Getting There

Private chartered taxi from the airport is the stress-free way to travel to Hakuba, especially for families, as you travel door-to-door and they offer discounts for children 12 years and under. The comfortably-equipped Hiace ‘Grand Cabin’ vans carry a maximum of 7 passengers (with luggage) and the duration of the trip from the airport to Hakuba is roughly 5.5 hours. You may need to share your trip with other passengers if your group is less than 6 or 7 in number.

From Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, there is one daily JR (Japan Rail) Super Azusa limited express service leaving early in the morning that runs directly to Hakuba, then a return service leaving mid-afternoon, completing the journey in approximately 4 hours. This is the only direct train service that operates between Tokyo and Hakuba.

The quickest way of travelling from Tokyo to Hakuba is by Shinkansen (bullet train), from Tokyo Station to Nagano City (90-120 minutes), then taking the bus from Nagano to Hakuba (75 minutes) that leaves from Bus Stop 6 immediately outside the East Exit of Nagano Station. Bullet trains from Tokyo run every half hour or so and buses leave every hour or so during the winter months, so the whole trip usually takes about 3.5 hours from Tokyo Station. If you are coming from Narita airport, add another hour on the Narita Express that runs from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station.

Coaches (Alpico Express Highway Bus Group) leave from outside Shinjuku Station (west exit) every two or three hours and stop at several places in the Hakuba valley, with Happo Bus Terminal being the central stop. The trip takes slightly more than 6 hours, but is easily the cheapest way to travel from central Tokyo to Hakuba. 

If travelling from the airport during the winter season, there are now several comfortable, hassle-free and economical bus services operating directly from Narita Airport to Hakuba. One of these is the Nagano Snow Shuttle, involving full-sized coaches and offering daily departures from both Narita and Haneda Airports. Alpico Bus Group also operates a similar service, the Highland Express Direct Bus Service, running between Narita Airport and Hakuba.