COMING SOON
Nakasendo
中山道
Self Guided 5 Day Tours


Really Rural Japan live local and pride ourselves on bring absolute specialists of the Nakasendo. With our experience and expertise we have crafted 4 different 3 day self guided tours. Our “easy” and “hard” tours are suitable in the spring and autumn seasons. Our winter tours offer climate suitable itineraries in the cold months when long distances are harder to pursue. And our “Nakasendo & Beyond” tour combines 3 Nakasendo hikes with 2 lesser known hikes on other ancient trails.
Due to high demand these tours are best booked 6-12 months in advance.
Nakasendo 5 Day - Easy
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Before you begin your tour of the Nakasendo you will need a travel day. Arrive in Nakatsugawa at your own pace and stay the night in a conveniently located, clean hotel. Your welcome pack will be waiting for you when you check. It will include our guidebook to the Nakasendo, your itinerary, bear bells, and more. You should head out for a dinner of your choosing and get some rest because tomorrow the adventure really begins.
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For a full tour description click here: Nakatsugawa to Magome
Description: A diverse cross section of normal life in the Japanese countryside. From small town, through the suburbs, and into the forests. With 1.1km of ancient cobblestones being the highlight of the day and with stunning views of rice fields.
Stay: Magome or nearby
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For a full tour description, click here: Magome to Tsumago
Description: The most famous hike in this region is popular for a reason. It runs between the fairytale-like villages of Magome and Tsumago. The walk between the two is littered with unbelievable beauty such as ancient tea-houses, cascading waterfalls, crystal clean rivers, cypress forests, cobblestone roads, and more.
Stay: Nagiso, Tsumago, Magome, Nakatsugawa or nearby.
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For a full tour description, click here: Tsumago to Nojiri
Description: This longer rambling hike of the Nakasendo passes actually passes through 3 post towns of the Nakasendo, Tsumago, Midono and Nojiri. This particular section of the Kiso Valley was particularly prone to floods and landslides and so while the Nakasendo, on a good year, would have followed the basin of the valley, times were not always good, and a sub-route was necessary. This sub-route is known as the Yogawa Michi or the road through Yogawa. A winding, mountainous route that takes you over the simply stunning, Nenoue Pass with its gentle stream amidst the forest. Expect to see beautiful agrarian views of the Kiso Valley, rice fields, meandering streams, and more on this simply beautiful hike southern Kiso. The hike can be adjusted to make it longer or shorter by starting/finishing in Tsumago or Nagiso Station.
Stay: Kiso Fukushima, Nojiri, or nearby.
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For a full tour description, click here:Yabuhara to Narai
Description: The second most famous hike on the Nakasendo goes between the sleepy village of Yabuhara and the stunning post town of Narai Juku. This wonderful forest hike takes you over the Torii Pass, a pass once renowned for being one of the steepest, coldest and most challenging sections of the Nakasendo. These days, without palanquins to carry, it is very manageable, so please don’t fear too much. At the top of the pass you will find its namesake; a shinto torii gate marks the entrance to a shrine dedicated to the Ontake faith. From here, on a clear day, the peak of Mount Ontake, Japan’s second tallest volcano, can be seen over the mountains. Narai and Yabuhara prospered in the Edo period due to the difficulty of the Torii Pass. As a result the surviving town of Narai is impressively long to accommodate all of the travelers that wanted to rest before or after the pass. For a possible extension, Hirasawa is a town full of lacquerware craftsmen 2km away from Narai.
Stay: Narai or Matsumoto or nearby
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Description: During a day in Matsumoto you can check out Matsumoto Castle, the oldest surviving castle tower in Japan, Matsumoto Museum of Modern Art, or even take a trip to the alpine plateau of Kami-Kochi (closes for winter from mid Nov until mid Apr)
Stay: Not included
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Difficulty: 2/5
Season: March 15 - June 30, Sep 15 - Dec 20
Nakasendo 5 Day - Hard
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Before you begin your tour of the Nakasendo you will need a travel day. Arrive in Inuyama at your own pace and stay the night in a conveniently located, clean hotel. Your welcome pack will be waiting for you when you check. It will include our guidebook to the Nakasendo, your itinerary, bear bells, and more. Should you arrive early enough in Inuyama, please check out the ancient castle, beautiful castle town, and the cormorant fishing (June to mid Oct). You should head out for a dinner of your choosing and get some rest because tomorrow the adventure really begins.
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For a full tour description click here: Mitake to Oi
Description: Part two of the rural hike takes you from Mitake and along long stretches of forests and country roads. Over the Biwa Pass and into Okute, the 47th post town on the Nakasendo and onto the 13 passes before arriving in Oi, modern name, Ena.
Stay: Ena, Nakatsugawa, or nearby
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Description: Part two of a two-day hike going way off the beaten track. This hike is long and challenging going through two ancient post towns in one day. The second half of the hike goes over 13 passes. These become more and more meditative as they go.
Stay: Ena or Nakatsugawa
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This long hike is a combination of two shorter hikes: Nakatsugawa to Magome and Magome to Tsumago
Description: For strong hikers, two hikes (a 9km and an 8km) can be combined to make a stunning 17km hike. Starting in Nakatsugawa, this hike starts suburban from Nakatsugawa to Ochiai. Then it becomes rural as Ochiai leads to Magome and then over the Magome Pass to Tsumago. This is a truly enjoyable long hike for those who feel like pumping their legs!
Stay: Tsumago or nearby
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For a full tour description, click here: Tsumago to Nojiri
Description: This longer rambling hike of the Nakasendo passes actually passes through 3 post towns of the Nakasendo, Tsumago, Midono and Nojiri. This particular section of the Kiso Valley was particularly prone to floods and landslides and so while the Nakasendo, on a good year, would have followed the basin of the valley, times were not always good, and a sub-route was necessary. This sub-route is known as the Yogawa Michi or the road through Yogawa. A winding, mountainous route that takes you over the simply stunning, Nenoue Pass with its gentle stream amidst the forest. Expect to see beautiful agrarian views of the Kiso Valley, rice fields, meandering streams, and more on this simply beautiful hike southern Kiso. The hike can be adjusted to make it longer or shorter by starting/finishing in Tsumago or Nagiso Station.
Stay: Kiso Fukushima, Nojiri, or nearby.
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For a full tour description, click here: Yabuhara to Narai
Description: The second most famous hike on the Nakasendo goes between the sleepy village of Yabuhara and the stunning post town of Narai Juku. This wonderful forest hike takes you over the Torii Pass, a pass once renowned for being one of the steepest, coldest and most challenging sections of the Nakasendo. These days, without palanquins to carry, it is very manageable, so please don’t fear too much. At the top of the pass you will find its namesake; a shinto torii gate marks the entrance to a shrine dedicated to the Ontake faith. From here, on a clear day, the peak of Mount Ontake, Japan’s second tallest volcano, can be seen over the mountains. Narai and Yabuhara prospered in the Edo period due to the difficulty of the Torii Pass. As a result the surviving town of Narai is impressively long to accommodate all of the travelers that wanted to rest before or after the pass. For a possible extension, Hirasawa is a town full of lacquerware craftsmen 2km away from Narai.
Stay: not included
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Difficulty: 3/5
Season: March 15 - June 30, Sep 15 - Dec 15
Nakasendo & Beyond - 5 Day
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This longer hike is a combination of 1 and a half shorter hikes: Nakatsugawa to Magome and Magome to Tsumago - not including Nakatsugawa to Ochiai.
Description: One of the best ways to add a little distance and variation to the famous Magome to Tsumago hike is to start from the ancient village of Ochiai. From there it is around 4km to Magome and then a further 8km to Tsumago. This version includes all of the best parts of the hike and skips the suburban section of Nakatsugawa to Ochiai.
Stay: Tsumago or nearby
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For a full tour description, click here: Tsumago to Nojiri
Description: This longer rambling hike of the Nakasendo passes actually passes through 3 post towns of the Nakasendo, Tsumago, Midono and Nojiri. This particular section of the Kiso Valley was particularly prone to floods and landslides and so while the Nakasendo, on a good year, would have followed the basin of the valley, times were not always good, and a sub-route was necessary. This sub-route is known as the Yogawa Michi or the road through Yogawa. A winding, mountainous route that takes you over the simply stunning, Nenoue Pass with its gentle stream amidst the forest. Expect to see beautiful agrarian views of the Kiso Valley, rice fields, meandering streams, and more on this simply beautiful hike southern Kiso. The hike can be adjusted to make it longer or shorter by starting/finishing in Tsumago or Nagiso Station.
Stay: Kiso Fukushima, Nojiri, or nearby.
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For a full tour description click here: Kiso Fukushima Walking Tour
Kiso-Fuksuhima is the cultural and commerce capital of the Kiso Valley. However, because the Kiso Valley is so remote and sparsely populated, it is still a small quiet mountain town tucked away in the north of the Kiso Valley. During a tour of Kiso Fukushima, the plan is highly customisable. You can enjoy historical museums, relaxing temples, taste sake at a brewery, go walking in the ancient town, or go for a hike in the beautiful mountains.
Stay: Kiso Fukushima or nearby
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For a full tour description, click here: Ontake Kodo
Description: An ancient pilgrimage route climbing in the lower regions of Japan’s 2nd biggest volcano, Mount Ontake. Expect mysterious mountain shrines, ancient trees, mind blowing waterfalls all steeped in ascetic Buddhism. The village of Otaki serves as the backdrop of this incredibly atmospheric and wholly out-of-this-world hike. Passing by Satomiya Shrine and then Omata Sansha, we hope you like stairs, because these two spots have a lot of them. The seemingly endless stone staircases leading to these two sacred sites of the Ontake Faith. Then two towering waterfalls and more mountain shrines make up the rest of an extremely immersive hike.
Stay: Otaki Village, Kiso Fukushima, or nearby.
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Yabuhara to Narai (7km)
For a full tour description, click here: Yabuhara to Narai
Description: The second most famous hike on the Nakasendo goes between the sleepy village of Yabuhara and the stunning post town of Narai Juku. This wonderful forest hike takes you over the Torii Pass, a pass once renowned for being one of the steepest, coldest and most challenging sections of the Nakasendo. These days, without palanquins to carry, it is very manageable, so please don’t fear too much. At the top of the pass you will find its namesake; a shinto torii gate marks the entrance to a shrine dedicated to the Ontake faith. From here, on a clear day, the peak of Mount Ontake, Japan’s second tallest volcano, can be seen over the mountains. Narai and Yabuhara prospered in the Edo period due to the difficulty of the Torii Pass. As a result the surviving town of Narai is impressively long to accommodate all of the travelers that wanted to rest before or after the pass. For a possible extension, Hirasawa is a town full of lacquerware craftsmen 2km away from Narai.
Stay: not included
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Difficulty: 3/5
Season: Apr 15 - Nov 30
Nakasendo 5 Day - Winter
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For a full tour description click here: Mitake to Oi
Description: Part one of an incredibly off the beaten track hike starting at the end of the railway line in Mitake Station and heading to 48th post town on the Nakasendo, Hosokute. Please expect a real countryside ramble through forests and country roads ending in a remarkably quiet village.
Stay: Hosokute or nearby
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For a full tour description click here: Mitake to Oi
Description: Part two of the rural hike takes you from Mitake and along long stretches of forests and country roads. Over the Biwa Pass and into Okute, the 47th post town on the Nakasendo and onto the 13 passes before arriving in Oi, modern name, Ena.
Stay: Ena, Nakatsugawa, or nearby
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For a full description, click here: Iwamura Castle Ruins
Description: A beautiful former castle town with a beautiful, short but steep walk up to the castle ruins. Iwamura is the true non-cliched definition of a hidden gem. A single carriage train weaves through the rice fields and forests, taking you to Iwamura. Then when arrive, two rows of Edo period architecture line the castle town’s road. Each shop is as charming as the next, there are cafes and restaurants serving local cuisine and the sake brewery in the town welcomes tourists for a tour of the brewery if prior booking has been made. After the town, the walk to the castle ruins is simply stunning. It is a short walk but rather steep and through dense forest on cobblestones. The castle served as a fortress and boasted the highest altitude of all castles in Japan at 712m above sea level. All of this without international tourism in sight.
Stay: Iwamura, Ena, or Nakatsugawa.
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For a full tour description click here: Nakatsugawa to Magome
Description: A diverse cross section of normal life in the Japanese countryside. From small town, through the suburbs, and into the forests. With 1.1km of ancient cobblestones being the highlight of the day and with stunning views of rice fields.
Stay: Magome or nearby
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For a full tour description, click here: Magome to Tsumago
Description: The most famous hike in this region is popular for a reason. It runs between the fairytale-like villages of Magome and Tsumago. The walk between the two is littered with unbelievable beauty such as ancient tea-houses, cascading waterfalls, crystal clean rivers, cypress forests, cobblestone roads, and more.
Stay: Not included
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Difficulty: 2/5
Season: December 16 - March 14
Prices
All our 5 day tours are priced as follows:
$1,595 USD per person
For solo occupancy = + $800
Children accompanying adults (4-11) = $1,450
Infants (0-3) = $700
What’s Included
Accommodation along the Nakasendo: 5 nights
Meals: 5 breakfasts and 4 dinners
Luggage delivery between all inns (1 bag per person)
Really Rural Japan’s guidebook “Hiking the Nakasendo” featuring maps, walking guides, history, travel advice, and more.
A custom made itinerary written just for your tour
Local telephone support
Bear bells (1 per person)
And more
What’s Not Included
Lunches
Drinks
Transportation - To build time flexibility into your trip we like to leave the transport up to you. Don’t worry, your itinerary will be full of the advice you need to get around.
Guides
The Process:
Get in touch - Get in touch with us through our contact us form and let us know the name of the tour you would like to do (ex. “Nakasendo + Craft: 7 Day Semi Guided”), as well as the other necessary information.
Confirm and finalise the plan.
Bookings - Now we can move onto bookings. We will try, as much as we can, to faithfully produce the itinerary. If something does not work, we will let you know as soon as possible and work around it.
Deposit - Once the bookings are made, a 20% non-refundable deposit is required to lock the tour in. Once this has been paid for, we will send you an online PDF copy of our guidebook “Hiking the Nakasendo” as well as a PDF detailed itinerary.
Final payment - Full payment of the remainder of the amount will be due 60 days prior to a tour. Failure to pay at this point could lead to cancellation of the tour.
Arrive and receive your welcome packs - At the specified hotel on Day 0 of your tour, your welcome packs will be waiting for you. This will include a physical copy(s) of the guidebook, bear bells, a detailed itinerary, and more.
Enjoy! - The adventure begins. Time to relax and have some fun!
Payments, Deposits & Cancellation Policy:
To lock in a booking, we require a 20% non-refundable deposit for the tour as soon as the bookings have been made. Then, full payment must be made at least 60 days in advance of the tour. If you are booking within 60 days of your tour, the total price of the tour must be paid immediately. Payments will be requested via credit card payable invoices. Our cancellation policy is as follows:
Effective once bookings are confirmed and agreed upon: 20% (non-refundable)
60 days prior: 35%
30 days prior: 70%
15 days prior and beyond: 100%
Should the cancellation come from our side due to unforeseen circumstances, 100% of the fee will be refunded. On rainy days, tours will go ahead unless the weather can be deemed dangerous, although our guides will do their best to offer alternatives on guided days if you prefer to stay dry.
Accommodation
Your accommodation will be some combination of minshuku (family run inn), onsen ryokan (traditional hot spring accommodation), and hotel. Sometimes you may need to share bathrooms with other guests, especially in the family run inns.