Tateyama Kurobe, known as the Japanese Alps and Japan's Last Mystery, is located in Central Japan and has been regarded as a mountain of great spiritual significance since ancient times. It is also listed as one of the three major mountains of Japan alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Hakusan. Every year it closes (December to April) due to heavy snowfalls, the rest of the time it is full of seasonal wonders: magnificent spring snows, spectacular flooding from the reservoir discharge of Kurobe Dam in the summer, and the lush autumn forest with red maple against snowy mountains.

Credit: JR東日本&JR西日本 Website

The Alpine Route is a must-see around Tateyama Kurobe. Enjoy the spectacular scenery at a 2400-meter altitude by taking a journey between Toyama and Nagano Prefectures. Getting around can be complicated and it is not cheap. Save some cash with various discount ticket sets. Figuring out which is the best fit for your schedule can be tough.

Centrip created a guide to explain the features and benefits available so you can find the best one for you.

So which is the best ticket set for Tateyama Kurobe?

To go to Tateyama Kurobe, it is more convenient to depart from Central Japan (Nagoya) than Kansai (Osaka) or Kanto (Tokyo). From Central Japan, there are four ticket sets for Kurobe Tateyama for you to choose from.
What's the best ticket for you?

Tateyama Kurobe, Takayama, Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass (5 days)

Credit: JR東日本&JR西日本 Website

1. Ticket information

With the Tateyama Kurobe, Takayama, Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass, you can visit nearly all major attractions in Central Japan, such as Nagoya, Gero, Takayama, Toyama, Matsumoto, Tsumago-juku, and Magome-juku. With this ticket, you also can take the Alpine Route bus without limits on the number of rides or direction of travel.
Tateyama Kurobe often closes the Snow Corridor and Observatory because of bad weather. This ticket allows you to can change your itinerary at any time. Even if the weather worsens after arriving, you can still try and visit on another day.

Available areas:

Credit: JR東日本&JR西日本 Website

Valid for 5 consecutive days:
• Non-reserved seating on JR limited express, express, rapid, and local trains between Nagoya station – Toyama Station (via Takayama & Gero) and between Shinano-Omachi station - Nagoya station (via Matsumoto) *Seats can be reserved up to 4 times on JR local trains
• Between Dentetsu, Toyama and Shinano, Omachi within the Alpine Route. Non-reserved seating on Toyama Chiho Railway limited express trains between Dentetsu, Toyama Station and Tateyama Station is included. No limit on the number of rides or direction of travel.

Accessible period:

Apr. 15–Nov. 10 (last possible purchase date: Nov. 6) for 5 consecutive days

Price:

Adult: ¥21,200 (Children: ¥10,600)
*Children: 6 to 11 years old

2. Who Should Buy This Ticket

• plenty of time for travel (at least 4–5 days),
• an itinerary consisting mainly of Central Japan
• are also interested in Nagoya, Gero, Takayama, Toyama, Matsumoto, Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku.

3. How to Purchase

Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass can be purchased both in Japan and overseas.
Find stations with passes for sale.
Find travel agencies overseas with passes for sale.
Passes are also available from overseas travel sitesKlookandkkday.

Show your voucher and passport at a JR office at any airport or designated station within 3 months of purchase. Those stations include Tokyo, Shinagawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, plus a few others. Further details available）. The most convenient point of exchange is Nagoya Station. After exchanging the ticket, you can use the previously listed modes of transportation within the specified validity period.

4. Notes

• This ticket is only available to foreign tourists with a short-stay visa.
• When entering the Alpine Route, you must show your ticket at Tateyama Station or Kurobe Lake Station to board.
• Vouchers must be exchanged within 3 months from the date printed. Expired vouchers cannot be used.
• Tickets must be used within 1 month after exchanging a voucher, expired tickets cannot be used.

5. Model Itinerary

D1: Nagoya → Gero (hotel in Gero)
D2: Gero → Takayama → Toyama (hotel in Toyama)
D3: Toyama → Alpine route (Kurobe Tateyama) → Omachi Onsen Town (hotel in Omachi Onsen Town)
D4: Omachi Onsen Town → Matsumoto → Tsumago-juku (hotel in Tsumago-juku)
D5: Tsumago-juku → Nagoya

If you follow the route: Nagoya → Matsumoto → Tateyama Kurobe → Toyama → Nagoya, you will need to spend at least ¥24,160 on transportation without this ticket. Meaning you can save about ¥3,000 with this ticket—what a deal!

Check the official Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass website for further details.

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Ticket (8 days)

Credit: 立山黒部アルペンルートWebsite

1. Ticket information

The valid areas for this ticket include Nagoya, Gifu, Toyama, Matsumoto, Tsumago-juku & Magome-juku, Alpine Route(Tateyama Kurobe), and Kanazawa or Takayama. With this ticket, you also can take the Alpine Route bus with no limit on the number of rides or direction of travel.

It should be noted that except for the Alpine route, this ticket must be used one-way, even if you can leave the station on the way, you can not go back to the previous one.

Available areas and prices

There are 2 kinds of tickets departing from Nagoya, the Hida Course and Shirasagi Course. The Shirasagi Course includes Kanazawa, and the Hida Course includes Takayama, you can choose the ticket depending on your destination.

Hida Course (via Takayama)

Credit: 立山黒部アルペンルート Website

Credit: JR東海 Website

Over 8 consecutive days you can use the following route:
• Nagoya - (Tokaido Takayama-line) - Toyama - Alpine Route - Shinano Omachi - (Oito/Shinonoi/Chuo Line) - Nagoya
Tickets are one-way only and there is no hop-on/hop-off option (please refer to the above picture).
• Shinkansen limited express train area: Nagoya - Toyama; Shinano Omachi - Nagoya
• No limit on the number of rides or direction of travel on the Alpine Route (Toyama - Shinano Omachi) area.

Price: Adult ¥21,180, Child ¥10,710

2. Shirasagi Course (via Kanazawa)

Credit: 立山黒部アルペンルート Website

Credit: JR東海 Website

Over 8 consecutive days you can take the following route:
• Nagoya - (Tokaido Hokuriku-line) - Kanazawa - (Hokuriku Shinkansen) - Toyama - Alpine Route - Shinano Omachi - (Oito/Shinonoi/Chuo Line) - Nagoya
The direction of the ticket is one-way only and there is no hop-on/hop-off option (please refer to the above picture).

• Shinkansen limited express train area: Nagoya - Kanazawa; Kanazawa - Toyama (Hokuriku Shinkansen); Shinano Omachi - Nagoya
• No limit on the number of rides or direction of travel on the Alpine Route (Toyama - Shinano Omachi) area.
Price: Adult ¥24,480, Child ¥12,350

Available period:

Apr. 15 - Nov. 30 (exclude Apr. 27 - May 6, Aug. 10-19), 8 consecutive days
On sale: Apr.1 - Nov. 23

2. Who Should Buy This Ticket

• plenty of time for travel (7–8 days)
• is available for all persons including foreigners with working or study visas
• an itinerary mainly covering Central Japan
• also interested in Nagoya, Gero, Takayama, Toyama, Matsumoto, and Kanazawa.

3. How to Purchase

Purchase at a departing station or other major JR stations. (The station at Central Japan International Airport is a Meitetsu station and will not have the tickets for purchase)

4. Notes

• When entering the Alpine route, you must show your ticket at Tateyama Station or Kurobe Lake Station to get a boarding ticket.
• Online reservations are not available, and can only be purchased at a station.
• For the Hokuriku Shinkansen on the Shirasagi Course, no reserved seating is available. Cannot be used for the Kagayaku where all seats are reserved.

The full transportation cost of the route, Nagoya - Matsumoto - Shinano Omachi - Toyama is ¥17,030. For only a few thousand more yen, you can get this ticket to go to more places with no limit on how many rides!

Check the official website of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Ticket (Japanese)

On the next page, we'll make comparisons!

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