1-Day Tour from Matsumoto: Walk the Nakasendo Trail

Name: 1-Day Tour from Matsumoto: Walk the Nakasendo Trail
Brand: Viator
Price: 204.4 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (51 reviews)

4.8(51)8 hr 55 minEnglishBook 2 days aheadNagano, Japan

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$204

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Prepare to experience Old Japan on foot with this exciting hike through traditional post towns, ancient forests, and dramatic mountain passes. Starting in Tsumago-juku post town, your guide will explain a bit about what kinds of people traveled the roads in Old Japan, where they were going, and how they lived. You will get a chance to enter some buildings including an old Inn and a horse-stable that perfectly illustrate what your guide has mentioned.

Leaving Tsumago-juku post town, you will start out on an 8km trek to the next post town, passing by roaring waterfalls and quiet hamlets along the way. Keep an eye open for wildlife and wildflowers while you are led by your guide along what was once one of the main avenues of travel in Japan.

Arriving at Magome-juku post town, you will be treated to far off views of fields and mountains as you descend to the bottom of this very vertical village. After having a little time for shopping, you will board the tour vehicle and head back.

Included

Transport to and from All Locations in a Dedicated Tour Vehicle
English Speaking Guide

Not included

Lunch

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What you'll do

Tsumago Post Office
2197-5 Azuma, Nagiso-machi, Japan
Our tour will begin in earnest when you and your guide step off the bus at Tsumago-juku Post Town. Once a vital station on a road connecting Tokyo (then called Edo) and Kyoto, the town's appearance has not changed since its heyday. Here you can find streets lined with traditional wooden buildings that have been meticulously preserved by their residents. Some buildings are open to enter, and allow you a look into how people used to travel in Old Japan.
1 hour
Departing Tsumago, the Nakasendo Trail trek will begin
Totaling around 8km, this trail is a must-see for people looking to combine an outdoor experience with a cultural experience. Along the way you will be treated to breathtaking waterfalls, quaint hamlets, and dramatic mountain views. The trail covers a wide range of elevations, so prepare to use your legs and get your blood flowing. Your guide will be there to make sure you don't get lost, and to help enhance the experience with timely anecdotes and knowledgeable trivia about the sights you will see along the way.
3 hours
Nakasendo Magome-juku
Magome, Nakatsugawa, Japan
With the 8km Nakasendo trek complete, you will arrive at Magome-juku, another amazing town on the Nakasendo Trail. More vertical than Tsumago-juku, this town is located on a steep hill providing views over the roofs of buildings below you and out onto the plain that lies at the bottom of the village. There are some gift shops and places to have a quick snack here, and your guide will give you a chance to peruse these establishments at your own pace.
30 min

Meeting and pickup

2 locations

Pickup details

Nagano: The pick-up at Nagano Station is inside Nagano Station in front of the information board right across the bullet train exit gates at 08:15

The pick-up point will be outside of the West Exit of Matsumoto Station at 9:45, at the bottom of the escalator. Look for the guide wearing a Snow Monkey Resorts tag who will help you to the bus.