Nakasendo and the Kiso Valley

Nakasendo and the Kiso Valley Tour from Australia | 8-Day Nakasendo Trail Tour: Kyoto to Tokyo Walk & Ryokan Stay | JTB Travel

A short, small-group guided walking tour with three hikes of 3-6 hours of village-to-village walking on the Nakasendō Trail

From AUD $4,765 per person, twin share

Kifune Shrine in the forested mountains north of Kyoto, Japan – ancient Shinto shrine renowned for its peaceful atmosphere, stone lantern-lined paths, and cool summer air
Historic post town of Narai-juku on the Nakasendo Trail in Japan – preserved Edo-period wooden buildings, traditional inns, and scenic mountain setting in Nagano Prefecture
Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, Japan – iconic black-painted samurai fortress with original wooden interiors, surrounded by a scenic moat and Japanese Alps backdrop

Highlights

  • Enjoy the key walks and villages along the old Nakasendō Trail
  • Enjoy the comfort of bathing in thermal onsen waters
  • Stay at a charming family-run inn offering warm and inviting hospitality
  • Visit Tsumago, Magome and Narai – three lovingly maintained historic villages along the trail
  • Enjoy walking in historic Kyōto and Nara with your experienced bilingual guide
  • Experience a bullet train journey to Nagoya

The Nakasendō, or ‘road through the central mountains’, was a key route in feudal Japan’s network of highways. Merchants and travellers moving between Tōkyō and Kyōto spent multiple days to travel the Nakasendō, staying in post towns each evening. A key section of the original route in the Kiso Valley region retains much of the nature and character of this historically significant period of Japan’s history, enabling you to walk from village to village along forested trails, as you overnight in traditional inns with excellent local cuisine and baths.

Our 8-day small-group guided tour, Nakasendō and the Kiso Valley, spends three nights in Kyōto, where the trail begins. We will also take a side trip to nearby Nara for an excellent hike while here. Next, we enjoy three days of excellent walking along the Nakasendō Trail – by day we will walk along the ancient route as it passes through beautifully preserved villages along a gentle path, and by evening we will stay in traditional inns. During these stays, we will enjoy exquisite regional cuisine prepared from the freshest ingredients, soak in natural hot springs, and enjoy the warm hospitality of our hosts. Finally, our time together will end in Tōkyō.  

NOTE:

Tour itineraries are subject to change. We will inform you of any amendments as soon as we become aware of them.

 

  • Day
  • 1
Meet in Kyoto to begin the tour 
 
  • Hotel Western-style Hotel
  • Meal Welcome Dinner

Meet your guide and the other group members at the tour hotel in central Kyōto in the evening. We will enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

  • Day
  • 2
E njoy A Day of sightseeing in Kyoto
  • Walking 6.5 km / 4 mi
  • World Heritage site 307m / 1,077 ft ascent and 421 m / 1,381 ft descent
  • Walking About 3 hours
  • Traditional Japanese Ryokan Inn Western-style Hotel
  • Meal Breakfast

Our first full day of the tour takes us to several key destinations in Kyōto, the ancient capital of Japan. There is a half-day of guided walking this morning, where we first visit the Sanjō Bridge, the western end of the Nakasendō Trail. From here, we will travel north to Kurama and enjoy a beautiful walk through the Kitayama Mountains from Kurama to Kibune.
  • Day
  • 3
Hike the Yamanobe no Michi in Nara
  • Walking 13.6 km / 8.5 mi
  • World Heritage site negligible ascent and descent 
  • Walking About 5 hours walking 
  • Hotel Western-style Hotel
  • Meal Breakfast

Travel by train to Nara, Japan’s first permanent capital. Established in 710 and then known as Heijōkyō, Nara abounds in cultural heritage, with many historic treasures and easy access to wonderful nature. Today we will hike the historic Yamanobe-no-michi trail, an excellent hike along a varied trail before returning to Kyōto and our accommodation for one final evening.
  • Day
  • 4
Hike from Magome to Tsumago
  • Walking 6.8 km / 4.2 mi
  • World Heritage site 326 m / 1,069 ft of ascent and 430 m / 1,410 ft of descent
  • Walking About 2.5 hours
  • Traditional Japanese Ryokan Inn Minshuku (Family-run Guesthouse)
  • Meal Breakfast, Dinner

Journey by train from Kyoto 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 O-Tsumago, the charming hamlet located just before Tsumago Village. People here are proud of their post-town heritage and have carefully preserved the townhouses. Check in to an atmospheric, family-run minshuku in O-Tsumago, then enjoy a delicious home-cooked Japanese meal and relax with the sounds of nature.
  • Day
  • 5
Hike from O-Tsumago to Nenoue-toge Pass
  • Walking 18 km / 11.2 mi
  • World Heritage site 723 m / 2,275 ft of ascent and 644 m / 2,112 ft feet of descent
  • Walking About 7 hours
    A shorter alternative of 1.5 hours (5.2 km / 3.2 mi) from Ō-Tsumago to Nagiso is also possible.
  • Traditional Japanese Ryokan Inn Onsen hotel (hot spring hotel) or onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
  • Meal Breakfast, Dinner

A longer walk on the trail today offers a beautiful and varied hike from Ō-Tsumago to Nenoue-tōge Pass, or you may choose the shorter alternative to Nagiso instead. Along the way, we will pass through Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendō post towns. From here, the trail heads through small valleys passing forests of bamboo and Japanese cedar, through some of the most untouched scenery on the tour. Tonight, enjoy kaiseki-style cuisine and hot spring baths.
  • Day
  • 6
Hike from Yabuhara to Narai
  • Walking 8.7 km / 5.5 mi
  • World Heritage site 344m / 1,128 ft of ascent and 270m / 885 ft of descent
  • Walking About 4 hours*
    The walk can be shortened by an hour.
  • Traditional Japanese Ryokan Inn Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
  • Meal Breakfast, Dinner

Travel the short train journey to Yabuhara, the starting point for the hike over the Torii-tōge Pass to another post town, Narai. Explore this atmospheric village before travelling by train to the castle town of Matsumoto and your onsen ryokan for the evening.
  • Day
  • 7
Sightseeing in Matsumoto and Tokyo
  • Hotel Western-style Hotel
  • Meal Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

This morning, explore the engaging town of Matsumoto and visit Matsumoto Castle, which is one of Japan’s oldest historic castles. After lunch, head onwards to Tōkyō by train, which is both the end point of the Nakasendō Trail and of our tour. Stay at a comfortable Western-style hotel in the city and enjoy a final farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
  • Day
  • 8
Complete The Tour in Tokyo
  • Meal Breakfast

Our tour ends today after breakfast at the hotel in Tōkyō. Your guide will be available to provide assistance and advice for travelling onwards, whether you have homeward flights, or on plan on extending your stay in Japan.

 

 

Tour Length 

8 days
Cost

From AUD $4,765 per person, twin share
Type and Level of Trip

Type: Guided tour with an expert bilingual guide

Technical level: Walking routes are either paved or along well-maintained dirt trails and require no particular map-reading ability or route-finding skills.

Activity level: Experienced – Our Experienced-level tours feature consecutive dedicated days of trail walking, with walks of six hours or more and significant ascents and/or descents.
What is Included
  • Full-time services of an English-speaking tour guide
  • 7 nights in hotels and Japanese-style inns
  • Daily breakfast and 5 dinners
  • All transportation between tour locations
  • Entrance to museums, temples, and other sights on the group’s itinerary
  • Forwarding of 1 item of luggage on 2 occasions
What’s Not Included
  • Flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
  • Entrance fees to museums, temples, etc. not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Single room supplement for solo travellers at hotels
Dates

2025:

  • 24/09/2025

2026: 

  • 22/03/2026
  • 04/04/2026
  • 19/04/2026
  • 07/05/2026
  • 21/05/2026
  • 05/06/2026
  • 06/09/2026
  • 20/09/2026
  • 01/10/2026
  • 15/10/2026
  • 25/10/2026
  • 01/11/2026
  • 11/11/2026
Important Due to the rural nature of this tour, slight alterations of the itinerary are possible.

Kifune Shrine in the forested mountains north of Kyoto, Japan – ancient Shinto shrine renowned for its peaceful atmosphere, stone lantern-lined paths, and cool summer air
Historic post town of Narai-juku on the Nakasendo Trail in Japan – preserved Edo-period wooden buildings, traditional inns, and scenic mountain setting in Nagano Prefecture
Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, Japan – iconic black-painted samurai fortress with original wooden interiors, surrounded by a scenic moat and Japanese Alps backdrop























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    Traditional Shinto shrine along the Yamanobe-no-Michi trail in Nara, Japan – Japan’s oldest pilgrimage route known for historic shrines, rural scenery, and cultural heritage
    Traditional udatsu-style architecture in Ō-Tsumago, Japan – historic Edo-period town on the Nakasendo Trail known for fire-protective roof extensions and preserved wooden buildings
    Historic post town of Tsumago on the Nakasendo Trail in Japan – beautifully preserved Edo-period streetscape with traditional wooden buildings, no power lines, and an immersive old Japan atmosphere