Weaving through the mountains of central Japan, the historic Nakasendō Trail connected Kyōto and Edo-period Tōkyō. This trail stretches 534 km and the shukuba post towns along the way provided accommodation for weary travellers walking along this route dating back to the seventh century. Some of the best-preserved post towns offer a real glimpse into the past, with wooden buildings lining stoned paths and the sound of watermills evoking a connection to those who have walked there centuries ago. Amongst the 69 post towns along this ancient trail, Magome, Tsumago and Narai stand out thanks to the conservation efforts made by the local government and people who have lived here for generations. With modern power lines and advertising boards being outlawed, the locals here have preserved the traditional townscape and unique history of this region.
While portions of the trail have been converted to roads and railways, there are still some well-preserved sections that wind through bamboo forests, fields and along rivers and streams; our tours include hiking on these parts of the trail with accommodation nights in small family-run minshuku and ryokan. The natural beauty of this region has long inspired many writers and artists and we hope that our guests are moved by the unique culture, architecture, cuisine and local people as well.
The Nakasendō or ‘Road Through the Central Mountains’ was part of feudal Japan’s network of highways. Travellers moving between Kyōto and Tōkyō took several days to travel the Nakasendō, staying overnight in post towns along the way. Today’s visitors can walk sections of the original route by day and stay in local inns by night.
Our classic 5-day Nakasendō itinerary includes the best sections of the Kiso Valley portion of the Nakasendō Trail, following the same linear path from Magome through to Tsumago, Kiso-Fukushima, Narai, and Kiso-Hirasawa.
After visiting Kiso-Hirasawa, you will head to Matsumoto with the opportunity to visit one of Japan’s few remaining original castles, Matsumoto Castle, also called ‘Crow Castle’ due to its black exterior.
Then, continue by train to one of the mountain towns of Komoro or Karuizawa, where you’ll enjoy a traditional ryokan stay. Your final day of walking is a beautifully remote walk from Karuizawa, descending through the forest to the town of Yokokawa. From Yokokawa, travel onward by train to Tōkyō.
You’re supported by our team in Kyōto, our local Tsumago office, and guided by our bespoke turn-by-turn walking instructions and detailed maps, created by our team of hikers for you.
Prices (based on two people sharing a room) from:
£1,815 per person for 5 days/4 nights
£1,555 per person for 4 days/3 nights
£1,260 per person for 3 days/2 nights
Single supplement on request.
Included:
4 nights at Japanese inns along the Nakasendō Trail
4 breakfasts and 4 dinners
Train tickets from Kyōto or Tōkyō to the trail and from the trail to Tōkyō
Train tickets for intermediate journeys on the Nakasendō trail
Detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking directions
Topographical maps
Local support by telephone
Our Preparing for your trip and Travelling in Japan guidebooks
Not Included:
Flights
Airport transfers
Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
Local bus journeys which must be paid directly to the bus driver
Single room supplement(s) for solo occupancy
Daily luggage transfer
Day 1: Magome – Tsumago
Walking distance: 8.3 km / 5.2 mi
Elevation gain: 326 m / 1,069 ft of ascent and 430 m / 1,410 ft of descent
Time required: About 3 hours
Accommodation: Minshuku (family-run guesthouse)
Meals: Dinner
We supply train tickets for your journey starting from Kyōto or Tōkyō to Nakatsugawa, including a ride on the world-famous bullet train to Nagoya. At Nakatsugawa, you board a local bus for the short journey to Magome. Walk over Magome-tōge Pass to Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendo post towns. Spend the night at a family-run minshuku in Tsumago or the nearby hamlet of Ō-Tsumago. Enjoy a delicious home-cooked Japanese dinner and breakfast included in your stay. After dinner, enjoy a stroll through the village streets in the magical quiet of the evening, wearing the yukata gown supplied by your inn.
Day 2: Tsumago – Nojiri
Walking distance: 18.4 km / 11.5 mi
Elevation gain: 723 m / 2,275 ft of ascent and 644 m / 2,112 ft of descent
Time required: About 6 hours
We offer a shorter alternative of 1 hour (3.7 km / 2.3 mi). You can choose which option you prefer on the day – no need to decide in advance!
Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn) or onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
The longest day on the trail is a beautiful and varied hike from Tsumago to Nojiri. You may also choose the shorter alternative to Nagiso instead. The trail travels through small valleys and past forests of bamboo and Japanese cedar, through some of the most unspoilt scenery on the tour. Continue by train to Kiso-Fukushima, a historic post town that once flourished as a political and economic centre in the Kiso Valley. Tonight, enjoy kaiseki-style cuisine and hot spring baths.
Day 3: Yabuhara – Narai – Kiso-Hirasawa
Walking distance: 8.7 km / 5.5 mi
Elevation gain: 344 m / 1,128 ft of ascent and 270 m / 885 ft of descent
Time required: About 4 hours
Accommodation: Minshuku (family-run guesthouse) or ryokan (traditional Japanese inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
We supply train tickets for the short journey from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara, the starting point for the hike over the Torii-tōge Pass to Narai. Explore this atmospheric village before you continue on today’s journey to the small town of Kiso-Hirasawa, famous for its lacquerware. There are many small shops selling beautifully crafted tableware and furniture. From Kiso-Hirasawa, transfer by train to the castle town of Matsumoto for your overnight stay. Your hosts will serve a home-cooked Japanese dinner and breakfast.
Day 4: Matsumoto & transfer to Karuizawa
Accommodation: Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
After breakfast, you will have time dedicated to sightseeing around Matsumoto. Highly recommended is a visit to Matsumoto Castle, one of only 12 castles in Japan that has retained its original interior and exterior structures. When you are finished in Matsumoto, you will travel by train to your final stop for your onward journey to Karuizawa or Komoro for your final overnight stay. Both locations have lovely inns with a real sense of history and fine Japanese baths. Arrive at your accommodation in time for a wonderful dinner featuring local produce.
Day 5: Karuizawa – Yokokawa & transfer to Tokyo
Walking distance: 16.7 km / 10 mi
Elevation gain: 372 m / 1,220 ft of ascent and 862 m / 2,828 ft of descent
Time required: About 5-6 hours
The walk can be shortened by 5.9 km / 3.7 mi by a taxi ride at the start of the day.
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, your final walk on the Nakasendo Trail is from Karuizawa to Yokokawa. Leaving Karuizawa, the trail takes you over the Usui-tōge Pass and down a gentle descent along one of the most beautiful sections of the Nakasendō. From Yokokawa, board the local train to Takasaki and change there for your ride on the bullet train to Tōkyō. The train journey takes around two hours and you will arrive in Tōkyō in the late afternoon or early evening.
As a general guide, we suggest you bring a small or medium suitcase with wheels, plus a medium daypack. It is important to travel light in Japan. Buses and trains have limited luggage space and stations often have stairs. Your tour will be more enjoyable and easier if you limit the luggage you bring.
If your self-guided tour includes village-to-village trail walking, you will want to carry just a daypack on those days. Takkyubin Courier is ideal for dealing with your main luggage while walking on the trail. An alternative option of Daily Luggage Transfer is available on the Kumano Kodo Trail and parts of the Nakasendo Trail, so on those tours you can choose the system which suits you better.
For most clients on our self-guided walking tours, the best way to deal with your main luggage is to send it ahead by the wonderful Takkyubin Courier service. Takkyubin is the brand name of the best-known service provider. These services are secure, efficient and economical, typically between 2,500-3,000 JPY per bag per transfer. The sent luggage does not re-join you each night; it is waiting for you at the accommodation where you stay at a night or two later on. You carry overnight essentials in your daypack for the intervening nights.
Send your main luggage from the hotel you stay at before the trail to an inn part-way along the trail. You then send it from the inn part-way along the trail to the hotel you will stay at after the trail. Takkyubin does not need to be arranged in advance. You arrange and pay for the service yourself in Japan, usually with help from the concierge of your hotel or inn. Some smaller local hotels and inns may not offer the service, but they will direct you to the nearest location where the service is available – a local convenience store, for example.
Takkyubin is also ideal for those who choose to manage with their daypack for all their nights on the trail, without any access to their main luggage. Simply send your main luggage from wherever you stay before the trail to wherever you stay afterwards.
Travelling light on the trails is easy. All inns provide cotton yukata gowns and slippers for you to wear after arrival for dining, relaxing in your room, exploring outside and sleeping. They also provide small towels, soap, shampoo and hairdryers. You don’t need a complete change of clothing for the evening, so it really is possible to manage with just a medium daypack to carry overnight essentials. Takkyubin may be a novel experience for clients who have walked self-guided in other parts of the world, but it works wonderfully well in Japan.
Takkyubin allows you to travel throughout Japan without having to handle your main luggage. You can avoid carrying your bags on trains and buses, where luggage space is often limited, or through busy railway stations. The only disadvantage is that you are without your main bag for one or more nights while it is in transit.
For clients who prefer to have access to their main luggage each night, we now offer Daily Luggage Transfer on the Nakahechi portion of the Kumano Kodo Trail, and for a portion of the Nakasendo Trail for a supplement. This service is pre-booked and pre-paid through Oku Japan.
Daily Luggage Transfer offers clients the option of bringing luggage by train and bus to the trail, and then having it transferred from inn to inn on a daily basis. This Daily Luggage Transfer is more expensive than Takkyubin Courier. We know it will appeal to some clients, because it means having to carry less in your daypack and allows access to your main luggage each evening. But please be aware that bringing large suitcases through railway stations, on the train and then on the bus to the start of the trail can be inconvenient. Luggage space on trains and buses is limited; railway stations may be busy and involve stairs. We think Takkyubin Courier is a better choice for most clients. Please note that Daily Luggage Transfer is available on the Nakasendo Trail as far as Narai (on our 3 day tour) and up until Matsumoto on our longer Nakasendo adventures; the service does not extend to Karuizawa or Kamikochi, (featuring in our longer Self-Guided Nakasendo tours), so it is still necessary to use Takkyubin Courier for that final section.
