Tashiro Pond in Kamikochi, with Mount Roppyaku behind. Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5
- Most people take the Alpico Kamikochi Line train from Matsumoto Station to Shin-Shimashima (¥710) and change to the bus to Kamikochi (¥3,100). With the change it takes 1 hr 44 min to 1 hr 52 min.
- Two direct buses, the National Park Liner, leave Matsumoto Bus Terminal at 5:30 (¥5,000) and 10:15 (¥4,600). There is no direct bus back; all buses from Kamikochi go to Shin-Shimashima.
- The buses run from April 17 to November 15, 2026. From November 16 the road is closed for winter until mid-April, and no bus runs.
Take the train to Shin-Shimashima and book the bus both ways.
The train and bus cost ¥3,810 one way, less than the direct bus, and run 13 times a day toward Kamikochi.
Reserved passengers board first. Book the bus from one month before, including the bus back, and catch the 17:55 from Kamikochi at the latest.
- 1Train + bus via Shin-Shimashima¥3,810; 1 hr 44 min – 1 hr 52 min
- 2National Park Liner (direct)¥4,600 at 10:15; ¥5,000 at 5:30
- 3SeasonApr 17 – Nov 15, 2026
From Matsumoto, Kamikochi is under two hours away by Alpico's local train and bus, with one change at Shin-Shimashima. Two direct buses a day skip the change. You cannot take a rental car in: private cars stop at the Kama Tunnel all year, and the buses themselves run only from April 17 to November 15, 2026.
Times, fares and dates below come from Alpico, Nagano Prefecture and the Kamikochi official website, checked October 22, 2026. The timetable is Alpico's May 1, 2026 edition.
Train and bus or the direct bus: compared
| Train + bus | National Park Liner | |
|---|---|---|
| From | Matsumoto Station | Matsumoto Bus Terminal |
| Change | Shin-Shimashima | None |
| Time | 1 hr 44 min – 1 hr 52 min | 1 hr 35 min – 1 hr 40 min |
| Fare | ¥3,810 | ¥4,600; ¥5,000 at 5:30 |
| Departures | 13 buses a day | 5:30 and 10:15 |
| Back to Matsumoto | Yes | No direct bus |
Fares are adult, one way. The ¥5,000 fare on the 5:30 bus includes a ¥400 early-morning surcharge.
Season: April 17 to November 15, 2026
Alpico's Kamikochi buses run between those two dates, and the Kamikochi official website marks the end of the 2026 season with a closing ceremony on November 15.
After that, the road is shut: Nagano Prefecture closes it from November 16 until mid-April. In those months Alpico runs no bus to Kamikochi, and every hotel, shop and office in the valley is closed. The 2027 opening date was not on the prefecture's page when I checked. Alpico's English site says Kamikochi is scheduled to open from April 17 to November 15 each year, and that some hotels and shops open later than the buses, with all of them open from April 27.
The last Kamikochi buses of 2026 run on November 15. Between November 16 and spring, you cannot reach Kamikochi from Matsumoto by any bus.
The two ways in: train and bus, or the National Park Liner
Train + bus — Matsumoto → Shin-Shimashima → Kamikochi
- Alpico Kamikochi Line train from platform 7 at Matsumoto Station to Shin-Shimashima, 30–34 min, ¥710.
- Change to the bus at stop 1, in front of the Shin-Shimashima exit, about 1 hr 5 min to Kamikochi, ¥3,100.
- 1 hr 44 min – 1 hr 52 min in all on the connections I checked.
National Park Liner — Matsumoto Bus Terminal → Kamikochi
- Direct bus from stop 9 at Matsumoto Bus Terminal, in Alpico Plaza across the street from JR Matsumoto Station.
- 5:30 → Kamikochi 7:05 (¥5,000) or 10:15 → Kamikochi 11:55 (¥4,600).
The 10:15 Liner reaches Kamikochi at the same time as the 10:10 train from Matsumoto and the 10:50 bus from Shin-Shimashima, so it saves you the change, not time.
Train and bus connections from Matsumoto
Every bus from Shin-Shimashima has a train from Matsumoto that connects with it. These pairs, from Alpico's timetable, are examples:
| Train: Matsumoto → Shin-Shimashima | Bus: Shin-Shimashima → Kamikochi |
|---|---|
| 6:31 → 7:01 | 7:10 → 8:15 |
| 7:15 → 7:49 | 8:00 → 9:05 |
| 8:01 → 8:31 | 8:40 → 9:45 |
| 8:43 → 9:14 | 9:30 → 10:35 |
| 10:10 → 10:40 | 10:50 → 11:55 |
| 12:50 → 13:20 | 13:30 → 14:35 |
| 14:47 → 15:17 | 15:30 → 16:35 (last) |
Buses leave Shin-Shimashima for Kamikochi at 7:10, 8:00, 8:40, 9:30, 10:05, 10:50, 11:30, 12:10, 12:50, 13:30, 14:10, 14:50 and 15:30.
Tickets and booking
| Ticket | Adult, one way |
|---|---|
| Train, Matsumoto – Shin-Shimashima | ¥710 |
| Bus, Shin-Shimashima – Kamikochi | ¥3,100 |
| National Park Liner, 10:15 | ¥4,600 |
| National Park Liner, 5:30 | ¥5,000 |
Children from 6 to under 12, and small children from 1 to under 6, pay half the adult bus fare; children under 1 ride free.
The buses are "reservation priority": passengers with a reservation board first, and without one you can ride if a seat is left. Alpico takes bookings online only, from 0:00 on the same date one month before you travel; it does not take bookings by phone. The ticket windows at Matsumoto Bus Terminal, Shin-Shimashima and the Kamikochi bus terminal also sell tickets. A reservation holds a place on a bus, not a particular seat: reserved passengers board in the order they queue.
Alpico does not allow bear spray inside the bus cabin.
Bus stops in Kamikochi: Taishoike or the terminal
The bus stops at Taishoike, Teikoku Hotel-mae and Kamikochi, the terminal. The fare from Shin-Shimashima to the Kamikochi terminal is ¥3,100. From the Kamikochi bus terminal, Kappa Bridge is about 6 minutes on foot (0.3 km). If you get off at Taishoike instead, the Kamikochi official website gives about 1 hr 15 min on foot to Kappa Bridge along the right bank of the Azusa River, or about 1 hr 20 min along the left bank.
Getting back: every bus goes to Shin-Shimashima
All Alpico buses from Kamikochi go to Shin-Shimashima, from stop 4 at the Kamikochi bus terminal. They leave Kamikochi at 7:50, 9:30, 10:40, 11:25, 12:05, 12:40, 13:20, 14:05, 14:40, 15:15, 16:00, 16:40, 17:15 and 17:55, and take about 1 hr 5 min.
| Bus: Kamikochi → Shin-Shimashima | Train: Shin-Shimashima → Matsumoto |
|---|---|
| 7:50 → 8:55 | 9:22 → 9:51 |
| 9:30 → 10:35 | 10:53 → 11:22 |
| 16:00 → 17:05 | 17:22 → 17:51 |
| 17:55 → 19:00 (last) | 19:25 → 19:54 |
Since September 1, 2026, the stops between Kamikochi and Sawando Ohashi are for boarding only on buses to Shin-Shimashima; you can get off only at Azumi Shisho-mae and Shin-Shimashima. For Sawando, Alpico points you to the Kamikochi – Sawando shuttle bus from stop 7.
A day in Kamikochi: out at 6:31, back by 17:51
| Leg | Time |
|---|---|
| Train, Matsumoto → Shin-Shimashima | 6:31 → 7:01 |
| Bus, Shin-Shimashima → Kamikochi | 7:10 → 8:15 |
| Bus, Kamikochi → Shin-Shimashima | 16:00 → 17:05 (or up to the 17:55) |
| Train, Shin-Shimashima → Matsumoto | 17:22 → 17:51 |
For an earlier start, the 5:30 National Park Liner reaches Kamikochi at 7:05. Book the bus back as well as the bus there: the 17:55 is the last bus of the day, and reserved passengers board first.
From Kamikochi you do not have to go back to Matsumoto. Nohi Bus runs from Kamikochi via Hirayu Onsen to Takayama; see my Takayama to Kamikochi guide, read in reverse. From Matsumoto, my Matsumoto to Hakuba guide covers the trip north. For the whole region, see my Japanese Alps without a car guide and the 5- to 7-day Japanese Alps itinerary.
- The 2027 date the road and buses reopen
- Whether the National Park Liner can be booked as one ticket with the bus back
- Coin lockers at Shin-Shimashima and the Kamikochi bus terminal
- Whether the Japan Rail Pass covers any part of this route
How I checked this
- Read Alpico's Kamikochi bus page, its May 1, 2026 timetable and its fare table from April 17, 2026, and its notice on the September 1 changes.
- Read Nagano Prefecture's page on the Kamikochi road and the Kamikochi official website for the season and walking times.
- Matched every value to a dated source; anything I could not confirm is listed above.
Getting to Matsumoto from Tokyo or Osaka
The Azusa limited express from Shinjuku. The Azusa 5 leaves at 8:00 every day and reaches Matsumoto at 10:37.
Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the Shinano limited express. On the November 2026 weekday timetable, the Shinano 3 leaves Nagoya at 8:00 and reaches Matsumoto at 10:05.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Matsumoto to Kamikochi?
Take the Alpico Kamikochi Line train from Matsumoto Station to Shin-Shimashima, about 30 minutes, and change to the Alpico bus to Kamikochi, about 1 hr 5 min. The train is ¥710 and the bus ¥3,100. Two direct buses also leave Matsumoto Bus Terminal, at 5:30 and 10:15.
Is there a direct bus from Matsumoto to Kamikochi?
Yes, two a day from April 17 to November 15, 2026. The National Park Liner leaves Matsumoto Bus Terminal at 5:30 (¥5,000, reaching Kamikochi at 7:05) and 10:15 (¥4,600, reaching Kamikochi at 11:55). Alpico's timetable shows no direct bus back.
Do I need to book the Kamikochi bus from Matsumoto?
You do not have to, but booking helps. Passengers with a reservation board first; without one you can ride if there is a seat. Bookings open one month before the day, online only, and a reservation is for a bus, not a seat.
Can I do Kamikochi as a day trip from Matsumoto?
Yes, from April 17 to November 15, 2026. The 6:31 train from Matsumoto connects with the 7:10 bus, which reaches Kamikochi at 8:15. The last bus back leaves Kamikochi at 17:55 and connects at Shin-Shimashima with the 19:25 train, which reaches Matsumoto at 19:54.
Can I go to Kamikochi from Matsumoto in winter?
No. The last buses of 2026 run on November 15. Nagano Prefecture closes the road from November 16 until mid-April, and Alpico says no bus runs to Kamikochi in the closed season.
Sources
- Matsumoto – Shin-Shimashima – Kamikochi bus — Alpico Kotsu
- Kamikochi line timetable (May 1, 2026) — Alpico Kotsu
- Kamikochi line fares (from April 17, 2026) — Alpico Kotsu
- Changes to buses from Kamikochi (from September 1, 2026) — Alpico Kotsu
- To Kamikochi (English) — Alpico Group
- Kamikochi buses — Alpico Kotsu
- Kamikochi traffic restrictions and winter closure — Nagano Prefecture
- 2026 closing ceremony — Kamikochi official website
- Walking in Kamikochi — Kamikochi official website
- Car restrictions for Kamikochi — Kamikochi official website