Zenkoji Temple tours

Thank you to the tour guide Yama and the driver for their competent and friendly service, which allowed everyone (a total of 17 people in our group) to have a wonderful day. The whole itinerary was arranged smoothly, especially the lunch. The meal was delicious and the environment was warm and elegant. I also had my own time at Zenkoji Temple. The wine tasting at Nishimon allowed me to buy my favorite plum wine and miso. I was very happy! Thanks

We had an absolutely fantastic time with our guide Joyce. She was incredibly knowledgeable and it really helped us fully enjoy all the sights but also gave us some valuable insight into the history of the city. The oyaki restaurant felt intimate and we enjoyed sitting by the fire watching them cook. The sake tasting was also fun, we learned so much and ended up purchasing several things and sent them to our accommodation in Japan for free which was really convenient. During and after the fire ceremony, the monk leading it was kind enough to spend time answering all our questions about the temple. When you visit the main temple, don't miss out on the underground passage! Lastly, our stay at the Shukubo was the perfect way to round out our experience. The hosts were so kind, and both meals were absolutely delicious! She also gave us a great recommendation for lunch inside the station, Meijitei which had amazing local soba noodles and Katsu. Perfect fuel for our snow monkey visit! 10/10 recommend!

It was an excellent and fun experience going on the tour. The guides (Dillon and Brett) were very warm and welcoming, always looking out for everyone, making sure that everyone is having an amazing time. Have to give a big thumbs up to Dillon for making the stops very interesting with all the details and stories behind the places, like the sake brewing and temples

One of our most memorable days from our current trip in Japan! Everything was smooth and we had a lot of fun! We started by going to see the monkeys in the morning (which was great because it was less crowded). The lunch provided was great (we could choose beef/seafood/vegetarian for the main dish). The temple and the sake tasting were next to each other in Nagano so we only needed three long transfers by bus (about 1 hr each). Our guide Lindsay gave us plenty of context for both the monkey park and the temple and she facilitated the sake tasting (we sampled around 10 types of drinks). She was friendly, approachable for extra questions and very knowledgeable on the tour attractions and more from around Japan. I highly recommend this tour!

Absolutely perfect ! The guide was awesome and very knowledgeable without being overwhelming. First, we had some oyaki in a very nice place with very nice people. Then, some sake tasting. After, we visited Zenkoji and had some free time before the fire ceremony. Finally we learned about the tea ceremony at Tsumugi which was incredible. We slept at Ryōshōin Shukubo for the night. Midori-san was so nice and so helpful. The food was incredible. The next day, we went to the morning ceremony then to the crypt. The guide was extremely energetic at 6am and seemed a little bit miffed at realising that the guide we had the day before had basically told us a lot about Zenkoji already. Everything was seriously great and I definitely recommend. Even the terrible weather we had couldn't put a damper on that wonderful day.

Our tour guides Shin-san and Endo-san were great and ensured the whole tour ran smoothly. Great tour itinerary that allows you to see the key attractions in Nagano within a day. The lunch included in the tour was also delicious, located in a beautiful restaurant. Highly recommend!

Let's start by saying that Shawn was an excellent guide, kind, friendly, and helpful. Then the rest, the Zenkoji temple, the fire ritual, and the tea ceremony (the couple who runs the restaurant where it takes place is very nice), was super interesting. The shukubo experience was a real enrichment for us.

Amazing experience! We explored the temple and learned about the history, we did a sake tasting then drove an hour to the monkey park where we had a delicious hot pot for lunch and then saw the monkeys. the walk to see the monkeys was steep and slippery and did go on for a fair bit, so keep that in mind if you have an mobility issues, however, the experience this tour provided was amazing and both tour guides were very friendly and helpful!