Hike the Pristine Forests of Nagano in Snowshoes

The adventurous way to enjoy Nagano’s winter wilderness

Nagano’s winter landscape is marked by ancient forests, the towering Northern Alps, numerous ski runs, and snow-covered villages tucked away in narrow valleys. On this adventure tour, you’ll enjoy a day of trekking the snow-covered forest in one of several areas depending on the weather and snow conditions. As anyone who has snowshoed before can attest, it’s the perfect way to experience the freedom of winter walking on fresh snow-unrestricted by trails and roads.

Even beginners can join. The tour includes instruction before heading out on a practice route through the Togakushi Forest Botanical Garden. Then, you’ll head to Kagami-ike, or “mirror pond,” where you’ll walk on a vast snowfield on top of the frozen pond. You will see the Togakushi mountain range standing high in the distance, a panoramic backdrop to your adventure. Your snowshoeing day will be spent searching for animals’ footprints and enjoying the wind-shaped snowdrifts as you go off trail in search of new discoveries. After a hearty lunch at a local soba noodle restaurant, you’ll trek down a snow-covered path lined with towering, centuries-old cedar trees before returning to the shuttle bus.

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station (one hour and 20 minutes), then take the Kita-Shinano Line to Kurohime Station (35 minutes). The tour starts at Kurohime Station.

Snowshoe hiking tour in Togakushi (Shinano Discovery)