Traveling from Tokyo to Madarao is convenient by bus! Introducing recommended buses and how to use them

About Mount Madarao

Mount Madarao is a 1,382m high mountain located in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture. It is one of the Hokushin Five Mountains, a group of mountains that rise from Nagano to the border with Niigata Prefecture. Although it is lower in elevation than the surrounding mountains, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Northern Alps from the summit and Lake Nojiri at the foot of the mountain, making it a place rich in natural scenery.

Madarao Ski Resort

Located on the mountainside of Mt. Madarao at an altitude of 1,000m, Madarao Kogen is blessed with snowfall in winter, and Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram Ski Circus open. Both resorts have ungroomed areas called tree runs that make use of the natural terrain, and the number of these is the largest in Japan. Experience the exhilaration of skiing or snowboarding down the forest.

In addition, during the peak snow season, you can enjoy natural powder snow at Madarao Kogen. This powder snow is called "Madapow" and is popular with skiers and snowboarders from both within Japan and overseas.

Of course, there are also courses for beginners and a snow park for children, making this a recommended snow resort that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

If you purchase a Mountain Pass, you can use all the lifts at Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram Ski Circus. It's convenient to purchase it online in advance so you can enter smoothly.

*Please check the official website to check and purchase lift ticket prices.

Hotels around Madarao Mountains

Madarao Kogen has many unique accommodation options, including large hotels that can accommodate many guests, as well as pensions and lodges.
This time, we will introduce "Hotel Tangram", which is directly connected to the Tangram Ski Circus slope, and "Hotel Eldia Madarao", which is near the Madarao Kogen Ski Resort.

Hotel Tangram (Tangram Madarao Tokyu Resort)

Hotel Tangram, with a total of 245 rooms, is a large hotel that also serves as the center house for the ski resort (Tangram Ski Circus). The hotel is also recommended for families, as it has a lift ticket counter, a ski and snowboard rental shop, a kids and junior school, and a nursery.

Another secret to its popularity is the large public bath, open-air bath, and sauna. Guests can use them before and after check-in, so they can relax and unwind after a day of skiing or snowboarding.

Hotel Eldia Madarao

Hotel Eldia Madarao, located about a 4-minute walk from Madarao Kogen Ski Resort, offers three types of rooms to choose from: Japanese-style rooms, Western-style rooms, and Japanese-Western style rooms. One of the hotel's charms is its warm, pension-like atmosphere, where you can spend a relaxing time.

The dinner plan offers four different types of hotpots each day. You can enjoy a meal that is perfect for cooling down your body after a day at the ski resort. The accommodation fee is relatively reasonable, so it is recommended for young people and those who want to enjoy snow activities all day long.

How to get to Madarao from Tokyo

There are two ways to get from Tokyo to Madarao: by Shinkansen or by express bus. We will introduce the characteristics of each and give their advantages and disadvantages.

Traveling by Shinkansen

If you are traveling by Shinkansen, first take the Hokuriku Shinkansen "Hakutaka" from Tokyo Station to Iiyama Station (approximately 1 hour 50 minutes). Next, take a local bus from Iiyama Station to Madarao Kogen (approximately 30 minutes). This is the shortest route when traveling by Shinkansen.

When taking the Shinkansen, you need to transfer to a local bus, so it can be difficult to travel if you have large luggage. There is also the possibility of accidentally getting on the wrong bus. People going to Madarao Kogen for the first time or foreign visitors to Japan may have a bit of trouble.

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Disadvantages

Traveling by bus

If you are traveling by bus, it is convenient to use the highway bus going from Tokyo to Madarao. With a highway bus, you can leave your luggage once and not have to get it off until you reach your destination, and you don't have to worry about changing buses. Some buses also have late-night departures, so you can get a good night's sleep. The appeal is that you can arrive at Madarao Kogen in the early morning and enjoy skiing or snowboarding right away.

Although it takes a little longer than traveling by Shinkansen, it is a safe and secure method of transportation for those visiting Madarao Kogen for the first time and for foreign visitors to Japan.

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Disadvantages

We recommend taking the "Snowliner" ski resort bus from Tokyo to Madarao!

If you are traveling from Tokyo to Madarao by express bus, it is convenient to use the "Snow Liner" bus that goes directly to the ski resort.

"Snow Liner" mainly operates buses connecting Tokyo airports such as Haneda and Narita to ski resorts in Nagano and Niigata. This express bus is often used not only by Japanese tourists but also by foreign visitors to Japan.

Choose your boarding and disembarking locations for smooth travel

The late-night Snowliner service heading towards Madarao has boarding locations in major areas of Tokyo, such as Haneda Airport, Odaiba, and Tokyo Station, as well as Narita Airport and Yokohama.

Additionally, at Madarao, the disembarkation point, the bus stops at both Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram Ski Circus, allowing you to travel smoothly to the ski resort you want to go to.

Boarding points in Tokyo

For late night flights, the bus stops at Narita Airport, Yokohama Y-CAT, Haneda Airport, Odaiba Tokyo Teleport, and Tokyo Kajibashi Parking Lot in that order before heading towards Madarao. For morning and afternoon flights, you can choose to depart from either Haneda Airport or Narita Airport.

Madarao drop-off point

All flights to Madarao stop at Madarao Kogen Ski Resort and Tangram Ski Circus. Note that late-night flights also stop at Hotel Eldia Madarao, which we introduced in this article, so if you plan to stay at the hotel, it's a good idea to use a late-night flight.

Operates daily during ski season

The Snowliner, which runs from Tokyo to Madarao, will operate daily with morning and afternoon departures until March 2, 2025, and late-night departures until March 15. You can board the train if you make a reservation on the website by 12:00 noon one day before departure.

In addition to Japanese, the reservation site is also available in English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean. For more information, please see the official website .

Pricing is easy to understand

The fares displayed on the official website include highway tolls and seat reservation fees. Additional fees apply if the boarding point is Narita Airport, but the fare is the same for adults (12 years and over) and children (0 to 11 years old), making it easy to understand.

How to use the "Snow Liner" and precautions

To ride the Snow Liner, you must make a reservation online in advance. Reservations are not accepted over the phone, so please make your reservation on the official website using your smartphone or PC. Payment can only be made by credit card.

If you wish to change or cancel your reservation, please cancel it from My Page. Please note that even if you change the date or number of people, you will need to cancel everything and make a new reservation. Cancellation fees will be charged from 10 days prior to the departure date according to the terms and conditions. If there is a refund due to cancellation, the payment will be processed by credit card.

In addition, items that can be stored in the trunk of the car are limited to one per person, with the total length of the three sides being within 120 cm and the weight being within 10 kg. Skis and snowboards can be stored separately, up to one per person, so you don't have to worry.

Take the "Snow Liner" from Tokyo to Madarao and enjoy snow activities!

We introduced how to get to Madarao from Tokyo, as well as the features and how to use the "Snow Liner" bus that goes directly to the ski resort.

Madarao Kogen is a popular ski resort where you can enjoy the finest powder snow. There are plenty of hotels in the area, so couples and families can enjoy snow activities with peace of mind. Why not try using the "Snow Liner" introduced in this article to visit Madarao Kogen?

Snowliner reservations here