The airports have a luggage shipping service and they can handle snowboards to your resort. I have the same bag and also 2 snowboards and shipping one way was about $20-$30 from airport to hotel. No need to haul your gear with you everywhere.
Thanks for the great video! Very valuable info there! Quick question about the shuttles - it seems like the schedule is quite limited, right? I couldn’t find any options departing from Haneda Airport to Hakuba in the afternoon (between 4-6 pm) for end of Jan. The only options I found are 3:10 pm, which I won’t make in time, and 9:10 pm, which is too late. Any suggestions or alternatives?
Hey there! It is quite limited indeed! I just did a quick search, there are 2 options: 1. train to Nagano, shuttle bus from Nagano to Hakuba Bus terminal 2. train all the way to Hakuba station This really depends on what time you're departing from Haneda airport, as the last shuttle bus leaves at 8:30pm from Nagano. Train + shuttle bus would be the better option, assuming that you will be staying closer to the bus terminal, since the train station is quite far from everywhere else. If you leave from Haneda at 4, you will be able to make option 1, but not if you are leaving at 6. I'm in a similar situation, so I will be staying in Tokyo station for the night, and leaves for Hakuba the next morning. So it will be Tokyo -> Nagano -> Hakuba Direct bullet train to Nagano, then the same shuttle bus mentioned from Nagano to Hakuba bus terminal. And it only takes around 3 hours, a lot faster than shuttle bus straight there. This page has more info on Nagano -> Hakuba: thehakubacollection.com/hakuba/access/nagano-to-hakuba This is the bus timetable for Nagano -> Hakuba: visit-nagano.alpico.co.jp/timetable/hakuba-nagano-winter
Thanks for watching! It will depend on how you define cheap, as everyone has a different standard. Further out from bus terminal and non ski in ski out are generally cheaper.
Does a Hakuba valley pass cover all mountains? Can you buy it online ahead of time? What was the shuttle pass you were talking about? I’m booked for 2 weeks in Happo One, and I’m trying to get a 14 day pass. I also considered the bus to Hakuba, for the same reason, but I cant find the service online. I fly into Narita. My Japanese friend told me that Narita is better because you can take the Ueno Skyliner from Narita straight to Ueno and from there you get the Shinkansen to Nagano, and they go all the time up until 9pm. She said Ueno is way easier to deal with than Tokyo station. Again however, if there was a bus, and I didn’t have to mess around with switching trains, I’d just prefer that.
Does a Hakuba valley pass cover all mountains? Yes the pass covers all 10 resorts in Hakuba. Buying online? Yea, you can get it here: www.hakubavalley.com/en/ticket_en/onlinewebshop_en/ Shuttle pass: There are quite a few different shuttle buses running in Hakuba to help visitors to get around. Most of them are free, the paid one is Hakuba Valley shuttle bus. But if you hold a Hakuba valley pass, it’s free. Shuttle bus service: This was one of the shuttle that I used previously. I was going from Haneda airport directly to Hakuba: naganosnowshuttle.com/ Train or bus? Tokyo or Ueno? I guess it depends on your flight, since there aren’t that as many shuttle buses available, the Shinkansen train might be a better option. This time I’ll be taking the it from Tokyo station and then the shuttle bus from Nagano station. I chose Tokyo as there are more accommodations option (I’ll be staying there overnight before I leave for Hakuba), but it’s a massive station, so I’d assume it’s gonna be super chaotic for visitors who aren’t too familiar with the station. Hope that helps!
Hey, I do have 2 that I really like: 1. Tsumugi - maps.app.goo.gl/9LpjtUXpVzWwB2DQ7 They specialise in deep fried pork. Love the thick pork cutlets. Make sure you book ahead otherwise you might have to wait for a long time. 2. Ohyokkuri - maps.app.goo.gl/Ybtn71XxcHCRQCNPA Traditional Japanese cuisine, very homey vibe. Love the soup after a long day on the mountain. It's first come first serve, so get there as early as you can to avoid long waiting time. From memory the line forms 30 minutes prior opening.
Next time I go to Hakuba, I am renting a car. I spent too much time waiting for and traveling on the shuttle buses. I will also look into renting a house, as the hotels were pretty crowded. Having a car makes it easier to get up to Cortina, or trying out other ski areas nearby. There are some rules you have to follow for each area. Overall, great terrain, some good restaurants, but the Hakuba experience felt quite disjointed.
Hello! Great and informative video. I'm planning a trip to Hakuba in a month, do you have any advice on finding accommodations/websites to use? This will be my first trip to Japan, thanks!
Hey Connie, for myself I just need a room to stay so I’d I usually start off with Google maps to get a grasp on whereabouts I want to stay then go through booking.com and Airbnb. If you’re looking for chalets, you can just google Hakuba chalets and there are a few specialised websites that can assist you on those. Facebook groups can be helpful as I see lodge owners promoting their places on there but I personally never looked into those. It might be a bit too late if you’re looking for something in a month so I’d recommend finding something asap. Hope that helps!
I think it really comes down to your fitness level since it’s a very intense sport. I did only a day and a half my very first time, my body was wrecked after constantly falling over but really wished I went for longer because it was just so much fun. If I were you l, I might assign 2.5 days, then if I feel like I’m done after the second day, I can always just leave early for the next destination.
I heard that some rental stores offer free pick-ups (transportation) from your accommodation > rental store > ski resort. Do you happen to know if this is true by any chance? Thanks mate!
Hey mate, Thanks for the video-it was really helpful! I’m heading out during the Christmas and New Year's break, staying 7 days near Iwatake and planning to ski for about six days at different resorts nearby. Do you think it’s safe to rely on the shuttle buses, considering how busy the holiday season will be? I’m open to renting a car but wanted your advice since I’ve come across mixed reviews-some say it’s essential, while others say it’s not necessary. Thanks again for your help! Uira
Hi Uira, To be honest, I'm not sure. From what I've seen online, it's gonna be busy during Xmas and New Year. However, they usually have more than one shuttle bus during peak hours from what I can observe (early mornings, resort closing) Why I prefer shuttle bus personally: 1. Less expense 2. I've never really driven in a snowy condition, so safety reasons 3. I like convenience (living near bus terminal) And since I've never rented a car there, I can't really comment on that. Hope this helps!
Great video, did you get any breaks from using the snow shuttle? How many breaks did you get and how long was the break? Planning to go to Hakuba for the first time and just mainly skiing at Tsuigake. However I am unsure whether to stay in ski in and out or town as there are no convenience stores near the slopes
Hey Abdul, from memory there were 2 breaks. It was around 20 minutes each. I just did a quick google search and saw a convenience store not too far from the slope and few restaurants nearby. So it shouldn’t be a problem if there’s your concern. But if you want more options, staying near the bus terminal wouldn’t be a bad choice. It has a Lawson nearby. However it’s where everyone goes at the end of the day so can get quite busy and the food can run out. Hope this helps!
Did you have any issues travelling with your snowboard? I’m planning to go with Qantas but I can’t find info on where to purchase for bigger/oversized luggage
Hey Louis, It's actually my first time carrying my snowboard with me too, so I'm not too sure. But I found this reddit post which might be useful: www.reddit.com/r/QantasFrequentFlyer/comments/11ue1xp/qantas_oversized_baggage/
Good day! Thank you for a very informative video. May I ask what is the best mode of transportation of we are coming from Nagano Station and going to Happo One? Are the prices mentioned at the end of the video the day passes per resort can be bought onsite or we should buy them in advance? 😊
Best way to get to Hakuba from Nagano would be the shuttle bus which you can purchase at Nagano Jr station. I’ve only bought it onsite or did it online the night before, that’s because I wasn’t sure which resorts I was gonna go during my stay. The other time I just bought the 5 days Hakuba valley pass because the price difference wasn’t that much after factoring in the bus fares and it just made it much more convenient for me not having to go to the ticket office every morning.
@@terryshiu_if you buy a Hakuba valley pass, does it cover all mountains? Can you buy that ahead of time? Or can you buy multiple day passes there so you don’t need to get in line everyday?
Direct train from where? I don’t think I’m aware of any direct train at the time of posting. As far as I know there’s at least two legs of train ride or train + bus from Tokyo to Hakuba. Please share more information on this if you can, thank you.
@terryshiu_ first result on google There is no Tokyo to Hakuba bullet train, but there is a daily direct Azusa Express train from Shinjuku to Hakuba. Estimated time and cost: 3 hours 41 minutes, ¥8,050 for adults (12 and older) and ¥4,020 for kids between 6-11. Children aged five and under are free if they sit in non-reserved seating.
![Guide to Snowboarding in Hakuba, Nagano, Japan [Getting there, where to stay, tickets, etc]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CZaiC-RAJTs/mqdefault.jpg)
The airports have a luggage shipping service and they can handle snowboards to your resort. I have the same bag and also 2 snowboards and shipping one way was about $20-$30 from airport to hotel. No need to haul your gear with you everywhere.
How long does it take for you gear to arrive from the airport? If I landed at 4pm, would I have my gear by the following morning in Hakuba to ski?
@@mikeuptegroveI think it’s 24hrs usually
Amazing video quality. Keep it up!!!
Thank you for your support William! 🙏
this video is so informative, hope it'll get more views
Thank you so much🙏🏻
your background music is too loud. it's competing with your voice.
Cheers, thanks for the feedback🙏🏻
Thanks for the great video! Very valuable info there!
Quick question about the shuttles - it seems like the schedule is quite limited, right? I couldn’t find any options departing from Haneda Airport to Hakuba in the afternoon (between 4-6 pm) for end of Jan. The only options I found are 3:10 pm, which I won’t make in time, and 9:10 pm, which is too late.
Any suggestions or alternatives?
Hey there! It is quite limited indeed!
I just did a quick search, there are 2 options:
1. train to Nagano, shuttle bus from Nagano to Hakuba Bus terminal
2. train all the way to Hakuba station
This really depends on what time you're departing from Haneda airport, as the last shuttle bus leaves at 8:30pm from Nagano.
Train + shuttle bus would be the better option, assuming that you will be staying closer to the bus terminal, since the train station is quite far from everywhere else.
If you leave from Haneda at 4, you will be able to make option 1, but not if you are leaving at 6.
I'm in a similar situation, so I will be staying in Tokyo station for the night, and leaves for Hakuba the next morning.
So it will be Tokyo -> Nagano -> Hakuba
Direct bullet train to Nagano, then the same shuttle bus mentioned from Nagano to Hakuba bus terminal.
And it only takes around 3 hours, a lot faster than shuttle bus straight there.
This page has more info on Nagano -> Hakuba:
thehakubacollection.com/hakuba/access/nagano-to-hakuba
This is the bus timetable for Nagano -> Hakuba:
visit-nagano.alpico.co.jp/timetable/hakuba-nagano-winter
Great video - so which one is cheap accommodation
Thanks for watching! It will depend on how you define cheap, as everyone has a different standard. Further out from bus terminal and non ski in ski out are generally cheaper.
Does a Hakuba valley pass cover all mountains? Can you buy it online ahead of time? What was the shuttle pass you were talking about? I’m booked for 2 weeks in Happo One, and I’m trying to get a 14 day pass. I also considered the bus to Hakuba, for the same reason, but I cant find the service online. I fly into Narita. My Japanese friend told me that Narita is better because you can take the Ueno Skyliner from Narita straight to Ueno and from there you get the Shinkansen to Nagano, and they go all the time up until 9pm. She said Ueno is way easier to deal with than Tokyo station. Again however, if there was a bus, and I didn’t have to mess around with switching trains, I’d just prefer that.
Does a Hakuba valley pass cover all mountains?
Yes the pass covers all 10 resorts in Hakuba.
Buying online?
Yea, you can get it here:
www.hakubavalley.com/en/ticket_en/onlinewebshop_en/
Shuttle pass:
There are quite a few different shuttle buses running in Hakuba to help visitors to get around. Most of them are free, the paid one is Hakuba Valley shuttle bus. But if you hold a Hakuba valley pass, it’s free.
Shuttle bus service:
This was one of the shuttle that I used previously. I was going from Haneda airport directly to Hakuba:
naganosnowshuttle.com/
Train or bus? Tokyo or Ueno?
I guess it depends on your flight, since there aren’t that as many shuttle buses available, the Shinkansen train might be a better option. This time I’ll be taking the it from Tokyo station and then the shuttle bus from Nagano station.
I chose Tokyo as there are more accommodations option (I’ll be staying there overnight before I leave for Hakuba), but it’s a massive station, so I’d assume it’s gonna be super chaotic for visitors who aren’t too familiar with the station.
Hope that helps!
Very useful vid! Do you have any restaurant recs?
Hey, I do have 2 that I really like:
1. Tsumugi - maps.app.goo.gl/9LpjtUXpVzWwB2DQ7
They specialise in deep fried pork. Love the thick pork cutlets.
Make sure you book ahead otherwise you might have to wait for a long time.
2. Ohyokkuri - maps.app.goo.gl/Ybtn71XxcHCRQCNPA
Traditional Japanese cuisine, very homey vibe. Love the soup after a long day on the mountain.
It's first come first serve, so get there as early as you can to avoid long waiting time.
From memory the line forms 30 minutes prior opening.
Next time I go to Hakuba, I am renting a car. I spent too much time waiting for and traveling on the shuttle buses. I will also look into renting a house, as the hotels were pretty crowded. Having a car makes it easier to get up to Cortina, or trying out other ski areas nearby. There are some rules you have to follow for each area. Overall, great terrain, some good restaurants, but the Hakuba experience felt quite disjointed.
Yea can imagine that’d be more convenient for some people. Hope you can have a better experience next time!
Hello! Great and informative video. I'm planning a trip to Hakuba in a month, do you have any advice on finding accommodations/websites to use? This will be my first trip to Japan, thanks!
Hey Connie, for myself I just need a room to stay so I’d I usually start off with Google maps to get a grasp on whereabouts I want to stay then go through booking.com and Airbnb.
If you’re looking for chalets, you can just google Hakuba chalets and there are a few specialised websites that can assist you on those.
Facebook groups can be helpful as I see lodge owners promoting their places on there but I personally never looked into those.
It might be a bit too late if you’re looking for something in a month so I’d recommend finding something asap.
Hope that helps!
This has been so helpful! As a beginner, do you recommend doing 2, 2.5 or 3 full days of skiing?
I think it really comes down to your fitness level since it’s a very intense sport.
I did only a day and a half my very first time, my body was wrecked after constantly falling over but really wished I went for longer because it was just so much fun.
If I were you l, I might assign 2.5 days, then if I feel like I’m done after the second day, I can always just leave early for the next destination.
I heard that some rental stores offer free pick-ups (transportation) from your accommodation > rental store > ski resort. Do you happen to know if this is true by any chance? Thanks mate!
I know rhythm sports does pick up to their shop, not too sure whether they’d take you to the sky resort though. I think it’s best to check with them!
Hey mate,
Thanks for the video-it was really helpful! I’m heading out during the Christmas and New Year's break, staying 7 days near Iwatake and planning to ski for about six days at different resorts nearby.
Do you think it’s safe to rely on the shuttle buses, considering how busy the holiday season will be? I’m open to renting a car but wanted your advice since I’ve come across mixed reviews-some say it’s essential, while others say it’s not necessary.
Thanks again for your help!
Uira
Hi Uira,
To be honest, I'm not sure.
From what I've seen online, it's gonna be busy during Xmas and New Year.
However, they usually have more than one shuttle bus during peak hours from what I can observe (early mornings, resort closing)
Why I prefer shuttle bus personally:
1. Less expense
2. I've never really driven in a snowy condition, so safety reasons
3. I like convenience (living near bus terminal)
And since I've never rented a car there, I can't really comment on that.
Hope this helps!
really helpful thanks
glad it helped! 🙌
Great video, did you get any breaks from using the snow shuttle? How many breaks did you get and how long was the break?
Planning to go to Hakuba for the first time and just mainly skiing at Tsuigake. However I am unsure whether to stay in ski in and out or town as there are no convenience stores near the slopes
Hey Abdul, from memory there were 2 breaks. It was around 20 minutes each.
I just did a quick google search and saw a convenience store not too far from the slope and few restaurants nearby. So it shouldn’t be a problem if there’s your concern.
But if you want more options, staying near the bus terminal wouldn’t be a bad choice. It has a Lawson nearby. However it’s where everyone goes at the end of the day so can get quite busy and the food can run out.
Hope this helps!
Did you have any issues travelling with your snowboard? I’m planning to go with Qantas but I can’t find info on where to purchase for bigger/oversized luggage
Hey Louis,
It's actually my first time carrying my snowboard with me too, so I'm not too sure.
But I found this reddit post which might be useful:
www.reddit.com/r/QantasFrequentFlyer/comments/11ue1xp/qantas_oversized_baggage/
Good day! Thank you for a very informative video. May I ask what is the best mode of transportation of we are coming from Nagano Station and going to Happo One? Are the prices mentioned at the end of the video the day passes per resort can be bought onsite or we should buy them in advance? 😊
Best way to get to Hakuba from Nagano would be the shuttle bus which you can purchase at Nagano Jr station.
I’ve only bought it onsite or did it online the night before, that’s because I wasn’t sure which resorts I was gonna go during my stay.
The other time I just bought the 5 days Hakuba valley pass because the price difference wasn’t that much after factoring in the bus fares and it just made it much more convenient for me not having to go to the ticket office every morning.
@ thank you very much :)
We are so excited for the trip already 😊
All good mate, hope you have a great time!
@@terryshiu_if you buy a Hakuba valley pass, does it cover all mountains? Can you buy that ahead of time? Or can you buy multiple day passes there so you don’t need to get in line everyday?
How much is the night skiing at Goryu?
It was 5000 yen a night if you already got a card, otherwise it'd be 5500 yen.
nice video bro
Thank you, appreciate it🙏🏻
There's a direct train..
Direct train from where?
I don’t think I’m aware of any direct train at the time of posting.
As far as I know there’s at least two legs of train ride or train + bus from Tokyo to Hakuba.
Please share more information on this if you can, thank you.
@terryshiu_ first result on google
There is no Tokyo to Hakuba bullet train, but there is a daily direct Azusa Express train from Shinjuku to Hakuba. Estimated time and cost: 3 hours 41 minutes, ¥8,050 for adults (12 and older) and ¥4,020 for kids between 6-11. Children aged five and under are free if they sit in non-reserved seating.