14-Day Japan Walking Tour: Tokyo, Nakasendo, Kyoto & Koyasan

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14 days 13 nights

Price On Request

You will be met at the arrival gate by an AJT representative holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo or similar class

In the morning, we take a walking tour around Tokyo, starting from Asakusa Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise District . Sensoji is Tokyo's oldest temple, and features the impressive Kaminarimon "Thunder Gate": flanked by two immense guardian deities and in which hangs an enormous red lantern. Nakamise is an outdoor street market, in which you'll find a broad variety of traditional goods, from colorful yukata to folding fans. We walk from there to Kappabashi Kitchen Street. Sometimes known as "Tokyo's Kitchen." Kappabashi is where the chefs and restauranteurs of the city go for kitchen wares and appliances, including food samples to display to customers. While here, participate in a Food Sample Workshop, where you can create your own colorful plastic food samples. From there, we walk to Ueno for the spectacular sight of Ueno Park's famous cherry blossoms. After, we make our way on foot to Yanaka, where the walking tour of Tokyo ends.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo or similar class

In the morning, we transfer to Matsumoto, onetime Edo-period castle town, now prominent city at the foot of the Japan Alps. Here, we immerse in the local samurai culture, starting with a visit to Matsumoto Castle - a national treasure of Japan and one of its most famous castles. The pitch-black exterior of this imposing keep has given it the name "Crow Castle". After, enjoy a Samurai Experience where you can swing a replica samurai sword, and learn an authentic samurai sword technique, in a friendly environment. After, we enjoy a relaxing evening in Matsumoto, before starting on the Nakasendo Road the next day.

Hotel Buena Vista or similar class

Today, we take a brief train ride from Matsumoto for Kiso-Hirasawa to begin our walk along the old Nakasendo Trail. The next four days involve delightful walks through delightful backcountry and charming little towns and villages which have offered hospitality to travelers on the old route for centuries. Our first day's walk is a brief jaunt beginning in Kiso- Hirasawa, going to Narai. Kiso-Hirasawa is famous for its lacquerware industry, and passing through town you are likely to see shops selling this premium Japanese product. Scarcely an hour away is Narai, which was known during the Edo period as "Narai of a thousand inns", as it was a prominent resting spot during the Edo period. Much of its traditional architecture has been well preserved for you to admire. In the evening, we stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan in Narai, just as so many travelers did centuries ago.

Distance: 2.5 km / 2 mi
Time: 1 hour
Ascent / Descent: minimal

Oyado Iseya, or similar

Today, our path leads out of Narai, and up to the Torii Pass. Here, the path becomes even more wild - a narrow trail of dirt and stone bordered on both sides by a dense forest of bamboo, cedar, and cypress trees. It climbs a mild ascent of 270 meters, before making a sloping descent down, about 344 meters, to Yabuhara - about a 3-hour hike. Upon arrival at Yabuhara, we take a short train ride to Kiso- Fukushima. We will walk from there to our onsen ryokan accommodation, to enjoy a relaxing soak in a traditional hot spring bath and an evening of homegrown Japanese hospitality.

Distance: about 6.5 km / 4 mi
Time: 3 hours
Ascent: 270 m / 885 ft
Descent: 344 m / 1,128 ft

Nukumori-no-Yado Komanoyu, or similar

In the morning, we take a short train ride to Nojiri, and from there we enjoy a long hike along the picturesque Yogawa-michi Road, on the way to Tsumago. Yogawa-michi was never officially a part of the Nakasendo, but served the travelers of that time as a detour which they took when the regular path was flooded. In that way, it retains a more authentic character than the actual Nakasendo section between Nojiri and Tsumago, and offers hikers not only charming countryside scenes, but a more authentic historical experience. The road twists and turns up and around hills thick with groves of cypress and bamboo, the occasional house, a bell for scaring away bears (which are rarely seen these days), and Buddhist wayside statues. We finally arrive in Tsumago, which presents itself as a sort of lived-in open-air museum, with traditional buildings reconstructed of Japanese cypress. Upon arrival in Tsumago, we make our way to the evening's ryokan accommodation.

Distance: 15 km / 9 mi
Time: 5.5 hours
Ascent: 550 m / 1,800 ft
Descent: 723 m / 2,275 ft

Hanaya Tsumago, or similar

Today, we walk the most well-traveled portion of the Nakasendo, from Tsumago to Magome, which is often considered the most beautiful section, for its balance of natural beauty and historical atmosphere. Both of these towns have a truly time-honored feel to them that makes you feel as though you've stepped back in time to the Edo period, with restored classical wooden shops and residences. The trail itself winds through the Kiso Valley and takes about 3 hours, with only minor changes in elevation, passing through splendid countryside landscapes. The chief portion of this is Magome Pass, when the Old Nakasendo veers off of the main road and up into the woods, passing an old teahouse, Buddhist lanterns, and other little landmarks. Upon arrival, take some time to explore the old village of Magome and immerse in its time-honored atmosphere before we transfer via train to Kyoto, through Nakatsugawa and Nagoya.

Distance: about 8 km / 5.5 mi
Time: 3 hours
Ascent: 430 m / 1,410 ft
Descent: 326 m / 1,069 ft

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo or similar class

In the morning, we view one of Kyoto’s most coveted sights – the elegant Golden Pavilion. The temple’s shimmering 22-karat golden walls can be seen reflected in the Mirror Pond below, but don’t miss the dainty phoenix ornament sitting on the roof! Next, we visit Ryoan-ji Temple, a Zen Buddhist temple famed for its classical rock garden. Fifteen stones of varying sizes are arranged in a level sea of sand, surrounded by a raised wooden platform upon which guests are invited to sit and contemplate the garden’s meaning. The stones are cleverly placed so that, no matter where you sit, at least one stone is always hidden from view. Then we take a walk around Arashiyama, starting with Togetsukyo Bridge, which was originally built spanning the Hozu River hundreds of years ago. It’s now one of the best places to view the natural splendor of Arashiyama. From there, we go for a Kimono Experience, where you can try on and take pictures in an elegant traditional kimono. We continue on to Kameyama Park, a picturesque public park often missed by most visitors to Kyoto. Keep an eye out as you stroll the park; you may see wild monkeys while admiring the landscape. Then we walk through a nearby Bamboo Grove, where towering green stalks create an almost otherworldly feeling of awe and mystery as you walk the pathway through the center. After, we proceed to Tenryuji Temple, a fascinating Zen Buddhist Temple with a gorgeous traditional Japanese landscape garden that has survived in its original state for centuries.

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo or similar class

Today, we travel to Fushimi Inari Shrine – Japan’s chief shrine to Inari, the Shinto deity of economic prosperity, rice, and foxes. This shrine is famed for its hundreds of bright vermillion “torii” gates that form a long pathway around the shrine’s forest landscape; a scene that was made world-famous by the film “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Try to spot as many statues of the fox – Inari’s sacred messengers – as you can while you explore the shrine grounds. Next, we take a hike through Kyoto starting at Kiyomizu Temple. Also known as the Temple of Pure Water, Kiyomizu is a celebrated landmark famed for its iconic three-story pagoda and large wooden stage which offers dramatic views of the city, bordered by gorgeous cherry and maple trees. The trio of streams pouring from the base of the main hall are each believed to offer a different blessing – a long life, fortune in love, and success with studies. We proceed along the streets leading up to the temple, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, which are filled with preserved buildings that retain the character of the Edo period. Many of the buildings sell souvenirs and Kyoto-specific wares. Then we go to Kenninji Temple Tacchu Ryosokuin, which is considered Kyoto's oldest Zen temple. While here, we can experience the time-honored Green Tea Ceremony, a ritual of hospitality once afforded only to nobility. We can also learn Zen meditation, or “zazen”: a discipline practiced by Zen Buddhist monks to gain clarity of mind and insight into the nature of existence. From there, we make our way to Maruyama Park, which is one of the top spots in Kyoto to see beautiful cherry blossoms. One tree is especially famous – the Shidarezakura, or “weeping cherry tree”. We will end our day in the Gion Geisha District, where its streets are lined with ochaya (teahouses) – exclusive establishments where guests are entertained by Geisha and Maiko. Here, we will enjoy traditional Kyoto Cuisine in the company of an elegant Geisha.

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo or similar class

Today, we transfer to Nara to walk around the ancient city. We start from Nara Station, going to from there to Kaku to learn about Japanese Calligraphy, where you will learn to use the calligraphy brush to write Japanese characters on a sheet of white paper. We stroll from there over to Kofukuji Temple, which is home to a magnificent five-storied pagoda. We proceed from there to Isuien Garden - a picturesque landscape garden that uses nearby Todaiji Temple as "borrowed scenery" to add to its scenic beauty. Then we go over to Nara Deer Park, which sits outside Todaiji Temple. Nara Deer Park contains hundreds of friendly, wild deer that roam freely around the grounds. Special crackers can be purchased at stalls throughout the park for those wishing to feed the deer. Finally, we visit Todaiji Temple, one of Japan's most iconic Buddhist temples, housing an image of Rushana-butsu, who is called the "Cosmic Buddha".

Hotel Nikko Nara or similar class

In the morning, we transfer from Nara to enjoy a walk around stunning Mount Yoshino - considered one of Japan's most beautiful cherry blossom-viewing spots. We start at Yoshino Station, going up to the Hanayagura Observatory. Along the way, we stop at Kinpusenji Temple - a temple of the Shugendo religion, which combines elements of Buddhism with native Japanese Shinto. It's enormous Zao Hall is particularly impressive. We go from there to Yoshimizu Shrine, a historic Shinto shrine on Mount Yoshino with picturesque grounds. We go from there to Naka Senbon Park, which contains the "central thousand" of Mount Yoshino's cherry trees. We take a break here for a relaxing Hanami Picnic. A hanami is a traditional Japanese event where people gather in a group to enjoy the cherry blossoms together. Finally, we make our way to Hanayagura Observatory, which is by far the top spot to view the cherry blossoms, floating over Mount Yoshino like a blanket of fluffy pink clouds.

Hotel at Mt. Yoshino or similar class

In the morning, we transfer from Mount Yoshino to Koyasan - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Japan's most deeply spiritual places. We start with a tour of Kongobuji Temple, originally constructed by famed samurai general Toyotomi Hideyoshi before it was claimed as the ecclesiastical head temple of Koyasan. The temple’s classical, timeworn exterior hides rooms that have been elegantly painted, complete with gilded sliding doors. Behind the temple is the Banryutei, the largest rock garden in Japan, beautifully composed to represent dragons emerging from clouds in the sky. Proceed from there to the Danjo Garan, one of the most important sites of Koyasan, and its spiritual heart. Here is where Shingon founder Kobo Daishi first established the temple complex, beginning construction of the Garan’s stately vermillion pagoda and Golden Hall (called the “Kondo”). Then visit Okunoin Temple, which contains the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, who founded the Shingon sect, and who is said to be waiting within in eternal meditation. The temple sits beside Japan’s largest, most beautiful cemetery, housing over 200,000 gravestones.

Fudo-in, Soji-in, or Ichijo-in (not Sekisho-in) or similar class

In the morning, walk the path from Kami- Kosawa Station to the Daimon Gate - a part of the Koyasan Choishi Michi Pilgrimage Trail. Starting from Kami-Kosawa Station, you will begin to feel the mystical atmosphere of Koyasan as you hike the dirt paths through dense forests of bamboo and cedar trees. We will pass several of the stone posts and various other historic structures marking the pilgrimage path before reaching the Daimon Gate, which sits at the entrance to the Koyasan temple grounds. Upon arrival, we transfer from Koyasan to Osaka for the final night of the tour.

Distance: 16 km
Time: About 5 hours

Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba or similar class

In the morning, our tour officially ends.