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Zenkoji Temple Tour: Fire & Tea Ceremony
5.0
17 Ratings
Nagano
Explore the spiritual essence of Nagano with a guided visit to Zenkoji Temple. Delight in a sake tasting at a nearby brewery, relish the taste of ‘oyaki’ dumplings, and engage in a traditional tea experience.
Explore the spiritual essence of Nagano with a guided visit to Zenkoji Temple. Delight in a sake tasting at a nearby brewery, relish the taste of ‘oyaki’ dumplings, and engage in a traditional tea experience.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Ogawanoshodaimonten - Enjoy ‘Oyaki’ dumplings crafted from fermented buckwheat dough and rice flour, filled with a variety of vegetables, fruits, or ‘anko’ bean paste. These are simple, healthy, and delicious. This is followed by a sake tasting experience at Imanishiki Sake Brewery.
- Zenko-ji Temple - Just a short stroll from the brewery,…
- Ogawanoshodaimonten - Enjoy ‘Oyaki’ dumplings crafted from fermented buckwheat dough and rice flour, filled with a variety of vegetables, fruits, or ‘anko’ bean paste. These are simple, healthy, and delicious. This is followed by a sake tasting experience at Imanishiki Sake Brewery.
- Zenko-ji Temple - Just a short stroll from the brewery, embark on a guided tour of Zenkoji Temple. The guide will share its rich history and secrets, while also explaining the significance of Buddhism in Japan in an engaging and enjoyable manner as you proceed to the site of the ‘goma’ prayer fire ceremony.
- Patio Daimon - Blending tradition with contemporary style, participants will have the opportunity to make their own matcha while exploring the art and performance of this genuine Japanese experience.
What's Included
- Tea experience with matcha and traditional sweets
- Simple lunch of two oyaki
- Sake tasting
- Guided tour of Zenkoji and goma prayer fire ceremony
- English-speaking guide
- Tea experience with matcha and traditional sweets
- Simple lunch of two oyaki
- Sake tasting
- Guided tour of Zenkoji and goma prayer fire ceremony
- English-speaking guide
What's Not Included
- Transport fees inc. Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ to/from Nagano City
- Additional food, snacks & drinks
- Transport fees inc. Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ to/from Nagano City
- Additional food, snacks & drinks
Additional Information
- All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may…
- All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.
Location
Nagano Station
The meetup point is inside Nagano Station in front of the information aboard right across the Shinkansen exit gates
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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Georgialj7414cd
Dec 12, 2025
Wonderful Taste of Nagano—Thanks Kevin! - I had an amazing time today on this tour of Zenkoji Temple / “food tour” of Nagano. I ended up having a private tour with Kevin who was wonderful: so friendly, knowledgeable, down to earth and easy to be around. My highlights were the tea ceremony with Tetsu-san and Suki-san, as well as the sake tasting (plum sake was 🌟). Seeing the beautiful temples and learning about the history behind them was fascinating. I am so glad I booked this tour and I feel like I lucked out! I would absolutely recommend it. Thanks again, Kevin, for an amazing introduction to Nagano!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauram01
Dec 4, 2025
Must-do tour! - I thoroughly enjoyed this tour with Kevin. He had a deep knowledge of Nagano's history and an entertaining way of conveying the stories. Without this tour, I would have walked around just superficially looking at things, with no understanding of their place in Japan's history. It was a really interesting day. The sake tasting, oyake tasting and tea ceremony were wonderful. I 100% recommend this tour to anyone visiting Nagano.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Foodie131979
Nov 9, 2025
Fascinating tour of temple and Nagona with an exceptional guide - Exceptional tour of Nagano with Devin (half day tour with tea ceremony and Zenkoji experience). From start to finish we were provided with lots of information from a personable tour guide. The tour itself was packed. We tried a local speciality, oyaki (savoury stuffed dumplings) which we watched made. Then it was off to a lovely temple where we experienced its fire ceremony (fascinating) and had a Japanese sake tasting which was a nice introduction to the whole drink. Finally we had a traditional tea ceremony from a lovely host who provided lots of history. Would highly recommend this tour and the company with Devin being an exceptional guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
687amandaw
Nov 7, 2025
Great afternoon in Nagano - Such a good mix of activities in a relatively short time. Especially loved the “tea ceremony” - learning to make matcha with a lovely local couple. It was intimate and a modern take on the traditional experience. Shawn was a personable and knowledgeable guide and kept everything running smoothly even while navigating some late arrivals and arranging to meet them part way through the tour. Thanks for a lovely afternoon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stefanieschwankner
Oct 11, 2025
An exciting afternoon - Very friendly interesting tour. The tea ceremony was very interesting. The fire ceremony was a unique experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nathaliegalistan
Oct 2, 2025
The tour was one of our highlights in Nagano - Joyce was so lovely and accommodating throughout the tour. The itinerary is perfect and the pace was really good especially as we had elderly with us. It was one of my highlights for my latest trip to Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K83gcclairer
Aug 12, 2025
Fantastic way to explore Nagano - We had an absolutely fantastic half day tour with Nadine. We learnt so much from Nadine, who was able to tailor the content and local recommendations to us.
The tea ceremony was a highlight but we honestly loved all the tour activities and learnt so much about the history of the temple while also tasting local delicacies.
The tour was a walking tour, which allowed us to see Nagano on foot but may not be suited to people with mobility issues.
Thanks again Nadine!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dana_g
Jul 19, 2025
It was a nice... - It was a nice introduction to Nagano. I enjoyed all the stops and was just the right amount of time for each.
If you don't like to walk, I don't recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Barborao492
Jun 1, 2025
Best tour of our 18 day Japan trip! - We had a great time at the Zenko-ji full day tea ceremony tour with Joyce! She was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive and made our experience super unique. The day started with a walk through town where we talked a bit about the history of Matsumoto before stopping at a couple local shops. We had tasty oyaki at a place we would NOT have found on our own; tried new local sake with Joyce expertly answering our questions on the production process; learned about the Zenko-ji temple's history and got some tips on how to enjoy it more fully; and then finally ended the day with a beautifully intimate tea ceremony with a absolutely adorable husband and wife couple. Joyce served as interpreter, local expert, and just a fun all-around companion for the day. Would highly recommend this tour and the Snow Monkey company as they clearly go above and beyond in planning tours that are sure to be unique and memorable.
We had a group tour but we were the only ones booked for that rainy Wednesday so that definitely helped make the experience more personalized but I think even with a small group, it would have been a great and unique experience. Totally worth the money and time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q9593xeanng
Mar 2, 2025
Tea and temple tour - Such a fun tour!! Joyce, our guide, was so knowledgeable and thoughtful with terrific language skills. The highlight was the tea ceremony. We all got to make a cup of matcha while learning the process. The couple who taught the ceremony were awesome! Also loved the fire-making ceremony at the temple. The whole experience was a great way to tap into the rich culture of Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
