From Transportation Tips to Recommended Itineraries: A Travel Guide to Enjoy Nagasaki to the Fullest

Day 1 starts at the Nagasaki Ekimae streetcar stop.
Hop on the streetcar and head for Glover Garden while enjoying the city scenery along the way.

Glover Garden is an open-air museum that preserves the former settlement where merchants crossed the sea to Nagasaki over 160 years ago.
Among its many highlights, don’t miss the Former Glover House, Japan’s oldest surviving wooden Western-style building; the Former Ringer House, a representative example of early Meiji-era settlement architecture; and the Former Alt House, one of the largest Western-style residences from the same period. All are designated Important Cultural Properties.
There’s plenty more to see, too, including seasonal flowers that brighten the grounds and the legend of the Heart Stone embedded in the garden paths—said to make love come true if you find it.
For a memorable souvenir of your trip, we also recommend renting a costume and taking photos at the retro photo studio.

Oura Cathedral is just a short walk from Glover Garden—Approx. 2 minutes on foot.
Built for foreign residents, Oura Cathedral is Japan’s oldest wooden-frame brick church.
It was dedicated to the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, who were martyred in 1597, and was built facing Nishizaka, the site of their martyrdom.
Though brick-built, its exterior is finished in plaster, creating a unique Gothic church that blends Japanese and Western elements.
Inside, the ceiling forms arches with curves made from bamboo set from wooden pillars, then hardened with plaster.
When you visit, be sure to pay attention to the architectural style as well.

From “Oura Cathedral” streetcar stop, take the streetcar to “Shinchi Chinatown” stop, transfer, and get off at “Dejima” stop. Dejima is just a short walk away.
For roughly 200 years during the Edo period, Japan followed a national isolation policy and did not trade with foreign countries.
During that time, Dejima was the only place where trade was permitted.
It served as a residential area for Portuguese and Dutch people and functioned as Japan’s only open window to the West under the isolation policy.
Dejima features buildings meticulously recreated to match Edo-period exteriors and interiors—so detailed that you can easily imagine how people lived at the time. These Japanese-Western fusion buildings are also popular photo spots.
At “Nagasaki Haikarasan” on the grounds, you can rent a kimono and explore (Dejima stroll course: 1 hour, 2,200 yen).
For lunch, try Nagasaki’s signature dishes at “Nagasaki Naigai Club Restaurant,” a dining spot set in a Western-style building built in the Meiji period.

From Dejima, take the streetcar from “Dejima” stop and get off at “Nishihamamachi” stop.
From there, it’s Approx. an 8-minute walk to Meganebashi Bridge.
Meganebashi is one of Japan’s Three Great Bridges and one of the oldest existing arch stone bridges. It is also a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
It was named “Meganebashi” (Spectacles Bridge) because the reflection of its two arches on the water’s surface looks like a pair of eyeglasses.
There are stepping stones downstream as well, making it a great spot to take a commemorative photo with the bridge in the background.

From Meganebashi Bridge, take a bus from the “Chuo-bashi” stop (a 10-minute walk away) and get off at “Peace Park.”
From there, Peace Park is a 1-minute walk away.
At 11:02 am on August 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on this site, which spreads across a small hill in Matsuyama-machi, Nagasaki City.
The park was developed in 1951 to remember the threat of the atomic bomb and to pray for the souls of the victims.
Two especially famous landmarks are the 9.7-meter-tall Peace Statue and the Fountain of Peace in front of it, which measures 18 meters in diameter.
As you visit the other peace monuments and objects created in remembrance, take time to reflect on the preciousness of peace.

From Peace Park, it’s Approx. a 6-minute walk to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
This dome-shaped museum preserves and exhibits around 1,500 items, including artifacts and personal effects that convey the devastation of the atomic bombing.
There’s also a quiz corner about the atomic bomb, making it a place where everyone from children to adults can learn in depth.
As you view the exhibits, learn about the threat of the atomic bomb and reflect on the abolition of nuclear weapons and peace.
At the Peace Cafe inside the museum, you can enjoy authentic curry and drinks, as well as Nagasaki’s famous castella sponge cake.

From the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, it’s Approx. a 10-minute walk to the One-Legged Torii Gate (Sanno Shrine).
The One-Legged Torii Gate stands on the approach to Sanno Shrine, which suffered damage from the atomic bombing.
Only half of the torii remains; the other half collapsed when it was exposed to the blast. The collapsed half is preserved on a nearby road.
The shrine building itself was completely destroyed, but it was rebuilt in 1950.
The bomb-scarred camphor tree and the One-Legged Torii Gate in the grounds have long been cherished as symbols of peace.

From the One-Legged Torii Gate (Sanno Shrine), it’s Approx. a 10-minute taxi ride to Mt. Inasa Park, where Mt. Inasa Observatory is located.
Take the ropeway up to the summit observatory—and don’t forget to enjoy the view from the ropeway as well.
If it’s not yet dark when you arrive, take a break at the cafe or restaurant at the top.
Once the sun sets, you’ll be treated to a stunning scene often called a “10-million-dollar night view.”
Its beauty is so renowned that at the “Night View Summit in Nagasaki” held in 2021, it was re-certified as one of the “World’s New Top Three Night Views,” alongside Monaco and Shanghai.

From Mt. Inasa Park, take a taxi for Approx. 15 minutes to your Day 1 accommodation, Garden Terrace Nagasaki Hotel & Resort.
Set on a hill overlooking Nagasaki Port and the city, every room has an ocean view, so you can enjoy Nagasaki’s beautiful night scenery from your room.
Relax and soak in the bath while taking in the views to soothe the day’s travel fatigue.

Day 2 starts at JR Nagasaki Station. Take trains to head for Shimabara Castle.
The fastest route is to take the Shinkansen to Isahaya Station, transfer to the Shimabara Railway, and continue to Shimabara Station.

The beautiful Shimabara Castle, a symbol of Shimabara City, tells the story of its rich history.
Completed over roughly seven years starting in 1618, it was dismantled in the Meiji period (1868–1912), leaving only the stone walls and moat.
Even today, 400 years after it was built, the stone walls—rising vertically while drawing gentle curves—are a must-see.
The current main keep was reconstructed in 1964, and you’ll feel its impressive presence in its white façade.
Inside the keep, you can view Christian historical materials, local history materials, and folk materials.
Don’t miss the views from the 5th-floor observation deck overlooking Shimabara City and Mt. Mayuyama.

From Shimabara Castle, it’s Approx. a 10-minute walk to the next stop, Samurai Residence Street & Samurai Residence Waterway.
This street is lined with homes once built for samurai on the west side of the outer perimeter when Shimabara Castle was constructed.
Even after more than 400 years, the samurai residences remain along with the waterway that supplied their daily water, and walking here may feel like stepping back in time.

From Samurai Residence Street & Samurai Residence Waterway, walk to Shimabara Railway’s Shimabara Station, then take the Shimabara Tetsudo Bus bound for “Seiunso” and get off at “Unzen.” Unzen Jigoku is an Approx. 2-minute walk away.
Unzen Jigoku is the main spot in the Unzen hot spring town, where dense white steam rises with the smell of sulfur—creating a hellish landscape true to its name.
Along a walking path you can loop in around 30 minutes, you can visit more than 30 “hells.”
At Unzen Jigoku Chaya, try the Unzen Jigoku foot steam bath, where you can feel the geothermal heat and steam, and then sample onsen eggs steamed in the “hell.”

From Unzen Jigoku to Nita Pass, it’s Approx. a 15-minute taxi ride.
At Nita Pass, you can enjoy seasonal scenery throughout the year: vibrant azaleas in spring, deep green landscapes in summer, trees turning red and yellow in fall, and frost-covered trees in winter (a phenomenon where moisture in the air freezes onto branches).
A particularly recommended spot is the Second Observation Deck at Nita Pass.
Located along the Nita Pass Circular Road, it’s easy to access, offering close-up views of Heisei Shinzan, the highest peak of Unzen, as well as views across the Ariake Sea.

From Nita Pass, it’s Approx. a 15-minute taxi ride to the next stop.
Unzen Kanko Hotel is a resort hotel in Unzen Onsen, which was designated Japan’s first national park.
Opened in 1935 as a hotel for foreign guests, it was selected as one of Modern Japan’s Notable Buildings and was also registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
Its stately appearance, incorporating Swiss chalet style, conveys a high level of artistry.
Even if you’re not staying overnight, it’s still worth stopping by for a visit.
That said, since it can be difficult to move to another hotel from Unzen Kanko Hotel, we recommend staying there if you can.