Nagasaki itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Nagasaki, day by day: the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum, Megane Bridge, Sōfuku-ji, Dejima, Oura Church and Glover Garden, with the night view from Mount Inasa, then Hashima Island, Chinatown, Kōfuku-ji, the museums of history and the 26 Martyrs and Urakami Cathedral as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Nagasaki in 1 day
Day 1
Nagasaki Peace Park Must see
Park on the hill above the hypocentre of the 1945 atomic bomb, with the Peace Statue and memorials from many countries.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Museum of the bombing of 9 August 1945, its victims and the city's rebuilding, with a call for nuclear disarmament.
Megane Bridge Must see
Stone arch bridge of 1634 whose reflection in the Nakashima River looks like a pair of spectacles.
Sōfuku-ji
Chinese-style Zen temple founded in 1629, with a red Ming-style gate and halls that are national treasures.
Dejima Must see
Reconstructed fan-shaped island where Dutch traders lived during Japan's centuries of isolation, with rebuilt warehouses and houses.
Oura Church
Japan's oldest standing church, built in 1864 for foreign residents, where hidden Christians revealed their faith in 1865.
Glover Garden
Hillside garden with the homes of Western merchants, including Thomas Glover's, and views over the harbour.
Mount Inasa
Hill west of the harbour reached by ropeway, known for one of Japan's best night views over the city and the bay.
Nagasaki in 2 days
Day 1
Hashima Island Must see
Abandoned coal-mining island known as Gunkanjima, the Battleship Island, visited on boat tours from Nagasaki harbour.
Glover Garden
Hillside garden with the homes of Western merchants, including Thomas Glover's, and views over the harbour.
Oura Church
Japan's oldest standing church, built in 1864 for foreign residents, where hidden Christians revealed their faith in 1865.
Dejima Must see
Reconstructed fan-shaped island where Dutch traders lived during Japan's centuries of isolation, with rebuilt warehouses and houses.
Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown
Japan's oldest Chinatown, a small grid of streets with Chinese restaurants and shops, the home of champon noodles.
Mount Inasa
Hill west of the harbour reached by ropeway, known for one of Japan's best night views over the city and the bay.
Day 2
Sōfuku-ji
Chinese-style Zen temple founded in 1629, with a red Ming-style gate and halls that are national treasures.
Kōfuku-ji
Chinese Zen temple founded in the 1620s by Chinese traders, one of the oldest Ōbaku temples in Japan, in the Teramachi area.
Megane Bridge Must see
Stone arch bridge of 1634 whose reflection in the Nakashima River looks like a pair of spectacles.
Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture Must see
Museum of Nagasaki's role as Japan's window to the outside world, with a rebuilt magistrate's office.
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument
Monument and museum on Nishizaka Hill for the 26 Christians crucified there in 1597, beside a Gaudí-inspired church.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
Museum of the bombing of 9 August 1945, its victims and the city's rebuilding, with a call for nuclear disarmament.
Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims Must see
Memorial next to the Atomic Bomb Museum with a quiet hall of remembrance and the names of the victims.
Urakami Cathedral
Catholic cathedral rebuilt after the atomic bomb destroyed it in 1945, with damaged statues and a fallen bell tower nearby.
Nagasaki Peace Park Must see
Park on the hill above the hypocentre of the 1945 atomic bomb, with the Peace Statue and memorials from many countries.
Watch: Nagasaki
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Nagasaki
March to May and October to November are the best times, mild and mostly dry. June and July bring the rainy season, and late summer the typhoons. The Lantern Festival lights up Chinatown around Chinese New Year in January or February, and the Kunchi festival fills the streets from 7 to 9 October.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Nagasaki on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Nagasaki on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Nagasaki on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Japan from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Nagasaki
- Trams cover most of the city's sights; a one-day pass is good value if you take several rides.
- Boat tours to Hashima Island must be booked ahead and are often cancelled or unable to land in rough seas; leave a spare day if it matters.
- Oura Church and Glover Garden are next to each other on the hill above the harbour; visit them together.
- The Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture is closed on some Mondays; check before going.
- Ride the ropeway up Mount Inasa after dark for one of Japan's best-known night views.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Dejima: Isaac Titsingh, Public domain
- Glover Garden: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Hashima Island: Flickr user: kntrty https://www.flickr.com/photos/kntrty/, CC BY 2.0
- Kōfuku-ji: Fg2, Public domain
- Megane Bridge: Fg2, Public domain
- Mount Inasa: ぱちょぴ, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum: Japanbird at Japanese Wikipedia ( :ja:User:海人 ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture: Atsasebo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims: Ian David Winter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nagasaki Peace Park: jimmyweee, CC BY 2.0
- Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Oura Church: Houjyou-Minori, CC0
- Sōfuku-ji: Fg2, Public domain
- Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument: BigCheddah, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urakami Cathedral: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
