Summer Nakasendo Way (trip)
Summer Nakasendo Way
- Nakatsugawa
- Active & Adventure
| from $2,850* per person | 7 Days | July, August |
| Comfort accommodations | Exertion level: 3 | |
| Operator: Walk Japan Limited | 12 people max | |
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.
Nakasendo Waterfall
Next, Kamikochi provides a further welcome escape from the high heat and humidity of the lowlands. Kamikochi 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 fascinating book "Mountaineering and Exploration in the Japanese Alps". Weston's book is still in print to this day. In Kamikochi the accommodation changes to a comfortable mountain lodge hotel.
Takayama, our final destination, a picturesque little town is also justly known as "Little Kyoto". The town had a reputation as a fiercely independent and defiant town during the Edo Period, when the great Tokugawa Shogun regime dominated Japan. Today, Takayama's narrow streets are lined with historic houses, delightful little restaurants and shops; a perfect place in which to complete this tour.
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.
Loading map, please wait...
Locations visited/nearby
Japan
Itinerary
Day 1After 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 kilometers.
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 walking.
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 train 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. Stay in the famous inn found on the Nakasendo. Optional excursion to nearby Hirasawa to visit the studios of a master craftsman. Total walking approximately 8 km. Breakfast and dinner provided.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 5
After breakfast in our inn, transfer to Kamikochi. Our journey by train and bus takes us across the high plateau, famous in Japan for its high quality grapes and apples, surrounding Matsumoto before arriving in the Central Alps and Kamikochi. After arrival in time for lunch we take an exploratory walk along the beautiful Azusa River valley. Total walking approximately 6km. Stay in a Japanese-style hotel with natural hot spring baths.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Day 6
An early start today for a steep walk out of Kamikochi with the reward of excellent views, weather permitting, of the Central and Northern Alps. Look out for the smoking summit of Mt. Yake-dake, an active volcano. We head along a ridge to catch a cable car down into the neighbouring valley and a direct bus to Takayama. After bathing at our lodgings, a traditional Japanese inn, we enjoy a celebratory evening meal. Total walking, approximately 10km, but vertical height gain of about 800m. Breakfast and dinner provided. For those who do not wish to participate in today's walk, onward transport from Kamikochi to Takayama is easily accomplished.
Breakfast and dinner provided.
Day 7
Time to explore the historic town of Takayama, known as "little Kyoto", in the morning with your guide. Unlike Kyoto, however, Takayama is a compact town and it is easy to visit the sites here on foot. Of particular interest are the historical Yoshijima sake- brewer's house and jinya. The latter was the local administrative quarters of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Takayama directly from Edo. The tour finishes after lunch. Trains connect Takayama to Nagoya for onward Shinkansen 'Bullet' trains to Tokyo, Kyoto and further afield. Your guide will help you organise your tickets, etc. as required.
More information from Walk Japan Limited:
- Email this trip page to a friend
-
Comments from Facebook