Shizuoka in three days: what will you see in one city?
Stay two nights near Shizuoka Station for views, shrine architecture and castle-history exhibits, or near Atami Station for a former residence, art and seaside. In Shizuoka, visit the city art museum, Kunozan Toshogu and Sunpu Castle Park on separate days; in Atami, split Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach. Check exhibitions and closures alongside return Nihondaira buses.
Choose a 3 days, 2 nights itinerary
City art museum, Toshogu and Sunpu Castle
Stay two nights in Shizuoka for paintings, ornate shrine architecture and castle-history exhibits. Visit the city art museum, Nihondaira/Kunozan Toshogu and Sunpu Castle on separate days. Order them around the museum exhibition and return Nihondaira buses.
City art museum, Toshogu and Sunpu Castle →3 days, 2 nights BAtami's Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach
Stay two nights in Atami for a former villa and art museum, ending by the sea. Visit Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach on separate days. Reorder around MOA exhibition-changeover closures; swimming and paid activities are separate choices.
Atami's Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach →City art museum, Toshogu and Sunpu Castle
Stay two nights in Shizuoka for paintings, ornate shrine architecture and castle-history exhibits. Visit the city art museum, Nihondaira/Kunozan Toshogu and Sunpu Castle on separate days. Order them around the museum exhibition and return Nihondaira buses.
Day 1 · Shizuoka Station → city art museum's visit-date exhibition → Shizuoka hotel
- JR Shizuoka Station north exit → Shizuoka City Museum of Art
Follow the underpass to Aoi Tower's third floor, about three minutes away. This is a different museum from the prefectural art museum. Check the exhibition's hours and last entry for your date. Allow separate time for lunch and rest.
City art museum Renoir pricesCity art museum opening calendarCity art museum current exhibitions
- City art museum exhibition entrance → JR Shizuoka Station
Open 10:00–19:00, with gallery entry until 18:30. Closed Mondays except public holidays, when closure moves to the next weekday. After visiting, return towards the station via the underpass. For another exhibition period, recheck exhibits, prices and closures.
City art museum station accessCity art museum opening calendarCity art museum current exhibitions
Day 2 · Shizuoka Station → Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu → Shizuoka hotel
- Shizuoka Station-front stop → Nihondaira Ropeway bus terminus
Choose a bus reaching the Nihondaira Ropeway terminus. In the weekday or weekend/public holiday timetable for your date, check the uphill service and return to Shizuoka Station together. Leave summit time for the ropeway, shrine and viewpoint.
Weekday uphill timetableWeekday return timetableNihondaira Ropeway one-way ride time
- Nihondaira Ropeway station → Kunozan Station and Toshogu
Buy a return ropeway ticket and descend to Kunozan Station. After the roughly five-minute ride, about 80 steps lead to the shrine buildings. Ticketing, queues and steps are extra. If steps are difficult or wind suspends the ropeway, omit the shrine and focus on terrace views.
Shizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway visitor guideNihondaira Ropeway one-way ride time
- Kunozan Toshogu Shrine → Shrine worship area
Use the shrine worship ticket for its architecture and paid worship area. It costs ¥700 for senior high school students and older; the museum is extra. Open 09:00–17:00, reception until 16:50, but finish in time for your return bus.
- Toshogu and Kunozan Station → Nihondaira Yume Terrace
Return by the steps to Kunozan Station and take the Nihondaira-bound ropeway. There is no walking connection between the two mountains. Allow lunch and rest at the summit, then follow terrace signs along the roughly three-minute walking connection. The outdoor corridor is free; ordinary building admission is ¥100. Building hours are 09:00–17:00 Sunday–Friday and 09:00–21:00 Saturday. Closed the second Tuesday, or next weekday if a public holiday. Mount Fuji visibility depends on the weather.
Shizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway visitor guideNihondaira Yume Terrace visitor guideNihondaira Yume Terrace facilities
- Nihondaira Ropeway bus terminus → Shizuoka Station-front stop
Reach the stop for your chosen Shizuoka Station-front return bus. If visiting runs late, shorten remaining views and rests to catch it. Back in Shizuoka, eat dinner and go to your hotel. The return bus fare is outside this itinerary's subtotal.
Weekday return timetableWeekday uphill timetableShizutetsu segment fare search: uphill confirmed, return unconfirmed
Day 3 · Shizuoka Station → Sunpu Castle restored gate and turret exhibits → Shizuoka Station
- JR Shizuoka Station → Sunpu Castle Park
Walk about 15 minutes from the station to the park. Visit castle-history exhibits inside the restored Higashigomon Gate and Tatsumi Yagura turret. Distinguish free park walks from paid indoor exhibits.
- Higashigomon and Tatsumi Yagura → JR Shizuoka Station
Ordinary admission is ¥200. Open 09:00–16:30, last entry 16:00. Closed Mondays except public holidays, with no substitute closure, and December 29–January 3. After visiting, walk about 15 minutes back towards the station by the same route for lunch and departure. Follow construction notices for your date.
Included: City art museum Renoir ordinary same-day ticket ¥1,600 (September 22–November 15, 2026); ropeway return ¥1,250 + shrine ¥700 + terrace building ¥100 + uphill Shizuoka Station-front–Nihondaira Ropeway bus ¥710 = ¥2,760; Sunpu Castle Park Higashigomon/Tatsumi Yagura admission ¥200.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, arrivals/departures outside the prefecture, extra station–hotel travel, separate activities, cafés, shopping and other museums or facilities outside your chosen ticket. The Nihondaira–Shizuoka Station return bus is extra. This total does not double the uphill ¥710 fare.
Subtotal for one adult using ordinary individual tickets, checked October 8, 2026. Each itinerary uses ordinary tickets for listed facilities and journeys, rather than the cheapest discount combination. Recalculate if visit-date exhibitions, ticket types or fares change. Fare-search conditions do not represent an actual travel schedule or secured seats. The city art museum's ¥1,600 is ordinary same-day admission to the Renoir exhibition September 22–November 15, 2026. Outside that period, substitute your exhibition's admission and recalculate.
City art museum Renoir pricesShizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway visitor guideKunozan Toshogu feesNihondaira Yume Terrace visitor guideShizutetsu segment fare search: uphill confirmed, return unconfirmedSunpu Castle Park fees and access
Atami's Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach
Stay two nights in Atami for a former villa and art museum, ending by the sea. Visit Kiunkaku, MOA Museum and Sun Beach on separate days. Reorder around MOA exhibition-changeover closures; swimming and paid activities are separate choices.
Day 1 · Atami Station → Kiunkaku → same hotel
- Atami Station → Kiunkaku
Eat lunch near the station, then walk about 20 minutes to Kiunkaku. Explore the former residence's Japanese and Western architecture and garden, allowing time for hilly walking and rests.
Kiunkaku admission and hoursOfficial Kiunkaku tourism guide: station walk about 20 minutesJapan Tourism Association Kiunkaku walking access
- Kiunkaku → Buildings and garden
Open 09:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. Closed Wednesdays except public holidays, and December 26–30. Check opening for your date, then explore the buildings and garden.
Kiunkaku admission and hoursAtami tourism association Kiunkaku closure exceptions
- Kiunkaku → Towards Atami Station
Walk back along the same route towards the station, about 20 minutes. Rest near the station, then go to your hotel. Choose dinner around whether your accommodation includes a meal.
Kiunkaku admission and hoursOfficial Kiunkaku tourism guide: station walk about 20 minutes
Day 2 · Atami Station bay 8 → MOA exhibition → Atami Station
- Atami Station bay 8 → MOA Museum bus terminus
Take a MOA Museum-bound bus and get off at the terminus after about seven minutes. Choose museum-bound and Atami Station-bound services for your date together. Services marked M in the timetable do not run on museum closure days.
- Bus terminus → MOA main building
Buy your ticket at the escalator entrance in front of the bus boarding point. Ascend eight escalator sections to Mua Square, about 10 minutes, then continue to the main entrance. Allow extra time for ticketing and queues.
Official MOA escalator entrance and bus boarding-point mapMOA Art Street and escalator access guide
- MOA main building → Art exhibits and lunch
See the exhibition on your date, with separate time for lunch and rest. Basic hours are 09:30–16:30, last entry 16:00. Closed Thursdays except public holidays, with exhibition-changeover closures. Check artworks, exhibition dates and the opening calendar together.
- MOA Museum of Art → Atami Station
Descend the escalators to the stop and take your chosen Atami Station-bound bus. Gallery-to-stop travel and waiting are outside the seven-minute ride. Allow dinner or rest near the station.
Day 3 · Atami Station → Sun Beach coast → Atami Station
- Atami Station → Sun Beach coast
After breakfast, walk about 20 minutes from the station to Sun Beach. Explore the sand and promenade, enjoying the sea on a separate day from architecture and art visits.
- Sun Beach coast → Atami Station
Shorten your visit in rain or strong winds. The station-bound return is uphill; add rests and platform access to the roughly 20-minute walk. Choose lunch along the return route or near the station. This is a coastal walk; summer swimming and the water park are separate.
Included: Ordinary individual Kiunkaku admission ¥610; ordinary MOA admission ¥2,000 + Atami Station–MOA return bus ¥200 × 2 = ¥2,400.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, arrivals/departures outside the prefecture, extra station–hotel travel, separate activities, cafés, shopping and other museums or facilities outside your chosen ticket. Sun Beach's water park, rentals and parking are outside this walking itinerary.
Subtotal for one adult using ordinary individual tickets, checked October 8, 2026. Each itinerary uses ordinary tickets for its listed facilities and journeys, rather than the cheapest discount combination. Recalculate if visit-date exhibitions, ticket types or fares change. Fare-search conditions do not represent an actual travel schedule or secured seats.
Kiunkaku admission and hoursMOA visitor guideTokai Bus timetables in both directions
December 1–21, 2026 ropeway suspension
Nihondaira Ropeway is scheduled to suspend service for equipment works. During this period, the ropeway round trip to Kunozan Toshogu is unavailable. Even for terrace views alone, check buses and terrace opening separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose just the viewpoint instead of the shrine on a two-night Shizuoka trip?
Yes. If the Toshogu steps are difficult, visit Nihondaira Yume Terrace's views and return. Keeping the city art museum and Sunpu Castle but removing the ropeway and shrine gives checked costs of ¥2,610 including the terrace building, or ¥2,510 using only the free outdoor corridor. These use the ¥1,600 ordinary same-day Renoir ticket for September 22–November 15, 2026. The Nihondaira–Shizuoka Station return bus, accommodation and meals are extra. Choose the return bus in your date's timetable.
Shizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway visitor guideNihondaira Yume Terrace visitor guideWeekday return timetableCity art museum Renoir pricesKunozan Toshogu feesShizutetsu segment fare search: uphill confirmed, return unconfirmedSunpu Castle Park fees and access
Does a two-night Atami trip need buses for every visit?
Day-one Kiunkaku and last-day Sun Beach are each about a 20-minute walk from Atami Station. Only the day-two MOA visit uses return buses from bay 8. The current ¥3,010 subtotal includes MOA admission ¥2,000, return bus ¥400 and Kiunkaku admission ¥610. Budget separately for replacing hillside walks with buses or adding facilities.
Kiunkaku admission and hoursSun Beach seasonal use and station accessMOA visitor guideTokai Bus timetables in both directions
Official sources and check dates
- Nihondaira Yume Terrace visitor guide ·
- Nihondaira Yume Terrace facilities ·
- Kunozan Toshogu fees ·
- Shizutetsu Nihondaira Ropeway visitor guide ·
- Shizutetsu December ropeway suspension ·
- Kiunkaku admission and hours ·
- Sun Beach seasonal use and station access ·
- City art museum Renoir prices ·
- City art museum station access ·
- City art museum opening calendar ·
- Sunpu Castle Park fees and access ·
- Official Kiunkaku tourism guide: station walk about 20 minutes ·
- MOA visitor guide ·
- Tokai Bus timetables in both directions ·
- MOA exhibition list ·
- Operating calendar ·
- Weekday uphill timetable ·
- Weekday return timetable ·
- Japan Tourism Association Kiunkaku walking access ·
- Nihondaira Ropeway one-way ride time ·
- Official MOA escalator entrance and bus boarding-point map ·
- MOA Art Street and escalator access guide ·
- Atami tourism association Kiunkaku closure exceptions ·
- City art museum current exhibitions ·
- Shizutetsu segment fare search: uphill confirmed, return unconfirmed ·