[Niigata City 1-Day Model Itinerary] Explore Niigata City’s Must-See Spots!

It takes approx. 30 minutes by car from Iwamuro Onsen to “Shirane Grape Garden.” Plan your departure to match opening hours.

To get around Niigata City, the “Niigata Sightseeing Taxi” is a handy option: you can book it up to 60 minutes before departure and choose your pickup point—such as a station, the airport, or your hotel. It’s especially convenient in a hot spring town, since the taxi will come for you right at your designated time. From there, just settle in and let the taxi take you from stop to stop. The driver’s local insider tips are part of the fun, too.

Here, you can enjoy fruit picking year-round, with strawberries, kiwi, apples, and more grown using water from the Shinano River (a major river), organic fertilizer, and low-pesticide methods. From July to October, when the orchard opens from 9:00 am, grape picking is especially recommended—its signature fruit—when a wide variety of grapes such as Kyoho and Shine Muscat come into season one after another.

Choose from a pay-by-weight plan priced per gram, a three-item set that includes picking one bunch of Kyoho grapes plus a plate of assorted grapes and gelato, or even an all-you-can-eat Kyoho option with no time limit. There’s also an all-weather rest center that can accommodate 1,000 people, with both tatami seating and tables, so you can visit with confidence even on rainy days. Beyond seasonal fruit, don’t miss the gelato shop with a wide range of flavors, including edamame, pumpkin, and Koshihikari rice!

On its vast 8,800-tsubo grounds, the museum preserves and opens to the public the former residence of the Ito family—wealthy farmers who rose through agriculture in the mid-Edo period and became Echigo’s top landowners in the Meiji era. Completed in 1889 (Meiji 22) after eight years of construction, the impressive main house features massive elements such as seven-tiered beams and round purlins stretching up to 30 meters—an easy reminder of the scale that once supported a staff of 60. A lineup of precious structures registered as tangible cultural properties—including a roughly 100-tatami grand hall designed to harmonize with the garden, a triangular tea house and study, and a relocated early-Edo-era farmhouse—lets you appreciate the buildings themselves as exhibits.

In the main house and grand hall, a selection of approx. 6,000 artworks—such as ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings collected by successive heads of the family—is on display. Outside, you’ll find beautiful views of a strolling pond garden, which Echigo garden master Tanaka Taian boasted as his finest work. The natural beauty of all four seasons is also a highlight, from spring cherry blossoms and wisteria to autumn foliage and winter snow scenery.

After admiring rare buildings and artworks, you may start to feel hungry—so it’s a good time to stop for lunch at the on-site restaurant, “Miso-gura.”
As the name suggests, it’s a dining spot renovated from a miso storehouse built in the Meiji period. The set meals draw on flavors from both the sea and the mountains, in a style that feels very Niigata.

You’ll find a generous spread, including Niigata’s local dish “noppe” made with plenty of locally grown vegetables, simmered dishes, tempura, grilled fish, sashimi, and more. Of course, every menu comes with locally grown Koshihikari rice! One especially popular option is the “hagama rice-cooking experience,” where you can watch rice being cooked at your table on a tabletop stove. With the sound, aroma, and more, it’s a dish you can truly enjoy with all five senses—and the delicious freshly cooked rice makes it hard to put your chopsticks down!

Reservations are required by the morning two days in advance. Another nice perk: dining here also gets you a discount on admission to the Northern Culture Museum.

The “Shirane Giant Kite Battle” is a competition in which giant kites are brought down into the river, their lines entangled, and teams pull from opposite banks—the side that cuts the other team’s line wins. Said to have continued for approx. 300 years since the Edo period, the festival is still held every June. The museum displays materials related to this event. One standout is the enormous kite displayed in the “Giant Kite Plaza,” measuring the size of 24 tatami mats—an astonishing scale. Also worth checking out is the “3D Screening Room,” where you can experience the kite battle in powerful 3D footage.

You can also see approx. 500 distinctive kites from across Japan and overseas, with plenty to enjoy as you compare regional styles. If the timing works out, the on-site workshop offers a mini-kite-making experience every day, so keep an eye out for that too!
It’s also possible to fly your finished kite in the wind tunnel room, where wind blows from behind.

Located on the grounds of Kuriyama Beika’s headquarters—known for rice snacks like “Baka Uke” and “Hoshi Tabeyo”—“Niigata Senbei Kingdom” lets you view the manufacturing process through factory windows. There’s also an information corner where you can learn about the history of Niigata’s rice snacks through miniature models and more.

In the experience area, try the “Extra-Large Drawing Rice Cracker Grilling Experience”! Grill a 25 cm-diameter dough round on a wire rack to make your rice cracker, then use soy sauce to draw a picture and create your own original senbei. Afterward, head to the food area. “Senbei Soft”—a rich soft-serve ice cream served on a salad senbei and topped with a special soy sauce—is a sweet that’s sure to look great on social media. Along with the crisp texture of the salad senbei, the irresistible balance of sweet and salty is hard to beat! You’ll also find snacks like croquettes shaped like Baka Uke and rice-flour curry bread—there’s so much you may have trouble deciding what to try.

On weekends and holidays, there may be a wait for the experience area. Once you arrive at Senbei Kingdom, we recommend buying your ticket first.

Sado Kisen operates scheduled services connecting mainland Niigata with Sado Island. From Niigata Port, passenger ships depart for Ryotsu Port.

Two different types of vessels operate: a car ferry and a Jetfoil. The car ferry can carry vehicles and offers a variety of seating options, from second-class seats to suite rooms. You can also step out onto the deck during the journey and enjoy the sea breeze as you travel.
The Jetfoil, on the other hand, is a high-speed boat that lifts its hull above the sea surface as it runs. All seats are reserved, and you must keep your seatbelt fastened while underway, but its appeal lies in its speed of 80 km/h and stable, low-sway ride. Travel time is 2 hours 30 minutes by car ferry and 1 hour 7 minutes by Jetfoil—nearly twice the difference.
If you’re traveling with your own car, want a more relaxed voyage, or want to save on transportation costs, the car ferry may be the better choice. If you’d rather not spend much time in transit, the Jetfoil is a good option.

This model itinerary uses the Niigata–Ryotsu route, but there’s also a route connecting Naoetsu Port in Joetsu City with Ogi Port on Sado. This one operates twice a day and runs Jetfoil service only, so be sure to check times and other details before you go.
Next up: exploring Sado Island, packed with spots that showcase rich nature and history. Get plenty of rest and be ready for tomorrow.