Nakasendo Trail Day Hike: Explore Traditional Magome & Tsumago with a Licensed Guide
4.6
18 Ratings
Nakatsugawa
Embark on a value-packed Nakasendo trail day hike between Magome and Tsumago with a licensed guide. Explore traditional villages, enjoy gentle elevation changes, and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Japanese Alps.
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Nakasendo Magome-juku - While Magome and Tsumago served the same purposes for old-time travelers, the city has been preserved and restored in a very different way than Tsumago, with a broad stone walkway lined with trees and many traditional houses and craft shops.

Another difference is that it is on a slope, which leads to some beautiful views of the surrounding valley, and is home to several small museums that showcase the history of the town, the artists that lived there and their way of living.

I would recommend grabbing a drink or something to eat at the restaurants on top of the village and enjoy the views over the valley, or at the lower part to mix with the very interesting locals.

  • Nakasendo Tsumagojuku - Tsumago is almost flat but also a very charming village that takes you back to the old Japan. The town was one of the first historical preservation projects in all Japan (if not the first) and it recreates the ambience with its unpaved streets and concealed cables.

It keeps many of the traditional houses, like the original inn (the Honjin) that welcomed the merchants that traveled the Nakasendo, and the secondary inn (Wakihonjin), the old notice board used to publish the decrees from the Shogun, the Buddhist temple (built during the XVI Century)…

But you’ll find it even more charming on it’s best enjoyed at night, when they lit up their lanterns and everything becomes quiet but, maybe, a drum beating.

What's Included
  • Licensed Local Guide
What's Not Included
  • Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
  • Private Vehicle
  • You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
  • Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Additional Information

Kiso Valley, best known for the Magome and Tsumago traditional villages, is another beautiful spot in the Japanese Alps. With one of the most famous hiking paths in all Japan, we set foot there on our quest for traditional Japan.

Magome and Tsumago are two beautifully preserved traditional villages. This value-packed Nakasendo trail day hike between Magome and Tsumago with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore both of the ancient post towns!

It is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) long and has only gentle elevation changes which takes around 2 hours to easy walk at a leisurely pace.

This private tour is a hiking day tour. Please wear hiking boots and gear for this tour. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs.

  • This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Location
Magome
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(18 Ratings)
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Deblau59
Apr 29, 2024
Beautiful Day! - Wonderful day with Matt along the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago. From the beginning to meeting Matt at the train station, the communication and instructions were excellent. He told us exactly what to do and I even sent him a picture of my train tickets to make sure we purchased the right trains. The hike was informative, fun and beautiful. My friends and I loved the hike and enjoyed our time with Matt. Next time we have to hike more of the Nakasendo Trail.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James_p
Apr 17, 2024
Money and day well spent! - This particular hike was a perfect amateur level hike. Good enough to get the blood going but not outrageously difficult. My tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and an absolute delight to spend the day with. I would even do this same hike again with a guide. 10/10 would recommend
Review provided by Viator
Roam56510423691
Feb 12, 2024
Amazing Nakasendo Way Winter Day Hike - We had a lovely time exploring the Nakasendo Way with our guide Matt. He planned our itinerary quickly and was very responsive to our questions, even during the holidays. He gave us tips so we could prepare for the winter hike, advising us to bring walking sticks and snow boots or crampons. He also arranged our sumptuous brunch at the halfway point between Magome and Tsumago. We enjoyed Matt's stories about samurai, the Nakasendo way, and life during the Edo period as we went along. He entertained our questions and took some pics too. The place was magical and the stories made it even more alive for us. Our guide adjusted to our pace, allowed us to relish the moment, and kept track of time. We like the short break at the tea house on the way to Tsumago. Hiking down through snowy slopes was new to us, but he made sure we were safe. Thank you, Matt! We will be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Imemmajane
Jan 31, 2024
Magical winter wonderland - This is such an amazing walk! We had a 7 year old and 10 year old with us and it was very doable. Lots of snow throughout the walk which made for a really magical experience. Because of this there were areas where it was very icy and we had to take our time, but we had good snow boots on which made for easy walking. Some good steep climbs and descends along the way and some amazing waterfalls. It’s an ancient walk with a lot of history. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paradise44085111704
Jan 6, 2024
Excellent winter hike Magome to Tsumago - Our guide Tatsuya Ito was excellent, both pre-trip and during the hike. Pre-trip he took the initiative to contact us and arrange meeting logistics and kept us updated on weather conditions.During the trip he was knowledgeable and informative on the history behind origins of the Nakasendo trail and Edo period during which it was built, so it became a lot more enjoyable than just a winter hike, pretty as it was ! Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lottie_m
May 3, 2024
Great tour - Tour guide was great - very insightful and provided a good day out - the waterfalls viewing point didn’t really exist as could not see anything due to the trees
Review provided by Viator
David_w
Apr 21, 2024
Exceeded our expectations in every way - Our guide was Enomoto ("Matt") Masatake. I connected with Matt via email and Whatsapp before our arrival in Japan. He was extremely professional and responsive. We took the train from Matsumoto to Nagatsugawa where we met Matt. Then took a bus with him to the starting point in Magome. The hike exceeded our expectations in every way. The physical challenge was greater than we expected, but certainly mamageable. Magome is a beautiful town. The terrain and tour route was more beautiful than we expected. After we left Magome, the crowds thinned out considerably. Matt arramged for an early lunch along the way and, of course, we stopped at the tea house as well. At the end of the hike, we enjoyed a coffee with Matt. Finally, he accompanied us by bus to Nagiso railway station for our return trip to Matsumoto. If was a tiring, yet rewarding day. Matt educated us about the history of the route, the nature and culture.
Review provided by Viator
63carlos
Jan 13, 2024
Nice walk. Recommended - We already made this walk in 2013. Beautiful walk through the woods. Way uphill. Back downhill. Halfway invited by a very friendly old gentleman for a cup of tea. Unfortunately didn't speak English. Recommended. And if this gentleman still lives there. Leave a gesture of gratitude.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Belindlow
Oct 31, 2023
Not so easy trail - The 8 km trail is easy for the young but a challenge for us close to 70. Steep slopes & stone paths not easy. It took us 4 hours instead of the 3 hours norm. Helpful to have walking stick. Not advisable to do the walk on a wet day. The 2 post towns are quite charming. Unfortunately, we did not have time to linger as we had to catch the local bus back to train station. Also, autumn is a bit late this year so not much autumn colours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valmanchester
Sep 19, 2023
Very disappointing indeed ! - Itinerary and explanation sent beforehand were excellent, we were really looking forward to walking along with our Guide. He had a very sweet personality but his English was rather average, I had to bombard him with questions to have some kind of explanations on the history and environment of the Nakasendo. The route is well marked and there are regular boards along the way. We knew we had to pay for everything (buses, lunch) so I still wonder why this was so expensive? Definitely not worse the money I paid and I definitely don’t recommend the Guide we had! Real shame and I actually felt ripped off!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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