Walk the Nakasendo Trail

Day 1: Arrive in Kyoto

Take the express train from Osaka Kansai Int. Airport to Kyoto City (approx. 70mins), then a local taxi to your first hotel. (approx. 10mins).
Overnight Kyoto (breakfast included).

Day 2: Explore Kyoto

Enjoy a rest day in the incredible city of Kyoto, famous for its Buddhist temples, tranquil gardens, and traditional teahouses. We recommend visiting the historical city of Nara, full of cultural treasures and expansive parks, located approx. 1hr from Kyoto city on the train.
Overnight Kyoto (breakfast included).

Day 3: Kuramaa to Kibune (4KM)

Take the train to the hills of northern Kyoto (included), on sacred Mount Kurama. Here, Samurai trained with mountain Buddhist practitioners in the 12th century. From Kurama Temple, walk to the Kifune Shrine, which is known for bringing good fortune to those seeking luck in love. The walk begins with a steep and long ascent up stone steps to the Kurama Temple. Stop to take in the beautiful scenery and spend some time at the shrines and smaller temples along the way. Return by local train to Kyoto (included). The remainder of your day is free for you to explore Kyoto.
Overnight Kyoto (breakfast included).

Day 4: Magome to Tsumago (8KM/5MILES)

Begin with a train journey from Kyoto to Nakatsugawa, including a ride on the world-famous Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Nagoya (included). 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. Spend the night at a family-run Minshuku in Tsumago or the nearby hamlet of O-Tsumago, with a delicious home-cooked Japanese dinner and breakfast included.
Overnight Minshuku Guesthouse, Tsumago (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 5: Tsumago/Nagiso to Nojiri (18KM/11.5MILES)

Today is your longest day on the trail and is a beautiful and varied hike from Tsumago or 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 (included). 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 if you're staying outside of the village (availability is on request).
Overnight Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), Kiso-Fukushima (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 6: Gongentaki Waterfall (7KM/4.5MILES)

If you have free time in Kiso Fukushima, you can take this optional walk from Kiso Fukushima Station to Gongentaki Waterfall. The trail combines a riverside path, a dirt trail leading up to the waterfall, and gentle descent back down through a quiet neighbourhood with good views over the town and the traditional buildings near the Nakasendo Trail.
Overnight Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), Kiso-Fukushima (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 7: Yabuhara to Narai (6KM/4MILES)

The Ryokan will drive you back to Kiso-Fukushima after breakfast if you're staying outside the village. From here, you take the train to Yabuhara (included) which is the starting point for your walk over the Torii pass to Narai. Explore this atmospheric village before check-in at your family-run inn in the heart of the village. Your hosts will serve a home-cooked Japanese dinner and breakfast.
Overnight Minshuku Guesthouse, Narai (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 8: Narai to Kiso-Hirasawa (2.5KM)

After breakfast, walk the short distance to the small town of Kiso-Hirasawa, famous for its lacquerware. There are many small shops selling beautifully crafted tableware and furniture. From here, you take the train to Karuizawa or Komoro (included). Both locations have lovely inns with a real sense of history and fine Japanese baths. Travel first to Matsumoto where you can visit the famous castle before connecting onwards to your final stop - total travel time by train is around three hours, not including the optional break of journey in Matsumoto. Arrive at your accommodation in time for a wonderful dinner with local produce.
Overnight Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), Karuizawa/Komoro (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 9: Karuizawa to Yokokawa (17KM/10MILES)

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, take the local train to Takasaki and change there for your ride on the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo (approx. 3 hours - included).
Overnight Tokyo (breakfast included).

Day 10: Rest Day in Tokyo

You have a full day in Tokyo to explore this vibrant city. Visit the glittering Ginza area with elegant department stores and food halls crammed with all kinds of unfamiliar delicacies. Or spend time among the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and pass-through Shinjuku station, the busiest transport hub in the world. Eat and drink in one of the myriad small bars and restaurants which cluster around most railway stations or splash out on an elegant meal in an upscale restaurant. We recommend visiting the grand Sumiyoshi Shrine, an easy 10-minute ride on the Nankai railway from Namba station. The shrine grounds have beautiful nature such as sacred trees over a thousand years old, and the main shrine buildings feature the ancient Sumiyoshi-zukuri style of architecture which pre-dates the arrival of Buddhism to Japan.
Overnight Tokyo (breakfast included).

Day 11: Depart Tokyo

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before walking to Hamamatsucho station (approx. 10mins) to take the monorail directly to Tokyo Haneda Airport (approx. 15mins - paid locally).