Myoko to Nozawa Onsen | SamuraiSnow
Refine your search.
E.g., 23/12/24
E.g., 23/12/24
More Options

Myoko to Nozawa Onsen

Nagano Region

Overview

An authentic Japanese ski town with uncrowded slopes, Myoko is powder and park heaven, combining modern facilities and true Japanese charm.

The transfer time to Nozawa Onsen is 1 hour to 2hrs45 minutes depending on your choice of transfer.

Combining a trip to Nozawa Onsen with a few days in Hakuba or Myoko are popular options.

Bus, private taxi transfer, train and self-drive are all possible options for transport from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen.


Private Taxi Transfer

Myoko to Nozawa Onsen Taxi

  • Price: ¥6,300 to ¥50,000 per person - depending on the number of passengers
  • Transfer Time: 1 hour

Private Taxi Transfers are the most convenient and fastest option for transfer between Myoko and Nozawa and must be booked in advance.

This door-to-door transfer option is the most flexible and convenient option, allowing you to not lose a day on the slopes when transferring from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen.

Vehicles are jumbo-sized, can take ski and snowboard bags and up to 8x people.

Tip

  • You can book a stop-off at a supermarket to buy groceries for an additional charge. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation in Nozawa Onsen and plan to cook some of your own meals, this can be really useful.

Pros

  • Available 24 hours a day
  • Most convenient
  • Faster than bus services

Cons

  • More expensive than other options

Book Now


Bus

Myoko to Nozawa Onsen Bus via Nagano Station

  • Price: ¥5,000 per person
  • Transfer Time: 2hrs45 minutes (includes 30 mins waiting time) 

Taking the bus from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen is another popular method of travel.

The service picks up from Myoko Akakura village and drops off at Nagano Station, where a change of vehicle is required to board the bus to Nozawa Onsen.

The bus drops off at the centrally located Chuo Bus Terminal in Nozawa Onse.

The total transfer time, including 30 minutes waiting time between buses at Nagano Station is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Pros

  • Reasonably well priced

Cons

  • Change of vehicle required at Nagano Station
  • Not a door-to-door service

Book Now


Getting to Myoko by Train

Train from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen

  • Price: Approximately ¥1,200 per person
  • Transfer Time: Up to 2 hours (including waiting time between trains)

Japan has a world-class network of trains that famously run on time to the second!

Myoko Kogen is the closest Train Station to Myoko ski resort (10 mins drive) and Togari-Nozawa-Onsen is the closest Train Station to Nozawa Onsen (12 mins drive).

The rail route from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen requires one change of train.

  • Stage 1: Shinano Railway Kitashinano Line*: Myoko Kogen Station -> Toyono Station (30 minutes) 
  • Stage 2: JR Iiyama Line: Toyono Station -> Togari-Nozawa-Onsen Station (45 minutes)

* The Shinano Railway Kitashinano Line is a private railway line and JR Passes are not valid on this service

Tickets can be purchased on the day of travel from ticket machines or a sales counter.

If you plan which train you plan to get in advance, most accommodations in Nozawa Onsen will provide a pick up and drop service to / from your accommodation from Togari-Nozawa-Onsen, if you book it with them in advance with a couple of weeks’ notice.

Alternatively, you can take a local taxi from Togari-Nozawa-Onsen Station. Please ensure you have your destination written out in Japanese as most taxi drivers in Japan do not speak conversational level English.

Japan Rail Pass: For guests visiting Nozawa Onsen as part of a longer itinerary of travel elsewhere in Japan, either side of their ski experience, a Japan Rail Pass can be a fantastic investment, allowing unlimited train travel on most Japan Rail trains, for periods of 7, 14 or 21 days to suit your travel schedule.

Note: Myoko Kogen train station is listed as “MYOKO-KOGEN” and Togari-Nozawa-Onsen train station is listed as “TOGARINOZAWA-ONSEN” in this system

Pros

  • One stage is free if you hold a JR Rail Pass

Cons

  • Indirect - one change of train required
  • Not ideal for passengers with ski / snowboard bags

Car Hire

Driving from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen

  • Price: Varies by vehicle type and hire duration
  • Transfer Time: 1 hour

Myoko ski resort does not have any car hire options in the village itself. So, if you are planning on visiting Myoko before Nozawa Onsen and would like to drive the 1 hours drive to Nozawa Onsen, you can hire a car from Nagano, Tokyo, Tokyo Narita Airport or Tokyo Haneda Airport. 

The route from Myoko to Nozawa Onsen is pretty straightforward with road signs in English but driving in January and February can be a little tricky for those without experience of driving in challenging winter conditions. Snow & ice covered roads are possible and visibility can be poor when snow is falling.

If you are comfortable driving in these conditions, hiring a car and driving yourself to Nozawa Onsen opens up the possibility of visiting Nozawa Onsen as part of a larger itinerary vising multiple ski resorts or doing day trips from Nozawa Onsen.

Nozawa Onsen is an old village with narrow windy streets, so we do not recommend driving around Nozawa Onsen village during your stay. Parking at your accommodation in Nozawa Onsen can be a little tricky. Some hotels & apartment buildings may have one or two parking spaces but you will most likely have to pay. There are free car parking options on the outskirts of the village.

Hire vehicles are four-wheel drive, come with winter tyres fitted (so no snow chains required) and English language GPS can be booked.

All drivers must bring their own national driver's license and a valid International Drivers Permit to legally drive in Japan. Car hire companies will not hand over the keys without these documents.

Pros

  • Flexibility to do day trips or visit multiple ski resorts

Cons

  • Can be challenging driving conditions in the Nagano region – snowy / icy roads & poor visibility are possible

You might also like

Getting to Hakuba

Nozawa Transfers

Whether you are coming from Tokyo or one of the other Ski Resorts in the Nagano area, there are numerous options for the transfer to Nozawa.

Book now through our Pre-Trip Concierge Service

Available for guests that have booked accommodation with us.

Find Out More


Nozawa Onsen Accommodation

Nozawa Accommodation

Nozawa has a fantastic mix of hotels and traditional Japanese Ryokans to cater for travellers of all budgets.

Find Out More


Myoko Kogen

Myoko Ski Resort

A traditionally Japanese ski town with uncrowded slopes, Myoko is powder and park heaven, combining modern facilities and true Japanese charm. Myoko is a well kept secret and a powder gem.

Find Out More


Myoko Akakura Kanko Ski Resort

Myoko Accommodation

Myoko Kogen is made up of several resorts each with their own base area: Akakura Kanko, Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira and Suginohara. 

Akakura Onsen base area has the most facilities, restaurants, bars and accomodation options.

It is here that all of our accommodation options can be found.

Find Out More


All information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing.

Room Availability Information / Booking

The light blue bar at the top of the page shows the price and availability status of the accommodation (Available OR Enquire for Availability) for the stay dates listed.

When changing the stay dates, be sure to click the Update button to get the price and availability status of the new dates.

Where a discount is on offer, the pricing shown has the discount already applied.

Checking Availability

If the availability status is “Enquire for Availability” you can check availability by clicking on the “Enquire Now” button and submitting the accommodation enquiry form.

Please ensure you select “I/we would like to Check if this accommodation is available” in the first field of the form.

We will respond to you via email to confirm the availability status within 24-48 hours.

Booking

To proceed with booking the accommodation, click on the “Book Now” button and submit the accommodation enquiry form.

Please ensure you select “I/we would like to Book this accommodation” in the first field of the form.

Within 24-48 hours, we will send instructions to you on how to pay the deposit required to secure the booking.

The price of bookings is fixed in Japanese Yen but you can pay in your home currency.

Searching...