A perfect tour for the walking enthusiast. Enjoy 9 hikes over 10 days by complementing our Nakasendo and Kamikochi tour with hiking in the Karuizawa and Nikko areas.
Nakasendo and Kamikochi walking 10 days
(subject to change until the booking has been finalized)
Day 1 Hike from Magome to Tsumago and Nagiso
We supply train tickets for your journey from Kyoto or from Tokyo to Nakatsugawa, including a ride on the world-famous Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Nagoya. At Nakatsugawa, you board a local bus for the short journey to Magome. Walk over Magome Pass to Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendo post-towns. In the afternoon, you will be picked up and transferred to your Onsen inn for the evening, a short drive from the main village of Tsumago.
Walking distance: 8.3km / 5.2 miles
Elevation gain: 326m / 1,069 feet of ascent and 430m / 1,410 feet of descent
Time required: About 3 hours
A longer option of 4 hours is also possible depending on the inn you stay at.
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) or Onsen Hotel close to Tsumago
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Hike from Nagiso to Nojiri
The longest day on the trail is a beautiful and varied hike from Nagiso to Nojiri. The trail travels through small valleys and past forests of bamboo and Japanese cedar, through some of the least-developed scenery on the tour. Continue by train to Kiso-Fukushima. Stay at a lovely hot spring Ryokan set in a peaceful valley above the town. Complimentary transfer from the station is provided by the Ryokan). The Ryokan has lovely indoor and outdoor hot-spring baths.
Walking distance: 14.7km/ 9.2 miles
Elevation gain: 625m / 1,945 feet of ascent and 530m / 1,730 feet of descent
Time required: About 5 hours
A longer option of 6 hours is also possible.
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) in Kiso-Fukushima
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Komanoyu – A comfortable hot-spring Ryokan above Kiso-Fukushima, with indoor and outdoor baths – perfect after a day of hiking!
Day 3 Hiking in the Kiso-Fukushima region
A day to relax and explore the historic Kiso-Fukushima. Our optional walk today travels through a quiet scenic forest before taking in key areas of the town. Stay at another lovely hot spring Ryokan in the town.
Walking distance: 7km / 4.3 miles
Elevation gain: 630m/2,075 feet of ascent and 635m/2,090 feet of descent
Time required: About 2-3 hours of optional walking
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) in Kiso-Fukushima
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 Hike from Yabuhara to Narai and Hirasawa
Today travel by train for the short journey from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara, the starting point for the hike over the Torii pass to Narai. Explore this evocative village before a short walk to Kiso-Hirasawa, an historic lacquerware town. From here head on by train and bus to your inn for the evening; another wonderful Onsen Ryokan.
Walking distance: 8.7km / 5.5 miles
Elevation gain: 345m / 1,130 feet of ascent and 270m / 885 feet of descent
Time required: About 4 hours
An easier walk of 6.2km / 3.9 miles taking 3 hours is also possible.
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) close to Matsumoto
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 Hiking in the Kamikochi wetlands
Travel by bus to the biodiverse wetlands of Kamikochi; a popular site for nature hiking, featuring dramatic mountain and lake scenery. Head onwards to a secluded Onsen Ryokan village in Oku-Hida for the evening.
Walking distance: 10.2km / 6.4 miles
Elevation gain: negligible ascent and descent
Time required: About 3-4 hours of optional hiking
A shorter walk of 3.2km / 2 miles and 1.5 hours is also possible.
Accommodation: Ryokan (Travellers Inn) in Oku-Hida
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 Hiking in Oku-Hida and transfer on to Karuizawa
Today enjoy a hike in the mountains of Oku-Hida (also referred to as Okuhida), providing stunning views out over the local range. Travel by bus to Matsumoto first and Karuizawa where you will stay this evening. As an alternative to the walk, you may like to visit Takayama, an engaging historic town before heading onwards. Takayama is well-known for its crafts, particularly yew-wood carving, Shunkei lacquerware, pottery and furniture. You may also wish to explore the ruins of Takayama castle and walk along the east-side temples before visiting Karuizawa.
Walking distance: 6.6km / 4.1 miles
Elevation gain: 700m / 2,300 feet of ascent and descent
Time required: About 3-3.5 hours of optional hiking
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) or Hotel in Karuizawa
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 Hike from Karuizawa to Yokokawa and transfer to Nikko
After breakfast, your final walk on the Nakasendo Trail is from Karuizawa to Yokokawa. Leaving Karuizawa, the trail takes you over the Usui-toge Pass and down a gentle descent along one of the most beautiful sections of the Nakasendo, and certainly the least-developed. From Yokokawa, board the local train to Takasaki and change there for your ride on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Tokyo. The train journey takes around three hours and you will arrive in Nikko in the late afternoon.
Walking distance: 10.4km / 6.5 miles
Elevation gain: negible ascent and 830m / 2,800 feet of descent
Time required: About 3-4 hours
The walk can be shortened by 3.3km / 2 miles by a taxi ride at the start of the day.
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn) in Nikko
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 Hike from Ryuzu Falls to Yumoto Onsen
This morning, take a bus further into the mountains to Oku Nikko. The forests and mountains here have been sacred to the Japanese for 1,200 years, and your first hike in the area is a gentle introduction to the region following the Yukawa River towards the Onsen village of Nikko Yumoto where you will spend the evening. The hike also takes in two spectacular waterfalls – Ryuzu and Yudaki Falls.
Distance: 8.4km / 5.2 miles
Time required: 3-4 hours
Ascent/descent: 295m / 970 feet of ascent and 90m / 295 feet of descent
Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Travellers Inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Typical Accommodation
Itaya Onsen Ryokan – Located in the Onsen village of Yumoto to the west of central Nikko, Itaya Onsen Ryokan affords a relaxing base to explore the area, with comfortable Japanese-style rooms, good meals and terrific natural thermal baths.