Matsumoto Castle Tour & Soba Noodle Experience

Explore Matsumoto Castle and master soba-making in a hands-on workshop. Dive into Japanese history and cuisine in one unforgettable experience.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Matsumoto Station - After touring the castle (Around 1 hour), the activity is divided into two stages:
    Preparing and cutting the Soba (Around 1 hour) :
    Begins with a short video introduction presenting the Soba and explaining the different steps involved in making it, from preparation of the dough to cutting the noodles, you will quickly start…
What's Included
  • Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
  • Soba Noodle Tasting + 1 Extra
  • Soba Noodle Making with the Soba Master
What's Not Included
  • Side Dish (Oyaki, snacks etc.) and Drinks
  • Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
  • Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
Meal Options
  • Soba Noodle
Additional Information

100% hands-on from start to finish, experience a uniquely authentic Japanese Cuisine for yourself!
Matsumoto is famous for the quality of its Soba (buckwheat flour noodles) and its historic feudal castle!
First take a tour of Matsumoto Castle designated a “National Treasure” of Japan due to its well-preserved original structure.
Then sample this…

Location
Matsumoto Station
Tour begins at Matsumoto Station at the front of the JR Line ticket office / Starbucks Coffee inside the station.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(12 Ratings)
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1 star
Colleenlw2503nh
Jul 3, 2024
Informative and fun - Really enjoyed the tour of the castle with explanations about the different parts of the castle. The soba noodle experience was really fun. We got to make our own noodles and then they were cooked and served in the restaurant downstairs. Our guide, Naomi, gave us some really good suggestions for other things to see in Matsumoto as well. I highly recommend this tour to anyone, including families.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christophd428
Apr 23, 2024
Perfect - Great tour of the castle. Lots of information about the city. Making saba yourself was fun. We ate our own soba in the restaurant. The guide was very good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellenlq2105zo
Nov 23, 2023
Matsumoto - Kevin was so kind and informative. He was a great guide as well as a pleasure to be around. All of us had fun making soba and loved that we could actually eat the food we made.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philip_o
Oct 7, 2023
Two events in one Tour - This was a great tour mixing history with a fun lesson in soba preparation. We arrived early and were able to get into the castle quickly. The building is impresssive from the outside but it was great to be able to go inside to see the layout and some articles of history. The stairs were very steep so not suitable for all. Lovely area around with a river running by. We then walked for a short while and went upstairs in a restaurant. We were each given a place on the table and the elements needed to make the soba. There was a lot of kneeling of the raw material and then had to cut into tiny strips. The owner helped where needed. We all managed to produce reasonable soba which they then took away. We were then able to eat it in the restaurant downstairs. Little taste but we were all proud to produce a good quality dish. Thanks to Sylvyne for looking after us and giving us an excellent tour.
Review provided by Viator
Mobile253591
Oct 4, 2023
A dive into the history of a magnificent castle, then chance to try making a local specialty. Highly recommend! - A most enjoyable, informative, and relaxed guided tour. As a solo traveller it was wonderful to have the offer of capturing parts of the experiences on my camera.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clio62
Sep 7, 2023
Fun and informative! - I had been to Matsumoto before, but without a guide. This time was so much more informative and interesting. Keith met us at the station right on time, then gave us an overview of the city and some of its sights before entering the castle. Afterward, the soba-making class was really fun and getting to eat the results of your labor is great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Huiyong_t
Jun 22, 2023
Had a great time despite... - Had a great time despite the weepy weather. Our guides Kentaro and Carol were helpful and great company. The experience was the highlight of our stay at Matsumoto
Review provided by Viator
Jeanneplantation
Apr 9, 2023
Great tour - We had a wonderful time on our Matsumoto Castle Tour & Soba Noodle Experience. We met our guides Kay~san and Naomi~san at the Matsumoto Train station at exactly on time. We walked by a few interesting temples and sights on the way to the castle. Kay and Naomi told us interesting facts about the town and it's sights. We were able to skip the line entering the castle with the tour tickets. We very much enjoyed the soba making experience and lunch afterwards. I definitely recommend this tour and I especially enjoyed our wonderful guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerrywf5040up
Dec 9, 2024
Great tour - The tour was great. Shin was a great tour guide and was very flexible. He was very knowledgeable about Matsumoto and the castle. My only comment was that I did not realise that you had to take your shoes off to walk around the castle. I only had thin socks on and I was very cold during winter! The Soba making was fun and lovely to eat our soba.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zach_r
Nov 25, 2023
Basic cooking exercise decent tour of casle. - Kai wasn't enthusiastic guide but his English was a bit limited and he was a bit hard to understand, not his problem but ours as we are Americans in Japan. He did his best to point out interesting features of the castle. The soba noodle portion of the tour was okay. The MasterChef had little interaction with us even though he spoke decent English but we interacted very little with him . His American assistant was very kind and helpful. Although we made our noodles and the result that we ate in the downstairs restaurant was delicious there were numerous charges for add-ons if you wanted more than your basic noodle dish and there was little explanation of the significance or history of what we were eating. Not the best value for the money.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
February 2025
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