One Day Guide in Nagasaki, Japan (Cruise Edition)

Cici Cao

Oct 31, 20243 min read

Photos are all property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Geography: Capital of the Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu
Population: Approx. 400,000
Currency: Japanese Yen (Yen); Currency Converter
Cruise Port: Google Map Location
Tender Port: No
Best Time to Visit: April-May & September-November

Upon disembarking from our Celebrity Millennium cruise, we reached the Nagasaki, Japan port at 8AM and are required to return to the ship by 5:30pm. A public bus from the pier can take you to the peace park, with a journey time of approximately 34 minutes. It is advisable to plan your timing carefully, as the bus service is not very frequent and the stop is located beside a highway-like road. Google map was very useful in this situation.

The majority of the path in the peace park was equipped with escalators, making the journey quite effortless.

Following our visit to Peace Park, we also explored Amu Plaza, their large shopping center with a variety of shops and dining choices.

When we boarded a bus to Megane Bridge, we found it to be quite beautiful, and you can even descend to step onto the rocks for a photo. The area is typically crowded, so be prepared to wait patiently for a photo opportunity.

After that, we walked to Hamamachi Shopping street and Shinchi Chinatown (famous for their “champon noodles”). This Chinatown is much smaller compared to Yokohama’s. However, if you are a fan of castella cake, Fukusaya is highly recommended and conveniently located nearby. Around lunch time, we discovered a delicious Katsu restaurant in the shopping street and enjoyed pork buns, coffee, and incredibly fresh grape pudding afterwards.

Our final destination was Nagasaki Nagasaki Dejima Wharf, but most of the shops were closed during the day. I recommend visiting at night if you are staying overnight. Nevertheless, it's still a great spot to capture some photos. If you have any last-minute shopping to do, there is a large mall located at the far end of the Wharf. It takes about 18 minutes to walk from the wharf to the cruise port, so ensure you allocate enough time to return. I also suggest admiring the breathtaking views when entering and leaving the port on the cruise ship!

Here are some tour options if you don't want to explore on your own:

Tickets to popular attractions:

If you have more time here:

Suggested Food/Drink Options:

Nagasaki station
NGS COFFEE
Hamaya Coffee

Other attractions:

Suwa Shrine
Matsumori Tenmangu Shrine
Teramachi Street
Huis Ten Bosch
Mount Inasa’s Observatory
Glover Garden (620 yen - if you dont want to pay entry fee then just go up to look at view. Nagasaki Minami Yamate Pudding is also close to there).