Stand on the slope at Glover Garden and the whole shape of Nagasaki opens below you: the harbour, the ridges, the crowded rooftops running down to the water. It is a port city that was built by trade and rebuilt after catastrophe, and both facts are visible wherever you look.
Nagasaki suits travellers who are interested in how history sits in a landscape, and who are willing to move between hillside districts by tram, bus and foot. It rewards a slower pace and a tolerance for climbing.
This guide covers the main sights in the city, grouped so you can plan a route rather than a checklist, and ends with a single-day itinerary built from the places named below.
Top things to do in Nagasaki
1. Atomic Bomb Museum
This museum is a commemoration of the atomic bombing and, at the far end of the tour, a detailed argument against nuclear proliferation laid out in several exhibits. It is the essential starting point for understanding the modern city.
It is about five minutes on foot from Hamaguchi-machi tram stop on tram line 1 or 3. There is a café and a shop inside, and buying ice cream after you leave is a reasonable idea.
2. Nagasaki Peace Park
A solemn memorial complex near the hypocenter of the bombing of 9 August 1945. It is centred on the Peace Statue and carries a message of global peace and nuclear disarmament.
Visit it in the same outing as the Atomic Bomb Museum, since the two belong to the same story and sit in the same part of the city.
3. Glover Garden
A collection of relocated European-style homes built for foreign traders and diplomats after the Meiji Restoration. The grounds also give you a wide view over Nagasaki harbour.
It is about five minutes on foot from Oura-tenshudo-shita tram stop on tram line 5. Combine it with the Oura church and Confucius shrine nearby, which are in the same district.
4. Inasayama
From the summit you get a full 360-degree view of the city and harbour when the weather is clear. The nighttime view is known as the "10 Million Dollar View".
There is no entrance fee and no set hours, but transport up is limited. You can go by car or taxi, by bus partway followed by a 15-minute walk to the summit, or by ropeway between 09:00 and 20:00. For the ropeway, walk five minutes from Takaramachi streetcar stop, or take a bus or taxi to Fuchi Shrine Station and walk two minutes.
5. Dejima (Site of the Former Dutch Factory)
This artificial island was Japan's sole port open to Western trade for over 200 years, built to keep the West out of contact with the local population and to prevent the spread of Christianity. Only a few original foundations remain, but the buildings have been recreated and you can walk through the warehouses, quarters, kitchen and other rooms.
It is near Nagasaki Port Terminal, at the Dejima stop on the blue number 1 tram. Nearby Dejima Wharf has around 20 shops including restaurants, where you can eat lunch or dinner watching the sea.
6. Museum of 26 Martyrs of Japan
A monument and museum on the site where 20 Japanese Christians and six European missionaries were crucified in 1597. The museum presents the history of Christianity in Japan since the arrival of St. Francis Xavier.
It is the closest sight to Nagasaki Station, about 10 minutes on foot, which makes it an easy first or last stop. The Nagasaki Museum for Human Rights and Peace is just next to the memorial.
7. Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan (Oura Church)
Built soon after the end of the Seclusion Policy in 1853, in honour of the twenty-six martyrs. It sits in the same hillside district as Glover Garden.
Pair it with Glover Garden and the Confucius shrine, all within a few minutes of the Oura-tenshudo-shita stop.
8. Sofuku-ji
Constructed in 1629 by Chinese residents of Nagasaki, with much of the material imported from China. It is one of the best surviving examples of Ming Dynasty architecture anywhere.
It sits in the Teramachi temple district, so plan to walk between the temples there rather than treating each as a separate trip.
9. Kofuku-ji
The first Obaku Zen temple in Japan, established around 1620 and known locally as the "red temple". It was used by Chinese worshippers for over three centuries and is one of the few historic places to escape damage from the atomic bombing.
It is about eight minutes on foot from the Kokaido-mae streetcar stop, in the same Teramachi area as Sofuku-ji.
10. Koshibyo Confucius Shrine
The only Confucius shrine the Chinese built outside China, constructed in 1893, with a large Chinese history museum behind it. It is often overlooked, but its appearance is bright and worth the stop.
It is a few minutes on foot from the Oura-tenshudo-shita stop on streetcar line 5, so it fits neatly into a morning with Glover Garden and Oura Church.
11. Suwa Shrine
The primary site of Nagasaki's annual Kunchi festival. Its grounds on the Tamazono mountainside give a panoramic view of the city, along with lion-dog guardian statues and ceiling paintings by 75 artists.
It is a five-minute walk from Suwa-Jinja-mae Station on the tramway, and there is no admission charge.
12. Shinchi Chinatown
From the 15th to the 19th centuries, Chinese traders and sailors made this area their home, and it is the oldest Chinatown in Japan. Four narrow streets meet at a central intersection, lined with restaurants and shops.
It is a few minutes' walk south of Tsukimachi streetcar station. Come here when you want to eat rather than sightsee, and treat it as a meal stop between the harbour and the temple districts.
13. Immaculate Conception Cathedral (Urakami Cathedral)
Rebuilt after its destruction in the atomic bombing, this cathedral was once the largest church in Asia. It stands in the Urakami area, north of the centre.
It pairs naturally with the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum, which are in the same part of the city.
14. Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture
A museum covering the city's past as a trading port. It is open daily and charges admission.
Use it as a wet-weather option or as context before you walk the Dejima and harbour area.
15. Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum
A modern building that hosts touring exhibitions from around the world. Admission is free, with fees for temporary exhibitions.
It is closed on the second and fourth Monday of each month and from 29 December to 2 January, so check the calendar before you build a day around it.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Museum of 26 Martyrs of Japan, about 10 minutes on foot from Nagasaki Station, and add the Nagasaki Museum for Human Rights and Peace next door. Then take tram line 1 or 3 to Hamaguchi-machi and go through the Atomic Bomb Museum, finishing at the Nagasaki Peace Park. If time allows, walk on to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Urakami.
Afternoon. Move to the Oura district and spend the middle of the day at Glover Garden, the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan (Oura Church) and the Koshibyo Confucius Shrine, all within a few minutes of the Oura-tenshudo-shita stop. Walk down to Dejima afterwards and tour the recreated buildings of the former Dutch factory.
Evening. Eat at Dejima Wharf or in Shinchi Chinatown, then finish with the night view from Inasayama. Check the ropeway hours before you commit to that route, since transport up the mountain is limited.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get around the main sights?
The tramway and buses cover most of the places listed here, and several stops are a short walk from the sights themselves. Inasayama is the exception: access is by car, taxi, bus with a walk, or ropeway, and services are limited.
Which sights are closest to Nagasaki Station?
The Museum of 26 Martyrs of Japan is about 10 minutes on foot, and the Nagasaki Museum for Human Rights and Peace is right next to the memorial there. Inasayama can also be reached from the station by bus.
Where can I find tourism information in English?
A multilingual call centre answers tourism questions in English and 16 other languages, and it also offers a collection of electronic pamphlets for several attractions.
What should I do if it rains?
The Atomic Bomb Museum, the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture and the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum are all indoor options. Note that the art museum closes on the second and fourth Monday of each month and over the New Year period.
Decide how many days you have, pick the districts that match your interests, and start mapping your tram stops before you arrive.