Before the hiking begins, the first part of your tour is 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, bear bells, your itinerary and more. You should head out for a dinner of your choosing and get some rest because tomorrow the adventure really begins.

For a full tour description click here: Tosando

The Tosando is known for being one of seven of Japan’s first ever official roads. It was written about in Japan’s first ever texts written over 1,300 years ago. The Tosando lead all the way from the ancient capital of Omi (modern day Shiga Prefecture), to Mutsu in the north of Japan in modern day Miyagi Prefecture. This road was over 1,000 km long and was used by Japan’s soldiers of the time as they battled for control of the mainland with the native Emishi in the north of the country. This hiking tour takes place on the Misaka Pass, a section of the ancient road known to be the harshest, cruelest and most difficult section of all. Many folk stories and pieces of art were born out of the legendary mountain pass, which was known to experience sudden thunder storms and thick fogs making traveling there extremely treacherous. Artworks from ancient haiku poems to Japan’s (and the world’s) oldest ever novel, The Tale of Genji, the Misaka Pass is featured, showing the infamy of the mountain road.

Stay: Nakatsugawa, Magome, or nearby

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 or nearby.

For a full tour description, click here: Seinaiji Kaido

Description - The Seinaiji Kaido is an ancient road developed in the early 1500s by local samurai for military conquests. It connected the Nakasendo in Tsumago Juku with the southern end of the Ina Valley. As the Edo period (1603-1867) began and Japan became relatively stable and peaceful, the Seinaiji Kaido was used by all kinds of people, from local peasants transporting to goods to government officials and pilgrims too-ing and fro-ing around the country. On the Nakasendo you can feel the life of the Daimyo, the Princess or the Magistrate. On the Seinaiji Kaido you can feel the life of the farmer, the peasant, or the broke pilgrim traveling for travels sake.

Stay: Achi, Iida, Nagiso, or nearby

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.

For a full 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 day in 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

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.

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

Difficulty: 2/5

Season: Apr 15 - July 15, Sep 15 - Nov 31

$4,095 USD per person

For solo occupancy = + $1,000

Children accompanying adults (4 -11) = $3,895

Infants (0-3) = $1,895