> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nipponstays.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to Get to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo: Iiyama Plus a Bus - URL: https://www.nipponstays.com/how-to-get-to-nozawa-onsen/ - Published: 2026-10-16T01:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T01:00:01.000Z - Description: How to get to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo: Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama, then a 25-min bus. One transfer, ¥600, no reservation needed. - Author: Hideaki Yasukawa - Tags: Nozawa Onsen, Ski, #2026-10-nagano-ski-01 How to get to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo, in one line: take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama Station, then the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus — about 25 minutes and ¥600 one-way — for a single change and a door-to-door trip of roughly 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes, depending on which Hakutaka service you catch (the faster Kagayaki does not stop at Iiyama). The one condition that changes the answer: the bus timetable is built to meet almost every arriving train from Tokyo, but not the very last one of the day, so a late departure from Tokyo can leave you stuck at Iiyama Station with no bus left to Nozawa. ## One transfer, and it is at Iiyama Nozawa Onsen has one real advantage over some of Nagano's other ski towns: getting there from Tokyo takes exactly one change, and it happens at a single station, Iiyama. The Nozawa Onsen Liner bus is timed against the arriving Hokuriku Shinkansen rather than running on its own independent clock, so most trains have a bus waiting within about 20 minutes of arrival — 12 minutes at the tightest, about 40 at the widest. That makes the trip forgiving of a train running a few minutes late, but it also means the whole plan depends on landing at Iiyama on a train that actually has a bus scheduled against it — which is the one detail worth checking before you book. If you're still deciding between Nagano's ski towns rather than committed to Nozawa, see our guide to [where to stay in Hakuba](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-hakuba/) for the valley's other major option. ## The route, leg by leg The table below breaks the trip into its individual legs, including the two practical alternatives if the direct Iiyama route doesn't line up with your schedule. | Leg | From | To | Mode | Time | Reservation | | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Tokyo → Iiyama | Tokyo Station | Iiyama Station | Hokuriku Shinkansen (Hakutaka only) | \~1h 40min | Reserved seat recommended; an unreserved car is available on Hakutaka | | Iiyama → Nozawa Onsen | Iiyama Station, Bus Stop 4 | Nozawa Onsen Chuo Terminal | Nozawa Onsen Liner bus | \~25 min | Not required — buy at the machine by the stop, or pay on board | | Nagano → Nozawa Onsen (alternative) | Nagano Station | Nozawa Onsen Chuo Terminal | Alpico Kotsu / Nagaden joint highway bus | \~1h 20min | Confirm the current-season timetable before relying on this route — departures are limited | | Iiyama → Nozawa Onsen (alternative) | Iiyama Station | Nozawa Onsen | Taxi (Nozawa Onsen Kotsu) | \~20 min | Phone ahead — the taxi desk keeps shorter hours than the last bus | ## The Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama Not every Hokuriku Shinkansen calls at Iiyama. The fastest service, Kagayaki, runs through without stopping; only the slower Hakutaka trains stop there, and even among Hakutaka services the stopping pattern varies by departure, so check that your specific train is scheduled to call at Iiyama before you book rather than assuming any Hokuriku Shinkansen will do. A one-way reserved seat runs around ¥8,780 from Tokyo Station; Hakutaka also carries an unreserved car, which costs less if you don't mind the chance of standing during a busy weekend. The ride itself takes roughly 1 hour 40 minutes. ## Iiyama Station — where the bus actually leaves from According to the [official Nozawa Onsen tourism portal](https://en.nozawaski.com/access/coming-train-bus/?ref=nipponstays.com), the Nozawa Onsen Liner leaves from Bus Stop 4, on the Chikuma River Exit (千曲川口) side of Iiyama Station — the station's main front exit, not the Joyama Exit (城山口) on the far side. A ticket machine sits next to the stop if you'd rather buy before boarding, though paying on the bus works too. Follow the signage for the Chikuma River Exit (千曲川口); Bus Stop 4 is in the bus bay in the plaza directly outside that exit, a short walk from the shinkansen gates. ## The Nozawa Onsen Liner and the winter timetable For the 2025-26 winter season — December 13, 2025 to March 29, 2026, per the operator's [published timetable](https://www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp/www/contents/1050000000201/files/nozawaonsenlinerbusschedule2025winter.pdf?ref=nipponstays.com) — the Nozawa Onsen Liner runs ten times a day between Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen's Chuo (central) Terminal, timed against arriving trains rather than at a fixed interval, from 8:45am to 9:20pm, each ride about 25 minutes and ¥600 one-way for adults, with half fare for elementary-school-age children. No reservation is required; IC cards, credit cards, and cash are all accepted on board, alongside the ticket machine at the stop. The operator, Nozawa Onsen Kotsu, had not yet released a 2026-27 winter schedule at the time of this check — if you're booking for next season, treat the dates and departure times here as last season's pattern rather than a confirmed schedule, and check the operator's page again closer to your travel dates. ## Skis and boards, in one line The Nozawa Onsen Liner is an ordinary route bus, not a highway coach with an underfloor luggage hold, so ski and snowboard bags travel with you in the aisle or the space by the stairwell rather than in a separate compartment. On the shinkansen leg, standard JR rules apply: any single bag over 160 cm in combined dimensions needs an advance oversized-luggage reservation. For the full mechanics of getting boards through Tokyo Station and onto the train, see our guides to [taking skis on the shinkansen](https://www.nipponstays.com/taking-skis-on-the-shinkansen/) and [sending ski bags ahead by takkyubin](https://www.nipponstays.com/sending-ski-bags-ahead-japan-takkyubin/) — the second is worth considering if you'd rather arrive at Iiyama with just a backpack. ## If you miss the last bus The last Nozawa Onsen Liner departure from Iiyama Station runs at 21:20 in the 2025-26 timetable. Two fallbacks exist if you're later than that. A taxi from Iiyama Station to Nozawa Onsen takes about 20 minutes; Nozawa Onsen Kotsu, the same company that runs the bus, also operates the local taxis, but its booking desk keeps shorter hours than the last bus — call ahead (0269-85-3333) during the day rather than assuming a car will be waiting at the station that night. The simpler fallback is to stay in Iiyama and finish the trip in the morning: [Hotel Hoteiya](https://www.trip.com/hotels/iiyama-hotel-detail-25098100/hotel-hoteiya/?Allianceid=9711325&SID=327049682&trip%5Fsub1=how-to-get-to-nozawa-onsen&trip%5Fsub3=D19740415&ref=nipponstays.com), a 10-min walk from the station, takes check-ins until 23:00. ## What we checked Of the departures on Nozawa Onsen Kotsu's 2025-26 winter timetable, all ten of the day's round-trip buses between Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen are timed against an arriving Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo — the schedule builds the connection in rather than leaving it to chance (checked September 2026; timetable dated December 13, 2025 through March 29, 2026). ## Which train gets you to Nozawa in time Use the table below to match your Iiyama arrival to the connecting bus and see how much of the day is left once you reach Nozawa. | Arrive Iiyama by | Take | Arrive Nozawa Onsen | Next step | | ---------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 8:16 | 8:45 bus | 9:10 | A full day on snow — [see where to stay in Nozawa Onsen](https://www.nipponstays.com/where-to-stay-in-nozawa-onsen/) | | 12:17 | 12:30 bus | 12:55 | Check in, then a half-day on the mountain | | 17:03 | 17:20 bus | 17:45 | Time for dinner in the village — useful if you're timing the trip around the fire festival, see [where to stay for the Nozawa Fire Festival](https://www.nipponstays.com/nozawa-fire-festival-where-to-stay/) | | 21:00 | 21:20 bus (last departure) | 21:45 | Cutting it close — see the section above on missing the last bus | ## Trip Essentials for Nozawa Onsen Things worth booking before you land, all in English: - **eSIM** — [Airalo's Japan eSIM](https://airalo.tpm.lv/2TWpibQS?ref=nipponstays.com): install it at home and data works as soon as you switch off airplane mode at Haneda or Narita. - **Tickets and day trips** — [Klook](https://klook.tpm.lv/qas2J10D?ref=nipponstays.com) covers tours and activities around Nozawa Onsen; booking ahead skips the ticket-window line. ## FAQ: Getting to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo ### How long does it take to get from Tokyo to Nozawa Onsen? Budget roughly 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes door to door: about 1 hour 40 minutes on the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Iiyama Station, plus the connecting Nozawa Onsen Liner bus, which takes about 25 minutes and usually leaves within 10 to 20 minutes of your train's arrival, with two gaps of around 40 minutes in the middle of the day. ### Do I need to reserve a seat on the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus? No. The bus takes no reservations — buy a ¥600 one-way ticket at the machine next to Bus Stop 4 at Iiyama Station, or pay on board with cash, an IC card, or a credit card. ### Which Hokuriku Shinkansen trains stop at Iiyama? Only Hakutaka services call at Iiyama; the faster Kagayaki does not stop there. Even among Hakutaka trains the stopping pattern varies by departure, so confirm your specific train is scheduled to stop at Iiyama when you book rather than assuming any Hakutaka will do. ### Can I bring skis or a snowboard on the bus? Yes. The Nozawa Onsen Liner is a standard route bus rather than a coach with a luggage hold, so boards travel with you in the aisle or by the stairwell. On the shinkansen leg, any bag over 160 cm in combined dimensions needs an advance oversized-luggage reservation under JR's standard rule.