JapanLiveNowLIVE
EN

Two days in Nagoya: which castle should you visit?

Choose Nagoya Castle for ornate palace murals, decoration and grounds, or Inuyama Castle to climb an old wooden keep. Stay one night near Nagoya Station and visit Noritake exhibitions before departing the next day. Match castle SRT operating days with Noritake closures. For a morning departure, move or omit the exhibitions.

Show moreShow less

Choose a 2 days / 1 night itinerary

2 days / 1 night A

Nagoya Castle by SRT, then Noritake

Stay one night near Nagoya Station for ornate Honmaru Palace rooms and ceramics exhibitions. Take SRT to Nagoya Castle on day one and visit Noritake on your last day. The castle route runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays; check that the exhibition opens the following day too.

Nagoya Castle by SRT, then Noritake →2 days / 1 night B

Inuyama Castle and Noritake

Stay one night in Nagoya and visit Inuyama for an old wooden keep and the streets below it. Visit Noritake’s exhibitions on your last day. Meitetsu Nagoya and JR Nagoya have different boarding areas.

Inuyama Castle and Noritake →
2 days / 1 night A

Nagoya Castle by SRT, then Noritake

Stay one night near Nagoya Station for ornate Honmaru Palace rooms and ceramics exhibitions. Take SRT to Nagoya Castle on day one and visit Noritake on your last day. The castle route runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays; check that the exhibition opens the following day too.

Day 1: Honmaru Palace at Nagoya Castle, then back to Nagoya

  1. Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit SRT stop → Nagoya Castle bus stop

    Take the Nagoya Castle SRT route. It runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays. Choose both an arrival and return departure in the timetable for your date. This SRT itinerary cannot be followed unchanged on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays.

    Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 September

  2. Nagoya Castle bus stop → Main gate and Honmaru Palace

    Walk about four minutes from the stop to the main gate, then about 10 minutes to the Honmaru Palace entrance. Explore the palace and castle grounds, with time for a rest. The main keep interior is closed. The castle closes at 16:30 and palace admission ends at 16:00; allow time to reach the palace entrance and queue.

    Official castle accessMain gate to palace entranceNagoya Castle: facilities and visiting information

  3. Nagoya Castle → Nagoya Station Taiko-dori Exit

    After sightseeing, return to the SRT stop where you arrived and board for Nagoya Station’s Taiko-dori Exit. Reach the stop in time for the castle departure, then have dinner or rest near the station.

    Return timetable effective 11 SeptemberNagoya City: SRT operating days and fares

Day 2: Noritake ceramics and tableware exhibitions, then back to Nagoya

  1. JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit → Noritake East Gate

    From JR Nagoya, walk about 600 metres north, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho junction. Continue about 150 metres through Wanouchicho junction; about 50 metres later, enter through the East Gate on your left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 from Meitetsu or Kintetsu Nagoya.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

  2. East Gate → Craft Center and Museum

    Find the exhibition entrance on the site map and explore ceramics production, historic tableware and design material. Paid exhibitions open 10:00–17:00; painting activities cost extra. Walking the outdoor grounds and visiting exhibitions are separate options. It closes on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendar if you also want to visit the gallery.

    Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake facility hours and closures

  3. Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit

    After the exhibitions, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes plus time for finding your way.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

Confirmed costs and exclusions: 1,920 yen

Included: Nagoya Castle ordinary admission 1,000 yen + two SRT ordinary fares at 210 yen = 1,420 yen; Noritake Craft Center and Museum combined ordinary admission 500 yen.

Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport or inter-prefecture travel, extra travel between stations and hotels, shopping, separate activities, special-car supplements and paid facilities outside the itinerary.

This partial total uses ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, as checked on 8 October 2026. Transport calculations cover only the sections and ticket types stated for each route; they do not claim the cheapest combination of discount tickets. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission fee differs. Fare-search conditions do not confirm your actual itinerary or secure a seat.

Nagoya Castle: admissionNagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake exhibitions and admission

2 days / 1 night B

Inuyama Castle and Noritake

Stay one night in Nagoya and visit Inuyama for an old wooden keep and the streets below it. Visit Noritake’s exhibitions on your last day. Meitetsu Nagoya and JR Nagoya have different boarding areas.

Day 1: Inuyama Castle keep and castle-town streets, then back to Nagoya

  1. Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Station

    Use the Meitetsu journey planner to choose both outward and return services for your date. Choose a train stopping at Inuyama and travel in an ordinary car. Special cars require a μticket in addition to the basic fare. Before boarding, check the platform, destination and Inuyama stop.

    Meitetsu: date-specific journey and fare plannerMeitetsu special cars and μSKY

  2. Inuyama Station west exit → Inuyama Castle ticket office

    Leave by the west exit, turn right at Honmachi junction and follow Honmachi-dori towards the castle. The official station-to-castle walk takes about 20 minutes. Climb Otemichi beside the National Treasure Inuyama Castle stone marker to the ticket office.

    Inuyama Castle: accessOtemichi, ticketing and keep entrance

  3. Inuyama Castle ticket office → Keep and castle-town streets

    Buy castle-only tickets at the machine; exchange vouchers and combined tickets at the staffed counter. If stairs are difficult or rain is heavy, focus on the castle-town streets instead. For the keep, remove your shoes at the entrance, climb the internal stairs and have lunch in the streets below afterwards. Hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. It closes 29–31 December.

    Otemichi, ticketing and keep entranceInuyama Castle: facilities and visiting information

  4. Castle-town streets and Inuyama Station → Meitetsu Nagoya Station

    Retrace your route to Inuyama Station and take an ordinary car on a train stopping at Meitetsu Nagoya. Allow time to walk from the streets to the station and board, then have dinner and rest back in Nagoya.

    Inuyama Castle: accessMeitetsu: date-specific journey and fare planner

Day 2: Noritake ceramics and tableware exhibitions, then back to Nagoya

  1. JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit → Noritake East Gate

    From JR Nagoya, walk about 600 metres north, then take the diagonal road to the right at Ushijimacho junction. Continue about 150 metres through Wanouchicho junction; about 50 metres later, enter through the East Gate on your left. Allow about 15 minutes from JR Nagoya, or 20 from Meitetsu or Kintetsu Nagoya.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

  2. East Gate → Craft Center and Museum

    Find the exhibition entrance on the site map and explore ceramics production, historic tableware and design material. Paid exhibitions open 10:00–17:00; painting activities cost extra. Walking the outdoor grounds and visiting exhibitions are separate options. It closes on Mondays, or the next weekday when Monday is a public holiday, and from 26 December to 3 January. Check the separate exhibition calendar if you also want to visit the gallery.

    Site mapNoritake exhibitions and admissionNoritake facility hours and closures

  3. Noritake East Gate → JR Nagoya Station Sakuradori Exit

    After the exhibitions, have lunch nearby and retrace your route to JR Nagoya Station. Allow about 15 minutes plus time for finding your way.

    Noritake East Gate walking map

Confirmed costs and exclusions: 2,760 yen

Included: Inuyama Castle ordinary admission 1,000 yen + Meitetsu Nagoya–Inuyama ordinary-car fares at 630 yen each way = 2,260 yen; Noritake Craft Center and Museum combined ordinary admission 500 yen.

Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, airport or inter-prefecture travel, extra travel between stations and hotels, shopping, separate activities, special-car supplements and paid facilities outside the itinerary.

This partial total uses ordinary individual tickets for one adult under 65, as checked on 8 October 2026. Transport calculations cover only the sections and ticket types stated for each route; they do not claim the cheapest combination of discount tickets. Recalculate if your return route, ticket type or admission fee differs. Fare-search conditions do not confirm your actual itinerary or secure a seat.

Inuyama Castle: facilities and visiting informationMeitetsu: verified Nagoya → Inuyama ordinary fareMeitetsu: verified Inuyama → Nagoya ordinary fareNoritake exhibitions and admission

Frequently asked questions

Does the SRT bus to Nagoya Castle run every day?

No. The castle SRT route runs on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and public holidays. If visiting Noritake the next day, check the Craft Center and Museum opening calendar as well.

Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective 11 SeptemberNoritake facility hours and closures

Official sources and check dates