Type and level of walking Mixed village paths (paved) and unpaved forested trails. An easy to moderate walk, the longest day has 6 hours of walking, however some days have 2 to 3, leaving time for sightseeing in the lovely old Nakasendo post towns en route. The route follows the Kiso Valley, and is flat with some gentle climbs over low passes.	What's included Accommodation booked & prepaid - train tickets - detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking instructions - waterproof topographical map - local phone support - guiding on one day
Walking season April until November	Tour length: 10 days Walking days: 5
2010 Price: Budget £1,725 / $2,740 / €2,080 Standard £1,865 / $2,960 / €2,250 Premium £2,195 / $3,485 / €2,645 Above hotel grades apply to Tokyo & Kyoto. Prices are based on two people sharing. Single supplement £350.	Departures: Any day (recommended from April until November)   Accommodations are busy and may charge extra during the following Japanese holiday periods: New Year (29 December to 04 January), Golden Week (29 April - 05 May), and O-bon (09 - 17 August). Please enquire for availability and pricing if your trip falls within those dates.

Slideshow (click on any picture)

HIGHLIGHTS

Imperial Kyoto - Nakasendo Way post-towns - Natural hot spring baths – Accommodation in traditional ryokan – Sacred Mount Koya - Ultra-modern Tokyo

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Day 1 Tokyo

Check-in to your hotel in central Tokyo.

Day 2 Sightseeing in Tokyo

A local guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning, and you will have a full-day tour using a mixture of public transport and walking. We suggest visiting Meiji Shrine, the elegant Ginza shopping area and Shinjuku, however the tour can be adapted upon request.

Day 3 Nakasendo Day 1 - Sakamoto-juku to Karuizawa

You transfer by train from Tokyo to Yokokawa, and then there is a walk of around 5 hours through Sakamoto-juku to Karuizawa, a former post-town which is now famous as a summer resort.

Day 4 Nakasendo Day 2 - Hirasawa to Narai

Travel to the Kiso valley and the small town of Narai, an atmospheric example of a post-town on the ancient Nakasendo trail between Kyoto and Tokyo. Your accommodation will be an edo-period house converted into a minshuku (family-run travellers’ inn). The walk today is short (about 2 hours) and will allow you ample time to explore Narai, however we can lengthen the walk to suit more energetic walkers.

Day 5 Nakasendo Day 3 - Narai to Yabuhara

Hike from Narai over the Torii pass to Yabuhara (3.5 hours), then by train to Kiso-Fukushima. Stay at a lovely hot spring ryokan set in a remote valley above the town (pick-up from the station is provided).

Day 6 Nakasendo Day 4 - Nojiri to Tsumago

The longest day (about 6 hours)involves a beautiful and varied hike from Nojiri to Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendo post-towns. The trail travels through small valleys and past forests of bamboo and Japanese cedar, through some of the least-developed scenery on the tour. Overnight at a family-run minshuku in Tsumago.

Day 7 Nakasendo Day 5 - Tsumago to Magome and by train to Kyoto

This morning you will depart Tsumago and travel the old Nakasendo over Magome pass to Magome itself, another of the post-towns. (About 3.5 hours). After lunch and time to explore, you will transfer by bus and train to Kyoto, arriving last afternoon.

Day 8 - 9 Kyoto

You will have two days in Kyoto to explore this wonderful city.

Day 10

The trip ends today, and you may choose to stay a few days longer in Kyoto or continue your travels elsewhere in Japan.

Optional extra days

We can arrange extra days at the end of the trip in the following destinations:

Asuka-mura

A lovely town south of Nara with some of Japan's earliest Buddhist temples, as well as kofun burial mounds from the 5th century. Asuka is a lovely town to explore on foot or why not rent a bicycle from the train station and explore at a relaxed pace? We will arrange a night at one of the small minshuku in the town.

Mount Koya

This atmospheric temple complex south of Kyoto is home to around 100 temples and shukubo (pilgrim's lodging). Founded by the monk Kobo Daishi in the 10th century, Mount Koya is the spiritual centre of Shongon (True word) Buddhism, and he is enshrined at Oku-no-in. Located at 800 metres altitude in the Wakayama mountains, you reach Mount Koya via the scenic Nankai railway. There are many optional local walks.

ACCOMMODATION ON THIS TOUR

		Tajimaya minshuku A machiya merchant's house in Magome has been converted to the Tajimaya minshuku, run by a local family who also sell their own local Japanese tea.
Daikichi minshuku Located along the Nakasendo trail in the post-town of Tsumago-juku, Daikichi is run by three generations of the same family.               Other accommodation on this trip   Ise-ya (Narai) - a lovely family-run ryokan in the village of Narai. The building is a traditional mechants house. Koma-no-yu (Kiso-Fukushima) - a luxurious hot spring ryokan in the mountains above Kiso-Fukushima, perfect after a day of hiking!   Also Shiba Park Hotel (Tokyo) - a modern and comfortable 4-star hotel in the heart of Tokyo   Hearton Hotel (Kyoto) - comfortable 4-star

TOUR COMMENTS

"Thanks for putting together an excellent trip for us. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed this trip immensely."
G Steinhardt, Israel

"We have returned safely from a lovely holiday. We enjoyed it so much and like to thank you for the work you put in. The Japanese people are wonderful, very helpful and polite. Our lack of Japanese did not cause any problems. After Asuka we visited Nara before returning to Osaka. The hotels you chose where very good and we had the most delicious food, even grasshoppers were yummy. Rooms had lovely views. We walked the full 20 km, and a bit more because of getting lost, and really enjoyed it.Matsumoto castle was a real gem and our guide in Kyoto was very good. We love to go back some time. I have passed your website on to several people; hope you will get some more business."
Thea & David D, UK

"I did have a wonderful, unforgettable time on the Nakasendo and enjoyed every single minute of the tour. Thank you very much for arranging and organising everything so very well! One day I will go back to Japan - and it is good to know that you have another self-guided tour (Kumano-Kodo) waiting for me!! Best wishes from Switzerland Daniel "
Daniel U, Switzerland

ACCOMMODATION GRADES

We offer three levels of accommodation to suit your budget. This applies to the hotel in Tokyo & Kyoto. Budget (3 star hotel), Standard (4 star hotel) and Premium (5 star hotel). We use local family-run accommodations on the walking section, are generally simply-furnished and less formal, but have excellent food and a wonderful personal service.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

All accommodation, breakfasts & 4 evening meals are included. One day of private guiding, as well as the guide's expenses are included in Kyoto.

Not Included are international flights, drinks with meals, lunches and evening meals in Tokyo and Kyoto. A local bus is on day 8, and should be paid locally (around 800 Yen, £5 or $9). Baggage forwarding is not included, though we provide instructions for how this can be easily arranged.

SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT

There is a single room supplement of £350 per person (please note that single rooms are not always available in Japanese-style accommodations)..

CONTACT US

1. Send us your phone number and we will call you

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4. Call +44 20 7099 6147 (ET + 5 hours)