Samurai Experience: Matsumoto Castle Tour & Sword Fighting

Explore Matsumoto Castle and master samurai sword fighting in an immersive historical experience. Learn, dress, and fight like a true samurai!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Matsumoto Castle - Matsumoto Castle is one of five castles designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’ and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan. Construction began in 1592 of the elegant black and white structure with its three turrets. Because of the elegant black walls, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called ‘Crow Castle’.
    Please note that…
What's Included
  • Samurai outfits and swords rental during the activity
  • Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
  • Entry/Admission – Samurai Experience Activity
  • English Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
  • Miscellaneous fees during the activity (meals, snacks, souvenirs etc.)
  • Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
Additional Information

Embark on a journey to become a Samurai while visiting Matsumoto Castle!
What better location to enjoy a samurai experience than in a city boasting an authentic castle from the feudal era?
Begin with a tour of Matsumoto Castle, recognized as a “National Treasure” of Japan for its well-preserved original architecture! During the tour, discover the legacy…

Location
Matsumoto Station
Tour begins at Matsumoto Station at the front of the JR Line ticket office / Starbucks Coffee inside the station (2F)
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(75 Ratings)
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Bret_f
Apr 9, 2026
Excellent Experience - We had a great time exploring Matsumoto Castle with Colin. We learned a lot about the city of Matsumoto on the way to the castle also. Colin did a fantastic job delving into the pertinent details and keeping the group interested throughout the castle tour. Afterwards we did the samurai experience and it was a highlight of our trip! The instructor was patient and truly interested in the art and teaching it to others. We would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Shannon_w
Apr 7, 2026
Black crow castle tour with samurai experience - Be prepared to climb a lot of stairs in the castle. Our guide was great and explained everything, and the lady that was hosting the summer I experience was an expert and a great teacher!
Review provided by Viator
Sleepy24
Apr 4, 2026
Fabulous experience for the whole family - Amazing! Tom was a brilliant guide, knowledgeable and kept our 14 and eleven year old entertained with lots of stories. The samurai instructors were so skilful. Thoroughly enjoyed it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P4951jzrebeccal
Mar 26, 2026
Great tour - Had a great time. Our guide Kazu was fantastic. And the instructors at the Samurai experience had great knowledge and made the lesson so much fun. Would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimberly_k
Feb 18, 2026
Great time! - The tour guide was great, very knowledgeable and friendly. The Samurai Kay was also really nice and we learned a lot. Thank you so much!
Review provided by Viator
Martinbc1283zw
Feb 6, 2026
Great guided tour - Both the castle tour and the Samurai experience were great and detailed. I even got some information about the city itself.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F1371ybdk
Jan 22, 2026
A cut above the rest! - Tom was knowledgeable and helpful. The samurai instructor was patient with the children. She was also very skillful. It was great hearing tidbits sprinkled throughout the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Benjaminav7121xa
Jan 21, 2026
A great time! - A great experience! The tour guide (Akiko) does a great job walking you through the city to the castle explaining history of Matsumoto and the castle. Akiko was very friendly and engaging and offered multiple times to take picture for me. She was also great at translating and helping me understand everything going on around me. The samuri experience was also a fantastic event. The teacher was very helpful in explaining all the intricate details of the techniques and made it very easy to follow along. The guide was also very helpful in making sure I was all set on my train tickets after the experience as I had to leave right after. A fantastic experience that everyone should do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yasser_a
Jan 18, 2026
Fun time. - This was a great experience! Our guide was great showing us around giving us the history of the castle! Going up the castle was great and so was the samurai session!
Review provided by Viator
Annming_y
Dec 26, 2025
Fun afternoon in Matsumoto - This was 100% a great tour and would recommend it to anyone! Tim and Collin were excellent guides and I loved that Tim had slippers in his backpack to made walking on the chilly Matsumoto castle floors more comfy. The samarai experience was authentic and super fun. Our instructor was excellent and knowledgeable and we really got a great sense of the katana, how to do some basic movements, and sheath and unsheath the sword. Great memories. It is hard to impress my two middle schoolers and they both had a great time.
Review provided by Viator
From $86
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).