Peek behind the heavy curtain of Nagasaki’s tragic past, and open your eyes to the beauty of the city as seen by its locals. From following your host past Dutch Slope (housing Western residences from the late 1800s) to seeking out Daion Ji temple’s statue of a Buddha and child – a reference to the Christian Madonna – your host will show you how cultures in Nagasaki conflate rather than clash. Visit landmarks with secrets of their own, like Daitoku-ji temple’s great camphor tree (the biggest in Nagasaki, with a temple tucked away between the roots and branches) or listen to legends of samurai warriors at the Teramachi cemetery, where centuries of stories lay sleeping amongst moss-covered stones and trees.

In the heart of Nagasaki, along the eastern bank of Uragami River, your local insider will lead you from the city’s internationally-influenced neighborhoods in the south to its traditional Japanese districts further north, showing you the effortless ways these two sides of Nagasaki meet and influence each other. You’ve heard of Nagasaki’s Chinatown, but with a local insider you’ll instead explore the old Chinese residential district. Forego the well-trodden tourist trail in favor of the narrow, beautiful streets of Maruyama, and see the big Buddha in Kotaiji temple. With your local insider sharing stories of Nagasaki’s past, reflect on your journey at the Kazagashira view platform, one of the best viewpoints in the city.