Trip to Toyama, Japan: how to get there, how many days and when to go

Toyama – Toyama Destination Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Capital

How to get there

Aeroporto de Toyama (TOY) 10 km
Estação de Toyama 1 km

Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.

Toyama Station is served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, about 2h10 from Tokyo and 20 minutes from Kanazawa. Toyama Airport is about 10 km from the center, with bus connections. From the adjacent Dentetsu-Toyama Station, the train departs for Tateyama Station, the start of the Alpine Route.

How many days

One day for the city to see the glass museum and the canal park. With two days, do a return trip to Murodo or the full route; with three days, include Shomyo Falls.

When to go

From mid-April to the end of November, when the Alpine Route operates: the snow corridors until June, alpine flowers from July to September, and autumn colors in October. Winter, from December to March, brings firefly squid and white shrimp season, with the route closed.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

No. Trams and buses connect the center, and the Toyama Chiho Railway train goes to Tateyama Station. For Shomyo Falls, there are seasonal buses from Tateyama Station. Private cars do not go up to Murodo.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Toyama

Morning
Glass Art Museum
Visit the Toyama Glass Art Museum, in the wooden building designed by Kengo Kuma, with a garden of glass works.
Afternoon
Canal park and the castle
Take the tram to Kansui Park on the Fugan canal, and walk through Toyama Castle Park, which houses the city museum.
Evening
Bay sushi
Have sushi with fish from Toyama Bay, such as white shrimp, near the station.

2 days in Toyama

Day 1

Morning
Ascent to the Alpine Route
Take an early train to Tateyama Station and ride the cable car to Bijodaira and the bus to Murodo, passing the Midagahara plateau.
Afternoon
Murodo
Walk to the Mikurigaike crater lake and, in spring, enter the Yuki no Otani snow corridor. Return to Toyama in the late afternoon.

Day 2

Morning
Shomyo Falls
In season, take the bus from Tateyama Station to Shomyo Falls and walk to the viewpoint for the 350-meter drop.
Afternoon
Toyama city center
Return to the city and visit the Glass Art Museum and the Fugan canal park.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

How to get from Toyama to the Alpine Route?

From Dentetsu-Toyama Station, next to the Shinkansen station, the Toyama Chiho Railway train reaches Tateyama Station in about one hour. From there, the cable car climbs to Bijodaira and the bus continues to Murodo.

Can you go only to Murodo and return to Toyama?

Yes. It’s a common option for those not crossing to Omachi: you take the train, cable car and bus up and return the same way in one day.

What to eat in Toyama?

White shrimp from the bay, spring firefly squid, pressed trout sushi wrapped in bamboo leaves (masuzushi), and the winter yellowtail (buri).

Does Toyama pair well with Kanazawa?

Yes. The Shinkansen links the two cities in about 20 minutes, and many people combine Kanazawa and the Alpine Route on the same trip.

Beyond the guide

Your trip to Toyama.

How to get there

How many days

When to go

Do you need a car?

An order that works

Frequently asked questions

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