Stage 2 of the Nakasendo Way covers 18.7 km from Tsumago to Nojiri, with 808 m of ascent and 702 m of descent. The highest point is 852 m. Allow about 7 hours of walking, plus breaks.
Distance, climb and elevation come from the Outest route data. Difficulty and time are estimates from distance and climb; your pace will vary with heat, pack weight and photo stops.
渓谷の宿 いち川
Minshuku with a hot spring at the entrance to the Kakizore gorge, near the riverside road of the Nakasendo via Junikane and about 3.5 km from the Yogawa route (15 minutes by taxi from Nagiso station). Two meals; useful to split the stage if you take the riverside road.
フォレスパ木曽 あてら荘
Hot-spring hotel near the mouth of the Atera valley, about 2 km south-west of Nojiri across the Kiso river; pick-up from Nojiri station (8 minutes by car). Half board; the baths are also open to day visitors.
みわハウス
Old house with an irori hearth rented whole to one group (up to 5), room only, 10 minutes on foot from Nojiri station. Open March to October only.
Checked online in October 2026. Places marked "listed, not confirmed" appear on a public listing (the Kiso Tourism Federation, a post-town tourist association or OpenStreetMap) but could not be confirmed on their own website. Inns in the post towns have only a few rooms and many take bookings by phone; book months ahead for cherry-blossom time (April) and the autumn colours (late October to November), and book dinner, as Tsumago's shops and restaurants close at 17:00.
Emergency: call 119 (ambulance, rescue) or 110 (police). English help 24 h: +81 50 3816 2787. Emergency & health guide
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
The full stage works offline in Outest, with the route, elevation, water and village points, and a trail guide you can ask about conditions and the next place to sleep.