Kiyotsu Gorge

Relaxing and enjoyable.

We arrived at the gorge entrance before it opened. Only a few other tourists were present who went off at a pace, so we were alone throughout the journey. Which gave us plenty of time to take it in.

It's a memorable experience with stunning views of the gorge at a few points along the route, culminating in an amazing view at the end. We simply sat and took it in for a while.

It's very atmospheric and occasionally a little eerie. There are some unexpected quirks as you travel down the tunnel.

Recommended.

Atmosphere: Very beautiful gorge and tourist friendly. Ticket counters at entrance are tourist-friendly - come in multiple languages. The highlight of the place is the last photo spot, and perhaps and the famous toilet (when you see it, you'd know).

Accessibility: The carpark is about 5 mins walk from the entrance. The bus stop is ~20-30 min walk from the entrance.

Food: Most eating places weren't opened. I'm not sure why. Previously, I came during autumn, and there were more food options. Nonetheless, there is a small cafe at the entrance that has a 2nd floor footbath. The ice cream is at a typical price of 400 yen.

Crowd: We came here on a weekday morning. The crowd was manageable (~20-30 people). Phototaking at the last famous spot was possible on a weekday. There is a local guide, as per the previous time when I came, who was helping tourists taking pretty pictures. Feel free to approach him to ask for help taking pics.

Previously, I came on a weekend at noon, and the crowd was much more intense. You need to queue to take pics at the last photo spot (and chances are someone would be in your photos if you came on a weekend).

Love how nature and art collides in this structure. In the coolness of the sheltered tunnel, making it accessible despite the drizzle and showers, is quite an experience.

The natural formation of the Gorge is framed and viewed through the tunnel’s architecture and artistic presentation. Each tunnel opening has a different feel and this makes it interesting. Look out for little surprise and details along the walk through the tunnel too.

We visited on a snowy day. so everything was white.
There are attendants at the parking lot to help you with parking. The toilets are near the parking areas and once you enter the tunnel there aren't any rest rooms inside.
Most of the explanations are in japanese, but there were few in english as well.
You can buy tickets at the entrance of the tunnel.

Amazing sight spot, must be there once in life time. Our family really enjoyed the trip.

It was a beautiful experience. The tunnel was very long, but very nice view. My favorite part was the water tunnel where you can take a nice beautiful picture. If you are going there I recommend you to drive there because the bus stop is 30 mins away by foot and no taxi are available in that area. The interesting place is the black and white swirling room. There is this silver round cylinder in the center of the room. It is a bathroom. I went in there to use it but changed my mind later. The reason why is because you can see the people through the glasee covering. Although the people can not see you you can see them. Inside the bathroom, have a decorated glass, which gives it a nice glow and shape. Niigata is a very nice prefecture with many beautiful mountains scenery.

Awesome spot you can enter with your dog. Wander the tunnels and have some great views of the gorge. Recommend arriving early as it already got busier at 9:30am. Can buy tickets in advance online or like us try your luck on the day and purchase from the ticket machine at the entrance. Keep dogs on leash at all times and clean up after them :) go to the toilet in the second opening for a funky view!

Must visited place in Niigata. we can have a great picture along with great experience. it is recommended to visit there in early hour, then there would not be very crowded. And another thing, the road is little risk , so it is not recommended to visit there during snow season by car.

The view is very beautiful, the entrance to the tunnel has air conditioning as well, very good, I like it, but at the last point there are so many people, we have to line up to take photos.

Coming from Jōetsu could be a little bit hard if you don't have a car but it totally deserves the effort. The scenery is gorgeous! A good place to admire the natural richness of Japan and to take some nice pictures ;)

This place is really worth visiting. I hope they'll add more information about the formation of the rocks, since it will be really useful for education purposes.

Worth visiting for its scenic surroundings. The 30 minute hike is worth it as there are shops intermittently located along the way. Definitely a good experience.

Entering into the tunnel feels very cool. there is some information on display along this tunnel. There are several tunnel spots that can be seen. The most recommended is a small pound. It's at the end of the tunnel. Although far away but satisfied.

It's better to wear sandals if you want to enter the pound. So you don't need to take off your shoes.

Need an entry ticket. Ticket purchases can be seen on their website.

Famous tunnels are refurbished to an arts center amidst the nature of a picturesque gorge. A must visit if you are in the area. Do not miss the cafe right outside too, which is an art in itself (check out the front part of the mirror roof)

You can see very beautiful scenery, and its cool even in summer.
Although it is a paved road, there are also narrow paths, so you need to be cautious while driving.

Very special in one place! The beautiful land art season is recommended for everyone to come.

It also takes longer for traffic, because there are multiple road sections that need to wait for construction, so everyone needs to estimate a longer time to come here

Very nice view in winter. A must-go spot when you visit Niigata.

Beautiful spot in Niigata area. Getting there is a bit of a mission from Tokyo (2hr Shinkansen, 30ish min with local bus, 30 min walk), but it was well worth it. The attraction can be completed in under 1hr, though you may need to wait in line for pictures! The surrounding area is also beautiful and worth exploring.

One of the must visit spots if you are using the jr east Niigata pass. It is very far from Echigo Yuzawa station and bus is very infrequent. From the bus drop off point it takes about 30 minutes to walk to the tunnel. The entry fee is around 1000 yen. You need about 1 hour to cover this place. We took a taxi to return back to the station. The taxi fare from here to station is 6400 yennies.

The third largest gorge in Japan is a beautiful escape from the big city. It offers attendees the chance to experience nature and modernistic art. Well worth the visit, but it’s an easier visit if you can drive yourself, otherwise you are a prisoner to the infrequent local buses.