Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide

Asia
Japan

From $150.32 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

Select Date and Travelers

You can select up to 10 travelers in total.

Adult (12-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 10

Child (6-11) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 10

Infant (0-5) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 10

Book online or call: +1 437 970 2890

Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: Japanese, English
Meet up with guide on foot at a designated meeting point
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
Private Vehicle
You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Overview

Kiso Valley, best known for the Magome and Tsumago traditional villages, is another beautiful spot in the Japanese Alps. With one of the most famous hiking paths in all Japan, we set foot there on our quest for traditional Japan. Magome and Tsumago are two beautifully preserved traditional villages. This value-packed Nakasendo trail day hike between Magome and Tsumago with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore both of the ancient post towns! It is about 8 kilometres (5 miles) long and has only gentle elevation changes which takes around 2 hours to easy walk at a leisurely pace. This private tour is a hiking day tour. Please wear hiking boots and gear for this tour. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Nakasendo Magome-juku

While Magome and Tsumago served the same purposes for old-time travelers, the city has been preserved and restored in a very different way than Tsumago, with a broad stone walkway lined with trees and many traditional houses and craft shops. Another difference is that it is on a slope, which leads to some beautiful views of the surrounding valley, and is home to several small museums that showcase the history of the town, the artists that lived there and their way of living. I would recommend grabbing a drink or something to eat at the restaurants on top of the village and enjoy the views over the valley, or at the lower part to mix with the very interesting locals.

2 hours
Nakasendo Tsumagojuku

Tsumago is almost flat but also a very charming village that takes you back to the old Japan. The town was one of the first historical preservation projects in all Japan (if not the first) and it recreates the ambience with its unpaved streets and concealed cables. It keeps many of the traditional houses, like the original inn (the Honjin) that welcomed the merchants that traveled the Nakasendo, and the secondary inn (Wakihonjin), the old notice board used to publish the decrees from the Shogun, the Buddhist temple (built during the XVI Century)… But you’ll find it even more charming on it’s best enjoyed at night, when they lit up their lanterns and everything becomes quiet but, maybe, a drum beating.

2 hours

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

Free Cancellation

February 28100% refund

March 01No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.7

24 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 18 reviews with 5 stars

Not often that one gets to hike on what was part of the samurai trail

Published on Nov, 2024

It’s a 8km hike, climbing an altitude of 200meters within 2.2km and thereafter going downhill for most of the remaining trail (if you are going from Magome to Tsumago) Training for this hike would be good. Using trekking poles assist with stability; especially for seniors. Most of all, enjoy the journey. It’s interesting. There are steps to climb, cobbled pavements, paved sections but most of it is unpaved, well trodden trails. The greenery is diverse, from fungus on trees to straight tall trees to moss and low hanging branches. The trail is well marked. You won’t get lost. It’s an experience to be enjoyed, while thinking of the samurais who treaded this route. Life is but experiences. Walk like the samurais.

Amazing and fairly easy hike

Published on Oct, 2024

Loved this beautiful hike. We started at Magome and ended in Nigaso as the train back to our hotel in Matsumoto went from there… the whole walk is amazing - but especially the part into Hashiba is wonderful… kids 13, 17, 18 loved it as well…

Amazing Hike!

Published on Oct, 2024

Matt was my tour guide for the hike and he was amazing! He taught me so much about the history of the Nakasendo that I would not have learned if I had just hiked the path alone. It really added a lot to the experience and I’m so glad I decided to hire him as my guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and was able to answer any questions I had. And on top of that he was very friendly and personable and I had a great time chatting with him. The hike itself is absolutely beautiful and rewarding. The views of the mountains are incredible. Magome and Tsumago are so charming. Some areas can be a bit of a challenging uphill, but overall not too difficult and pleasant hike in the woods. It is an experience I will always remember and absolutely one of my favorite hikes of all time. - Liz S.

Beautiful scenery

Published on Sep, 2024

Great half day walk, no guide required if you like to go at your own pace. Pack a few bottles and refreshments as there's not much along the way.

Nakasendo trail with a guide

Published on Jun, 2024

We are so glad we signed up for this experience and grateful to our tour guide for the fabulous organization. We couldn't have done this by ourselves! We were travelling with 2 kids and mom (who is 68) and our guide for the day did a wonderful job of finding us the transfers when our group couldn't walk. We did everything we wanted and reached our hotel at a great time too. Amazing day! Would highly recommend Japan Guide Agency's services. A big thank you to our guide Ms Tomoko Tabata! We had a great time with her.