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Nagoya is now home to a new Studio Ghibli attraction Ghibli Park – and, buying tickets to it is hard! It sells out fast – but, there is a way to get guaranteed entry tickets. And we’re about to tell you what it is.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
What is Ghibli Park?
It’s described as a Studio Ghibli theme park, but, forget the idea of the NoFace coaster or Totoro Teacups, there are no rides, instead, the idea is that you’re immersed in Ghibli’s world – so, it’s more like you’re wandering around in the films with the characters than you whooping and hollering on rides.
There are three areas now open in the park, The Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest. When the park first opened international travelers were only allowed in the Grand Warehouse, but now all three areas are open to all visitors.
Another area, Mononoke Village, opens on November 1st.
You can only enter areas on your specified date and time, and international sessions are at 12 or 2 pm for the Grand Warehouse and 11 am or 3 pm for the Hill of Youth and Dondoko Forest – although once you’re in you can stay until it closes.
This is essential to know before you book and even this secret trick won’t get you around that restriction.
How Do You Normally Buy Tickets to Ghibli Park?
The most common way to buy Ghibli Park tickets is to try and get the tickets via the official website.
The tickets go on sale on the 10th of the month, three months before the date you want to visit – at 2 pm Japanese time.
So, tickets for entries in August went on sale on May 10th at 2 pm
Tickets for entries in September will go on sale on June 10th at 2 pm
And so on.
It’s a case of first come, first served on this and so you need to be on your computer and ready at the time they go on sale to give yourself the best chance of access.
If you can do it this way, it’s the cheapest option, as you only need to pay for access to the areas you want to visit. So, you could just book for the Grand Warehouse – which is currently 2000 yen for adults (2500 at weekends, kids prices are half this) and the Hill of Youth and/or Dondoko Forest (1000 yen each, kids 500 yen), and then get yourself to Nagoya which you can easily do as a day trip from Tokyo, or as part of an itinerary going south with the Japan Rail Pass.
However, as we said, the park often sells out, sometimes within minutes, and so, we were super interested to discover that there’s another way to get tickets – one that guarantees you access if you can book it. And here’s what it is…
The Alternative Option…
Book a Ghibli Park accommodation package
Some of the hotels in Nagoya are now offering packages where you book a room package that includes travel from Tokyo and guaranteed Ghibli admission tickets for the date of your trip.
Now, I have to mention that as I update this at the end of July 2023, these are still only for the Grand Warehouse. They haven’t yet added the other park areas in the international packages – but, I have seen them offered in Japanese so, do check in case this changes and I miss it.
Packages Available
As I write this there are two packages on offer.
Hotel Keihan – 2 day/1 night package via Klook. Includes the bullet train
This package includes a round-trip bullet train ticket between Tokyo, or Kanazawa, and Nagoya and one night’s accommodation at the 4-star Hotel Keihan in Nagoya city.
And it includes one entry ticket per person for the Ghibli Park Grand Warehouse. This is for one visit on the first day of your two days – entry is between 11-12 and you must be there on time.
The rooms on offer can sleep up to three people, but, because the package includes the train ticket and Ghibli Ticket as well, you do pay per person, not per room.
It costs from AU$385 per head for an adult, AU$280 for a child (exact prices will vary by date and how many people are traveling). Prices will vary in your country, but I see the Australian prices so I’m just going to quote those.
That might sound expensive, but, remember, this includes your bullet train ticket – and a return to Nagoya from Tokyo costs 21,000 yen which is around AU$233 (US$156 or £125) per person – plus the hotel, which normally costs around 9000 yen a night for a single room (AU$100 US$67, £54, US$67 or 18,000 for a triple (AU$200, US$124, £108), and your Ghibli ticket.
So, it’s actually only about AU$50 more than booking everything yourself (and as you’ll see below – that’s not possible!)
The hotel is about an hour away from Ghibli Park – and transport to and from the park is NOT included. It’s only about 700 yen each way though.
See more about the package or book it here.
Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya – 2 day/1 night package via Viator including bullet train
The Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya package is offered via Viator.
Like the Klook package this is a 2-day, one-night package including a return bullet train trip from Tokyo, a one-day ticket to Ghibli Park Grand Warehouse (access between 11-12 on one day of your tour – check your confirmation for which day exactly as the website contradicts itself) – and, a night’s accommodation at the 3-star Vessel Hotel Campana Nagoya.
It says it’s available for parties of up to four – although, watch out as when you try and book it, you’ll discover that means two adults (or children 12 and older), one child aged 6-11 and one infant, not two adults and two older kids.
The hotel is located in Nagoya city, a bit closer to the main station than the Keihan. It also has a public ‘onsen’ which might be nice to relax in after your day at the park.
Like Hotel Keihan, it takes about an hour to get to Ghibli Park from the hotel, and again, your transport to and from the park is not included as part of your package.
It’s a little more expensive than the Klook package, but prices vary depending on how many people are traveling, so check the exact prices for your date.
See more about the package or book it here.
Important Notes
Both packages are on request, so, wait for the official confirmation before you get too excited and tell everyone that you’re going!!!
Also, make sure you read all the details on the package before and after booking, as timings are very precise so double check exactly what time your trains are and what time and day your Ghibli Park admission is as it might change from the above. And make sure this all fits your itinerary first.
What if You Don’t Want the Bullet Train Too?
If you’re planning on booking a Japan Rail Pass, or adding your visit to Ghibli Park to an itinerary traveling to or from Kyoto/Osaka, then a return ticket to Nagoya, isn’t going to be much help for you – so, can you buy a package without it?
Yes. Klook are now offering these packages. Like the package above, it sees you staying at Hotel Keihan and includes your park tickets, but without the bullet train included – which makes it considerably cheaper. and also more useful for anyone who already has a JR Pass.
See more about the park tickets and hotel only packages here.
Can I Book with the Hotels Directly?
It doesn’t seem to be possible – neither of the hotels above lists a Ghibli Package for sale on their website.
The Vessel Hotel does talk about it, and it offers all park areas, but, it will send you to the Japanese version of JTB so you’ll need to understand Japanese – also, it doesn’t clearly say that these packages are available for international travelers so, there is a possibility they won’t let you in at the designated time. I would clarify this, and get it in writing, before booking it.
What Else Is There to Do in Nagoya?
After all, this is a two-day trip, with just half a day at Ghibli Park – well, the answer is there’s heaps to do in Nagoya.
We booked there for two nights on our last trip and we did NOT have enough time.
There are a lot of museums in Nagoya, any geeks will have a blast as they have an amazing science museum, a heap of car museums, a bullet train museum, and much more. See how to fit some of these, and other big Nagoya sites into your trip in our two day Nagoya itinerary.
There’s a Legoland for little kids.
There are some fascinating shrines – including some super quirky ones which is where I spent much of my time but also the Asuta Shrine which is one of the most important shrines to the Shinto religion in Japan.
And, as a special reward for reading this far, I’m going to tell you about one hidden Ghibli sight to check out.
The Secret Ghibli Cafe in Nagoya
If you wondered where the pictures of the Kashira and Totoro above were taken this is the answer.
Located in the Osu shopping district is a Ghibli-themed cafe, and it’s so cute that even the Ghibli executives who turned up one day urged people to visit as they thought it was so special.
It’s called Kodama and the address is 4-2-47 Nagoya – or, an easier marker, it’s on the corner of Matsumoto Dori and Otsu Dori Street and located on the 4th floor. You’ll also find it listed on Google Maps.
The whole menu is Ghibli-themed and when they bring the dishes to your table they bring characters from the relevant film with them. It’s absolutely adorable and there’s so much cute merchandise around the cafe.
Oh, and if you’re dining solo, you’ll have a little character friend sitting with you so you don’t feel alone.
It does get very booked out so you should make a reservation. The best way to do this if you don’t speak Japanese is to message them on Twitter (or whatever we’re calling it this week). It’s @moricafe_kodama
So, there you have it. The guaranteed way to get tickets to Ghibli Park. I appreciate it might not work for everyone, but, if you’re a diehard Ghibli fan and super upset that you missed on via the official website, then you do have an option that will likely work.
If you’re also looking into going to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, we have details on how to book that – and a sneaky trick that might help you get tickets more easily there too – in our piece on the 14 things to book in advance in Tokyo
If you have any more questions about this post or, anything else to do with your Japan trip, then please, join our Facebook group and I’ll do my best to answer them
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.
