Would you give two nearby outings a day each during four days in Fukushima?
For both Ouchi-juku and Kitakata, visit on different days. For more city time without Ouchi-juku, combine the castle and garden and visit the residence. Ordinary Kitakata return JR fares of JPY 700 are included in each itinerary’s sightseeing cost.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Castle and two nearby outings
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched streets and Kitakata ramen a day each, alongside separate days for Tsuruga and Oyakuen. After Kitakata, return to the same hotel; JR return fares are included.
Castle and two nearby outings →3 nights, 4 days BStreet walks, castle and garden visits, and Kitakata lunch
Combine the castle and garden on one day, then add Nanukamachi, Kitakata lunch and the residence. Choose this for more city visits without Ouchi-juku.
Street walks, castle and garden visits, and Kitakata lunch →Castle and two nearby outings
Give Ouchi-juku’s thatched streets and Kitakata ramen a day each, alongside separate days for Tsuruga and Oyakuen. After Kitakata, return to the same hotel; JR return fares are included.
Day 1 — Tsuruga Castle → Aizu accommodation
See the red-tiled castle up close and learn Aizu history in the keep’s exhibitions. On arrival day, check time available for the keep first. Entry ends at 16:30 and there are interior stairs. For about 90 minutes inside, enter by 15:30 before the 17:00 closing; last-entry arrival does not allow 90 minutes. Shorten outdoor walks in snow/heavy rain. Keep admission JPY 410 and two buses JPY 500 give this day’s JPY 910 partial cost. Rinkaku Tea House is excluded.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo-Iriguchi
Take Haikara-san from the station to Tsurugajo-Iriguchi. Choose a weekday/holiday service arriving before keep admission ends. For a 90-minute visit, add the five-minute stop-to-castle walk and choose a service allowing entry by 15:30.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Tsurugajo-Iriguchi → Tsuruga Castle → return bus stop
Walk about five minutes to the castle and spend about 90 minutes on keep exhibitions and surroundings. Check last admission, stairs and snow/rain conditions.
Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walk
- Tsurugajo-Iriguchi Akabe stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Board at the Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound Akabe stop; Akabe loops in the opposite direction. Return to the station and eat dinner near the station or hotel.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Akabe weekday/holiday times and winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated times
Return on opposite-direction Akabe. If delayed, adjust visiting time and the next bus together.
Day 2 — Change at Yunokami Onsen → Ouchi-juku → return to Aizu
Walk Ouchi-juku’s street lined with thatched houses. Alight from the train at Yunokami Onsen and change to station-front Saruyu-go. Passengers booked by the previous day have priority; enquire about desired services beforehand. Choose outward/return trains and buses together for your date.
The JPY 2,200 combined discount ticket includes one Nishi-Wakamatsu–Yunokami Onsen rail return and two days’ unlimited Saruyu-go use. Starting at Aizu-Wakamatsu adds JPY 200 outside-area fare each way, totalling JPY 2,600. Ordinary trains apply; special sightseeing-train seat tickets are extra. Buy beforehand at Aizu-Wakamatsu’s travel desk or Yunokami Onsen’s counter. The staffed Yunokami counter opens 08:30–17:00; allow ticketing and platform access time. Check temporary counter changes before departing.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Yunokami Onsen Station
Take an ordinary train to Yunokami Onsen on the Aizu Railway route. Leave the gates for the Saruyu-go stop in front of the station. Distinguish arrival and departure times in your date’s rail timetable and choose a train that allows time to change to the bus.
Aizu Railway: revised 14 March 2026 ordinary-train arrival/departure timetable
- Yunokami Onsen Station forecourt → Ouchi-juku entrance
Take Ouchi-juku-bound Saruyu-go from the station to the village entrance. Passengers booked by the previous day have priority; enquire about desired return services beforehand.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined-ticket conditions
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Thatched street and lunch → Ouchi-juku entrance stop
Explore the village, eat at an open shop and return to the bus stop. Check chosen shops’ opening dates; add meals and individual exhibition charges separately.
Ouchi-juku Tourism Association: shop calendars and approximate 09:00–16:00 visiting period
- Ouchi-juku entrance → Yunokami Onsen Station
Return from the same village-entrance stop on Yunokami-bound Saruyu-go. If full or delayed by traffic, check the next bus and return-train connection first.
Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined-ticket conditions
- Yunokami Onsen Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Change at the station to an ordinary Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound train. Allow time between bus arrival and reaching the gates and platform. The JPY 2,200 combined ticket plus JPY 200 outside-area fare each way gives a transport subtotal of JPY 2,600.
Aizu Railway: revised 14 March 2026 ordinary-train arrival/departure timetableAizu Railway: Ouchi-juku JPY 2,200 ticket from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate JPY 200 fare
If Saruyu-go is full or traffic causes delays, check the next bus and return-train connection first, and shorten your village visit.
Day 3 — Raimu main-branch lunch in Kitakata → return to Aizu
Eat a ramen meal in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu hotel. Search both JR directions for your date and choose a return after lunch first. Ordinary return trains JPY 700 are included in the subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main branch lists 11:00–21:00, last orders 20:45. Check menus, prices and temporary closures on the day. If queues make the return train difficult, eat after returning to Aizu.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take an ordinary JR Ban-etsu West Line train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Kitakata. Check operation for your date and platforms in official station timetables.
JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: weekday/holiday Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata/Niitsu
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main branch
Find Raimu’s main branch at number 19 on the tourism association’s ramen map: 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the station walk before leaving and allow meal queues and return walking. Opens from 11:00; check queues and menu prices on the day.
Kitakata Tourism Association: ramen map and restaurantsOfficial Raimu: main-branch address, 11:00–21:00 and 20:45 last orders
- Raimu main branch → Kitakata Station
Retrace your route to Kitakata Station and reach the gates/platform. Decide when to finish lunch so you do not miss the return train.
Kitakata Tourism Association: ramen map and restaurantsOfficial Raimu: main-branch address, 11:00–21:00 and 20:45 last ordersJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound timetable
- Kitakata Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return from Kitakata on an ordinary Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound JR train. Check weekday and holiday timetables and operation for your date. Follow train and platform guidance on the day.
If restaurant queues grow, postpone lunch and prioritise the return train. Leave time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Day 4 — Oyakuen → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → depart
Walk around the pond and see medicinal plants. Oyakuen opens 08:30–17:00, last entry 16:30. Allow 45–60 minutes; visit in daylight in winter because there is no lighting. Admission JPY 330 and two buses JPY 500 give this day’s JPY 830 partial cost. Omit the garden for a morning departure. In snow/heavy rain, omit the walk and recalculate for tickets actually used.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Oyakuen bus stop
Take Haikara-san from the station to Oyakuen. Another bus changes the alighting stop and entrance walk.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Oyakuen bus stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Enter directly from the stop and spend 45–60 minutes in the garden. Visiting and preparing to board are separate from bus ride time.
Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop access
- Oyakuen bus stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Take Haikara-san from Oyakuen and continue in the same loop direction to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. Finish sightseeing in time for departure, allowing luggage collection too.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
Haikara-san and Akabe use different alighting stops and entrance walks. If choosing another bus, check its access route too.
Included: Day one Tsuruga keep JPY 410 + loop buses JPY 250 × 2. Day two Ouchi-juku combined ticket JPY 2,200 + outside-area Aizu-Wakamatsu–Nishi-Wakamatsu JPY 200 × 2. Day three Kitakata ordinary JR paper tickets JPY 350 × 2. Day four Oyakuen JPY 330 + loop buses JPY 250 × 2. Ordinary adult city-bus rides cost JPY 250. The combined ticket covers one Nishi-Wakamatsu–Yunokami rail return and two days’ unlimited Saruyu-go use. Village meals/individual exhibitions are excluded.
Excluded from the subtotal: The subtotal excludes hotels, meals, shopping, luggage storage, hotel access, long-distance rail, airports, extra exhibitions and experiences, and sightseeing-train seat fees.
One adult’s admission and sightseeing transport subtotal is JPY 5,040. It includes two ordinary adult Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata paper tickets at JPY 350 each, JPY 700 return. Hotels, meals, luggage storage, hotel access, long-distance rail and airports are extra. If changing or omitting sights, recalculate for tickets actually used.
Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walkAizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated timesAizu Railway: Ouchi-juku JPY 2,200 ticket from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate JPY 200 fareOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop accessJR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rule Article 77-3JR East Ban-etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6kmJR East main-line distance fare bands, Article 77
Street walks, castle and garden visits, and Kitakata lunch
Combine the castle and garden on one day, then add Nanukamachi, Kitakata lunch and the residence. Choose this for more city visits without Ouchi-juku.
Day 1 — Nanukamachi → accommodation
Explore old buildings and open shops in Nanukamachi. The example allows 60–90 minutes; shop hours differ, so early visits may only offer exterior walks. Two buses JPY 500 exclude meals, shopping, paid exhibitions and experiences. Return to Aizu-Wakamatsu after walking and eat near the station/hotel. Set street time around that day’s buses.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Nanukamachi Station-front stop
Take Haikara-san from the station to Nanukamachi Station. Choose a morning/afternoon departure matching the shops you want to visit.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Nanukamachi Station-front stop → Nanukamachi Street
Walk from the stop to the street, allowing separate time for this access. Spend 60–90 minutes viewing building exteriors and visiting open shops. Before shops open, you can only walk outside.
Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi walks and individual shop operation
- Nanukamachi Station-front Akabe stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return from the Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound Akabe stop in the opposite loop direction. Check return-stop direction on the on-site route map.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Akabe weekday/holiday times and winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated times
Check individual shop opening dates. In bad weather, shorten the walk and return to the station or hotel.
Day 2 — Castle → lunch → garden → station
Learn Aizu history in the keep in the morning, then walk through the garden with a pond and medicinal plants. After about 90 minutes at the castle, eat nearby and take the same-direction loop to the garden for an afternoon walk. Allow lunch, bus waits and travel. For three bus rides, compare JPY 750 in ordinary fares with a JPY 700 day pass. With two admissions totalling JPY 740, the day pass gives a partial day cost of JPY 1,440.
The 90-minute castle and 45–60-minute garden visits are planning examples. There are stairs inside the keep and outdoor walks between facilities; shorten visits in snow or heavy rain and prioritise the return bus.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Tsurugajo-Iriguchi
Take Haikara-san to Tsurugajo-Iriguchi. Choose a weekday/holiday service allowing a morning keep visit. Allow the five-minute stop walk, 90-minute castle visit, lunch, and waits/travel to the garden together.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Tsurugajo-Iriguchi → Tsuruga Castle → same bus stop
Official guidance gives a walk of about five minutes to the castle. Spend about 90 minutes exploring the keep exhibitions and surroundings. Eat nearby afterwards and return to the same stop for the next bus.
Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walk
- Tsurugajo-Iriguchi → Oyakuen bus stop
After lunch, take Haikara-san in the same loop direction to Oyakuen. Choose a service allowing a 45–60-minute afternoon garden visit finished before 17:00.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Oyakuen bus stop → Oyakuen → same bus stop
Enter, spend 45–60 minutes in the garden and prepare to return by bus. Visiting ends at 17:00, last entry 16:30. For 45–60 minutes, arrive before last entry. If snow/rain makes walking difficult, shorten visiting and recalculate costs.
Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop access
- Oyakuen bus stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Take Haikara-san from Oyakuen and continue in the same loop direction to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensionsAizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walkOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop access
Haikara-san and Akabe use different alighting stops and entrance walks. If choosing another bus, check its access route too.
Day 3 — Kitakata lunch → return to Aizu
Eat a ramen meal in Kitakata and return to the same Aizu hotel. Search both JR directions for your date and choose a return after lunch first. Ordinary return trains JPY 700 are included in the subtotal; meals are extra.
Raimu’s main branch lists 11:00–21:00, last orders 20:45. Check menus, prices and temporary closures on the day. If queues make the return train difficult, eat after returning to Aizu.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Kitakata Station
Take an ordinary JR Ban-etsu West Line train towards Kitakata or Niitsu from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Kitakata. Check operation for your date and platforms in official station timetables.
JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: weekday/holiday Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata/Niitsu
- Kitakata Station → Raimu Kitakata main branch
Find Raimu’s main branch at number 19 on the tourism association’s ramen map: 7 Inarimiya, northeast of the station and west of the Nigori River. Check the station walk before leaving and allow meal queues and return walking. Opens from 11:00; check queues and menu prices on the day.
Kitakata Tourism Association: ramen map and restaurantsOfficial Raimu: main-branch address, 11:00–21:00 and 20:45 last orders
- Raimu main branch → Kitakata Station
Retrace your route to Kitakata Station and reach the gates/platform. Decide when to finish lunch so you do not miss the return train.
Kitakata Tourism Association: ramen map and restaurantsOfficial Raimu: main-branch address, 11:00–21:00 and 20:45 last ordersJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound timetable
- Kitakata Station → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return from Kitakata on an ordinary Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound JR train. Check weekday and holiday timetables and operation for your date. Follow train and platform guidance on the day.
If restaurant queues grow, postpone lunch and prioritise the return train. Leave time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Day 4 — Samurai residence → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → depart
Explore living spaces in the reconstructed samurai residence. Facility guidance allows about an hour; there is outdoor movement between exhibitions. April–November hours are 08:30–17:00, final exit 17:30; December–March 09:00–16:30, final exit 17:00. Admission JPY 1,000 and two buses JPY 500 give this day’s JPY 1,500 partial cost. Alighting from the return bus does not mean an immediate long-distance train connection.
- Aizu-Wakamatsu Station → Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae
Take Akabe from the station to Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae. Choose a service from your date’s timetable that allows finishing during facility hours.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Akabe weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae → Aizu Bukeyashiki
Go to the entrance and allow the facility’s roughly one-hour visiting time. Leave extra time for outdoor movement between exhibitions and returning to the stop.
Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: fees, seasonal hours and one-hour visit
- Aizu Bukeyashiki-mae return-direction stop → Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
Return on Akabe from the Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound stop. The name appears twice on route listings; distinguish the stop for getting off and the stop for boarding back using the on-site map. Finish visiting with time to collect luggage and reach your departure.
Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Akabe weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions
Even with the same stop name, distinguish outward and return directions on the on-site route map.
Included: Day one Nanukamachi walk and loop buses JPY 250 × 2, excluding shops. Day two Tsuruga JPY 410 + Oyakuen JPY 330 + loop-bus day pass JPY 700. Day three Kitakata ordinary JR paper tickets JPY 350 × 2. Day four Aizu Bukeyashiki JPY 1,000 + loop buses JPY 250 × 2. Ordinary bus fare is JPY 250; the day-pass day does not add three individual fares again.
Excluded from the subtotal: The subtotal excludes hotels, meals, shopping, luggage storage, hotel access, long-distance rail, airports, extra exhibitions and experiences, and sightseeing-train seat fees.
One adult’s admission and sightseeing transport subtotal is JPY 4,140. It includes two ordinary adult Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata paper tickets at JPY 350 each, JPY 700 return. Hotels, meals, luggage storage, hotel access, long-distance rail and airports are extra. If changing or omitting sights, recalculate for tickets actually used.
Aizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walkOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop accessOfficial Aizu Bukeyashiki: fees, seasonal hours and one-hour visitJR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rule Article 77-3JR East Ban-etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6kmJR East main-line distance fare bands, Article 77
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Ouchi-juku and Kitakata on the same day?
These itineraries give each destination a day. For Ouchi-juku to the south, change to a bus at Yunokami; for Kitakata to the north, take JR. Village walks, lunch and return travel each need time, so visit on separate days.
Aizu Railway: revised 14 March 2026 ordinary-train arrival/departure timetableAizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined-ticket conditionsJR Aizu-Wakamatsu: weekday/holiday Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata/NiitsuJR Kitakata: weekday/holiday Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound timetable
Is a bus day pass cheaper for castle and garden on the same day?
B’s day two uses station → castle → garden → station buses. Three adult ordinary tickets cost JPY 750; a Haikara-san and Akabe day pass costs JPY 700. Adding admissions of JPY 740 gives JPY 1,440 partial day costs. This pass is not used for other-day buses or JR.
Aizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated timesOfficial Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walkOfficial Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop access
Official sources and dates checked
- Official Aizu tourism: castle fees, hours, stairs and five-minute bus-stop walk ·
- Aizu Bus: loop directions, current JPY 250 rides/JPY 700 day pass; revised PDFs for dated times ·
- Official Oyakuen: JPY 330, hours, year-round opening and stop access ·
- Official Aizu Bukeyashiki: fees, seasonal hours and one-hour visit ·
- Aizu Railway 2026 brochure: Saruyu-go times, booking priority and combined-ticket conditions ·
- Aizu Railway: revised 14 March 2026 ordinary-train arrival/departure timetable ·
- Aizu Railway: Ouchi-juku JPY 2,200 ticket from Nishi-Wakamatsu and separate JPY 200 fare ·
- Ouchi-juku Tourism Association: shop calendars and approximate 09:00–16:00 visiting period ·
- Official Raimu: main-branch address, 11:00–21:00 and 20:45 last orders ·
- Kitakata Tourism Association: ramen map and restaurants ·
- Official JR train search: origin, destination and travel date ·
- Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Akabe weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions ·
- Fukushima Kotsu: 1 October 2026 Haikara-san weekday/holiday times and winter suspensions ·
- Official Aizu tourism: Nanukamachi walks and individual shop operation ·
- JR Aizu-Wakamatsu: weekday/holiday Ban-etsu West Line towards Kitakata/Niitsu ·
- JR Kitakata: weekday/holiday Aizu-Wakamatsu-bound timetable ·
- JR East adult ordinary-fare calculation rule Article 77-3 ·
- JR East Ban-etsu West Line Aizu-Wakamatsu–Kitakata operating distance 16.6km ·
- JR East main-line distance fare bands, Article 77 ·