From ¥45,000
Private Nakasendo Hiking Tours
When is the Best Time to Walk the Nakasendo?
Japan is famous, almost self-righteously so, for its four seasons. Seriously, can you think of any other country on earth that loves and admires its own seasons as much as Japan? Well, living here, I can tell you why. The time of year makes a BIG difference in the experience you will have. The common wisdom is that spring and autumn are the best, and this is, in many ways, great advice, but actually, there are a lot of factors to think about. So, without further ado, here is our guide on the best times to visit the Kiso Valley:
Summer
Spring
Winter
Autumn
Spring
Weather:
The comfortable weather of spring is another reason for its popularity. You get a lot of weather that is just right for being outside and hiking.
Flowers:
From mid-March to the end of May the spring season is one of the most popular times to visit the Kiso Valley as well as the country in general. Locally, flowers burst to life. In spring, the area is known for its azaleas, cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms. Here are three places you should definitely try to see on your trip to the Nakasendo:
The Azaleas of Tanpaku Park, Nagiso Town: Near Nagiso Station (a common gateway to Tsumago Juku), just across from Momosuke Bridge, is Tanpaku park, which, from April, bursts into life with purple azaleas, known in Japanese at tsutsuji.
The Peach Blossoms of Hirugami Onsen, Achi Village: A 40-minute drive from Tsumago Juku is the onsen resort town of Hirugami Onsen in the south of the Ina Valley. Come April the place is a wash red reds, pinks, and whites as about 10,000 plum blossoms trees, known in Japanese as hanamomo bring crowds of domestic tourists!
The Cherry Blossoms of Takato Castle Ruins Park, Ina City: A one hour drive from Kiso Fukushima, at the feet of the Central Alps in the castle town of Takato. The amazing sakura hanami festival here is rated as being in Japan’s top three spots of sakura viewing.
Crowds:
Spring brings a lot of visitors. One of the negatives of the season is that it can be pretty difficult to book a room in the Kiso Valley. Group walking tours tend to block-book the limited amount of rooms in popular spots such as Tsumago Juku, Narai, Magome, and Kiso-Fukushima, so advanced booking is very much recommended if you are planning a trip in April. Looking further afield to places like Hirugami Onsen is also a good choice. Feel free to contact us, we offer our customers free booking support.
Autumn:
Weather:
Autumn has many parallels to spring. It is another lovely temperate time in Japan with iconic views in nature to be enjoyed!
Crowds:
Autumn is probably, just a little bit, busier, especially when it comes to domestic tourists than spring is in the Kiso Valley. The mountainsides turn from green And something about the season, tends to match the melancholy beauty of the ancient towns. Advanced booking for the more popular areas is highly recommended. And again, feel free to contact us, we offer our customers free booking support.
Autumn Leaves:
Though pretty much anywhere you go is bound to be nice in autumn, here are a few tips:
Mount Ontake: From late September to late October, Mount Ontake is a wonderful place to see bright red autumn leaves.
Senjojiki Cirque, the Central Alps: From late September to early October the central alps, accessed by ropeway from Komagane City of the Ina Valley have excellent early autumn leaves.
Momiji Lake, Minami Minowa Town: Travel company giant Jalan names this the number 1 spot for looking at autumn leaves in all of Japan. It is a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Kiso Fukushima, but much closer to Lake Suwa.
Kiso-Fukushima: In November, the temples and historical sites of Kiso Fukushima are painted red by the maple trees of the town.
Summer
Rainy Season:
From the start of June to the middle of July it’s tsuyu, the Japanese rainy season. The number of people traveling drops off of a cliff as, domestically at least, people assume the worst and don’t make plans. The positive of this is that the best places to stay tend to have more availability. The weather, while having a higher chance of rain, is actually quite hit-and-miss. Some years the rain is heavy and constant. Some years the rain is barely noticeably worse than other times of the year. It’s either going to be a great time to come or a terrible time to come and, either way, don’t forget to pack your rain gear!
Heat:
Throughout the rainy season, the heat ramps up and as it ends, in the middle of July and into August, Japan gets its hottest temperatures. The humidity is high and the temperatures hit the low to mid 30℃s. If you haven’t experienced it before, people visiting from overseas hear the temperatures but fail to consider the humidity. It’s a hot season and those planning on hiking should stay on well-shaded hikes and keep hydrated and cool to avoid heatstroke. Another top tip is to avoid the low-lying hiking of the Nakasendo and do as the Japanese do in this season, head to the high mountains. Check out our alpine hiking tours for some of these adventures.
Green:
Though not as iconic as spring or autumn, the summer brings the bright greens of new leaves, and the mountainsides pop.
River Swimming:
It is also the best time to enjoy some river swimming at spots such as the Atera Gorge near Nojiri Juku. Or maybe you should think about a takigyo (waterfall meditation) tour at the base of Mount Ontake.
Winter:
Weather:
The winters of the Nakasendo can be bitter and cold. The north of the Kiso Valley of Kiso Fukushima and Narai get winter a lot worse most years than the south. And the neighboring Ina Valley tends to get cold but not to snow. This however does not mean that the Nakasendo is unwalkable. Actually, it tends to stay low in the valley and stay walkable all year round.
Gear:
When hiking in winter, you should think about bringing some light crampons or chain spikes to assist you if you come across icy conditions on some of the higher mountain passes.
Off Season:
Winter is the time that draws the least hikers to the Nakasendo. Therefore you are likely to find accommodation available wherever you look. However, a lot of places treat this as a chance for some time off and close their doors for the winter season, so last-minute planners do be wary! Once more, feel free to contact us, we offer our customers free booking support.