Reconnect with nature and explore ancient Buddhist practices to refresh mind, body and soul on this unique three-day trip to Nagano.

Trip Highlights

• Try Zazen meditation at venerable Zenkoji Temple.
• Enjoy a traditional Buddhist vegan meal called Shojin Ryori.
• Experience the healing power of forest bathing.
• Sweat it out in a Finnish-style sauna on the shore of Lake Nojiri.
• Revitalize with morning yoga by the lake and go on an invigorating 15 km bicycle ride.
• Eat delicious and healthy Nagano soba noodles

Itinerary

Day 1: Zazen Meditation, Shojin Ryori Lunch and a Lakeside Guesthouse

Spend the day at Zenkoji Temple for meditation and have a vegan lunch before heading up to a relaxing lakeside resort.

9:20 Depart Tokyo to Nagano Station on Hokuriku Shinkansen bound for Kanazawa

1 hr. 25 min.

10:50 Depart Nagano Station to Daimon Bus Stop by bus number 10 (Binzuru-Go), 16 or 17 from bus stop 1 in front of Nagano Station’s Zenkoji Exit

8 min.

11:15 Zazen Meditation at Zenkoji Temple

Begin your wellness journey in Nagano with a zazen meditation session at Daikanjin at Zenkoji Temple. Learn from the monk techniques to quiet the mind.

12:30 Traditional Buddhist Vegan Lunch

Take in the sights and sounds as you walk across the Zenkoji Temple complex to Maruhachi for shojin ryori, the traditional Buddhist vegan cuisine.

14:00 Depart Daimon Bus Stop to Nagano Station on bus number 10 (Binzuru-go)

9 min.

14:15 Depart Nagano Station to Kurohime on Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line bound for Myoko Kogen

35 min.

15:10 Taxi from Kurohime

10 min.

15:30 Guesthouse Lamp

By providing outdoor activities and with their Finnish style saunas, this popular but peaceful lakeside sauna resort has put Lake Nojiri on Nagano’s wellness map.

Guesthouse Lamp

 

Day 2: Forest Bathing and Authentic Sauna

Join a guided seven-hour ecotherapy tour for forest bathing. Afterwards, sweat away your worries and fatigue in Guesthouse Lamp’s saunas.

08:00 Shinano Discovery Forest-Bathing Tour

Your guide will meet you at your accommodation, for a mindfulness walk into the beech forests of Madarao or Kurohime.

16:00 The Sauna at Guesthouse Lamp

Commune with nature by steaming your cares away inside one of Lamp’s Finnish style saunas. Be sure to reserve 3 months in advance.

Guesthouse Lamp

 

Day 3: Yoga and Cycling at Lake Nojiri

Wake up to refreshing lakeside morning yoga with one of Guesthouse Lamp’s yoga instructors. After coffee, bicycle around Lake Nojiri. The ride will surely get your blood flowing and work up an appetite for a nutritious and healthy soba lunch.

06:00 Yoga at Lake Nojiri

Book a lakeside morning Yoga session via Guesthouse Lamp to stretch and get a peaceful start to the day. Afterwards, enjoy coffee on the guesthouse’s terrace.

09:00 Taxi from Lake Nojiri to Kurohime Station Tourist Information Center

10 mins.

09:15 Cycling at Lake Nojiri

Leave your luggage at the station and rent a bicycle or e-bike for a leisurely lap on the 15 km route around the lake with gentle ups and downs. For a healthy treat, stop at Centotto Gelato for their natsuhaze torte ice cream, made from the locally grown fruit, which has several times more antioxidants than blueberries.

Shinanoya Soba Restaurant

Finish your wellness trip with Nagano’s famous superfood, soba noodles. This welcoming place has been popular with locals for generations.

14:53 Depart Kurohime Station on Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line bound for Nagano

40 min.

15:42 Depart Nagano Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen bound for Tokyo

1 hr. 38 min.

17:20 Arrive at Tokyo

 

Map