Nakasendo self-guided walking 3 days

Village-to-village hiking of the highlights of the Nakasendō, recommended for novices and families. Enjoy flexible hiking with 3 hikes of 1 to 6 hours.
 
Highlights
Walk village to village on the loveliest parts of the old Nakasendō Trail
Visit the exquisitely preserved villages of Magome, Tsumago, and Narai
Hike country trails and quiet rural roads, with some gentle ascents and descents
Sleep on futon laid out on tatami-mat flooring in traditional Japanese inns
Bathe in the thermal waters at a hot spring ryokan
 
 
Tour Detail 
The Nakasendō Trail is a historic route through the mountains that has its origins in ancient pathways throughout Japan. During Japan’s feudal era, it was a route travelled by lords and samurai travelling between Kyōto and Tōkyō. 
 
Our 3-day self-guided Nakasendō tour provides a fantastic introduction to the trail on this condensed version featuring the highlights of the preserved post towns of the Nakasendō Trail located in the Kiso Valley.  You’ll travel to and from the trail with ease on Japan’s renowned bullet trains.
 
The meandering route takes you from post town to post town, taking you to Magome, Tsumago, and finishing in Narai.  Along the way you’ll pass waterfalls, stands of bamboo, small temples and shrines, and tiny hamlets, experiencing a mix of paved and dirt paths.
 
In the evening, you stay overnight in traditional Japanese inns. Typically your accommodation will consist of an evening in a small family-run guesthouse known as a minshuku, and on your second night, you’ll enjoy bathing in thermal onsen waters. There is no better way to finish a hike than with a bath in a soothing hot spring!
 
We’ve included breakfast and dinner at your accommodations so you can dine on delicious mountain produce which has been carefully prepared by your inn. During the day, we recommend you stop for a meal of soba noodles made with buckwheat – a mountain speciality.
 
This 3-day self-guided walking tour, which includes the highlights of the Nakasendō, is great for novice hikers and families with younger children, as the length and hiking inclusions are flexible, and can be bypassed by using available local public transport options. Please see the full details in the itinerary below. 
 
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.
 
If you seek a taste of this historic route, our Nakasendō self-guided 3-day walking tour is a great way to include time in the Japanese countryside into your broader travel plans.
 
Day 1 - Hike from Magome to Tsumago
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.
 
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
 
Day2 - Hike from Tsumago to Nojiri
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.
 
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
 
Day3 - Hike from Yabuhara to Narai
You will return to Kiso-Fukushima after breakfast. 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 boarding your train for the journey onwards to Kyōto or Tōkyō, arriving late afternoon.
 
Walking distance: 6.2 km / 3.9 mi
Elevation gain: 344 m / 1,128 ft of ascent and 270 m / 885 ft of descent
Time required: About 3 hours
 
In Kiso-Fukushima we offer an optional, fairly strenuous, circular walk to a local waterfall. The circular walk is 7 km / 4.3 mi with 632 m / 2,075 ft of ascent and 637 m / 2,090 ft of descent, and takes 2-3 hours. You can take this walk in the morning, before heading onwards to Yabuhara. 
 
Meals: Breakfast