Firstly, we explore the central, mountainous section of the Nakasendo Way, an old road that starts in Kyoto and finishes in Tokyo. In its heyday in the seventeenth century, the Nakasendo was crowded with travellers, including feudal lords, samurai, itinerant merchants and pilgrims. Now largely forgotten and quiet, the road provides a pleasant path through scenic countryside and, also, the history of Japan. We stay in picturesque, old post towns en route in much the same way that the Japanese traveller of old did. Charming, traditional inns, which have somehow survived into the modern world, provide us with friendly and atmospheric overnight accommodation. In the evenings, often in an ambience reminiscent of Hiroshige's woodblock prints of feudal Japan, we relax and enjoy excellent meals.
Next, Norikura provides a further welcome escape from the high heat and humidity of the lowlands. Norikura and the surrounding mountains of the Central Alps was first made famous in the 1880s by Walter Weston, a British missionary, inveterate explorer and mountain climber. Weston clambered all over the mountains of the region and also travelled along the Nakasendo. He wrote of his experiences in his "Mountaineering and Exploration in the Japanese Alps", his fascinating book that is still in print to this day. In Norikura our accommodation changes to a comfortable mountain pensions with onsen thermal hot spring baths.
Matsumoto, our final destination, is an elegant regional city on a high plateau in the Central Alps. Once the seat of a daimyo regional samurai baron, Matsumoto retains its imposing tenshukaku, the keep of the castle, that still dominates the city.
Our Summer Nakasendo Way tour follows some of the most scenic and enjoyable sections of the old highway and into the mountains of Japan's Central Alps. Seventeenth-century travellers insisted on a reasonably easy route for their journey and so do we. This is a walking tour, not a trek, and average daily walking distance is a moderate 10-16 kilometres. Forward transport, however, can be arranged for those who desire a more relaxed day. Our main luggage is sent ahead each day.
Price: JPY258,000 (JPY = Japanese Yen) per person. The single supplement is JPY10,000 (Please see below). Please use the currency converter on the right-hand side of this page to find the current rate in your local currency.
Special offer: For customers joining our Summer Nakasendo Way tour we offer our two City tours at discounted prices: The Kyoto Tour with two night's accommodation is JPY47,000 per person; and without accommodation is JPY26,000 per person. The Tokyo Tour with accommodation is JPY42,000 per person; and without accommodation is JPY26,000 per person.
What is included and not included? A fully guided tour including local travel from tour meeting point to finishing point, accommodation, all breakfasts, one lunch and six evening meals, baggage transfers, and entrance fees. Not included are flights, six lunches and drinks with meals.
Single room supplement: The single room supplement is JPY10,000 per person and guarantees a single room in hotels on one night. Please note that while we cannot guarantee to do so we will endeavour to provide single accommodation on the nights we stay in traditional Japanese accommodation. No additional charge is made for any single accommodation provided in Japanese accommodation.
A note on traditional Japanese accommodation: Japanese cultural norms generally dictate that rooms in Japanese-style accommodation, including inns, are provided on a twin basis and individuals travelling together are traditionally expected to share. It is the case, however, that we are frequently able to secure single rooms in Japanese-style accommodation for our customers for many, if not all, days of a tour. Provision, though, is solely at the discretion of the establishment and it may not be known until the day whether it is available. Accordingly, as we cannot guarantee single rooms in Japanese-style accommodation we do not include these in the single room supplement. As mentioned above, in the case that we can provide single room accommodation we make no additional charge. Importantly, in the case that single travellers do share this will only ever be with another person of the same gender from the same tour group.
Group size: The small, intimate nature of the inns makes the maximum group size 12 people. We have no minimum size. If we accept a booking we guarantee to run the tour.
Please see the Itinerary for this tour and Tour Dates for dates and availability. These tours start on a Saturday and finish on a Friday.
Please contact Walk Japan for more information and to book this tour.
This itinerary for the Summer Nakasendo Way trip is "ground only," beginning in Nagoya and ending in Matsumoto. Train connections are easily made to Nagoya and from Matsumoto from/to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and further afield. After receiving the booking and deposit we will provide detailed instructions for getting to the meeting point at Nagoya Railway Station from Osaka's Kansai Airport (KIX), Tokyo's Narita Airport (NRT) and Chubu (Nagoya) International Airport.
Please note that on Day 3 the main baggage will be shipped in advance overnight. On these days all items you require for overnight will need to be carried in your daypack.
Day 1
After meeting mid-morning in Nagoya we catch a train to Nakatsugawa, an old post town and now a pleasant regional town. A leisurely lunch and tour briefing here before an afternoon walk in hilly countryside to Shinchaya teahouse, now a refurbished inn. Total walking about 10 kilometres.
Lunch and dinner provided.
Day 2
Walk to Magome post-town, which was the home of Shimazaki Toson. Toson wrote Before the Dawn, considered to be Japan's first modern novel. Then on to Tsumago, the classic hike of the Nakasendo through verdant forests. Stay in a traditional inn. Visit the old, high-class inn, now museum, in Tsumago. Total walking of about 14 kilometres.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 3
Walk of about 6 kilometres to Nagiso before catching a train to Kiso-Fukushima. A short taxi journey to the beginning of our walk over a pass and on to the Kaida Plateau, which is dominated by Mt. Ontake, a volcano and one of Japan's sacred mountains. Another walk takes us over another pass and to our lodgings, a Japanese inn with hot spring.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 4
Catch a local bus to Kiso-Fukushima, where we visit the reconstructed Edo Period barrier station before taking a short ride to Yabuhara. Walk 8 kilometres over the Torii-toge pass to the lovely post-town of Narai. Free time to explore, relax in cafes and shop in Narai before transferring by train and taxi to the Norikura Plateau high in Japan’s Central Alps. We stay tonight and the following night in a cozy pension with thermal hot spring baths. Total walking approximately 8 km.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 5
After breakfast we ride on a bus up Mt. Norikura to 2,702 metres where we alight and climb the rest of the way to the peak at 3,026 metres. Here we are awarded fantastic, 360 degree views over the Central Alps, which include some of the highest mountains in Japan. Today, we explore some of the many trails on Mt. Norikura before taking the bus back down to our accommodation. Total walking depends on how much the group wishes to walk but will vary between 6 ~ 10 km and total height gain of approximately 350 ~ 800 metres.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 6
A less arduous day as we spend the morning exploring the lower level trails and vistas of the Norikura Plateau. Lunch is followed by a waterfall walk before returning by late afternoon to Matsumoto, where we spend our last night in a hotel in the centre of this elegant city. Total walking approximately 12 km.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 7
Breakfast in the hotel followed by a guided visit to Matsumoto castle and the city. The tour finishes around lunchtime but the city has plenty more to explore if you wish to do so. Express trains connect Matsumoto to Tokyo and Nagoya, where onward Shinkansen 'Bullet' trains speed to Kyoto. Your tour leader will help you organise your tickets, etc. as required.
Breakfast provided.
This itinerary is subject to change.
Please see Tour Dates for scheduled tours and their availability. Contact Walk Japan for more information. More information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our dedicated website Nakasendo Highway: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
The following travel tips are intended to be helpful advice for the Summer Nakasendo Way tour. In addition, please refer to your own past experiences and make adjustments or amendments as necessary. If you require any further advice please contact us.
Clothing & baggage:In summer days are hot and evenings warm to cool. There is an increased probability of rain from early to mid-July. It is still however advisable to bring a variety of layers ranging from t-shirts to a top with long sleeves and perhaps a lightweight sweater/fleece. Shorts are acceptable in Japan for both men and women. We recommend good quality walking shoes/boots and a collapsible walking pole. You may also like to bring some comfortable, casual shoes sneakers, sandals, etc. for use in town. The sun's rays can be strong and we recommend a sun hat, sun screen, etc. A lightweight, packable waterproof and a compact, fold-up umbrella should suffice for any inclement weather. (Note, 24-hour stores, which are found almost everywhere in Japan, sell cheap umbrellas and rain capes). Some individuals find Japanese pillows uncomfortable and you may like to bring your own inflatable pillow. Yukata, evening gowns for sleeping in, are provided at each lodging. However, we recommend leggings, a top, etc. to wear underneath. This will provide a degree of modesty and help ward off any cold air.
Please bring a small bag - your day pack should be sufficient - to contain overnight items. For logistical reasons, we will be sending ahead our main luggage overnight on Day 3.
On other days, when walking, our main luggage is sent on ahead to the next lodgings by taxi. Each day we carry only what we need (camera, water bottle, note book, rain jacket, etc.) for the walk itself.
If you are travelling prior to and/or after the tour you may have more baggage. In this case, baggage not required for the tour can be sent on at the beginning of the tour to our final hotel or another destination within Japan. Expect to pay between Yen 1,400 ~ 1,800 per item.
Food and drink:While travelling during the day it is not usually necessary to carry more than water, a snack and personal needs. Shops, vending machines and kiosks, which are found in most places we visit, provide for many immediate needs including drinks, snacks, cosmetics and clothing. Lunch will be taken either in restaurants or with food bought to eat as a 'picnic on the road'.
For meals not included in the tour expect to pay between 700~1,500 per person for breakfast and lunch, expect to pay from 3,000 for dinner.
Dinner in the Japanese inns is Japanese style, though breakfast may be more Western in style. Tap water is nearly always drinkable your guide will advise.
Medicines and cosmetics:Some medicines and cosmetics with which you are familiar may not be available in Japan, although there are usually similar products. Prescription medicines in Japan may differ from foreign medicines in minor, but possibly unacceptable, ways. If you require a specific medicine or cosmetic, either for health or comfort, please bring sufficient quantities with you.
Access to cash:Exchanging cash or travellers' cheques in major currencies is possible in most towns that we visit. However, changing foreign currency at a bank can be a time-consuming exercise. Instead, we recommend alternatives including arriving in Japan with some Japanese currency, using credit cards, and withdrawing cash from ATMs.
Japan is still a society based on cash payments. Given that the crime rate is quite low, there is not a great deal of risk in carrying around relatively large amounts of cash. Credit card payments are sometimes possible, but do not rely on it as credit cards are not universally acceptable in Japan, particularly in rural areas. ATMs at Japanese post offices, which are ubiquitous in Japan, and Seven-Eleven stores provide cash against the following credit cards - Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club International, PLUS, Maestro, Cirrus and JCB. Most Japanese bank ATMs, though, do not accept debit cards or provide access to foreign bank accounts.
International telephoning, cell phones and the internet:Making international telephone calls and using the internet outside of major urban areas can be difficult or impossible. Please bring a telephone charge card issued by your local telephone company, such as AT&T, BT and Telstar. These can be used almost anywhere.
The Japanese cell, or mobile, phone system uses a specialized CDMA technology which is incompatible with most overseas systems. Some G3, Blackberry smartphones and iPhones operate in Japan, however, please confirm with your provider whether your phone set will work. If your phone does not work in Japan you may like to rent a cell phone from providers such as NTT Docomo, Cellhire, Mobalrental, Worldroam, Vodafone, etc.
Internet access is available in Magome and O-Tsumago on Days 1 & 2 only for those bringing their own computer and in Matsumoto on Day 6.
The following is an indication of what level of activity to expect on our tours. The itineraries for all our tours provide specific details of each day's walking.
Please note that one person's expectations of what is easy or hard can be very different. Whilst age, physical ability and fitness are factors in deciding what a person is capable of, often a seemingly less fit person completes our tours with no problem. Another factor to consider is the weather, which can affect people differently.
Since 1992 we have taken many thousands of people of many nationalities, all ages and abilities on tour in Japan. We have good experience and knowledge about what most, if not all, people can achieve so please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information and advice related to your abilities.
Participants must be able to handle their own luggage, climb a few flights of stairs and walk less than 1 km a day. Travel will be almost entirely by public transport, taxi and private hire bus.
Participants must be able to handle their own luggage, climb a few flights of stairs and walk up to 5 km a day on mainly even ground underfoot.
Participants must be in reasonable health, mobile and able to participate in 4~6 hours of walking at a moderate 2kph to 4kph pace. The terrain is hilly with occasional short, steep climbs and the ground mainly even underfoot.
Participants must be in reasonable health, mobile and able to participate in 4~6 hours of walking at a 2 kph to 4 kph pace. The terrain includes more uneven ground than Level 3 with some short, occasionally longer, steep climbs.
Participants must be in good health, mobile and used to a reasonably active lifestyle. Walking may require up to six hours of moderate-paced activity per day, at a 2 kph to 4 kph pace over varied terrain. Ascents and descents can sometimes be steep, necessitating the use of arms for support.
Participants must be in good health, have a good level of physical fitness and used to an active lifestyle. Walking may require up to eight hours of moderate-paced activity per day, at a 2 kph to 4kph pace over varied, mountainous terrain including some long ascents and descents.
The Summer Nakasendo Way tour is a fully guided, Level 4 walk suitable for anyone who is a fairly frequent walker and can walk for more than three to four hours in comfort. In general, the route is gently undulating but also includes some short, steeper climbs, and an optional mountain climb. Temperatures and humidity are higher in the Japanese summer, hence the slightly higher difficulty rating than our regular Nakasendo Way tour. Read more on tour levels below. 
