Four nights in Aomori: mountain and park or two nights at Lake Towada

Day 1: WA RASSE Nebuta exhibition and port walk

Nebuta Museum WA RASSE · ねぶたの家 ワ・ラッセ

Visit the indoor exhibition near the station on arrival day, then relax by the water.

1. Aomori Station → WA RASSE

   Walk east from the station towards the waterfront. WA RASSE is about one minute away on foot; adult exhibition admission is ¥620.

   Directions2026-10-08Official prices2026-10-08

2. WA RASSE exhibition → Port walk and overnight stay in Aomori

   See the Nebuta exhibition and take a short waterfront walk if the weather is fine. Closing is 19:00 from May to August and 18:00 from September to April, with last admission 30 minutes earlier. If you arrive late, start with the port walk. To move WA RASSE to tomorrow, check that the Jomon return buses leave enough time for both facilities within their opening hours. If time is short, skip the exhibition and subtract its admission.

   Hours2026-10-08

Day 2: Jomon site and indoor exhibitions

Sannai-Maruyama Historical Site · 三内丸山遺跡

See pottery, clay figurines and displays recreating daily life before exploring the outdoor site. In rain, start indoors.

1. Aomori Station West Exit, stand 2 → Sannai-Maruyama Iseki-mae bus stop

   Take the Nebutan-go bus and get off at 三内丸山遺跡前. The adult fare is ¥300 per ride. Regular-day and designated-date timetables differ; check both journeys for your visit date before leaving.

   Nebutan-go 2026 regular timetable and stop map2026-10-09Nebutan-go 2026 designated-date calendar2026-10-09Nebutan-go fares2026-10-08

2. Bus stop roundabout → Jomon Jiyukan and outdoor site

   Walk about one minute from the stop and find the ticket counter and entry signs at Jomon Jiyukan. You enter the site through this building. General admission of ¥500 covers the outdoor site and permanent exhibition. Take breaks during your visit; special exhibitions and activities cost extra.

   Prefectural transport agency walking directions2026-10-08Nebutan-go operation and timetable2026-10-08Jomon site facility information2026-10-08

3. Red Nebutan-go sign outside the site → Aomori Station

   Check the Aomori Station-bound service and return to the same stop outside the site. Distinguish it from municipal bus stops and Shin-Aomori-bound services. Return buses may be infrequent; plan sightseeing and meals around your return service.

   Bus stop and entrance map2026-10-08Nebutan-go 2026 regular timetable and stop map2026-10-09

Day 3: Hakkoda Ropeway and mountain views

Hakkoda Ropeway · 八甲田ロープウェー

Visit for mountain views on a day when the buses and ropeway are running.

1. Aomori Station East Exit, stand 11 → Ropeway Eki-mae stop and base station

   Take a JR bus towards Lake Towada or Sukayu and get off at ロープウェー駅前. The adult fare is ¥1,290 one way. Routes and reservation conditions vary by season; check both journeys for your date first.

   JR bus autumn timetable and fares2026-10-08Ropeway access and fares2026-10-08JR bus notice2026-10-08

2. Base station → Summit Park Station and Gourd Line

   Take the ropeway up in about 10 minutes; the return fare is ¥2,500 for junior high school students and older. Walk only the sections of the Gourd Line near Summit Park Station that are open that day. A return ticket does not mean every walking path is open. For a meal on the mountain, check opening hours and leave enough time for your return journey.

   Ropeway prices and hours2026-10-08Gourd Line2026-10-08Base station restaurant2026-10-08

3. Summit Park Station → Base station and Aomori Station

   Take the ropeway down in time for your return bus and go to the Aomori-bound stop. If strong winds or maintenance suspend service, change to an indoor facility that is open in the city or rest instead of attempting the mountain trip.

   Ropeway prices and hours2026-10-08JR bus autumn timetable and fares2026-10-08

Day 4: Hirosaki Park gates and moat walk

Hirosaki Park · 弘前公園

Move from Aomori to Hirosaki, walk through the park and spend the night.

1. Aomori Station → Hirosaki Station

   Travel between the cities by a JR Ou Main Line local train. The cost uses an adult one-way reference fare of ¥720; recheck your date’s train and fare on Eki-net. Distinguish Shin-Aomori from Aomori Station.

   Eki-net Aomori–Hirosaki journey search2026-10-08JR revised 2026 ordinary fare table2026-10-08

2. Hirosaki Station → Otemon Gate at the park

   Walk towards Dotemachi and continue to the park’s Otemon Gate. Official directions give about 30 minutes from the station. Your starting point will differ if leaving from your accommodation.

   Prefectural walking directions2026-10-08

3. Otemon Gate → Sannomaru, moat and overnight stay in Hirosaki

   Explore gates and moats in the free walking areas. The castle keep’s interior is currently closed; do not enter construction areas. Check the day’s access and fees separately if adding a paid area.

   Hirosaki City information2026-10-08

Day 5: Hirosaki City Museum exhibitions

Hirosaki City Museum · 弘前市立博物館

After yesterday’s park walk, visit the city museum exhibition today before returning to Hirosaki Station.

1. Otemon Gate at the park → City museum

   Inside Otemon Gate, follow the sign’s left arrow along the tree-lined path between the tennis courts and open square, then turn right to the museum entrance.

   Otemon-to-entrance directions2026-10-08

2. City museum → Visit the exhibition

   This itinerary uses the ¥500 general admission for the exhibition on Sugae Masumi’s travels in Tsugaru. Its visiting hours are 09:30–16:30. Check the official exhibition information to confirm dates, admission and closures for your trip. Other exhibitions may have different content and prices.

   City exhibition notice2026-10-08

3. Museum and park → Hirosaki Station

   After your visit, leave through Otemon Gate and walk towards Hirosaki Station. Allow time for the walk, having a meal on the way if time permits.

   Prefectural walking directions2026-10-08

Day 1: WA RASSE Nebuta exhibition and port walk

Visit the indoor exhibition near the station on arrival day, then relax by the water.

1. Aomori Station → WA RASSE

   Walk east from the station towards the waterfront. WA RASSE is about one minute away on foot; adult exhibition admission is ¥620.

   Directions2026-10-08Official prices2026-10-08

2. WA RASSE exhibition → Port walk and overnight stay in Aomori

   See the Nebuta exhibition and take a short waterfront walk if the weather is fine. Closing is 19:00 from May to August and 18:00 from September to April, with last admission 30 minutes earlier. If you arrive late, start with the port walk. Tomorrow is your transfer to the lake, so avoid forcing in the exhibition then. Visit after returning to Aomori on day four if you can arrive before last admission. Subtract the admission if you skip it.

   Hours2026-10-08

Day 2: from Yasumiya to your Lake Towada accommodation

Lake Towada Yasumiya · 十和田湖休屋

Move from Aomori to Lake Towada for two nights beside the lake.

1. Aomori Station → Lake Towada Yasumiya

   Take the autumn JR bus towards Lake Towada and get off at the Yasumiya terminus. The adult fare is ¥3,480 one way. Choose a departure whose arrival lets you connect to the hotel shuttle. Winter buses from Aomori only reach Sukayu; do not use this lakeside route unchanged in winter.

   JR bus autumn timetable and fares2026-10-08Ropeway access and fares2026-10-08JR bus notice2026-10-08

2. Yasumiya → Towada Hotel and lakeside overnight stay

   Have a meal and take a break near the bus terminus before boarding your reserved hotel shuttle. Towada Hotel, used in this example, is on the western shore in Kosaka, Akita, about 15 minutes from Yasumiya by shuttle. Do not plan to walk there. Reserve by around 22:00 the night before; the shuttle does not run without a reservation.

   Hotel shuttle2026-10-09

Day 3: Lake Towada shore, Maiden Statue and shrine

Spend another night at the same lakeside accommodation and walk around Yasumiya.

1. Towada Hotel → Yasumiya

   Hotel shuttles to Yasumiya are listed at 08:30, 09:30 and 10:30. Take your reserved service for a lakeside walk and arrange the return from Yasumiya too. When booking, ask the hotel whether you can use both directions for a walk during your two-night stay.

   Hotel shuttle2026-10-09

2. Yasumiya → Maiden Statue and Towada Shrine

   Prefectural tourism information gives about 15 minutes on foot from the stop to the Maiden Statue; the Ministry of the Environment gives about five minutes from central Yasumiya to the shrine. These start at different places, so do not add them together as the total walking time. In rain or with local access restrictions, keep to a shorter nearby walk.

   Prefectural Maiden Statue access information2026-10-08Ministry of the Environment shrine walk2026-10-08

3. Yasumiya → The same Towada Hotel

   Have lunch and rest beside the lake, then take your reserved shuttle back. Yasumiya departures are listed at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00, subject to change. To add a sightseeing cruise or Oirase stream visit, check operating services and arrange return transport that fits your hotel shuttle.

   Hotel shuttle2026-10-09Prefectural Maiden Statue access information2026-10-08

Day 4: Lake Towada to Aomori

Leave your lakeside accommodation and return to Aomori for one night.

1. Towada Hotel → Yasumiya

   After check-out, take your reserved shuttle to Yasumiya. Do not confirm a bus connection from the 15-minute shuttle reference alone. Allow for getting off, moving luggage and possible delays when choosing your return bus.

   Hotel shuttle2026-10-09

2. Yasumiya bus stop → Aomori Station and overnight stay in Aomori

   Check your date’s JR bus timetable for the return to Aomori Station. The adult fare is ¥3,480 one way. Spend the final night at your Aomori accommodation.

   JR bus autumn timetable and fares2026-10-08Ropeway access and fares2026-10-08

Day 5: prefectural art museum exhibitions

Aomori Museum of Art · 青森県立美術館

After your Lake Towada stay, see an art exhibition in Aomori before leaving.

1. Aomori Station municipal bus stand 6 → Kenritsu Bijutsukan-mae bus stop

   Take a municipal bus bound for Sannai-Maruyama and get off at 県立美術館前. The adult fare is ¥280 one way. Check your travel date’s outward service in the municipal timetable.

   Aomori City weekend bus timetable and ¥280 one-way fare2026-10-08

2. Bus stop outside the museum → First-floor entrance and exhibition rooms

   Walk along the pavement to the left, then turn right at the museum entrance sign. Summer access information gives about two minutes on foot; follow the winter route in snowy months. From the general information area on the first floor, take the lift to the exhibition rooms on basement level two. Adult collection exhibition admission is ¥700; check special exhibition prices separately.

   Official art museum summer and winter walking videos2026-10-08Art museum first-floor entrance and information map2026-10-08Art museum visits and prices2026-10-08

3. Art museum → Aomori Station

   This itinerary returns by taxi. Arrange your departure time and pick-up point in advance. The official access information gives about ¥2,000 per vehicle to the station as a reference; the actual fare varies. This taxi cost is excluded from the subtotal below.

   Aomori Prefecture Taxi Association route fare references2026-10-08