Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Explore Nagasaki with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual guide! Your guide will help you efficiently enjoy a full-day walking tour of Nagasaki and introduce both modern and traditional sides of this dynamic and ancient Japanese city.Your guide will pick you up in the morning at your hotel in Nagasaki, or anywhere else at your convenience, and take you to visit Nagasaki's famous sites.Along with atomic bombing of Nagasaki during WWII, this city's history features many prominent events. You can learn about this and other interesting aspects during this full-day walking tour accompanied by your private guide.Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.Note*2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Book This ExperienceA glimpse of the journey
Your Itinerary
A curated journey through the experience
Gunkanjima Digital Museum
As of September 23, 2019, it is not possible to land on Gunkanjima until further notice because of damage caused to the port facilities by a typhoon. Boat tours to view the island from the water are in operation.
30 minutesNagasaki Peace Park
In the center of the complex is the Hypocenter Park with a simple, black monolith that marks the explosion's epicenter. Not far from it stands a damaged pillar of the former Urakami Cathedral which was destroyed in the blast. Furthermore, there is an area that allows visitors to take a look at a layer of soil below the park's surface where broken roof tiles, bricks and pieces of glass remain from the explosion.
30 minutesInasayama Observation Deck
The summit can be reached by ropeway, bus or car and offers great views over the city. In fact, the night views from Mount Inasa are ranked among Japan's three best night views besides the views from Mount Hakodate and Mount Rokko. Several television and radio antennas and an observation deck with restaurant are located at the summit.
30 minutesNagasaki Lantern Festival
The festival's highlights are the dance and show performances by groups representing Nagasaki's various city districts. Each district (odori-cho), participates only once every seven years, so this festival remains fresh to even the regular viewer.
30 minutesGlover Garden
The main attraction of the garden is the Former Glover House, the oldest Western-style wooden building in Japan. Thomas Glover (1838-1911) was a Scottish merchant who moved to Nagasaki after the opening of its port to foreign trade in 1859. He later assisted some of the revolutionaries who would eventually overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Meiji Restoration. Active in various industries, including shipbuilding and mining, Glover features prominently in the early history of Japan's industrialization.
30 minutesSofukuji Temple
Sofukuji is built along the slope of a hill. At the bottom stands the temple's two-stories tall entrance gate, Ryugumon (lit. Gate of the Dragon Palace). Like the rest of the temple, it is painted bright red. The gate was originally built in 1673, but was destroyed several times by fire and storms before the most recent reconstruction was completed in 1849.
30 minutes6-1 Dejimamachi
Today, Dejima is not an island anymore, as the surrounding area has been reclaimed in the 20th century. However, a number of Dejima's historical structures remain or have been reconstructed in the area, including various residences, warehouses, walls and gates. The ultimate goal is to convert Dejima back into an island by digging canals around all its four sides.
30 minutesUrakami Cathedral
Another intriguing facet of the cathedral's history dates back to its origins. Construction began on the complex in 1895 on the very ground where picture trampling ceremonies had previously been carried out in an attempt to root out Christianity during the era when the religion was prohibited in Japan. In those ceremonies, people were coerced into trampling on biblical images in order to expose secret Christians. The church was then erected here as a message of resilience.
30 minutesNagasaki Museum of History and Culture
During the Edo Period the Japanese government adopted isolationism, effectively cutting the country off from the rest of the world. At this time, Nagasaki became one of the only ports where international trade was permitted, namely with the Chinese and Dutch. This temporarily made the city Japan's main window to the outside world and allowed a rich economy, culture and history to flourish.
30 minutesKofukuji Temple
The temple grounds contain a number of buildings, including the main hall, originally built in 1632, which serves as a fine example of Chinese-style architecture of the time. A celebrated, large glass lantern imported from China, hangs from the roof of the main hall. There are various other interesting halls and structures around the grounds with explanatory signs in English.
30 minutesNagasaki Gokoku Shrine
A small garden with a bridge and pond greets visitors at the entrance. The ornate Chinese-style buildings are adorned with yellow roofs. Flanking the shrine's courtyard stand the 72 sages, life-size stone statues that weigh around two tons each and depict Confucius' disciples. The shrine encourages visitors to find among the statues one that resembles a relative.
30 minutesCatholic Oura Church
Located in attractive old buildings to the right of the church is the Christian Museum. Included in the admission fee, the museum contains various exhibitions pertaining to the history of Oura Church and Christianity in the region and across Japan, with various artifacts and old documents on display. Explanations are predominantly in Japanese.
30 minutesKofukuji Temple
The temple was established around 1620 by a Chinese monk at a time when large numbers of Chinese merchants were coming to Nagasaki to trade. The complex was originally set up as a place to pray for safe sea travel for the merchants, and the construction is heavily influenced by Chinese architectural styles, making it feel different to other temples in Japan.
30 minutesThe Confucian Temple
A small garden with a bridge and pond greets visitors at the entrance. The ornate Chinese-style buildings are adorned with yellow roofs. Flanking the shrine's courtyard stand the 72 sages, life-size stone statues that weigh around two tons each and depict Confucius' disciples. The shrine encourages visitors to find among the statues one that resembles a relative.
30 minutesOura Catholic Church
Located in attractive old buildings to the right of the church is the Christian Museum. Included in the admission fee, the museum contains various exhibitions pertaining to the history of Oura Church and Christianity in the region and across Japan, with various artifacts and old documents on display. Explanations are predominantly in Japanese.
30 minutesTwenty-Six Christian Martyrs Monument
The museum behind the monument is devoted to the memory of the martyrs and to Christianity in Japan in general. Its interior is reminiscent of a church with stained-glass windows, making for atmospheric viewing of the exhibits. On display are artifacts related to Christianity in Japan, including old documents, statues and jewelry. Explanations of many of the pieces are in English.
30 minutesDutch Slope
A few former residences remain in the area today. Among them, the Higashi Yamate 13 is open to the public. Once home to a well-to-do European family, this old Western-style house has been well preserved, with much of the old furniture and room layouts remaining. There is a balcony upstairs where nice views can be had of the surrounding area. A cafe is located on the ground floor.
Spectacles Bridge (Meganebashi)
There is a stone walkway along the river bank that makes for a pleasant stroll with nice views of the water and bridges. The walkway has a tranquil atmosphere and is accessed by steps from street level positioned at various points along the river.
30 minutesNagasaki Prefectural Art Museum
One more appealing feature of the museum is its roof garden. The garden is made up of lawn space separated by a paved walkway. There are also a couple of seating areas with nice views of the port and city. The roof garden can be accessed from both inside and outside the museum, meaning that it is not exclusively open to museum patrons.
30 minutesIncluded
- Licensed Local Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list
Not Included
- Other personal expenses
- Lunch - Lunch (for yourself)
- Entrance fee (for yourself)
- Private Vehicle
- Transportation fee (for yourself)
Good to Know
- Infant seats available
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tickets & Cancellation
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.