Nagasaki Travel Guide: Mt. Inasa Night View, Glover Garden, Gunkanjima and the Tram

For most visitors, a Nagasaki trip starts with the Mt. Inasa night view, Glover Garden and Gunkanjima. Nagasaki is a city wrapped around a harbor and hills, and its sights are close together, so the tram can link them all. This guide covers fares, hours and tips for the three big attractions, plus Nagasaki transport and a Huis Ten Bosch side trip, so you can plan a route without backtracking.

Nagasaki Attractions at a Glance: Must-Sees and Fares

Here is the summary first, with details for each attraction below:

How to See the Mt. Inasa Night View: Ropeway Fares and Hours

Mt. Inasa stands 333 meters high, and its summit observatory gives a 360-degree view of Nagasaki harbor and the city. At the 2012 "Night View Summit" held in Nagasaki, the city was named one of the "New Three Great Night Views of the World" together with Hong Kong and Monaco^[6].

Nagasaki Ropeway (長崎ロープウェイ)

The classic way up is the Nagasaki Ropeway, which takes about 5 minutes from Fuchi Shrine Station at the base to Inasadake Station at the top. According to the Inasayama Park official site^[1]:

• Operating hours: 9:00 to 22:00 all year (last ride up at 21:00; service may be suspended in bad weather).
• Frequency: usually every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Fares (from April 1, 2026):

• Free shuttle bus: From 7 p.m., a free bus runs between about six points in the city center, such as hotels, and Fuchi Shrine Station. Reservations are required, and the bus does not run when the ropeway is suspended.

The slope car (スロープカー) at Inasayama Park, according to the official announcement, resumes service on October 3, 2026, which gives you another way up the mountain.

Glover Garden Tickets and Hours (New 2026 Prices)

Glover Garden (グラバー園) sits in the former foreign settlement of Minamiyamate, with stone-paved slopes and Western-style buildings under Japanese tile roofs, and views over Nagasaki harbor. The former Glover House here is one of the component sites of the World Heritage "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution"^[2].

How Much Is Glover Garden?

The official site announced that admission changes from April 1, 2026, following an amendment to a Nagasaki city ordinance^[2]:

• General: ¥1,300
• Children (elementary, junior high and high school students): ¥650

Opening Hours and Evening Openings

• Regular hours: 8:00 to 18:00 (last entry 20 minutes before closing).
• Evening openings: extended by season. In October 2026 the garden stays open until 20:00 on most days, until 21:30 on October 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, and closes at 18:00 on October 21 because of a private booking^[2]. For November onward, check the "evening opening schedule" (夜間開園スケジュール) on the official site.

Glover Garden is on a slope, so it is easier to enter at the upper gate and walk downhill. Oura Church and Dutch Slope nearby fit into the same half day.

How to Choose a Gunkanjima Landing Tour

Gunkanjima's official name is Hashima, and it lies about 18.5 km off the coast of Nagasaki harbor. The small island once thrived on undersea coal mining and had about 5,300 residents at its peak. After the mine closed in January 1974 it became uninhabited, and in 2015 it was inscribed as a World Heritage component of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution"^[4].

How to Land on Gunkanjima

Ordinary visitors can land only by joining a landing tour run by a boat company licensed by Nagasaki city. Tours leave from Nagasaki harbor, and the boat ride takes about 40 minutes each way. The Nagasaki prefecture tourism site lists five companies^[3]:

Each company runs morning and afternoon departures. Prices vary by weekday, holiday and booking time, and the site lists no single price, so book on each company's website. A separate Nagasaki city fee for using the Hashima visitor facilities is usually charged on landing; follow the boat company's explanation for the amount.

Gunkanjima Landing Cautions

• Landing may not happen: Under Nagasaki city rules, you can land only when weather and safety conditions allow, and the boat may not dock even if the sea looks calm^[3].
• Wear flat shoes: High heels, sandals and slippers are not allowed on the island.
• No umbrellas: Wear a raincoat when it rains, and bring a hat in summer.
• There are no toilets or vending machines on the island. If you get seasick easily, bring your own medicine.

Nagasaki Transport: How to Use the Tram Day Pass

The easiest way around Nagasaki is the tram run by Nagasaki Electric Tramway, which has stops for Nagasaki Station, Dejima, Shinchi Chinatown, Oura Church (for Glover Garden), the Peace Park and more. According to the Nagasaki Electric Tramway official site^[5]:

• Paper day passes are not sold on the tram; buy them at designated sales points.
• Mobile tickets can be bought on your phone. The 24-hour pass counts 24 hours from first use, so it also works across two days.
• The official site also lists a cashless "short-ride discount" (¥110 for adults within two stops). For which payment methods qualify (IC cards, contactless credit cards and so on), follow the Nagasaki Electric Tramway announcement. For the basics of Japanese transit cards, see the Suica guide for iPhone and Android.

How to Get from Fukuoka to Nagasaki

Take the JR Limited Express Relay Kamome (リレーかもめ) from Hakata to Takeo-Onsen Station, then change on the same platform to the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen Kamome (かもめ) to Nagasaki. The fastest trip takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Both the Northern Kyushu and All Kyushu JR Kyushu Rail Passes are valid; prices and rules are covered in the Kyushu transport guide.

Should You Plan Huis Ten Bosch as a Separate Day?

Yes. Huis Ten Bosch (ハウステンボス) is in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, not in Nagasaki city. From Hakata the JR Limited Express Huis Ten Bosch runs directly, taking about 1 hour 45 minutes; from Nagasaki city it also takes over an hour. The park is large, with many shows and evening illuminations, so give it its own day, either as a round trip from Fukuoka or by staying near the park. Tickets and hours change each season, so check the Huis Ten Bosch official site.

A Smooth 2-Day Nagasaki Itinerary

• Day 1: Leave Hakata in the morning for Nagasaki, then have champon at Shinchi Chinatown for lunch. In the afternoon visit Dejima, Oura Church and Glover Garden, then take the ropeway up Mt. Inasa for the night view.
• Day 2: Join a Gunkanjima landing tour in the morning. In the afternoon visit the Peace Park and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, then return to Fukuoka or continue to Kumamoto in the evening.

Next stops: for Kumamoto, see the Kumamoto sightseeing guide; for a big meal back in Fukuoka, see Fukuoka food recommendations. For more destinations, see the Kyushu travel overview.

Before You Go

1. Book a Gunkanjima landing tour well ahead, and keep a spare day in your schedule in case weather cancels it.
2. The Mt. Inasa summit gets cold at night, and it is windy in autumn and winter, so bring an extra layer.
3. Glover Garden and the ropeway both changed their prices in April 2026, so older information online may show the old prices.
4. Nagasaki has many slopes, so leave your luggage in a locker at Nagasaki Station or at your hotel before heading out.