Aichi travel: how should you divide your time between Nagoya, Inuyama and Tokoname?
Stay near Nagoya Station if you are using the Shinkansen or planning day trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. With one night, choose a castle and Noritake; with two, add the aquarium or Tokoname’s lanes. Three or four nights let you visit both castles or extend your pottery sightseeing to Tokoname and INAX. JR, Meitetsu and subway services use different Nagoya station platforms, so follow signs for your line.
Castle interiors, an aquarium or pottery?
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace and the grounds, or Inuyama Castle for a wooden keep interior. For marine life, visit Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium. For pottery, choose Tokoname’s lanes, Noritake or INAX. Lane walks and paid exhibitions have different fees and opening days.
Itineraries by trip length
Stay in Nagoya and use SRT or the subway within the city, and Meitetsu for Inuyama and Tokoname. Choose a castle-focused trip or add the aquarium and pottery sightseeing to suit your trip length. Match any changes in visit order with facility closures and SRT operating days.
2 days / 1 night
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace or Inuyama Castle to climb the wooden keep. Visit Noritake the following day before departure. For a morning departure, see whether you can move the exhibition to day one or omit it.
3 days / 2 nights
Add either an aquarium day or a Tokoname lane walk to Nagoya Castle and Noritake. A final-day Tokoname trip needs time to return to Nagoya before your onward departure.
4 days / 3 nights
Give Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake a day each, then use the remaining day for Nagoya Castle or Tokoname’s lanes. Choose whether to compare the wooden keep and reconstructed Honmaru Palace, or combine one castle with pottery lanes.
5 days / 4 nights
Visit Nagoya Castle, Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake on separate days, then choose Tokoname’s lanes or INAX on the final day. The outdoor walk and indoor tile exhibitions have different routes, fees and closure days.
Where to stay
Nagoya · 名古屋
The Nagoya Station area suits Shinkansen and Meitetsu connections; Sakae suits sightseeing by subway. JR Nagoya, Meitetsu Nagoya and subway Nagoya have separate platforms.
JR station locker locationsPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessMeitetsu route and fare search by date
Inuyama · 犬山
The official walk from Inuyama Station to the castle takes about 20 minutes. Set aside a day for the castle and the streets below it. If based in Nagoya, we suggest returning the same day after your visit.
Tokoname · 常滑
The pottery footpath follows hilly lanes. Being close to Chubu Centrair International Airport does not make it a convenient last-minute stop with luggage before a flight. Start at the tourist information office near Tokoname Station to pick up a walking map.
Preparations to check separately
Allow time before your onward departure on the final day
If leaving in the morning, move Noritake, Tokoname or INAX sightseeing to an earlier day or omit it. Add time for your onward service after returning to Nagoya. For an airport departure, calculate airport travel and check-in deadlines separately. When changing the order, check SRT operating days and facility closures together.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake: hours and closures by facility
Choose storage before walking with large luggage
Use hotel storage according to your booked property’s conditions. For JR Nagoya Station lockers, the official location map marks those near the Sakuradori exit toilets as number 4 and those at the Taiko-dori exit as number 10. Check availability, size and fees on site, and allow time to return to the same location after sightseeing. Storage and hotel-access costs are excluded from itinerary subtotals.
Transport, food and related guides
Japan transport guide
SRT to Nagoya Castle, the subway to the aquarium and Meitetsu to Inuyama or Tokoname use different boarding locations and operating schedules. Check the return route for each destination.
Japan transport guide →Rail pass guide
Inuyama and Tokoname journeys in these itineraries use Meitetsu; the aquarium journey uses Nagoya’s subway. Distinguish these from JR pass coverage, and compare ordinary fares with each transport operator’s passes.
Rail pass guide →Restaurant and booking information
Consider hitsumabushi eel rice or miso katsu for a meal in Nagoya. Hitsumabushi is enjoyed in stages: on its own, with seasonings, then with broth poured over it. Have lunch near the port on your aquarium day, or in the castle town on your Inuyama day, to reduce extra intercity journeys for meals. Check the city, opening days, menu and booking conditions of each venue. Meals are separate from itinerary subtotals.
Restaurant and booking information →Region name
Aichi Prefecture · 愛知県
Day trips from a Nagoya base
These itineraries stay in Nagoya and make return trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. They are separate towns, so set aside a separate day for each train trip.
Nagoya Station and Noritake Garden
On an arrival or departure day, combine the Nagoya Station area with Noritake’s exhibitions. The official walk to the East Gate takes about 15 minutes, and the Craft Center and Noritake Museum charge admission. If Monday is a public holiday, the exhibitions open and close the next weekday. Check year-end closures, and allow time to return to the station after a final-day visit.
Noritake East Gate walking mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake: hours and closures by facility
Nagoya Castle and Honmaru Palace
Choose Nagoya Castle for palace interiors and a walk through the grounds. Its keep interior is closed, so this visit does not include climbing the keep. Walk about five minutes from Nagoyajo Station exit 7 to the main gate, then continue to the palace. Palace admission ends before the whole castle closes.
Nagoya Castle: facility and visitor guideCastle official access guideMain gate to the palace entrance
Nagoya Port and the aquarium
Visit Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium for belugas, dolphins and performances. Walk about five minutes from Nagoyako Station towards the port. Allow time for North and South Building exhibitions around the day’s performances. Visiting on a separate day from the castle gives you more time for galleries and breaks between performances. Performances and outdoor events follow the day’s operating programme.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
Inuyama Station and castle-town streets
Take Meitetsu to Inuyama for its wooden keep interior. The official walk follows Honmachi-dori from Inuyama Station’s west exit to the castle, about 20 minutes. Combine it with a castle-town meal, but decide with your companions whether to climb the steep keep stairs. This itinerary returns by train to Nagoya after the visit.
Tokoname’s lanes and INAX exhibitions
Choose Pottery Footpath Course A for sloping lanes lined with pottery pipes, or INAX for indoor tile exhibitions. Course A is about 1.6 km and an hour on foot; meals and workshop browsing take extra time. INAX is a paid facility reached by a separate walk from the station. Even within the same town, the lane walk and exhibitions have different fees and operating days.
Tokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and BINAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information deskINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station
Find the right station and destination
Allow separate time to walk from your hotel address to the actual boarding point. Choose return services for your date using the official access guides and journey searches below. For walking directions, check the endpoints and adjust the route for your hotel and local access signs. Map estimates exclude waiting and sightseeing.
| Route | How to travel | Directions and checks |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya Station → Nagoya Castle | Subway to Nagoyajo Station → exit 7 → about five minutes on foot to the main gate | Check subway transfers and directions for your date |
| Nagoya Station → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium | Higashiyama Line to Sakae → connection continuing onto the Meiko Line for Nagoyako → about five minutes on foot from exit 3 | Use the aquarium access map to distinguish this from a Kanayama departure |
| Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Castle | Inuyama Line to Inuyama Station → west exit → about 20 minutes along Honmachi-dori | Find the Meitetsu platforms, separate from JR Nagoya |
| Nagoya Station → Noritake East Gate | Walk about 15 minutes following the official walking map | Distinguish outdoor access from the paid exhibition entrance |
| Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname | Leave at Tokoname Station → information office to the east → choose Course A or INAX | A different direction from Inuyama. Search trains and fares both ways. |
| Tokoname Station → INAX | Follow the official walking map to the facility’s general information desk | A separate destination from the pottery lane starting point |
Castle official access guidePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessInuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu route and fare search by dateNoritake East Gate walking mapInformation office 400 metres east of the stationINAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information desk
Choose Nagoya dishes around your sightseeing
Decide whether to eat after returning to Nagoya or have lunch in Inuyama or Tokoname on your visit day. Meals are separate from the itinerary subtotals.
Hitsumabushi
Chopped grilled eel is served over rice and enjoyed in stages: on its own, with seasonings, then with broth. Consider it for a Nagoya meal if you like eel. Check portions and prices on the venue’s menu.
Miso nikomi udon
Udon is simmered in miso broth in an earthenware pot. Consider it if you want hot soup and noodles. On a castle or aquarium day, look for a venue along your route back to the hotel and check its hours.
Before comparing ordinary tickets and passes
The sightseeing costs are partial subtotals for specified facilities and ordinary-ticket journeys. Airport travel, accommodation and meals are additional; special cars also require a surcharge.
Check SRT’s Nagoya Castle operating days
The Nagoya Castle SRT route runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Two regular journeys cost JPY 210 × 2; this differs from the JPY 500 SRT-only day ticket. On ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays, choose a subway route because this bus does not run.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September
Meitetsu and subway coverage is separate from JR
Return journeys to Inuyama and Tokoname use Meitetsu; the aquarium journey uses Nagoya’s subway. A JR pass does not automatically include these services. Meitetsu special cars require a μticket in addition to the base-fare ticket, so calculate them separately from ordinary-car fares.
Meitetsu route and fare search by datePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: accessMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay in Nagoya and visit Inuyama and Tokoname?
Yes. Stay in Nagoya and take separate Meitetsu day trips to Inuyama and Tokoname; these itineraries do not stay overnight in either town. Allow walking and breaks as well as the trains: Inuyama Castle is about 20 minutes from its station, and Tokoname’s Course A is 1.6 km. Check the return train for each day. For final-day sightseeing, allow time after returning to Nagoya before your onward departure.
Inuyama Castle: accessTokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and BMeitetsu route and fare search by date
Official sources and check dates
- Nagoya Castle: facility and visitor guide ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: access ·
- Inuyama Castle: access ·
- Tokoname tourism association: walking Courses A and B ·
- Noritake exhibitions and admission ·
- Noritake: hours and closures by facility ·
- Noritake East Gate walking map ·
- INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general information desk ·
- INAX: walking map from Tokoname Station ·
- Nagoya City: SRT operating days and fares ·
- Return timetable effective 11 September ·
- Castle official access guide ·
- Main gate to the palace entrance ·
- JR station locker locations ·
- Meitetsu route and fare search by date ·
- Otemichi, ticketing and keep entrance ·
- Information office 400 metres east of the station ·
- Nagoya local food visitor guide ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY guide ·
- Nagoya local food: miso nikomi udon ·