Nakasendo Trail Walking & Hiking Tour: Spring

Day 1

Meet in Tokyo

Welcome to Tokyo!
Meet your guide and tour group at your hotel in Central Tokyo. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Welcome Dinner

Shiba Park Hotel or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 2

Sightseeing in Tokyo

On our first full day in Japan, we will experience a walking tour of Tokyo. Start at Nihonbashi, which translates to ‘Japan Bridge’ and served as a focal point for all of Japan’s main roads. Afterwards, we will visit Ueno and the Tokyo National Museum to see exhibits that showcase Japan during the Edo era. During Edo, the Nakasendo Trail was used for travelers, as it connected Tokyo and Kyoto. If the museum is closed due to a national holiday, we will visit the Kappabashi district, famous for selling kitchenware, small plastic models of food, and other goods for restaurants. Continue on to Meiji Shrine and the very fashionable and fun Harajuku district. In the evening, you are free to select your own dinner. Whether you dine at local restaurants, fast- food, or seek suggestions from your tour guide, Tokyo has much to offer when it comes to cuisine.

Breakfast

Shiba Park Hotel or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 3

Nakasendo Trail from Kiso-Hirasawa to Narai

Our expedition through rural Japan begins today, as we journey from Tokyo to the remote Kiso valley. Over the next three days we will walk from village to village, lodging in small, family-run country inns such as ryokan and minshuku. Travel to Kiso-Hirasawa, where you may have the chance to see craftsmen who specialize in locally produced lacquerware. You can find several shops here offering stunningly crafted lacquerware of all types. Head onwards from Kiso- Hirasawa to Narai, where we will stay for the night. Narai is a beautifully preserved post-town, which marked the halfway point from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo) and was known as the most wealthy post town in Kiso Valley. Enjoy your night stay at an atmospheric and traditional Minshuku, a family-run guesthouse.

Walking distance: 2.5 km / 1.6 miles
Elevation gain: negligible ascent and descent
Time required: 1 hour

Breakfast / Dinner

Minshuku Shimada or similar class (Minshuku)

Day 4

Walk from Narai to Yabuhara

For our second day trekking the Nakasendo Trail, we will walk from Narai to Yabuhara over the Torii Pass. Yabuhara was another post town on the Nakasendo Trail, but has become a city that lies off the beaten path. Continue by train to Kiso-Fukushima, which served as a checkpoint for merchants to have their goods inspected. We will stay a night at this town at a charming, yet traditional ryokan with its own natural hot spring. Tonight, refresh yourselves and soak in the indoor baths made of cypress wood or try the outdoor baths surrounded by the deep forests.

Walking distance: 6.2 km / 3.9 miles
Elevation gain: 270 m / 885 feet ascent; 344 m / 1,128 feet descent
Time required: 3 hours

Breakfast / Dinner

Nukumorino-yado Komanoyu or similar class (Onsen Ryokan)

Day 5

Kiso-Fukushima to Tsumago

In the morning, we will transfer by train from Kiso- Fukushima to Nojiri, then take a short taxi ride to the Nenoue-Toge pass. We will walk along a stunning portion of the Nakasendo Trail through small settlements and rice fields and onwards to Tsumago. Only a few decades ago, Tsumago was neglected and falling apart, however, thanks to the efforts of the local residents, it has been saved and restored. Today, cars are not allowed on the main road and power lines are hidden, making visitors feel as if they have gone back in time. Many people see Tsumago as a living museum; one which is still inhabited by local residents. We will arrive in the afternoon, then check in at our minshuku.

Walking distance: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Elevation gain: 344 m / 1,129 feet ascent; 723 m / 2,275 feet descent
Time required: 4.5 hours

Breakfast / Dinner

Minshuku Tsutamuraya or similar class (Minshuku)

Day 6

Tsumago to Magome; onwards to Nara

From Tsumago, we will begin our day with a walk towards Magome, our last stop in the Kiso Valley. The trail from Tsumago to Magome is the most beautiful and best-preserved portion of the Nakasendo Trail. You will have the chance to see waterfalls, rice paddies, and several small villages. Once we arrive in Magome, you will have some time to eat lunch and explore the many small shops along the charming main street. Consider trying a popular snack, gohei- mochi, which is skewered sticky rice covered in a sweet paste of miso, sesame and walnuts. In the afternoon, travel by regular train, then trasnfer onto a shinkansen, or bullet train. We will head to Kyoto on the bullet train, then continue on a connecting train to Nara, where we will stay at a western-style hotel.

Walking distance: 8.3 km / 5.2 miles
Elevation gain: 430 m / 1,410 feet ascent; 326 m / 1069 feet of descent
Time required: 3 hours

Breakfast

Hotel Nikko Nara or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 7

Nara

Today, we will start by enjoying a guided walk through the city of Nara. Nara is home to many of Japan’s greatest cultural treasures and an astounding eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. We will visit two of these World Heritage sites, one of them being Kasuga Taisha and the other Todaiji Temple, located near the home to the thousand or more free-roaming deer at Nara Park. While strolling the park, you can purchase rice crackers to feed the deer before heading to Todaiji Temple. The temple is among the largest wooden buildings in the world, housing a 16-meter tall statue of Rushana Buddha in both bronze and gold. Make your way to Kasuga Taisha, Nara's most celebrated shrine and known for its many lanterns donated by worshipers. We will also have some free time to relax, visit a Japanese garden, or wander through the old town.

Breakfast

Hotel Nikko Nara or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 8

Asuka

From Nara, we continue to Asuka, a peaceful village surrounded by rice fields, green hills, and some of Japan’s most important ancient sites. Asuka served as an early center of Japan’s government and culture, and traces of that history can still be found throughout the countryside. Ancient burial mounds such as Ishibutai Kofun sit among the rural landscape, making this a wonderful place to explore at a slower pace. Walking between temples, historic sites, and open fields offers a quieter look at Japan’s past and a welcome change from the busier cities.

Our journey then takes us by scenic train into the mountains of the Kii Peninsula to Mount Kōya, one of Japan’s most sacred Buddhist destinations. Founded as a center of Shingon Buddhism in the 9th century, Mount Kōya is home to more than 100 temples and monasteries.

Here, we experience a very different side of Japan by spending the night in a shukubo, or Buddhist temple lodging. Dinner is shōjin ryōri, traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine prepared without meat or fish. The following morning, guests have the opportunity to wake early and join the temple’s morning service, experiencing a tradition that has been practiced on Mount Kōya for centuries.

Breakfast / Dinner

Yochiin or similar class (Shukubo Temple Lodging)

Day 9

Mt. Koya

In the morning, visit Kongobu-ji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism on Mount Kōya. Take time to explore its historic buildings and peaceful gardens, including one of Japan’s largest rock gardens. Afterward, enjoy some free time at the nearby shops and tea houses and take in the quiet mountain setting.

In the afternoon, continue to Okunoin, one of the most sacred places on Mount Kōya. A cedar-lined path leads through an atmospheric cemetery filled with centuries-old monuments and memorials before reaching the mausoleum of Kōbō Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. The walk is peaceful and deeply connected to Mount Kōya’s spiritual history, offering a very different experience from Japan’s more familiar temples and sightseeing areas.

Breakfast / Dinner

Yochiin or similar class (Shukubo Temple Lodging)

Day 10

Transfer to Kyoto

We will begin our day by taking the train to Kyoto and checking into our accommodation that we will stay in tonight. While the capital of Japan today is Tokyo, Kyoto was once the capital for many centuries. Today, it is still thought of as Japan’s cultural heart due to the long history that the city holds. In the evening, we will enjoy an ample walk through Kyoto’s geisha district, Gion, where, if we are lucky, we may be able to see a geiko (geisha) or maiko (apprentice geisha) walk through the streets of the traditional former capital.

Breakfast

Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Sanjo or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 11

Kyoto

Today, we will have a half-day guided walking tour of this marvelous city. Our tour begins with a visit to the western end of the Nakasendo Trail, the Sanjo- ohashi Bridge. From there we will move onwards towards Nanzenji, an enchantingly tranquil Zen Buddhist temple with a history that goes back to the mid- 13th century. We will walk along the Philosopher’s Path, a stone path through the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district. You can find charming craft shops, cafes, even shrines and temples running next to the crystal-clear waters of the small canal, which is especially beautiful during early April when the cherry blossoms bloom. The path ends near the Silver Pavilion, also known in Japanese as ‘Ginkakuji’. In the afternoon, there will be down time for you to explore the area before joining a farewell dinner with your guide in the evening.

Breakfast / Farewell Dinner

Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Sanjo or similar class (Western Hotel)

Day 12

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Your guide will be happy to offer assistance and advice for getting to the airport if you have a flight to catch, or for onward travel if you are extending your stay in Japan.

Breakfast