Great locations, amazing service from tour guide! - We booked this tour as we had a very limited time to make visits outside Tokyo, and while quite busy, we were able to take the Shinkansen to Nagano and we were picked up early in the morning for this tour. We were picked up right on time at the waiting spot in Nagano Station and we drove to Matsumoto, and the views along the way were amazing. In Matsumoto we began the tour by walking to the Castle, where we were explained about the castle itself and the city, and we had enough time to take great photos for the memories. We were able to go inside the Castle, and as I wasn´t feeling well, only my sister went inside and up the castle itself while I waited in the designated waiting spot near the gift shop after taking some photos of my own in the area. We met up again and began walking through the city learning more about Matsumoto's history. We had the option to get some food for the road or eat at Narai-juku but we chose the later, so we began our way there. In Narai-juku we went straight for the restaurant which is a local family run small place, very traditional where food was absolutely amazing, I got myself a Curry Udon (highly recommended as well). After lunch we began the formal tour in Narai-juku where we were explained the history of the location and we got to enter a museum as well. It was nice to have the place very calm in winter as few people were visiting, so great for relaxing and taking photos. After, we began our return, making a stop at Matsumoto to drop off, and continue again to Nagano, where we took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. If there is more time available in the scheduling, it would be great to spend a night at Nagano or surroundings, but if time is tight, it is perfectly possible to take the one-day trip from Tokyo, taking the 6:16 Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagano and coming back in a late Shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo. The attention from Devin was 10/10 and the driver was amazing as well, managing to get us in time despite there being some roads closed due to snow and having to take alternate routes. Highly recommend this tour.

Totally brilliant....we are in fact coming back! - This was a great tour with Devin. We were the only ones so were able to go at our own pace. Devin was so accommodating and knowledgeable and our 23 year old son was fascinated with the history of not just Matsumoto Castle but other castles as well. We had a great lunch with Devin in Narai-Juku and even got to see the a statue crafted by a hidden Christian, back when they were persecuted and Devin told us about how Christian Samurai warriors would have crosses scratched in their swords. We want to see more of Matsumoto and the surrounds and have booked our flights back to Japan for November!! Maybe we will see Devin again.

A pleasant day tour - Turns out that we were the only family booked the tour for the day, so it basically became a private tour! Our guide Joyce was wonderful. She showed us the rich history and shared lots of fun facts, keeping us entertained, even our young son enjoyed it so much. The itinerary was well planned but also flexible to suit our needs. Lots of great spots to take magnificent photos. Joyce was really good on making recommandations on food and shopping places.

Lots of learning - A fun, informative trip to Matsumoto and Narai-Juku. It was easy to meet up with our friendly tour guide Joyce at Nagano station. We learned a ton from our tour guide Devin about the history surrounding Matsumoto, Matsumoto castle, and the post-town of Narai-Juku. We travelled comfortably all day. The tour was stress free and a good mix of tour time and free time. I loved driving back to Nagano through the countryside. Overall I would really recommend this tour to anyone interested in touring an original castle and learning more about Japanese history !

Black crow castle and Matsumoto - Our family of 5 took the tour with 'Snow Monkey Resorts' on 5th Jan. The bus met us at Nagano stn then drove to Matsumoto where we met our guide Devin. We did a walk through town getting a rundown on the history of the buildings, the town in general and the shrine. Devin was very knowledgeable in this area. After a walk around the shrine and surrounding mall we walked to the Black Crow castle. We had fine weather and the castle set against the snow capped mountains was breath taking. Devin gave us a detailed history of the shotguns then we took off our shoes and ascended the castle keep. The old building is beautifully maintained and had an impressive historic gun museum. Be warned, the stairs are steep, narrow and the rails are slippery. After Matsumotto we bought lunch and headed to the historic town of Narai. We walked the main street and visited a historic house kept in its original condition. Again, a detailed history given by Devin. Overall an enjoyable tour with a friendly and informative guide. The tour is a little pricey and the drive in the minibus is a long one, but you get what you pay for. Dave