Most people know Nagano for the 1998 Winter Olympics or as a gateway to ski resorts and snow monkeys, but don’t fly through it trying to reach either.
The main temple, Zenko-ji, alone is worth the trip. A 1,400-year-old complex, it’s home to beautiful sub-shrines and even a drawing said to be carved with fingernails.
Nagano’s real trump card, though, is what surrounds it. It’s your launchpad for those famous snow monkeys at Jigokudani, the Japanese Alps, small villages like Narai Juku or understated towns like Matsumoto. This is not somewhere that should be kept for ski season.
START HERE
Get the basics in place: decide how long to stay, find the best area to stay, and discover the must-see sights.
DIVE DEEPER
The Nagano-specific advice that we wish we’d had on our first trip
