How should you divide your Aichi trip between Nagoya, Inuyama and Tokoname?
Stay near Nagoya Station if using the Shinkansen or taking day trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. With one night, choose one castle and Noritake; with two, add the aquarium or pottery streets. Three or four nights allow time for both castles or for Tokoname and INAX. JR, Meitetsu and the subway use separate boarding areas at Nagoya, so follow signs for the line you need.
Which would you prefer: castle interiors, the aquarium or pottery?
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace and the grounds, or Inuyama Castle for the wooden keep’s interior. Visit the aquarium for marine life, or choose Tokoname’s streets, Noritake or INAX for pottery and ceramics. Street walks and paid exhibitions have different costs and opening schedules.
Itineraries by trip length
Stay in Nagoya, using SRT or the subway within the city and Meitetsu for Inuyama and Tokoname. Choose one castle or add the aquarium and ceramics according to your trip length. If changing the order, check facility closures and SRT operating days together.
1 night, 2 days
Choose Nagoya Castle for Honmaru Palace, or Inuyama Castle to climb its wooden keep. Visit Noritake the next day before departing. If your departure is in the morning, see whether you can move the exhibitions to day one or leave them out.
2 nights, 3 days
Add either a day at the aquarium or a walk through Tokoname to Nagoya Castle and Noritake. Visiting Tokoname on the final day requires enough time to return to Nagoya before your onward departure.
3 nights, 4 days
Give Inuyama Castle, the aquarium and Noritake a day each, then spend the remaining day at Nagoya Castle or Tokoname. Choose according to whether you want both the wooden keep and restored Honmaru Palace, or one castle and pottery streets.
4 nights, 5 days
Visit both castles, the aquarium and Noritake on separate days, then choose Tokoname’s streets or INAX for the final day. The outdoor walk and indoor tile exhibitions have different walking routes, fees and closure days.
Where should you stay?
Nagoya · 名古屋
The Nagoya Station area is convenient for Shinkansen and Meitetsu connections, while Sakae suits subway journeys to attractions. JR Nagoya, Meitetsu Nagoya and subway Nagoya have separate boarding areas.
JR station locker locationsPort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting thereMeitetsu: route and fare search by date
Inuyama · 犬山
The official walk from Inuyama Station to the castle takes about 20 minutes. Allow time for the streets below the castle too, then return the same day if staying in Nagoya.
Tokoname · 常滑
The pottery trail follows hillside streets. Being near Chubu Centrair International Airport does not make it an easy stop with luggage immediately before a flight. First collect a walking map at the tourist information centre east of Tokoname Station.
Check these separately from your itinerary
Leave time for your departure on the final day
If departing in the morning on your final day, move Noritake, Tokoname or INAX to an earlier day, or leave them out. Allow time to return to Nagoya and board your onward service. For an airport departure, add the airport journey and check-in deadlines separately. If changing the order of visits, check both SRT operating days and facility closures.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresNoritake facility opening hours and closures
Choose luggage storage before sightseeing
Use your booked accommodation’s luggage storage according to its conditions. For JR Nagoya Station lockers, the official location map marks lockers near the Sakura-dori Exit toilets as No. 4 and those at the Taiko-dori Exit as No. 10. Check availability, sizes and fees on arrival, and leave time to return to the same location after sightseeing. Storage fees and travel to your accommodation are excluded from the course subtotal.
Transport, food and related guides
Japan transport guide
The SRT service to Nagoya Castle, the subway to the aquarium and Meitetsu services to Inuyama and Tokoname use different boarding points and operating schedules. Check the return route for each destination.
Japan transport guide →Rail pass guide
This itinerary uses Meitetsu to reach Inuyama and Tokoname, and the Nagoya subway to reach the aquarium. These are separate from JR pass coverage. Compare ordinary tickets with each operator’s passes.
Rail pass guide →Find restaurants and reservation information
Hitsumabushi eel rice and miso katsu are meal options in Nagoya. Hitsumabushi is eaten in stages: plain, with condiments, and with broth poured over the rice. On the aquarium day, choose lunch near the port; on the Inuyama day, eat in the streets below the castle to avoid travelling back and forth solely for a restaurant. Check the chosen city, restaurant opening days, menus and reservation conditions. Meals are excluded from the itinerary subtotal.
Find restaurants and reservation information →Region name
Aichi Prefecture · 愛知県
Stay in Nagoya and take separate day trips
These courses use Nagoya as the overnight base, with return trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. They are separate towns, so allow a train journey for each day trip.
Nagoya Station and Noritake Garden
On an arrival or departure day, combine the Nagoya Station area with the Noritake exhibitions. The official walk to the East Gate takes about 15 minutes, and the Craft Centre and Museum charge admission. When Monday is a public holiday, the exhibitions open and close on the following weekday instead. Check year-end closures too. On your final day, leave time to walk back to the station after visiting.
Walking map to the Noritake East GateNoritake exhibitions and admission feesNoritake facility opening hours and closures
Nagoya Castle and Honmaru Palace
Choose Nagoya Castle to see the palace interiors and walk around the grounds. The keep is closed, so this route does not include climbing it. Walk about five minutes from Nagoyajo Station Exit 7 to the main gate, then continue to the palace. Palace entry ends before the castle grounds close.
Nagoya Castle: visitor informationOfficial castle access guideFrom the main gate to the palace entrance
Nagoya Port and the aquarium
Visit the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium to watch belugas and dolphins and choose a performance. Walk about five minutes towards the port from Nagoyako Station. Plan your time around the North and South Building exhibitions and the day’s performance schedule. Visiting on a separate day from the castle leaves more time for exhibitions and breaks between performances. Performances and outdoor events follow the daily schedule.
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting therePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar
Inuyama Station and the castle town
Take Meitetsu to Inuyama to see the historic wooden keep. The official walk from the station’s west exit along Honmachidori takes about 20 minutes. Combine it with a meal below the castle, but first decide whether everyone can manage the steep internal stairs. Return to Nagoya by train after visiting.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereOtemichi, ticket desk and keep entrance
Tokoname streets and INAX exhibitions
Choose Pottery Trail Route A for sloping streets lined with ceramic pipes, or INAX for indoor tile exhibitions. Route A is about 1.6 km and takes roughly one hour on foot, with extra time needed for meals and workshops. INAX is a paid facility reached by a separate walk from the station. Check the street walk and exhibitions’ costs and opening days separately.
Tokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and BINAX: exhibition fees, closures and general receptionINAX: walking map from Tokoname Station
Check the station and destination before planning your route
Allow time to walk from your accommodation to the actual boarding point. Use the official access guides and route searches below to select return journeys for your visit date. Check both ends of a walking route and adjust it for your accommodation address and local access instructions. Map estimates exclude waiting and sightseeing time.
| Section | Transport | Directions and points to check |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya Station → Nagoya Castle | Subway to Nagoyajo Station → Exit 7 → walk about five minutes to the main gate | Check subway changes and direction for your date |
| Nagoya Station → Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium | Higashiyama Line to Sakae → connection to a Meiko Line train bound for Nagoyako → walk about five minutes from Exit 3 | Check the aquarium’s official access map; the route from Kanayama differs |
| Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Inuyama Castle | Inuyama Line train → Inuyama Station west exit → walk along Honmachidori for about 20 minutes | Use the Meitetsu boarding point, separate from JR Nagoya Station |
| Nagoya Station → Noritake East Gate | Follow the official walking map for about 15 minutes from the station | Distinguish the garden entrance from the paid exhibition entrance |
| Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tokoname | Alight at Tokoname Station → tourist information centre to the east → choose Pottery Trail Route A or INAX | This is a different direction from Inuyama. Check trains and fares both ways |
| Tokoname Station → INAX | Follow the official walking map to the facility’s general reception | This is separate from the pottery street trail entrance |
Official castle access guidePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting thereInuyama Castle: getting thereMeitetsu: route and fare search by dateWalking map to the Noritake East GateInformation centre 400 metres east of the stationINAX: exhibition fees, closures and general reception
Choose Nagoya-meshi around your sightseeing plans
Decide whether to eat after returning to Nagoya or have lunch in Inuyama or Tokoname according to that day’s visits. Meals are excluded from the course subtotal.
Hitsumabushi
This dish serves chopped grilled eel over rice. Eat it in stages: plain, with condiments, then with broth poured over it. If you would like eel, consider it for a meal in Nagoya and check portions and prices on the restaurant menu.
Miso nikomi udon
Udon noodles are simmered in miso broth in an earthenware pot. Consider it if you want a hot noodle meal. After the castle or aquarium, look for a restaurant on your way back to your accommodation and check its opening hours.
Before comparing ordinary tickets with passes
The sightseeing costs here are partial totals for specified facilities and ordinary transport tickets. Airport transport, accommodation and meals cost extra. Add supplementary fares if using special train cars.
Check operating days for the SRT service to Nagoya Castle
The castle service runs on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Two ordinary rides cost JPY 210 each; the separate SRT one-day ticket costs JPY 500. The bus does not run on ordinary Tuesday–Thursday weekdays, so choose a subway route on those days.
Nagoya City: SRT operating days and faresReturn timetable effective from 11 September
Meitetsu and the subway are separate from JR
Use Meitetsu for return trips to Inuyama and Tokoname and the Nagoya subway for the aquarium. A JR pass does not automatically cover these sections. Meitetsu special cars require a μ ticket in addition to the ordinary fare, so keep their cost separate from ordinary-car fares.
Meitetsu: route and fare search by datePort of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting thereMeitetsu special cars and μSKY guide
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Inuyama and Tokoname while staying in Nagoya?
Yes. Stay in Nagoya and make separate Meitetsu day trips to Inuyama and Tokoname. These routes do not involve overnight stays in either town. Inuyama Castle is about a 20-minute walk from Inuyama Station, while Route A of the Tokoname Pottery Trail is 1.6 km long. Allow time for walking and breaks as well as the trains. Check each day’s return train. If sightseeing on your final day, also leave enough time to return to Nagoya before your onward departure.
Inuyama Castle: getting thereTokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and BMeitetsu: route and fare search by date
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Nagoya Castle: visitor information ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: opening calendar ·
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium: getting there ·
- Inuyama Castle: getting there ·
- Tokoname Tourism Association: walking Routes A and B ·
- Noritake exhibitions and admission fees ·
- Noritake facility opening hours and closures ·
- Walking map to the Noritake East Gate ·
- INAX: exhibition fees, closures and general reception ·
- INAX: walking map from Tokoname Station ·
- Nagoya City: SRT operating days and fares ·
- Return timetable effective from 11 September ·
- Official castle access guide ·
- From the main gate to the palace entrance ·
- JR station locker locations ·
- Meitetsu: route and fare search by date ·
- Otemichi, ticket desk and keep entrance ·
- Information centre 400 metres east of the station ·
- Nagoya-meshi food guide: visitor information ·
- Meitetsu special cars and μSKY guide ·
- Nagoya-meshi: miso nikomi udon ·