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The Nakasendo Trail served as a key route in feudal Japan's roads, which connected Kyoto and Edo, known as Tokyo today. Merchants and travelers would spend multiple days along the Nakasendo, staying in small post towns overnight or even to rest during the day. Many of these post towns have been well preserved, allowing you to experience the history and culture of past Japan. On this tour, we will explore parts of the Nakasendo Trail, traveling through the Kiso Valley. Enjoy nature, temples... View More
The Nakasendo Trail served as a key route in feudal
Japan's roads, which connected Kyoto and Edo,
known as Tokyo today. Merchants and travelers would
spend multiple days along the Nakasendo, staying in
small post towns overnight or even to rest during the
day. Many of these post towns have been well
preserved, allowing you to experience the history and
culture of past Japan. On this tour, we will explore
parts of the Nakasendo Trail, traveling through the
Kiso Valley. Enjoy nature, temples and shrines, and
quaint villages as we trek through a piece of Japanese
history. During late March and early April, you can also
see the stunning cherry blossoms while traveling.
Enjoy the spring weather while hiking or relax in an
outdoor hot spring bath. Join All Japan Tours and your
English-speaking guide, as we travel and hike from
village-to-village along forested trails, resting overnight
at family-run inns, and enjoying local cuisine and
hospitality.
We will start our 8-day guided Nakasendo tour in
Kyoto, where the trail begins. Enjoy sightseeing
around the ancient city during a guided half-day tour.
During our time in Kyoto, we will enjoy day trips to the
nearby cities of Nara and Kurama. In each city, we will
hike through small villages, enjoy the rural landscape,
and take in the amazing scenery. Our journey then
takes us on the bullet train to Kiso Valley, where we
will start in the post town of Magome. Travel through
well-preserved post towns of Tsumago and Narai by
walking along the ancient route as travelers did long
ago. Along the path, we will enjoy stunning forests,
small shrines, and will stay at small country inns. From
Narai, travel to Matsumoto, home to Matsumoto
Castle, one of twelve original castles in Japan. The
castle grounds are also a popular place to see the
cherry blossoms in bloom. Enjoy a night in Matsumoto
before heading to Tokyo, where our tour will officially
end.
Note: this is an intense rated hiking trip with
some steady steep ascents and hikes over 4 hours.
Activity Level: Intense
Our Intense tours generally have dedicated days of
trail walking, with some days of over four hours and
with some ascent and/or descent.
Who is an Intense tour designed for?
- We recommend our Intense tours for anyone who
does regular walking or hiking, and is comfortable
walking a full day with some climbing and descending.
- If you do not exercise regularly, please practice
walking for three to four hours, about three to six
months prior to the tour in order to get the most out of
your trip.
Accommodations
This itinerary contains overnight stays at Hotels,
Ryokans, and Minshukus. Ryokans and Minshukus are
more traditional accommodations, with a more casual
hospitality than you will find at a hotel. At both a Ryokan
and a Minshuku, you will stay in a simply furnished room
and sleep on a futon, which is laid on a tatami mat.
Some Ryokans may have private bathrooms
attached to your room, but others only have public
bathrooms used by all the guests. Minshukus usually
offer only a public bathroom – meaning either a smaller
bathroom used one guest at a time, or larger bathrooms
separated by gender (male & female), and designed to
be used by multiple guests at once.
