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Which Aizu attractions should you choose?

Choose Tsuruga Castle for red tiles and Aizu history exhibits, or Oyakuen for pond walks and medicinal plants. Explore the reconstructed residence for samurai homes. Allow a separate return-trip day for Ouchi-juku’s thatched village or Kitakata ramen.

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Attraction fees, hours and access

Attractions

Tsuruga Castle

Tsurugajo Castle鶴ヶ城

See the red-tiled castle and learn Aizu history through keep exhibits. Choose whether to enter the paid exhibits after viewing the exterior. The keep uses stairs. Keep-only tickets and combined Rinkaku tea-room tickets cover different visiting areas.

  • FeesKeep: adults ¥410, elementary and junior high school students ¥150. Adult combined keep and Rinkaku ticket ¥520.
  • Hours08:30–17:00, last admission 16:30. Open year-round. There are stairs inside the keep.
  • Getting thereTake Haikara-san or Akabe from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, get off at Tsurugajo-iriguchi and walk about 5 minutes. The buses loop in opposite directions; check the return stop’s direction.

Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and 5-minute bus-stop walkAizu Bus: loop directions, current ¥250 fare and ¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times

Visit Tsuruga Castle →Official facility and tourism information2-day route A: Tsuruga Castle and Oyakuen3-day route A: castle, Ouchi-juku and garden3-day route B: castle, ramen trip and final-day residence4-day route A: castle and two day trips4-day route B: streets, castle, garden and Kitakata lunch5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata5-day route B: Aizu and Kitakata at one destination per day
Attractions

Oyakuen

御薬園

Walk slowly around Oyakuen’s pond and explore medicinal plants. Its pond, pavilion and medicinal-plant garden offer outdoor scenery after castle exhibits. Shorten garden walks when rain or snow makes walking difficult.

  • FeesAdults ¥330, high school students ¥270, elementary and junior high school students ¥160.
  • Hours08:30–17:00, last admission 16:30. Open year-round.
  • Getting thereHaikara-san takes about 30 minutes from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Oyakuen, beside the entrance. Akabe uses Aizu-Wakamatsu-Shokokaigisho-mae with about a 5-minute walk; the stops differ.

Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and stop access

Visit Oyakuen →Official facility and tourism informationOyakuen: pond, pavilion and medicinal-plant garden2-day route A: Tsuruga Castle and Oyakuen3-day route A: castle, Ouchi-juku and garden4-day route A: castle and two day trips4-day route B: streets, castle, garden and Kitakata lunch5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata5-day route B: Aizu and Kitakata at one destination per day
Attractions

Aizu Bukeyashiki samurai residence

Aizu Bukeyashiki会津武家屋敷

Visit Aizu Bukeyashiki to explore how Aizu samurai lived. See a reconstructed senior domain official’s residence and historical museum. Facility guidance suggests about one hour. Outdoor movement and changes in level between exhibits mean stairs and walking routes matter.

  • FeesAdults ¥1,000, junior high and high school students ¥600, elementary school students ¥500.
  • HoursApril–November 08:30–17:00, final exit 17:30; December–March 09:00–16:30, final exit 17:00. Check last admission separately.
  • Getting thereTake Akabe from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Aizu-Bukeyashiki-mae, then go to the main gate and ticket office. Return on Akabe towards Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. The stop name appears twice on the route map; distinguish directions. Allow separate stop-to-gate walking and entry queues. Check weekday, holiday and seasonal conditions in the operator’s timetable. Adult bus fare is ¥250 per ride.

Official residence: fees, seasonal hours and roughly one-hour visitFukushima Kotsu: Akabe weekday/holiday tables from 1 October 2026 and winter suspension markingsAizu Bus: loop directions, current ¥250 fare and ¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times

Visit Aizu Bukeyashiki samurai residence →Official facility and tourism informationOfficial Aizu tourism: residence reconstruction and exhibits2-day route B: samurai residence and Nanukamachi streets3-day route B: castle, ramen trip and final-day residence4-day route B: streets, castle, garden and Kitakata lunch5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata5-day route B: Aizu and Kitakata at one destination per day
Attractions

Ouchi-juku

大内宿

Walk a historic village lined with thatched houses. Choose a meal stop and check its opening days in the official shop calendar. The tourism association says many shops are open around 09:00–16:00; this is not a shared village opening or closing time. Individual exhibits and meals cost extra.

  • FeesNo village-wide admission-ticket price has been confirmed. Check individual exhibition, meal and parking prices before visiting.
  • HoursThe tourism association says many shops are open around 09:00–16:00. Exact hours vary; check the official monthly calendar for your chosen shop.
  • Getting thereTake a train via Nishi-Wakamatsu onto the Aizu Railway line from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Yunokami Onsen. Transfer to Saruyu-go outside the station for roughly 20 minutes to Ouchi-juku’s entrance. Passengers reserving by the previous day have priority. Train and bus waits are additional.

Ouchi-juku association: shop calendars and guidance for visits around 09:00–16:00Aizu Railway local-train arrival/departure timetable revised 14 March 2026Aizu Railway 2026 pamphlet: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditions

Visit Ouchi-juku →Official facility and tourism information3-day route A: castle, Ouchi-juku and garden4-day route A: castle and two day trips5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata
Attractions

Yunokami Onsen Station

湯野上温泉駅

Look at Yunokami Onsen’s thatched station building on the way to Ouchi-juku. Transfer here to Saruyu-go and explore nearby only if time remains before the bus. The combined discount ticket covers Nishi-Wakamatsu–Yunokami Onsen railway travel and Saruyu-go. Starting at Aizu-Wakamatsu requires a separate ¥200 adult one-way fare to Nishi-Wakamatsu.

  • FeesRailway and bus tickets are separate. The ¥2,200 adult combined discount ticket applies from Nishi-Wakamatsu.
  • HoursThe operator’s FAQ lists Yunokami Onsen’s staffed counter at 08:30–17:00. Distinguish this from train times and check temporary changes before travelling.
  • Getting thereLeave the train for the Saruyu-go stop outside the station. Check your preferred Ouchi-juku return services and ask about reservations first. Bus waits are additional to train travel time.

Aizu Railway: ¥2,200 Ouchi-juku ticket from Nishi-Wakamatsu, separate ¥200 fareOfficial Aizu Railway FAQ: Yunokami Onsen staffed counter 08:30–17:00Aizu Railway 2026 pamphlet: Saruyu-go times, reservation priority and combined-ticket conditions

Visit Yunokami Onsen Station →Official facility and tourism informationOfficial thatched station-building information3-day route A: castle, Ouchi-juku and garden4-day route A: castle and two day trips5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata
Attractions

Kitakata

喜多方

Take JR’s Banetsu West Line from Aizu-Wakamatsu for a Kitakata ramen outing. Raimu’s main shop in this route is number 19 on the tourism association map. Check the shop walk and waiting time, choosing your return train first.

  • FeesAdult paper tickets on local trains between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata cost ¥350 one way or ¥700 for two one-way tickets. This uses JR East’s official operating distance and fare rules checked 9 October 2026. Meals and tourist-train seat charges are separate; check operation and purchase conditions for your actual date before leaving.
  • HoursOfficial Raimu Kitakata main-shop guidance lists 11:00–21:00, last order 20:45, open year-round. Recheck temporary closures and menus for your date.
  • Getting thereTake a JR Banetsu West Line local train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu and get off at Kitakata. Walk to Raimu’s main shop at 7 Inarimiya, number 19 on the tourism association ramen map. Allow restaurant waits and the station return walk, then take JR towards Aizu-Wakamatsu. Check operation and platforms in official station timetables and on-the-day guidance.

JR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rules, Article 77-3JR East Banetsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, Article 77Official Raimu: main-shop address, 11:00–21:00 and last order 20:45JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: weekday/holiday Banetsu West Line timetable towards Kitakata and NiitsuJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-WakamatsuKitakata tourism association ramen map and restaurant information

Visit Kitakata →Official facility and tourism information3-day route B: castle, ramen trip and final-day residence4-day route A: castle and two day trips4-day route B: streets, castle, garden and Kitakata lunch5-day route A: central Aizu, Ouchi-juku and Kitakata5-day route B: Aizu and Kitakata at one destination per day

Frequently asked questions

Are castle and residence visits entirely indoors in rain?

You can focus on exhibits, but still need to use stairs inside the keep and walk outdoors between residence displays. Garden and castle-surrounding walks do not form an entirely indoor route. Reduce outdoor visits in snow or heavy rain and prioritize your return connection.

Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and 5-minute bus-stop walkOfficial residence: fees, seasonal hours and roughly one-hour visitOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and stop access

Official sources and check dates