Highlights

  • Bathe in thermal hot spring waters

  • Visit the exquisitely preserved villages of Magome, Tsumago and Narai

  • Visit the engaging castle towns of Matsumoto and Takayama

  • Walk village to village on the loveliest parts of the old Nakasendō Trail

  • Explore the biodiverse Kamikōchi

  • Hike in the mountains of Oku-Nikkō

Our Nakasendō and Kamikochi 10-day self-guided hiking tour is perfect for the hiking and walking enthusiast. Your tour begins with hiking along the full 5-day classic Nakasendō Trail itinerary, including hiking between the best-preserved post towns of the Kiso Valley, with an opportunity to overnight in the Matsumoto area which includes time to visit the magnificent Matsumoto Castle. Stay in a tranquil hot spring area just outside the city.

Then, you travel along to Kamikōchi and enjoy hiking in the Kamikōchi district, a highland valley in the Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. The natural beauty of the area is breathtaking as you walk below the valley floor below the high peaks around you. In the spring and summer, enjoy alpine flowers, and marvel at the foliage that unveils itself in autumn.

Then, continue to Komoro or Karuizawa, mountain resort towns that offer great hiking, where. Here, you will enjoy a comfortable night in a traditional ryokan. A fine breakfast and a lovely remote hike await you before you continue your travels onward to the Nikkō area. Hike both the Nikkō-Yumoto area and the Oku-Nikkō plains before travelling onward to Tōkyō where your tour finishes.

You’re supported by our team in Kyōto, our local Tsumago office, and guided by our bespoke turn-by-turn walking instructions and detailed maps, created by our team of hikers for you.

What is included

  • 9 nights at Japanese Inns
  • 9 breakfasts and 9 dinners
  • Train tickets from Kyoto or Tokyo to the trail and ending in Tokyo
  • Train tickets for intermediate journeys on the Nakasendō Trail and on to Nikkō which can be pre-booked in advance
  • Detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking directions
  • Topographical maps
  • Local support by telephone
  • Our Preparing for your trip and travelling in Japan Guidebooks

What is not included

  • Flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
  • Local bus journeys which must be paid directly to the bus driver
  • Single room supplement(s) for solo occupancy
  • Daily luggage transfer

Nakasendo and Kamikochi walking 10 days

(subject to change until the booking has been finalized)

Day 1 Hike from Magome to Tsumago

We supply train tickets for your journey starting from Kyōto or Tōkyō to Nakatsugawa, including a ride on the world-famous bullet train to Nagoya. At Nakatsugawa, you board a local bus for the short journey to Magome. Walk over Magome-tōge Pass to Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendō post towns. In the afternoon, you will be picked up and transferred to your accommodation for the evening, a short drive from the main village of Tsumago.

Walking distance: 8.3km / 5.2 mi
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 your inn for the evening.

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot Spring Inn) or Onsen Hotel (Hot Spring Hotel)
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 Hike from Tsumago 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 most unspoilt scenery on the tour. Continue by train to Kiso-Fukushima, a historic post town that once flourished as a political and economic centre in the Kiso Valley. Tonight, enjoy kaiseki-style cuisine and hot spring baths.

Walking distance: 18.4 km / 11.5 mi
Elevation gain: 723 m / 2,275 ft of ascent and 644 m / 2,112 ft of descent
Time required: About 6 hours

A longer option of 6 hours is also possible.

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Inn) or Onsen Hotel (Hot Spring Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 Hike 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 inn in the town.

Walking distance: 7km / 4.3 mi
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 Inn) or Onsen Hotel (Hot Spring Hotel)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 Hike from Yabuhara to Narai and Kiso-Hirasawa

Today travel by train for the short journey from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara, the starting point for the hike over the Torii-tōge Pass to Narai. Explore this evocative village before a short walk to Kiso-Hirasawa, a historic lacquerware town. From here head on by train and bus to your inn for the evening: another wonderful onsen ryokan within the city of Matsumoto.

Walking distance: 8.7km / 5.5 mi
Elevation gain: 345m / 1,130 feet of ascent and 270m / 885 feet of descent
Time required: About 4 hours

An easier walk of 6.2 km / 3.9 mi taking 3 hours is also available.

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 Hike in the Kamikochi Wetlands

Travel by bus to the biodiverse wetlands of Kamikōchi, a popular site for nature hiking which features dramatic mountain and lake scenery. Head onwards to a secluded village in Oku-Hida for the evening.

Walking distance: 10.2km / 6.4 mi
Elevation gain: negligible ascent and descent
Time required: About 3-4 hours of optional hiking

A shorter walk of 3.2km / 2 mi and 1.5 hours is also possible.

Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 Hike in Oku-Hida and transfer to Karuizawa

Today enjoy a hike in the mountains of Oku-Hida, providing stunning views out over the local range. Travel by bus to Matsumoto and then Karuizawa, where you will stay this evening. As an alternative to the walk, you may like to visit Takayama, an engaging historic town 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 and heading onwards.

Walking distance: 6.6km / 4.1 mi
Elevation gain: 700m / 2,300 feet of ascent and descent
Time required: About 3-4 hours of optional hiking

Accommodation: Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), Japanese-style hotel, or Western-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 Hike from Karuizawa to Yokokawa and transfer to Nikko

After breakfast, your final walk on the Nakasendō Trail is from Karuizawa to Yokokawa. Leaving Karuizawa, you take a taxi ride to the Usui-tōge Pass and hike down a gentle descent along one of the most beautiful sections of the Nakasendo. From Yokokawa, board the local train to Takasaki and change there for your ride on the bullet train to Ōmiya. The train journey takes around three hours, and you will arrive in Nikkō in the late afternoon.

Walking distance: 10.8 km / 6.5 mi
Elevation gain: negible ascent and 830m / 2,800 feet of descent
Time required: About 3-4 hours

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 Hike from Ryuzu Falls to Yumoto Onsen

This morning, take a bus further into the mountains to Oku-Nikkō. The forests and mountains here have been sacred to Japanese people for 1,200 years, and your first hike in the area is a gentle introduction to the region, following the Yukawa River towards the hot spring village of Nikkō-Yumoto, also known as Yumoto Onsen, where you will spend the evening. The hike also takes in two spectacular waterfalls, Ryūzu and Yudaki Falls.

Distance: 8.4km / 5.2 mi 
Time required: 3-4 hours
Ascent/descent: 295m / 970 feet of ascent and 90m / 295 feet of descent

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 Hike in the Oku Nikko Plains

Heading northeast from Yumoto Onsen, today’s hike offers exceptional scenery along the Oku-Nikkō plains, skirting both Mount Mitsudake and Mount Orogura. The trail loops around to the south before returning to Yumoto Onsen for a second night. Sightings of both monkeys and deer are common on this wonderfully rural trail.

Distance: 14.8km / 9.2 mi
Time required: 6-7 hours
Ascent/descent: 560m / 1,840 feet of ascent and 570m / 1,870 feet of descent

It is also possible to reduce the hike by 4.7km and 2 hours by skipping the final section of the walk with a local bus

Accommodation: Onsen Ryokan (Hot-spring Inn)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10 Return to Nikko and Travel to Tokyo

This morning, return by bus to central Nikkō and then continue onwards to Tōkyō by train. You may spend time exploring Nikkō if you wish, or you may prefer to connect straight onwards to Tōkyō before lunch.

Meals: Breakfast























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