Nakasendo Way hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Nakasendo was one of the five great highways of Edo-period Japan, linking Edo (Tokyo) with Kyoto through the mountains of central Honshu by way of 69 post towns. Its most famous part is the Kiso road (Kisoji), where the old highway follows the deep, forested Kiso valley through Gifu and Nagano prefectures. Several post towns still look much as they did in the 1800s, with wooden inns, lattice fronts and stone-paved slopes. This guide follows the historic road for 76 km from Magome, the 43rd post town counted from Edo, north to Narai. Signposts in English and Japanese mark the forest sections, and you sleep each night in a small family inn (minshuku) or ryokan in a post town.

The route

The guide splits the road into 6 stages, about 12.7 km each, between the post towns where walkers sleep.

• Magome to Tsumago (8 km) is the classic day and the busiest. It climbs the stone path above Magome to the Magome pass (790 m) on the Gifu-Nagano border, passes the Ichikokutochi tea house, where you can rest for free, and the Odaki and Medaki waterfalls, and descends through Otsumago to Tsumago, the best-preserved post town.
• Tsumago to Nojiri (19 km) passes Nagiso and the old post town of Midono, then leaves the valley on the Yogawa-michi, a detour opened for when floods closed the road along the Kiso river. Quiet lanes and forest paths climb the Yogawa valley past the Amidado hall to the Nenoue pass (about 850 m) and drop to Nojiri. There are no shops or vending machines on the way.
• Nojiri to Agematsu (20 km) is the longest day. It runs along the valley through Suhara to Agematsu, past the white granite rocks of Nezame-no-toko.
• Agematsu to Kiso-Fukushima (9 km) passes the Kiso no Kakehashi bridge and ends at the old checkpoint town of Fukushima, the largest place in the valley.
• Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara (15 km) climbs gently past Miyanokoshi to Yabuhara, a post town known for its combs.
• Yabuhara to Narai (6 km) crosses the Torii pass (1,197 m), the highest point of the walk, on a forest path with old stone paving, and drops into Narai, a long street of inns, lacquer shops and sake breweries.

Which parts do people walk?

Stages 1, 2 and 6 are the forest walks most people come for. On stage 2 the older riverside road via Junikane is 5 km shorter but follows busy Route 19 in places, so this guide takes the signposted Yogawa route. Between Nojiri and Yabuhara the old road keeps to the floor of the valley, often next to Route 19 and the JR Chuo Line. Many walkers and most tour companies take the train for this part: from Nojiri to Kiso-Fukushima, and from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara. Tour itineraries that quote 86 to 100 km add the stone path from Nakatsugawa or Ochiai to Magome, or continue from Narai to Kiso-Hirasawa or Niekawa.

Highlights

• Magome: a steep stone-paved street with views to Mount Ena, birthplace of the novelist Shimazaki Toson
• Magome pass and Otsumago: cedar forest, waterfalls and stone-paved sections of the old road away from traffic
• Tsumago: a post town preserved since the 1970s, with an honjin (lord's inn) and evenings without traffic
• Torii pass and Narai: the last climb, then the longest post town on the Nakasendo

When to walk the Nakasendo

The best months are April to May and October to November. Cherry blossom reaches the lower valley in early to mid-April, and the autumn colours peak in late October and early November. Inns book out in both seasons and at weekends, so book months ahead. June to mid-July is the rainy season and July and August are hot and humid; typhoons are possible from August to October. From about December to March snow can lie at Magome and on the passes, some inns close, and the Magome-Tsumago luggage service runs only from late March to the end of November.

How many days do you need?

Most people walk the 6 stages in five to seven days. The hardest day is Tsumago to Nojiri (19 km and about 700 m of climbing); the longest is Nojiri to Agematsu (20 km), which you can split at Suhara. If you have only one day, walk Magome to Tsumago; with three days, add Tsumago to Nojiri and the Torii pass, and take the train in between.

Permits and booking

No permit or fee is needed. Inns are the main thing to plan: a minshuku has only a few rooms, some take bookings by phone only, and rooms are often divided by sliding doors, with shared baths and toilets. Meals are at set times, usually around 18:00 and 7:30, and Tsumago's shops and restaurants close at 17:00, so book half board. Cancellation fees are usual (50% the day before, 100% on the day). From 1 June 2026 inns in Nagano add an accommodation tax of 200 yen per person per night.

Getting there and away

Nakatsugawa station on the JR Chuo Line is about an hour from Nagoya by limited express Shinano; buses run from the station to Magome. Nagiso station is the stop for Tsumago (10 minutes by bus or taxi). At the end, Narai has a station on the same line, but the Shinano express does not stop there: take a local train to Shiojiri or Matsumoto. Buy paper tickets, as IC cards do not work at many stations in the valley. Between Magome and Tsumago a luggage service carries bags for 1,000 yen each; for other days ask your inn about sending bags by courier (takkyubin).

Money and phone signal

Some small inns take cash only. Post offices with ATMs that accept foreign cards are in Magome, Tsumago, Nojiri, Kiso-Fukushima, Yabuhara and Narai, and there are convenience-store ATMs in Nagiso and Kiso-Fukushima. Mobile signal is good in the towns and along the valley but can drop in the forest on the passes.

Difficulty and what to pack

The walk is easy to moderate, with no technical sections. The climbs to the Magome pass (790 m), the Nenoue pass and the Torii pass (1,197 m) are steady, 200 to 400 m each, and the total climb over 76 km is about 2,000 m. The forest paths have old stone paving and steps that are slippery when wet. Wear light walking shoes or boots with good grip, and carry rain gear, a hat, water and snacks, cash and a bear bell. Most inns provide a yukata, towels and toiletries.

Safety

Asian black bears live in the Kiso forests, and Japan recorded its highest number of bear sightings in 2025. Carry a bell or talk as you walk, avoid dawn and dusk, and if you meet a bear back away slowly without running. Start the Magome-Tsumago walk by 15:00 in summer and 14:00 in winter, as there are no lights on the pass, and stay off the forest paths in heavy rain. In an emergency call 119 for an ambulance or rescue and 110 for the police. The JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline (+81 50 3816 2787) helps in English.