Kiso Valley Tours
-木曽谷-
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The Kiso Valley
The Kiso Valley is a rugged, deep, V-shaped valley running straight through the mountains of central Japan. An ancient road known as the Nakasendo runs through the base of the Kiso Valley. The Nakasendo once ran from Kyoto to Tokyo and had 69 towns within to serve the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of samurai that walked upon it. Here, in the Kiso Valley the Nakasendo trail and the ancient towns have been preserved perfectly. Visiting here is like jumping into a Time Machine back to Edo period (1603-1868) Japan.
Hiking Tours
Our Nakasendo tours are guided only by local guides, and our business is also based local, so 100% of your dollars spent recirculate in the local economy. Local guides are more knowledgeable and more passionate. We also offer a few hiking tours outside of the Nakasendo too.
Craft & Culture Tours
The Kiso Valley is absolutely packed with traditional crafts, especially wood work. Here we help local craftsman to share their work with you and teach you about them by getting hands on!
Combinations
Some of these hikes and experiences can be combined to make a jam packed day. See below for recommended combinations.
Hiking Tours
Ontake Kodo (Otaki Village)
Ontake Kodo (Fukushima to Mitake)
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Location: Otaki Village
Season: April to November
Distance: 5-12 km / 3-7 miles
Uphill: 300-700m / 980-2,300 feet
Highlights:
・Pilgrims Trail: Hiking on an ancient mountain pilgrims trail, one still used by thousands of pilgrims each year to this day.
・Shrines and Holy Sites: The entire trail is covered in shrines, gods, religious stone monuments, and so much more.
・Waterfalls: This trail passes what are surely two of the most stunning waterfalls you could ever wish to see and as tall as 40m.
・Forests and Moss: This trail goes deep, deep into an ancient forest with unbelievable moss build up.
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Location: Otaki Village
Season: April to November
Distance: 5-12 km / 3-7 miles
Uphill: 300-700m / 980-2,300 feet
Highlights:
・Pilgrims Trail: Hiking on an ancient mountain pilgrims trail, one still used by thousands of pilgrims each year to this day.
・Shrines and Holy Sites: The entire trail is covered in shrines, gods, religious stone monuments, and so much more.
・Waterfalls: This trail passes what are surely two of the most stunning waterfalls you could ever wish to see and as tall as 40m.
・Forests and Moss: This trail goes deep, deep into an ancient forest with unbelievable moss build up.
Iwamura Town & Castle Ruins
Tadachi Waterfalls
Waterfall Hiking in Kiso
Mount Ontake
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・Location: Kiso Valley
・Season: July to September
・Brief description: The Kiso Valley is full of absolutely stunning, crystal clear rivers, gorges, waterfalls, natural pools to swim in, and more. This tour is a great option to cool off in the summer heat. Rather than being one set tour to one destination, I will customise it to fit your level and needs.
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・Location: Otaki Village, Kiso
・Season: June to October
・Distance: 9km/6miles
・Uphill: 820m/2,700ft
The second-highest volcano (after Mt. Fuji) and the 14th highest peak in Japan at 3,067m. Mount Ontake is one of the most worshipped mountains in Japan. It has its own religion called ontake-kyo or Ontake Faith. Expect bright blue alpine lakes, gnarly forests, volcanic rocky mountain faces and white robed pilgrims climbing alongside.
The Hida Kaido (Part 1)
The Hida Kaido (Part 2)
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Location: Kaido Plateau, Kiso Town
Season: Year round (sometimes too treacherous in winter
Distance: 12km
Uphill: 270m
Highlights:
On a clear day, fantastic views of Mount Ontake.
Karasawa Falls - a gorgeous multi-tiered waterfall along the trail.
A trip to Nihongi Onsen, arguably the best onsen water in the Kiso region.
Getting well off the beaten track and deep into the mountains.
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Location: Kaido Plateau, Kiso Town
Season: Year round (sometimes too treacherous in winter
Distance: 10-17km
Uphill: 400-900m
Highlights:
On a clear day, fantastic views of Mount Ontake.
Getting well off the beaten track and deep into the mountains and pioneering a trail that almost no other tourists have.
A visit to an ancient wealthy horse merchants residence.
Nakasendo Hiking Tours
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・Location: Mostly in the Kiso Valley
・Season: Year round
・Distance: 7km - 19km
・Elevation gain: 230m - 550m
Our hiking tours of the Nakasendo, an ancient mountain road which once connected Japan’s two capitals, Tokyo in the East, and Kyoto in the west. Most of the Nakasendo and its stunning Edo period architecture has since been lost to wars, fires, and modernisation. But here in the mountainous, rugged Kiso Valley, the Nakasendo is, in places, almost exactly as it was hundreds of years ago.
We are one of an extremely tiny handful of local guides. By using our services you are ensuring that the money that you pay goes to, and stays in, the local economy of the Japanese countryside, something too many operators cannot claim.
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Location: Tadachi Village, Nagiso Town
Season: April to November
Distance: 8km/5miles
Uphill: 500m
Highlights:
・Hiking to see several enormous waterfalls. The tallest of which is 40m. These waterfalls are listed in Japan’s top 100 waterfalls and are awe inspiring!
・Seeing the giant ancient trees of the Kiso Valley in a rare place not destroyed by logging.
・Panoramic views over the Nobi Plain from Fudo Iwa on a clear day.
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Location: Iwamura Castle Town
Season: Year round except high summer
Distance: 5 km / 3 miles
Uphill: 205m / 670 feet
Highlights:
・The gorgeous historical castle town of Iwamura is full of ancient Edo period architecture!
・An optional sake brewery tour and tasting.
・Exploring the incredible castle ruins of Iwamura.
・Accessing the Japanese countryside on tiny rural train lines gives guests incredible views!
Craft & Culture Tours
Rokuro Zaiku (Wood Spinning) Experience
1/2 Day
Urushi (Lacquer) Experience
1/2 Day
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Recommendation: This goes excellently after a guided hike from Magome to Tsumago.
Location: Nagiso Town, Kiso Valley
Season: Year round
What is Rokuro Zaiku?
Rokuro zaiku is the ancient Japanese craft of wood spinning. Starting out hundreds of years ago, gypsy craftsmen known as kijishi roamed Japan spinning items out of wood. They settled down in the Kiso Valley, where they remain to this day.
What will you do during this experience?
Meet the master craftsman and learn about the craft.
Watch a demonstration.
Learn how to spin a plate using hand powered techniques from hundreds of years ago.
Time for shopping and farewells.
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Recommendation: This goes excellently after a guided hike from Yabuhara to Narai.
Location: Hirasawa, Kiso Valley
Season: Year round
What is Lacquerware?
Lacquerware refers to the sap of the lacquer tree, a tree indigenous to Japan and East Asia. Processed lacquer tree sap is slowly, over several months layered onto ornate items, often adding colour to them. The craft is recognised as an officially designated traditional handicraft, one of only seven in Nagano Prefecture.
What will you do during this experience?
1. Meet and greet the master craftsmen of Chikiriya Lacquerware Shop.
2. Tour of the facility.
3. Get hands on and paint a lacquerware plate.
4. Farewells and time for shopping.
Time:
This is a half day experience requiring 1-2 hours.
Washi (Japanese Paper) Experience in Tadachi Village
1/2 Day
Orokogushi (Ancient Combs) Experience in Yabuhara
1/2 Day
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Recommendation: This goes excellently after a guided hike from Magome to Tsumago.
Location: Tadachi Village in the Kiso Valley
Season: December to March
What is Washi?
Washi is Japanese traditional paper made with the tree bark of the kozo tree. Here in Nagiso Town, the small village of Tadachi has over 300 year of washi making history.
What will you do during this experience?
Meet the master craftsman and learn about the craft.
Learn how to make your own washi either in postcard form, larger sheet form, or both.
Time for shopping and farewells.
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Think that a comb is just a comb? Prepare to have your mind blown. The quiet village of Yabuhara, an ancient town on the Nakasendo, was once one of Japan’s major comb producers. And with hairstyles such an integral marker of the social order in the age of the samurai, combs were big business. This is one of Japan’s most endangered crafts. By taking part in this workshop, you will be helping breathe economic life into the craft, having a great time and learning a lot in the process.
How to Combine Tours:
The following combinations work well together and are highly recommended to make a jam packed day of adventure!