Is it doable?
  3. Would you recommend I get a JR pass for my whole trip? I did some research but since i plan to visit multiple prefectures, I'm not sure if it is the best idea to get one.

Thank you in advance!

    1. Just depends on when the flight arrives. The most convenient transit option would probably be using Narita express from Narita to Tokyo station, then Tokyo to Nagano using the Hokuriku Shinkansen. That is all pretty straightforward. You’d have to check the weather. Places like Nagano are higher elevation and will probably have more snow than Takayama or Kanazawa.

    2. Some of those places need prior reservation for transit. Specifically the highway buses to Shirakawago, if you want to arrive and depart at certain times, you’d want to prebook that as early as you can. Shirakawago with the snow is extremely popular time to visit, so expect many people. Matsumoto from Nagano is doable as a daytrip.

    3. No, you may be close to breaking even cost wise (if you’re returning to Tokyo to leave)

    parent

    Thank you so much for the insights! Do the highway buses allow big luggages for transfer? I have one that I will be bringing from Kanazawa to Takayama. I hope it's okay?

    parent root

    Yes, big luggages go in the bus luggage compartment. Shirakawa-go bus station has coin lockers for suitcases. The largest coin locker (I think it was ¥1,000) can fit multiple full sized luggages inside.

    Do note that those coin lockers only accept ¥100 coins, so have enough on hand. I had to help a European couple there because they were short ¥100 coins. Got some Euro coins in return.

    parent root

    I believe they should. It's a highway style bus, so luggage goes in the compartment below.

    However, I'd recommend you not try drag your luggage with you unless you absolutely must. I think this would be a good opportunity to just luggage forward from Kanazawa to Takayama directly, so you can be hands free for Shirakwago

    parent root
    1. He can also do Keisei Skyliner to Ueno Station and then board Hokuriku Shinkansen from Ueno Station.
    2. I think there are a few unreserved buses that goes to/from Shirakawa-go, but he should reserve to pick a time that is more convenient for him.
    3. He should use https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ and calculate it out. But, I see in another post that he's leaving from Nagoya (Chubu) so the Hokuriku Arch Pass will not pay off.
    parent root

  • All this is very public transit accessible and you have a good time allocation for those destinations. My only commment is if your flight home is from Narita, it might take a long time to getthere from Takayama. Shin-Hotaka is halfway between Takayama and Nagano, so if you only have one day of stuff that interests you in Nagano, I would consider using Kanazawa, Takayama, and Matsumoto as your hotel spots, and day trip Nagano from Matsumoto. 

    parent

    Thank you so much! I will be departing from Chubu International Airport. I chose to stay in Nagano so that I can easily take the train to Kanazawa and then to Takayama. I think Takayama is much closer to the Chubu Airport so I chose it as my last place of stay.

    Do you think shinhotaka ropeway is worth it? I've been reading reviews and if it will be too much of a hassle, I am okay skipping it. Any other recommendations that I might be missing?

    parent root

    Oh, then your plan definitely makes sense. (And a JR pass will not be a good deal for you.)

    Shin-Hotaka Ropeway is definitely worth going if the weather is OK. The scenery around there is amazing and there are lots of onsen between there and Takayama (Hirayu Onsen, Shin-Hotaka Onsen, etc.)

    parent root

    Shinhotaka Ropeway was a great experience when I went on a clear day. I had hiked from Kamikochi to Yarisawa mountain lodge the previous day to stay a night. Chickened out of attempting to climb all the way to Mt. Yari (Yarigatake mountain lodge) due to timing and poor weather. The observation deck at Shinhotaka is at an even higher elevation than Yarisawa lodge. I could catch a glimpse of Mt. Yari way in the distance.

    The bus does take quite a while. I just checked and it took 1 hour 40 minutes to get from Shinhotaka to Takayama bus station. Thus, it's up to you if you need to skip it for this trip.

    parent root