Although the name Nagasaki is synonymous with devastating events of WWII, the city is much more than its monuments and memorials – and, with your local host leading the way, you’ll see 10 of its top attractions. You’ll navigate the crisscrossing lanes of Chinatown and celebrate the city’s resilience at Nagasaki Peace Park, then explore Nagasaki at Nakashima river, snapping pictures of Meganebashi bridge and shopping for traditional Japanese sweets at the 200-year-old Iwanaga Baijyuken sweet shop. But, you’ll also see famous temples and shrines, like Fukusai-ji temple (rebuilt as a mausoleum for fallen Japanese soldiers), the one-legged Sanno shrine (its second column was destroyed by the bomb), and Suwa shrine, a survivor of the attack.

You’ll go on a whirlwind experience in the heart of Nagasaki, squeezing in several of its unmissable attractions and seeing the city through a local’s eyes. North of the city center in the tranquil Heiwa district, home to Nagasaki Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum, you could take a moment to appreciate how Nagasaki’s people have rebuilt their city, or visit historic temples and shrines before exploring the bustling downtown area’s shops, restaurants, and cool cafes. One mile south, Nagasaki’s internationalized history will be tangible at stone-paved Dutch Slope (home to Western traders in the 1800s) and the old Dutch district, Dejima, where you could try the Western-influenced soul food of Nagasaki locals, toruko raisu (Turkish rice).