Looking for a cheap bus ticket to Kamikochi, but can't secure a seat?
Try the back-door route via Matsumoto

  • Matsumoto
  • Matsumoto

Kamikochi is once again open to visitors in 2024.
Unlike before the COVID-19 pandemic and in previous years, Kamikochi is experiencing large throngs of domestic and international visitors after it officially opened to the public on April 17.
Therefore, securing a seat on one of the non-stop buses departing from Shinjuku has become increasingly difficult.

So, here is the second trick to secure a booking relatively easily and get from Shinjuku to Kamikochi (and back again) while saving some money in the process. In the first back-door route, we recommended taking a highway bus from Shinjuku to Takayama and then transferring at the Hirayu Bus Terminal. The second route, however, goes through Matsumoto.

This route to Kamikochi involves taking a highway bus from either the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal or the Hino bus stop on the Chuo Expressway.


Most travelers transferring to the Alpico Kamikochi Line from a highway bus will do so at Matsumoto Station (nearby which is the Matsumoto Bus Terminal), but for the purpose of saving as much time as possible, our recommended route involves transferring to Oniwa Station by disembarking at the Matsumoto Interchange bus stop.

This will shorten your travel time by roughly 30 minutes.
And if you move quickly and manage to catch the earlier train, you will save one hour.

This back-door route prioritizes both time and cost.

Route

  • Tokyo (Shinjuku)
  • Matsumoto EXPWY Exit

Adults From 4,100JPY to 4,500JPY,
Children From 2,050JPY to 2,250JPY
(Travel time: Approx. 3h 20min)

  • Matsumoto EXPWY Exit
  • Oniwa Station

About 550m / Approx. 7~8min on foot

  • Oniwa Station
  • Shin-shimashima Station

Adults 590JPY
Travel time: Approx. 25min

  • Shin-shimashima Station
  • Kamikochi

Adults 2,550JPY
Travel time: Approx. 1h 5min

Highway bus and train transfer

Most travelers transfer from bus to train by walking the short distance (5 minutes) from the Matsumoto Bus Terminal to Matsumoto Station.

However, as you can see in the map below, this involves some needless backtracking between the Matsumoto Interchange and Matsumoto Station.
This is why we recommend you get off at the Matsumoto Interchange bus stop and transfer to the Alpico Kamikochi Line at Oniwa Station if you are heading to Kamikochi from Tokyo (Shinjuku), or vice versa.

Matsumoto

The Matsumoto Interchange bus stop waiting room for buses bound for Shinjuku was refurbished in June 2019. It is now equipped with a heater/air conditioner, washroom, and a space to charge up to nine mobile phones or other devices (power points and USB ports).

Travelling through Matsumoto is also more than ¥10,000 cheaper (in the case of a return trip) than taking a direct bus between Shinjuku and Kamikochi.
We recommend using this cost saving to spend a night in Matsumoto, either before or after you visit Kamikochi.
If so, transferring between the Matsumoto Bus Terminal and Matsumoto Station is the better option.

Transferring between the Matsumoto Interchange bus stop and Oniwa Station on the Kamikochi Line

When walking from the Matsumoto Interchange bus stop to Oniwa Station, Google Maps will send you the long way around, as shown below.

Matsumoto

This is because there is no pedestrian crossing at the Horigome intersection, which you will soon come to after getting off the bus. The red arrow shown in the image below indicates where you need to get to, but you will be unable to cross the road (route 158) here.

Matsumoto

However, there is an underground walkway not shown on Google Maps that you can use to safely and quickly get to the other side of the road.

  • Matsumoto
  • Matsumoto

This tunnel is properly managed, clean, and relatively well-lit, and therefore safe to use.

  • Matsumoto
  • Matsumoto

After 25 minutes on the train, you will arrive at the last stop, Shin-shimashima Station. This is the closest train station to Kamikochi, and from here, it is approximately 65 minutes on local bus to the Kamikochi Bus Terminal.

After you board the train, please take a ticket from the dispenser located near the train doors. You will need it when disembarking.
You cannot use a Suica or other contactless pre-paid card on this train line, so be sure to have some coins handy.

  • Matsumoto
  • Matsumoto
From Oniwa Station on the Kamikochi Line to the Matsumoto Interchange bus stop
  • Matsumoto
    Shin-shimashima Station
  • Matsumoto
    Shin-shimashima Bus Terminal.

Highway bus reservations for Shinjuku~Matsumoto

About 24 round-trip highway bus services operate daily between Shinjuku and Matsumoto.

Reservation

Matsumoto
The buses stop for a break at the Futaba service area

 Recommended hotels nearby the Matsumoto Bus Terminal

Of the hotels we have actually stayed in, we think the following offer great value for money.

Tabino Hotel lit Matsumoto
A modern, yet stylish, budget hotel very close to the Matsumoto Bus Terminal.
Offers complimentary services, including a free drink upon early check-in and ochazuke for those craving a late-night snack.
The spacious gender-separate public bath is also a highlight, which has been designed to resemble the famous Shirahone hot springs.
Great for families with children, as kids younger than elementary school age that can share a bed with a parent get to stay free.

Hotel M Matsumoto
Located on the 6th floor of a building in front of the Matsumoto Bus Terminal, which also houses the Maruzen bookstore and the Daiso 100-yen shop, this capsule and business hotel offers excellent value, a bright and clean environment, and is also safe for solo female travelers.
There is also a lounge and plenty of amenities, such as manga. The large communal bath is available for both men and women on an alternating schedule. This hotel is particularly recommended for solo travelers and as an overnight stay before heading up to Kamikochi.

Iroha Grand Hotel Matsumoto Ekimae
Located approximately 400m and about a five-minute walk from the Matsumoto Bus Terminal. A stylish new hotel with an elaborate design and often utilized for weddings and other events.



Other accommodation around Matsumoto Station and Matsumoto Bus Terminal