How Do You Get to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo? The Shinkansen to Iiyama, Then the Bus

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors travelling from Tokyo to Nozawa Onsen, a hot spring village in the mountains of northern Nagano. It covers the bullet train to Iiyama, the bus up to the village, the local bus changes from October 2026, and what to know if you drive.

We used pages from Nozawa Onsen Village, the Nozawaonsen Mountain Resort Tourism Bureau, its English portal, the Nagano Prefecture tourism site and the bus operator Nagaden Bus. All were read on 2026-10-04. Timetables change by season, so check the latest one before you travel.

The short answer: Shinkansen to Iiyama, then a bus

The tourism bureau says the nearest station to Nozawa Onsen is Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. From Iiyama, it recommends the direct bus called the Nozawa Onsen Liner.

The Nagano Prefecture tourism site says the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Iiyama about 90 minutes after leaving Tokyo Station. The tourism bureau puts the bus ride from Iiyama to the village at about 25 minutes. It notes that the time varies by hour and stop.

So the trip has two legs and one change. You can check train times on the railway's own site, which we could not read today (see the end of this guide).

Do not get off at the wrong station

The tourism bureau warns that there is no public transport to Nozawa Onsen from Kamisakai or Togari-Nozawaonsen. Both are stations on the local JR Iiyama Line. The second has Nozawa Onsen in its name, so it is easy to pick by mistake.

Stay on the Shinkansen to Iiyama, and take the bus from there.

The Nozawa Onsen Liner from Iiyama Station

The village office says the Liner leaves from bus stop No. 4 in front of JR Iiyama Station. The resort's English portal adds that the buses leave from the Chikuma River side of the station.

The Liner stops at Kita-Iiyama, Maezaka, Nakao and Shinden, and ends at the Nozawa Onsen Central Terminal. That is the order the tourism bureau lists, going up from the station.

The bus does not wait for every train. Both the village and the tourism bureau warn that at some times of day the Shinkansen and the Liner do not connect. Check both timetables together before you book a train.

The tourism bureau's access page shows the timetable for 30 March to 30 November 2026. It lists ten departures a day in each direction. The first bus from Iiyama Station leaves at 8:45, and the last at 21:20.

The village publishes the timetables as PDFs. Last winter's timetable ran from 13 December 2025 to 29 March 2026. Look for the new winter timetable before a ski trip.

Fares and how to pay on the Liner

The village office lists the fare as 600 yen one way, or 200 yen for a short section. Primary school children pay half. The tourism bureau shows 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children.

The village gives these ways to pay:

• Ticket machines at the two end stops only, JR Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen. They take cash and credit cards.
• On the bus, with a transport IC card such as Suica or KURURU, or with cash.

The village page says credit cards cannot be used on the bus itself. Last winter's timetable sheet, however, said credit cards could be used. If you plan to pay by card, buy your ticket at the machine to be safe.

The operator named by the village is Nozawa Onsen Kotsu. For anything unclear, the village says to ask the driver.

Nagaden local buses: what changed in October 2026

The English portal still describes a Nagaden town bus from stop No. 2 at Iiyama Station. It says that bus goes via Iiyama and Kijimadaira and takes about 40 minutes. This changed on 1 October 2026.

Nagaden Bus announced that its Nozawa line and its Nakano-Kijima line were joined into one route, the Nakano-Nozawa line. The new route runs on weekdays only. Nagaden says there are fewer runs between Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen.

Nagaden explains that the Nozawa Onsen Liner already covers that section. It says the Liner keeps the trip from Nozawa Onsen convenient.

Nagaden adds that in the busy winter season, two of its express buses also run between Iiyama Station and Nozawa Onsen. These are the Madarao Kogen line and the Nozawa to Snow Monkey line. It says their fare for that section is 600 yen, the same as the Liner.

Driving to Nozawa Onsen

The resort's English portal points drivers to Iiyama Interchange. It links a video of the drive from Iiyama IC to the village, with comments in Japanese.

The tourism bureau asks drivers to fit studless winter tyres or carry chains from November to April. It also suggests checking road conditions, weather forecasts and expressway restrictions before you set off.

There are several village and resort car parks, with different seasons and charges. The tourism bureau's access page lists them one by one. It also says that no car park in the village allows people to sleep in their cars.

When you arrive

The Liner ends at the Central Terminal in the village. In winter, a free village shuttle bus runs between the Central Terminal and the Nagasaka Bus Terminal. The English portal gives its 2026 to 2027 season as 12 December 2026 to 28 March 2027.

We will cover the shuttle and walking routes in a separate guide.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Shinkansen times and fares between Tokyo and Iiyama. The JR East website returned "Access Denied" to us, so we could not read its timetable.
• The Liner timetable for winter 2026 to 2027. It was not yet on the village page on 2026-10-04.
• The new Nakano-Nozawa line timetable. We read the announcement, but not the timetable itself.
• Express bus times and seasons for the Madarao Kogen and Snow Monkey lines.
• Airport transfers and long-distance buses from Tokyo. We found no official page that we could check today.
• Taxis and ride-share services. Prices and availability were not on a page we could verify.

Related guides

• What are Nozawa Onsen's soto-yu? The 13 free public baths and how to use them respectfully
• How do you stay safe in Nozawa Onsen in winter? Snow, avalanches and emergency numbers

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. 野沢温泉アクセス・行き方 (Nozawaonsen Mountain Resort Tourism Bureau) — (nearest station; Liner about 25 minutes; no public transport from Kamisakai or Togari-Nozawaonsen; stops; fares; timetable to 30 November 2026; parking list)
2. 野沢温泉ライナー バス時刻表 (Nozawa Onsen Village) — (bus stop No. 4; ways to pay; fare; discounts; trains and buses not always connecting; operator)
3. 野沢温泉ライナー時刻表 2025-2026 winter (Nozawa Onsen Village) — (winter timetable dates; payment note on the sheet)
4. Iiyama City and Nozawa Onsen Village (Nagano Prefecture and Nagano Tourism Organization, Go! Nagano) — (Tokyo Station to Iiyama in about 90 minutes by Hokuriku Shinkansen)
5. Coming by train and bus (Nozawa Onsen English portal) — (Chikuma River exit; earlier description of the Nagaden bus from stop No. 2)
6. 中野木島線、野沢線の統合について (Nagaden Bus) — (lines joined from 1 October 2026; weekdays only; fewer runs; winter express buses at 600 yen)
7. Coming by car (Nozawa Onsen English portal) — (Iiyama IC; car parks)
8. 野沢温泉のよくある質問 (Nozawaonsen Mountain Resort Tourism Bureau) — (winter tyres or chains November to April; no sleeping in cars; nearest station)
9. Village Free Shuttle Bus (Nozawa Onsen English portal) — (free shuttle season 12 December 2026 to 28 March 2027)