How to get to Hakuba from Tokyo
We are constantly asked what is the best way to get from Tokyo to Hakuba, and the inconvenient answer is that it depends on your situation. There is no supreme best way to do it. In this post we will dive into all the options to give you an idea about the best way to get to Hakuba from Tokyo to fit your own situation/preferences.
The FASTEST way to get to Hakuba from Tokyo
How: Take the shinkansen (bullet train) from either Tokyo, or Ueno station to Nagano city. Then transfer to a bus from Nagano station to Hakuba.
Cost: Shinkansen approx ¥8,000. Bus ¥2,800.
Total cost ¥10,800 per person
Time: Can be less than 3 hours if the connections work. (add about 1 hour if coming from the airport).
How to book: Unless you are traveling at New Year, we recommend booking your shinkansen tickets in person at the JR ticket office. It’s best to use google Maps to get the schedule. You can purchase them online one month before your journey, but it can be quite an arduous and confusing process if you’re not used to navigating Japanese websites. https://www.eki-net.com/en/jreast-train-reservation/Top/Index
The Nagano to Hakuba bus timetable and ticket reservation site is here https://www.alpico.co.jp/en/timetable/hakuba/r-nagano-hakuba/
Pros: It’s fast and fun. Tourists love the opportunity to ride the famous Japanese bullet trains. There are usually about 2 trains per hour, and the buses run 7.55am – 8.30pm meaning that you can fit this into almost any schedule.
Cons: It’s expensive. It’s annoying needing to transfer onto different transports especially if you are carrying large luggage. (There is a misconception that you can’t take luggage on the train, this isn’t true. Taking luggage on this route is fine, but try to get a seat near the back so that you are close to the luggage storage areas. Alternatively, send your luggage from the airport https://hakubamatata.com/Luggage-delivery/ )
The CHEAPEST way to get to Hakuba from Tokyo
How: Bus from Shinjuku Station to Hakuba
Cost: ¥5,200 – ¥7,800 per person
Time: 5-6 hours
How to book: Go to the bus company websites.
Willer express is usually cheaper https://willerexpress.com/en/bus_search/tokyo/shinjuku/nagano/hakuba/
Alpico/Highway bus might have more times https://willerexpress.com/en/bus_search/tokyo/shinjuku/nagano/hakuba/
Pros: It’s cheap! It gets you there!
Cons: Bus seats in Japan are typically designed to cater to a smaller Japanese body size. If you are a 6’1 western male it’s fair to assume that you’ll be incredibly uncomfortable by the time you reach your destination. Traveling by road also means that you are at the mercy of traffic. What might look to be a 5 hour journey can suddenly be a 7 hour journey because of a road accident, or holiday traffic.
The EASIEST way to get to Hakuba from Tokyo (Our pick!)
How: Limited Express Train from Shinjuku Station to Hakuba Station
Cost: ¥8,050 per person
Time: 3 hours 42
How to book: You can book in person at the station, or try your patience booking online https://www.eki-net.com/en/jreast-train-reservation/Top/Index Again, you can only buy these one month before your journey.
Pros: Honestly, if we can make this option work, this is our preferred mode of travel from Tokyo to Hakuba. The price is good, the travel time is good, it’s a comfortable journey that you can take your luggage on without too much trouble, but there is one thing holding it back from being the best…
Cons: This train only departs Shinjuku Station once a day at 8am arriving in Hakuba at 11:41am. The return journey departs Hakuba at 3.16pm and arrives at Shinjuku at 7:08pm. If these times don’t work for you, then you’ll need to take a look at the above options again. If you’re planning a night or two in Tokyo at the beginning or end of your trip, then this is (in my opinion) the best option.
How to get from Tokyo to Hakuba by Chartered Taxi
Another alternative is a chartered taxi. The number of taxi companies offering service to Hakuba has increased in the past few years, making it much easier to get door-to-door private chauffeured service. You could also arrange this directly from the airport.
Shoushin Taxi Approx ¥79,000 Up to 5 people
Nagano Luxury Taxi Approx ¥94,000 Up to 5 people
Luxury Fleet Taxi Time based + tolls Up to 9 people
Kinoko Taxi Approx ¥105,000 Up to 9 people
Chuo Taxi Approx ¥122,400 Up to 7 people
Alpico Taxi Approx ¥168,700 Up to 7 people
How to get to Hakuba from Tokyo Narita Airport or Tokyo Haneda Airport
The EASIEST way to get to Hakuba from Narita Airport, Tokyo
How: Bus from Tokyo Airport (Narita or Haneda) to Hakuba.
Cost: Nagano Snow Shuttle ¥10,500
Jamjam Liner ¥8,000 – ¥9,000
Time: 6-7 hours
How to book: Go to the bus company websites:
Nagano Snow Shuttle https://naganosnowshuttle.com/
JamJam Liner https://spur.jamjamliner.jp/
Pros: For many, this is the simplest option as it means that there is no need to navigate confusing public transport systems, and you can throw your luggage on the bus and know that it’ll be there with you at the other end without hardly needing to carry it anywhere. If you’re not interested in going in to Tokyo, this is simple and cost effective.
Cons: It’s a long time to be on a bus. Nagano Snow shuttle often books out quite early (It’s an English speaking company catering to people just like you). The Jamjam Liner route begins at Narita airport, then makes a stop at Haneda airport, which isn’t really “on the way” to Hakuba, making it a very long journey for anyone who embarked the bus at Narita.
How we to get to Hakuba from Narita Airport using public transport
The way that we most often travel to Hakuba from the airport is by public transport. You can use Google Maps to see a range of different options to get yourself from Narita airport into Tokyo, then use one of the “how to get to Hakuba from Tokyo” options from above. Our preferred method from Narita airport is on the Skyliner train to Ueno or Tokyo station. It costs approx ¥2,500 per person and takes 40 minutes.
How we get to Hakuba from Haneda Airport using public transport
The way that we most often travel to Hakuba from the airport is by public transport. You can use Google Maps to see a range of different options to get yourself from Haneda airport into Tokyo, then use one of the options from above. Although Haneda is the closest airport to Tokyo, we find that there is very little benefit to that if traveling by public transport. The fastest possible route takes about as long as the Narita Skyliner train, and you usually have to be on the crowded monorail or subway and do a transfer through busy stations, which isn’t our favourite thing to do while carrying luggage after a long flight. The best thing to do is use Google Maps to help you figure out the transport option that is going to take you to where you want to go, then select an option from above. Or, take the bus directly to Hakuba.
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