Mount Tate from Mikurigaike pond on the Alpine Route. Photo: Saigen Jiro / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
- The 2026 season runs April 15 – November 30. Tateyama Station → Ogizawa costs ¥10,940 one way for adults, and Dentetsu Toyama → Ogizawa ¥12,360 on a same-day ticket.
- Web tickets need a credit card and are collected at your first station. Same-day tickets are sold only on the day, at the station you start from.
- The Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass (¥24,500, 5 days) covers the whole route plus JR from Nagoya, but in 2026 only until November 10.
Crossing the whole route? Price the pass first. Going in and back from one side? Buy a round trip.
The pass covers the Alpine Route between Dentetsu Toyama and Shinano-Omachi, the Toyama Chiho Railway limited express and JR trains from Nagoya.
If you only go up and back, for example Ogizawa ⇔ Murodo (¥12,300), a round-trip ticket on the day or online is simpler.
- 1Tateyama Station → Ogizawa¥10,940 one way, adult
- 2Dentetsu Toyama → Ogizawa¥12,360 one way, same-day ticket
- 3Area Tourist Pass¥24,500, 5 consecutive days, to November 10, 2026
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route crosses the mountains between Toyama and Shinano-Omachi in Nagano on a chain of transport, from the Tateyama Cable Car on the Toyama side to the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus on the Nagano side. This guide covers what the tickets cost, where to buy them and when a pass is worth pricing. Fares and rules are from the route operator's pages, JR West's pass page and the Kurobe Gorge Railway, checked October 22, 2026.
The 2026 season runs April 15 – November 30. When I checked in October 2026, the official pages did not yet give the 2027 season dates or fares.
For how the route fits into a trip, see my Japanese Alps without a car guide.
Alpine Route fares (2026)
| Section | One way (adult) | Round trip (adult) | Time given |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tateyama Station → Ogizawa | ¥10,940 | ¥19,680 | One way: 6–7 hours |
| Tateyama Station ⇔ Kurobeko | ¥9,140 | ¥16,480 | — |
| Ogizawa ⇔ Murodo | ¥6,850 | ¥12,300 | Round trip: 6–7 hours |
| Dentetsu Toyama → Ogizawa (same-day ticket) | ¥12,360 | — | One way: 7–8 hours |
| Dentetsu Toyama ⇔ Kurobeko (same-day ticket) | — | ¥19,320 | — |
The operator lists these fares as of February 27, 2026, and says they may change. Child fares apply to elementary school children (Tateyama Station → Ogizawa is ¥5,480 one way); children not yet in school ride free. "—" means the operator's page does not give it.
Not in these fares:
- Toyama Chiho Railway limited express charge: ¥600 for adults from April 1, 2026. The new rapid limited express, Dentetsu Toyama 5:10 → Tateyama 6:00 without stops, costs ¥1,000.
- The bus from Shinano-Omachi Station to Ogizawa: an Alpico local bus, paid on board. I have not confirmed its fare.
Web tickets or same-day tickets
Web tickets — book online, collect at the station
- Pay with: a credit card only (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express or Diners Club). Debit cards and prepaid or rechargeable cards are not accepted.
- Collect: at the ticket machine of your first station, from noon the day before your trip.
Same-day tickets — buy at your first station
- Sold only on the day, at the station where you start, and valid only that day.
Boarding times: the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa need a set departure time, which you choose when you buy. At the other stations you go to the gate without a reservation.
Staying overnight: a ticket is valid for 5 days from the first day of use, one way or round trip, so you can stop at a hotel on the route. It is not an unlimited-ride ticket.
Passes
The Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass is JR West's pass for the route.
- Price: ¥24,500 for adults, ¥12,250 for children aged 6–11.
- Valid: 5 consecutive days.
- Covers: the Alpine Route between Dentetsu Toyama and Shinano-Omachi; non-reserved seats on the Toyama Chiho Railway limited express between Dentetsu Toyama and Tateyama, with no limited express charge; non-reserved seats on JR trains between Nagoya and Toyama via Takayama, and between Shinano-Omachi and Nagoya via Matsumoto. Reserved seats on JR conventional lines can be used up to 4 times.
- 2026 dates: usable April 15 – November 10, 2026, and sold until November 6. When I checked in October 2026, the page listed no 2027 pass.
Is it worth it? Price your own trip against it. The Alpine Route alone from Dentetsu Toyama to Ogizawa is ¥12,360 one way on a same-day ticket; the pass also covers your JR trains to Toyama and from Shinano-Omachi, for example on the Hida and the Shinano. If you only ride up and back from one side, the round trips above are the simpler buy.
I have not found a statement about the Japan Rail Pass on the Alpine Route's own pages.
Kurobe Gorge Railway
The Kurobe Gorge Railway from Unazuki is a separate railway with its own tickets, not part of the Alpine Route.
- 2026 season: April 20 – November 30, with part of the line running.
- Fare: Unazuki ⇔ Keyakidaira ¥2,480 one way for adults from October 1 to November 30.
- Booking: online from 3 months ahead until 15:00 the day before, by credit card only. Same-day tickets are sold at Unazuki Station from 7:40.
- With the pass: 10% off the fare from Unazuki to Kanetsuri or Keyakidaira. The pass does not cover the trip from Toyama to Unazuki.
Luggage on the route
- Coin lockers: at Tateyama, Bijodaira, Midagahara, Murodo, Kurobe Dam and Ogizawa stations. Murodo stopped its staffed bag storage on June 20, 2025; its coin lockers remain.
- Sending bags across: the Alpen Porter Service takes bags across the route for ¥4,000 a piece, cash only, with no reservation, from April 15 to November 8, 2026 (planned).
If you continue from Shinano-Omachi to Hakuba, see my Hakuba without a car guide.
When to go for the Snow Wall
In 2026 the Snow Wall at Murodo could be seen from April 15 to June 25, a 15-minute walk from the ground-floor exit of Murodo Terminal. Early May falls in that window, and it is one of the busy periods when the operator may restrict sales of some tickets.
Japanese you will see on tickets
| English | Japanese | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route | 立山黒部アルペンルート | Route name |
| Dentetsu Toyama | 電鉄富山 | Toyama side start |
| Ogizawa | 扇沢 | Nagano side start |
| Murodo | 室堂 | Top station, Snow Wall |
| Web ticket | WEBきっぷ | Online tickets |
- A single fare for the whole route from Dentetsu Toyama to Shinano-Omachi, including the Alpico bus.
- The fare of the Shinano-Omachi – Ogizawa bus.
- The 2027 season dates, fares and pass.
- Fares for a single leg alone, such as only the cable car or only the ropeway.
I will update this page when the 2027 season is announced.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a ticket for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route?
For the 2026 season, Tateyama Station → Ogizawa costs ¥10,940 one way for adults and ¥5,480 for children; the adult round trip is ¥19,680. Same-day tickets from Dentetsu Toyama to Ogizawa cost ¥12,360 one way. The operator lists the fares as of February 27, 2026, and says they may change.
Do I need to book Alpine Route tickets in advance?
No. Same-day tickets are sold at the station you start from, on the day only. The Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa need a set departure time, which you choose when you buy. The operator says sales of some tickets may be restricted in early May, mid-August and early October.
Can I stop overnight on the Alpine Route with one ticket?
Yes. A ticket is valid for 5 days from the first day of use, one way or round trip. It does not give unlimited rides.
Is the Japan Rail Pass valid on the Alpine Route?
I have not found a statement on the Japan Rail Pass on the Alpine Route's own pages. The pass JR West sells for the route is the Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass, ¥24,500 for 5 consecutive days.
Is the Kurobe Gorge Railway part of the Alpine Route ticket?
No. It is a separate railway from Unazuki, ¥2,480 one way to Keyakidaira for adults from October 1 to November 30. The Area Tourist Pass does not cover it but gives 10% off the fare from Unazuki to Kanetsuri or Keyakidaira.
Keep planning
Sources
- Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (English) — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Fares by section — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Same-day tickets — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- FAQ (English) — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- How to buy web tickets — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Web ticket site (English) — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Toyama Chiho Railway limited express charges — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass — JR West
- Kurobe Gorge Railway timetable and fares — Kurobe Gorge Railway
- Kurobe Gorge Railway reservations — Kurobe Gorge Railway
- Baggage forwarding (Alpen Porter Service) — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Coin lockers and baggage (FAQ) — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Snow Wall viewing — Tateyama Kurobe Kanko
- Shinano-Omachi – Ogizawa bus — Alpico Kotsu