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 are much shorter, leaving time for sightseeing in the lovely old Nakasendo post towns en route. The route follows the Kiso Valley, and is flat with some climbs over low passes.	What's included Accommodation booked & prepaid - 4 breakfasts & 4 evening meals - train tickets - detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking instructions - waterproof topographical map - local phone support
Walking season March until November	Tour length: 5 days
2011 & 2012 Price: Budget £975 / $1,575 / AUD1,555 / €1,140 / ¥130,000 Standard £1,125 / $1,815 / AUD1,790 / €1,315 / ¥150,000 Premium £1,225 / $1,975 / AUD1,950 / €1,435 / ¥160,000 Above hotel grades apply to Karuizawa and Kiso Fukushima. Prices are based on two people sharing. Single supplement £350.	Departures: Any day (recommended from March 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

Nakasendo Way post-towns - Natural hot spring baths – Accommodation in traditional ryokan

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

Day 1 - Train to Magome and walk to Tsumago

You transfer by train from Kyoto to Nakatsugawa then bus to Magome. There is a walk of around 3.5 hours over Magome Pass to Tsumago, one of the best-preserved and most evocative of the Nakasendo post-towns. Overnight at a family-run minshuku in Tsumago.

Day 2 - Tsumago to Nojiri

The longest day (about 6 hours) involves a beautiful and varied hike from Tsumago 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. Stay at a lovely hot spring ryokan set in a remote valley above the town (pick-up from the station is provided).

Day 3 - Yabuhara to Narai

By train from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara then hike over the Torii pass to Narai (3.5 hours). Your accommodation will be an Edo-period house converted into a minshuku (family-run travellers’ inn)

Day 4 - Narai to Hirasawa

A short walk (1 hour) to the small town of Hirasawa, famous for laquerware. There are many small shops selling beautifully-crafted tableware and furniture. Continue by train (2 hours) to Karuizawa, a former post-town which is now famous as a summer resort.

Day 5 - Karuizawa to Yokokawa

Start by hiking up to Touge, and then a long, gentle descent through beautiful forests to the town of Sakamoto-juku, and continue on to Yokokawa. From there, board your train for Tokyo (2 hours).

Optional extra days

We can arrange extra days at the beginning or 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.

Nikko

The mountains of Nikko have been revered for a thousand years and it was a fitting place for Shogun Takugawa Ieyasu to be enshrined.The lavishly-decorated Toshogu shrine is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take a bus afterwards to Yumoto Hot Spring, and relax in the baths at your luxury ryokan. There are numerous trails through the surrounding forests and the Senjo-ga-hara marshland to enjoy.

ACCOMMODATION ON THIS TOUR

Daikichi minshuku Located along the Nakasendo trail in the post-town of Tsumago-juku, Daikichi is run by three generations of the same family and is one of the family-run minshuku we use in Tsumago.               Other accommodation on this trip   Ise-ya (Narai) - one of several family-run minshuku in the village of Narai that we use. The building is a traditional merchants 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 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

"...we had an excellent trip to Japan. The days we spent on the Nakasendo Way were the highlight of our trip. The accommodation and the food at the ryokan and minshuku were simply outstanding. Thank you very much for arranging such an excellent tour on such short notice. We will certainly recommend Oxalis Holidays to our friends"
Kathryn A, Timothy and Alan W, Korea

"I wanted to thank you for the magnificent job you both did in organizing our trip to Japan. It was everything my son and I hoped it would be. He will clearly remember it for his lifetime. Taking the time to go into the countryside and be in closer contact with the people and customs of Japan gave us an experience we never could have had in the major cities. We both commented that taking trains almost daily across the country and hiking on the trail made us slow down and absorb everything around us. I was very concerned about the trains but it was quite enjoyable... The Koma-no-yu Ryokan was a highlight of the trip. The service was impeccable, the room beautiful, and the food delicious.... Ms. Hattori in Kyoto while also very pleasant was a very well qualified and informed guide. We were very impressed with her as well as her openness and willingness to discuss current issues in Japan. She is clearly dedicated to her job. I can't leave out the two activities we inserted, whitewater rafting and baseball. Both were a huge success. Late August is perhaps not the best time to do rafting because the water levels are low and the rapids quite depleted. Nonetheless, the Canyons guides did a great job of making it fun and getting us into the river, including cliff jumping into the river, to add some excitement. Baseball was also a treat. It is much the same but also very Japanese. It allowed a quick glance of Osaka and another chance to observe and be a part of Japanese life. All in all a wonderful trip for which I am indebted to you both. Thank you."
Nate & Daneil E, USA

"Jane and I are safely home yesterday after a wonderful holiday in Japan. You would have been proud of us following your maps on the Nakasendo trail. Only a few changes not shown on your maps. We walked it all as planned, even on one very wet day. Loved the hospitality and meals through the accommodations. Dinner in a kimono is a highlight. Remembered to take my shoes off most times! Loved Kyoto and Tokyo and bullet train at 300kpm. The views at the Park Hotel are exceptional. Meyuko was excellent and made us confident to travel and not be too cautious with meals and travel. The Rail Pass was very good - we used it to get to Narita on the way home yesterday instead of the bus. Well done to all at Oxalis."
Peter & Jane S, Australia

"Hi Matt, Jeremy, I want to thank you both for a fantastic walking tour of Japan - Nakasendo trail, the post-towns and the Yamanobe-no-michi walks were fantastic. The highlight of the trip has been the guided tour provided by Hattori-san. She really brought the sites to life by giving the historical context of the places and events that were depicted. Even though I've been to Japan many times, I learned very much about the lives of the Shogun at the Nijo Castle and the Shinto and Buddhist sects and philosophies during our walks through the shrines. Please thank her for us. All the best, Doug"

Doug & Sue C, USA

"Dear Jeremy, We've been back for over a week now but I've been without a computer or I would have written earlier. We had a wonderful time in Japan, even exceeding my expectations and I'd been wanting to go to Japan for years. Your planning and preparations for us were so thoughtful and detailed - did you really know we might need a Ryokan with a coin operated tumble dryer at the end of our first walking day? Satomi Nagai gave us a great day in Tokyo and also gave us lots of useful advice about how things work in Japan which proved very helpful when we were on our own. She said we were her first clients this season and it was sad to see how quiet Tokyo was and empty of tourists. Lots of people said how glad they were to see us and please to tell our country, when we get home, that Japan is still a safe place to visit . Our first walking day was quite challenging, especially for me. It rained and rained from almost the start of the climb. We thought we had good lake district waterproof gear but some of it wasn't quite proof against Japanese rain. We only met one other person on the trail that day and we couln't see any views through the mist. Gratefully we took a taxi from Touge to Tsuruya Ryokan but the welcome there made us forget the struggle up the path. Travelling on our own we had many meetings and conversations with Japanese people. You were quite right, self-guided is really the best way to go. We hardly saw any other westerners, a few Australians and, at Mount Koya, a few independent travellers. The chief priest there complemented us all on our bravery in coming and some people seemed to think it was our government's advice not go to Japan. That is certainly not so but, as if the earthquake and tsunami were not enough, the tourists seem to be staying away. After the first walking day the weather was perfect . We didn't see any bears (much to Siobhan's disappointment but not mine), we saw a snake near a temple, tiny, noisy green frogs and plenty of wild flowers. Up in the mountains the cherry trees were still in bloom! We were given a great welcome at all our accommodation. Siobhan loved Iseya and enjoyed the luxury of Koma-no-yu ryokan, where, after an amazing dinner, we were whisked up to the top of the mountain in their minibus to see the stars. Our day in Kyoto with Kana Hattori was a high spot. She is such a charming person and so knowledgeable about the history and religions of her country. Siobhan is hoping to show her the delights of Cambridge one day. I am busy reliving it all with your splendid itinerary and my photos. Thank you again! Best wishes from us both, Maureen"

Maureen & Siobhan M, UK (Nakasendo self-guided)

ACCOMMODATION GRADES

We offer three levels of accommodation to suit your budget. This applies to the hotel in Tokyo & Kyoto, and ryokan in Karuizawa. 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. Train tickets from Kyoto to the start of the walk and from Yokokawa to Tokyo are also included.

Not included are international flights, drinks with meals, lunches and evening meals in Tokyo and Kyoto. A local bus on day 1 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 £175 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

2. Fil in our contact form

3. Call us on SKYPE

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