Nakasendo Highlights - 5 Days
The Nakasendo Way, connects Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto via a mountainous inland route, featuring a network of 69 post towns spread along 540km. We walk the most beautiful section including through the Kiso Valley also known as the Kiso-ji or the Kiso Road. This walk connects the four southernmost towns (Magome, Tsumago, Midono [Nagiso], and Nojiri), which has become a very popular hiking trail in recent years.
The Kiso-ji is a hilly path of ancient stone pavements and dirt trails that will lead you through landscapes alive with seasonal flowers, clear-water creeks, and tall old forests. Countless daimyo processions, including samurai, farmers, merchants, and others, travelled along the road during the Edo Period of the 1600s and beyond.
Highlights
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3-star Hotel / Ryokan (3 nights), 3-star Hotel / Minshuku (1 night)
4 breakfasts, and 4 dinners
Auswalk Walking Grade
Moderate to Challenging
Rated by our team — we walk every route before we recommend it.
Regular hills and varied terrain. These walks involve more challenging sections. Regular walking beforehand is recommended.
View Fitness Guide4
Days on the trail
7-17 km
Daily distance range
475-699 m
Daily ascent range
6/10
Trail difficulty
Nights on the Nakasendo Way are spent in hotels, ryokans and minshukus — traditional Japanese guesthouses that are an experience in their own right, and one of the real highlights of this walk.
Ryokans are Japanese guesthouses ranging from beautifully preserved historic wooden buildings to more contemporary hybrid styles. Rooms feature tatami mat floors, shoji sliding doors and futon sleeping, creating an atmosphere of quiet, understated elegance. Few rooms have Western-style beds, and ensuites are not always standard — but the heated toilet seats are a welcome touch of luxury. The pride of most ryokans is the bathing area, and many along the Nakasendo Way are fed by natural onsen hot springs. After a day traversing the sacred mountain trails, soaking in steaming communal pools is the perfect way to end the day.
Minshukus are smaller, family-run guesthouses most commonly found in rural Japan, and the Nakasendo Way has some wonderful examples. Think of them as a Japanese bed and breakfast — intimate, unpretentious and deeply local. Rooms are traditional Japanese style, meals are home-cooked and shared, and the atmosphere is warm and familial. Bathrooms and toilets are typically shared, but what a minshuku offers in return: genuine hospitality, local connection and a closeness to Japanese culture.
Meals reflect the character of the accommodations themselves. Most nights, dinner is a home-cooked affair using local ingredients. At larger ryokans, this may be a multi-course kaiseki spread or buffet, while more remote stays are accompanied by a carefully prepared bento box. Included breakfasts are served each morning.
The walk starts in Nakatsugawa and finishes in Yokokawa. The easiest option is to fly into Tokyo and take the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya, a journey of around one hour and 45 minutes, then connect on the JR Chuo Line to Nakatsugawa, taking approximately one hour and 15 minutes. If flying into Osaka, take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya in around 48 minutes, then connect as above.
At the end of the walk, trains from Yokokawa connect back to Tokyo via Takasaki, with the full journey taking around two hours. The Japan Transit Planner website is a useful tool for checking timetables and fares, and the Japan Direct rail app makes navigating the network straightforward.
The Nakasendo is best walked in spring and autumn, when temperatures are ideal, and the landscapes are at their most dramatic — cherry blossoms in April and vivid autumn colour through October and November. Summer walking is perfectly possible, and the mountain streams offer welcome swimming on warmer days. The walk is not available in winter due to snow, shorter daylight hours and some accommodations closing from late November through to February.
Japan has three major national holiday periods when domestic travel peaks and accommodation costs rise significantly — in some cases by 30% or more. We recommend avoiding these dates where possible:
New Year: 30 December to 4 January
Golden Week: 29 April to 5 May
Obon: 10 to 20 August
Speak to your destination consultant when planning your dates, and we can help you find the best time to go.
The terrain is wonderfully varied, moving between ancient stone pavements, forest tracks, cedar-lined paths, rural countryside and the cobbled streets of preserved post towns, with some sections crossing mountain passes that involve sustained climbs and descents. Forest paths can be uneven and rough in places, so good walking shoes with solid grip are recommended. The route is well-marked in both English and Japanese throughout, and some short sections pass alongside roads. A moderate level of fitness and a training regime of two to three times per week is recommended in the lead-up to the walk. Comprehensive walk notes, maps and GPX tracks are provided for each day.
This walk has the luggage transferred daily however please note that on Day 4, your main luggage will be shipped in advance to your post tour accommodation (i.e. the destination you’re travelling to when the walk ends on day 5). You will need to organise yourself accordingly and keep a few overnight things for your night in Karuizawa. Your day pack should be sufficiently large to accommodate these items when walking.
For most days on this walk you will need to take some form of public transport whether that is a bus or a train to your accommodation for the night or to start or shorten the days walk. The journey times vary from 10mins to 50mins depending on the day. On the day when you travel to Karuizawa the train journey will take 2.5 – 3hrs. We provide a comprehensive public transport document with detailed instructions on which buses and trains to catch. Please note these trips are unable to be pre-booked and you will need to pay directly on the day they are not included in your package.
You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.
A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.
Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.
A detailed information pack and itinerary will be sent to you around six weeks before departure, covering everything you need to know for a seamless experience. In the meantime, our team is always on hand to answer any questions.
Pick any available date — this is your trip, your schedule
Prices shown are per person, twin/double share basis.
Only available in the first half of September for 2026 departures. Contact the office.
I would absolutely recommend the Nakasendo Way to anyone with a basic level of fitness. Auswalks made it straightforward & apart from Tsutamaraya the accommodation & food was wonderful. We would have liked the option of western breakfast in Kiso Fukushima. Not everyone loves Japanese breakfast but we were in Japan so it is all part of the experience.
Departure point process was quite ok and enjoyed time in Ena and the woodblock print museum. Excellent choice of accommodations diverse and friendly staff.
Auswalk support was great to help us organise our walking trip on the Nakasendo Trail in Japan. The accommodation was luxurious which was a total treat as well. We needed Auswalk support during the trip and they responded and supported us immediately which was very much appreciated. Thank you Auswalk … a great trip.
Fortunately there was sufficient information supplied. Seemed a bit ‘overwhelming’ when the package arrived in the mail BUT once you arrive at the destination it all falls into place. It was a fantastic walk- with comprehensive notes.
Thoroughly enjoyed our walk and the notes were very comprehensive. Accommodation exceeded our expectations All in all a great experience.
There were literally no dramas with any of the organisation of the trip - everything went really well. I have to say the app was great - it saved us a couple of times and I really wish I had it when I did the C2C! All of the accommodation was superb. The Nakasendo path itself was quite a different experience to C2C as it was not a continuous trail. I think personally if someone asked me, I would say not to worry about the very first leg from Ena to Nakatsugwa but overall we enjoyed seeing a different side to Japan.
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