Three nights in Fukushima: give each day trip a day?
Visit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata on separate days to see both. For more city sightseeing without Ouchi-juku, combine the castle and garden on one day and add the samurai residence. Kitakata JR ordinary round-trip fare of ¥700 is included in each itinerary’s sightseeing cost.
Choose a 4 days / 3 nights itinerary
Castle and two day trips
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched-roof street and Kitakata ramen a day each, with separate days for Tsuruga Castle and Oyakuen. Return to the same accommodation from Kitakata too; the JR round-trip fare is included in the subtotal.
Castle and two day trips →4 days / 3 nights BStreet walks, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch
Visit the castle and garden on the same day, adding Nanukamachi Street, Kitakata lunch and the samurai residence. Choose this if you want more time in the city without Ouchi-juku.
Street walks, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch →Castle and two day trips
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched-roof street and Kitakata ramen a day each, with separate days for Tsuruga Castle and Oyakuen. Return to the same accommodation from Kitakata too; the JR round-trip fare is included in the subtotal.
Day 1: Tsuruga Castle → Aizu accommodation
See the red-tiled castle and explore Aizu history in the keep’s exhibitions. On arrival day, first check how much time remains. Last admission is 16:30, and there are stairs inside. For about 90 minutes of sightseeing before the 17:00 closing time, aim to enter by 15:30. Arriving at last admission leaves less than 90 minutes. Shorten outdoor walks in snow or heavy rain. The day’s subtotal is ¥910: keep admission ¥410 and two bus rides ¥500. Rinkaku Tea House is excluded.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo Iriguchi
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Tsurugajo Iriguchi. Use the weekday or holiday timetable for your date to arrive before the keep’s admission deadline. For about 90 minutes inside, choose a bus that leaves time for the five-minute walk from the stop and entry by 15:30.
- Tsurugajo Iriguchi → Tsuruga Castle → return bus stop
Walk about five minutes to the castle and allow about 90 minutes for the keep exhibitions and surroundings. Check the admission deadline, stairs and snow or rain conditions.
Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop
- Tsurugajo Iriguchi Akabe stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Board Akabe at the Aizu-Wakamatsu Station-bound stop; it loops in the opposite direction. Return to the station and have dinner nearby or around your accommodation.
Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times
Return on Akabe, which loops in the opposite direction. If delayed, adjust sightseeing time and check the next bus.
Day 2: change at Yunokami-Onsen Station → Ouchi-juku → return to Aizu
Walk Ouchi-juku’s street lined with thatched-roof houses. Get off the train at Yunokami-Onsen Station and change to Saruyu-go outside. Passengers who reserve by the previous day have priority, so ask about your preferred services in advance. Choose both journeys by checking train and bus times together for your date.
The ¥2,200 combined ticket includes one rail round trip between Nishi-Wakamatsu and Yunokami-Onsen and unlimited Saruyu-go travel for two days. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, add ¥200 each way for the section outside its area, bringing transport to ¥2,600. This assumes ordinary trains; special sightseeing-train seat tickets cost extra. Buy the combined ticket in advance at the travel desk inside Aizu-Wakamatsu Station or at Yunokami-Onsen Station’s counter. The staffed Yunokami-Onsen counter opens 08:30–17:00. Allow time to buy tickets and reach the boarding point, and check temporary counter-hour changes before departure.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Yunokami-Onsen Station
Take an ordinary train towards the Aizu Railway and get off at Yunokami-Onsen Station. Exit the ticket gates for the Saruyu-go boarding point outside. Read arrival and departure times separately in your date’s rail timetable and choose a service that leaves transfer time.
- Outside Yunokami-Onsen Station → Ouchi-juku entrance
Take Ouchi-juku-bound Saruyu-go from outside the station to the village entrance. Passengers who reserve by the previous day have priority; ask about your preferred outward and return services in advance.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Thatched-roof street and lunch → Ouchi-juku entrance stop
Explore the village, eat at an open shop and return to the bus stop. Check opening days for your chosen shops and add meals or individual exhibition admission separately.
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Yunokami-Onsen Station
Board Yunokami-Onsen Station-bound Saruyu-go at the same Ouchi-juku entrance stop. If the bus is full or roads are delayed, first check the next bus and return train connection.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions
- Yunokami-Onsen Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Change to an ordinary Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound train at the station. Choose a service that leaves time to reach the gates and platform after the bus arrives. The ¥2,200 combined ticket plus ¥200 each way outside its area totals ¥2,600 for transport.
Aizu Railway: ordinary train timetable revised 2026-03-14, with departures and arrivals distinguishedAizu Railway: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200, coverage from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate ¥200 fare
If Saruyu-go is full or roads are congested, first check the next bus and train connection and shorten your village stay.
Day 3: lunch at Raimu’s Kitakata main branch → return to Aizu
Eat ramen in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu accommodation. Check JR services in both directions for your date and choose the return train before planning the meal. The ¥700 ordinary train round trip is included in the subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main branch lists 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:45. Check the day’s menu, prices and temporary closures. If the queue would make it difficult to catch your return train, eat after returning to Aizu.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take a JR Ban’etsu West Line ordinary train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu and get off at Kitakata. Check services for your date and platforms in JR’s official station timetable.
JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and Niitsu
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main branch
Find Raimu’s main branch at number 19 on the tourist association’s ramen map. It is at 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the walking route before departure and allow for the queue and return walk. It opens at 11:00; check menu prices and the queue on the day.
Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45
- Raimu main branch → Kitakata Station
Retrace your walk to Kitakata Station and continue to the ticket gates and platform. Decide when to finish eating so that you can catch your return train.
Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu
- Kitakata Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Take an Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound JR ordinary train from Kitakata. Check weekday or holiday service and your travel date in the official station timetable, then follow the day’s train and platform information.
JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu
If the restaurant queue grows, postpone the meal and prioritise your return train. Allow time to reach the platform after returning to the station.
Day 4: Oyakuen → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → departure
Walk around the pond and see medicinal plants. Oyakuen opens 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. This itinerary allows 45–60 minutes for the garden. It has no lighting, so visit in daylight in winter. The day’s subtotal is ¥830: admission ¥330 and two bus rides ¥500. Omit the garden if leaving in the morning. Skip the walk in snow or heavy rain and recalculate costs for the tickets actually used.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Oyakuen stop
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Oyakuen. Choosing another bus changes the stop and walk to the entrance.
- Oyakuen stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Go straight from the stop to the entrance and allow 45–60 minutes in the garden. Add sightseeing and time to prepare for boarding to the bus journey time.
Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
- Oyakuen stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Board Haikara-san at Oyakuen and continue around the loop in the same direction to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. Finish sightseeing in time for your departure, allowing for luggage collection too.
Haikara-san and Akabe use different stops and walks to the entrance. If choosing a different bus, check the access route too.
Included: Day 1: Tsuruga Castle keep ¥410 plus loop bus ¥250 × two rides. Day 2: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200 plus Aizu-Wakamatsu–Nishi-Wakamatsu outside-area fare ¥200 × two rides. Day 3: Kitakata JR ordinary paper ticket ¥350 × two rides. Day 4: Oyakuen ¥330 plus loop bus ¥250 × two rides. The ordinary adult city bus fare is ¥250 per ride. The combined ticket includes one Nishi-Wakamatsu–Yunokami-Onsen rail round trip and unlimited Saruyu-go travel for two days. Village meals and individual exhibitions are excluded.
Additional costs: Accommodation, meals, shopping, luggage storage, access to accommodation, long-distance trains, airport travel, extra exhibitions and activities, and sightseeing-train seat charges.
The admission and sightseeing transport subtotal is ¥5,040 for one adult. It includes ¥700 for two ordinary adult paper train tickets at ¥350 each between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata. Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, access to accommodation, long-distance trains and airport travel are extra. Recalculate for the tickets actually used if changing or omitting visits.
Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific timesAizu Railway: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200, coverage from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate ¥200 fareOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop accessJR East ordinary adult fare calculation rules, article 77-3JR East Ban’etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, article 77
Street walks, castle and garden, plus Kitakata lunch
Visit the castle and garden on the same day, adding Nanukamachi Street, Kitakata lunch and the samurai residence. Choose this if you want more time in the city without Ouchi-juku.
Day 1: Nanukamachi → accommodation
Explore Nanukamachi’s old buildings and open shops. This example allows 60–90 minutes for walking; shop hours vary, so an early visit may only allow exterior views. Two bus rides cost ¥500, excluding meals, shopping, paid exhibitions and activities. Afterwards, return to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station for a meal nearby or around your accommodation. Plan your time on the street around the day’s buses.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Outside Nanukamachi Station
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Nanukamachi Station. Leave in the morning or afternoon to suit the opening hours of shops you want to visit.
- Outside Nanukamachi Station → Nanukamachi Street
Walk from the stop to the street, allowing extra time to reach the walking area. Plan 60–90 minutes for building exteriors and open shops. Before shops open, you can only view their exteriors.
Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi Street walks and individual shop operation
- Nanukamachi Station Akabe stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station on Akabe, which loops in the opposite direction. Use the local route map to identify the station-bound stop.
Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times
Check individual shops’ opening days. Shorten the walk in bad weather and return to the station or your accommodation.
Day 2: castle → lunch → garden → station
Explore Aizu history in the keep in the morning, then walk a garden with a pond and medicinal plants. Allow about 90 minutes at the castle, have lunch nearby and take the loop bus in the same direction to the garden in the afternoon. Leave time for lunch, waiting and travel too. With three bus rides today, compare ¥750 for individual fares against the ¥700 day pass. Adding ¥740 for the two facilities gives a subtotal of ¥1,440.
The 90-minute castle visit and 45–60-minute garden visit are suggested time allowances. The keep has stairs and the route between facilities includes outdoor walking. In snow or heavy rain, shorten sightseeing and prioritise the return bus.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo Iriguchi
Take Haikara-san from outside the station to Tsurugajo Iriguchi. Choose a morning arrival from your date’s weekday or holiday timetable. Allow about five minutes to walk to the castle, about 90 minutes for sightseeing, and extra time for lunch, waiting and the bus ride to the garden.
- Tsurugajo Iriguchi → Tsuruga Castle → same bus stop
Walk about five minutes from the stop, as given in official access information, and allow about 90 minutes for the keep exhibitions and surroundings. After visiting, eat lunch nearby and return to the same stop for the next bus.
Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop
- Tsurugajo Iriguchi → Oyakuen stop
After lunch, take Haikara-san continuing in the same direction to Oyakuen. Choose a service in your date’s timetable that leaves 45–60 minutes in the garden and time to finish before 17:00.
- Oyakuen stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Go to the entrance, allow 45–60 minutes in the garden and prepare for your return bus. The garden closes at 17:00, with last admission at 16:30. To spend 45–60 minutes here, arrive before the final admission time. Shorten the visit if snow or rain makes walking difficult, and recalculate the costs.
Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
- Oyakuen stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Take Haikara-san at Oyakuen and continue around the loop in the same direction to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station.
Fukushima transport: Haikara-san weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
Haikara-san and Akabe use different stops and walks to the entrance. If choosing a different bus, check the access route too.
Day 3: Kitakata lunch → return to Aizu
Eat ramen in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu accommodation. Check JR services in both directions for your date and choose the return train before planning the meal. The ¥700 ordinary train round trip is included in the subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main branch lists 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:45. Check the day’s menu, prices and temporary closures. If the queue would make it difficult to catch your return train, eat after returning to Aizu.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take a JR Ban’etsu West Line ordinary train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu and get off at Kitakata. Check services for your date and platforms in JR’s official station timetable.
JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and Niitsu
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main branch
Find Raimu’s main branch at number 19 on the tourist association’s ramen map. It is at 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the walking route before departure and allow for the queue and return walk. It opens at 11:00; check menu prices and the queue on the day.
Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45
- Raimu main branch → Kitakata Station
Retrace your walk to Kitakata Station and continue to the ticket gates and platform. Decide when to finish eating so that you can catch your return train.
Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant informationOfficial Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu
- Kitakata Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Take an Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound JR ordinary train from Kitakata. Check weekday or holiday service and your travel date in the official station timetable, then follow the day’s train and platform information.
JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu
If the restaurant queue grows, postpone the meal and prioritise your return train. Allow time to reach the platform after returning to the station.
Day 4: samurai residence → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → departure
Explore living spaces in a reconstructed samurai residence. The facility suggests about an hour, with outdoor walking between exhibitions. April–November hours are 08:30–17:00, with final exit at 17:30; December–March hours are 09:00–16:30, with final exit at 17:00. The day’s subtotal is ¥1,500: admission ¥1,000 and two bus rides ¥500. Leave time between getting off the return bus and boarding your long-distance train.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae
Take Akabe from outside the station to Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae. Choose a service in your date’s timetable that leaves time to finish sightseeing within facility hours.
Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensions
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae → Aizu Bukeyashiki
Go to the entrance and allow about an hour, as suggested by the facility. Leave extra time for outdoor walks between exhibitions and returning to the stop.
Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visit
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae return stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return on Akabe from the Aizu-Wakamatsu Station-bound stop. The same stop name appears twice on the route chart; distinguish arrival and return directions using the local map. Finish sightseeing in time for your departure, allowing for luggage collection too.
Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensions
Even where the stop name is the same, use the local route map to distinguish outward and return bus directions.
Included: Day 1: Nanukamachi Street walk plus loop bus ¥250 × two rides, excluding shop spending. Day 2: Tsuruga Castle ¥410 plus Oyakuen ¥330 plus loop-bus day pass ¥700. Day 3: Kitakata JR ordinary paper ticket ¥350 × two rides. Day 4: Aizu Bukeyashiki ¥1,000 plus loop bus ¥250 × two rides. Ordinary adult bus fare is ¥250 per ride; the day-pass day does not also count three individual fares.
Additional costs: Accommodation, meals, shopping, luggage storage, access to accommodation, long-distance trains, airport travel, extra exhibitions and activities, and sightseeing-train seat charges.
The admission and sightseeing transport subtotal is ¥4,140 for one adult. It includes ¥700 for two ordinary adult paper train tickets at ¥350 each between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata. Accommodation, meals, luggage storage, access to accommodation, long-distance trains and airport travel are extra. Recalculate for the tickets actually used if changing or omitting visits.
Aizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop accessOfficial Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visitJR East ordinary adult fare calculation rules, article 77-3JR East Ban’etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 kmJR East main-line fare distance bands, article 77
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata on the same day?
These itineraries give each trip a day. For Ouchi-juku, change from train to bus at Yunokami-Onsen Station to the south; Kitakata uses JR to the north. Village walking, lunch and return travel each need time, so separate days are a better fit.
Aizu Railway: ordinary train timetable revised 2026-03-14, with departures and arrivals distinguishedAizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditionsJR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and NiitsuJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu
Is a city day pass cheaper for the castle and Oyakuen on the same day?
Day two of B uses three loop-bus rides: station to castle, castle to garden and garden to station. Ordinary adult fares total ¥750; the Haikara-san/Akabe day pass costs ¥700. With ¥740 facility admission, that day’s subtotal is ¥1,440. The pass does not cover other days’ buses or JR.
Aizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stopOfficial Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access
Official sources and verification dates
- Official Aizu tourism: castle admission, hours, stairs and five-minute walk from bus stop ·
- Aizu Bus: loop directions and current ¥250 single/¥700 day pass; check revised PDFs for date-specific times ·
- Official Oyakuen: ¥330, hours, year-round opening and bus-stop access ·
- Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: admission, seasonal hours and approximately one-hour visit ·
- Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined ticket conditions ·
- Aizu Railway: ordinary train timetable revised 2026-03-14, with departures and arrivals distinguished ·
- Aizu Railway: Ouchi-juku combined ticket ¥2,200, coverage from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate ¥200 fare ·
- Ouchi-juku tourist association: individual shops, monthly calendars and visiting guidance around 09:00–16:00 ·
- Official Raimu: main branch address, 11:00–21:00 and last orders 20:45 ·
- Kitakata tourist association: ramen map and restaurant information ·
- Official JR train search: origin, destination and travel date ·
- Fukushima transport: Akabe weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensions ·
- Fukushima transport: Haikara-san weekday/holiday timetable dated 2026-10-01, including winter suspensions ·
- Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi Street walks and individual shop operation ·
- JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: Ban’etsu West Line weekday/holiday timetable towards Kitakata and Niitsu ·
- JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday timetable towards Aizu-Wakamatsu ·
- JR East ordinary adult fare calculation rules, article 77-3 ·
- JR East Ban’etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance: 16.6 km ·
- JR East main-line fare distance bands, article 77 ·