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Walk the amazing Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago to experience rural Japan

by Elisa Flitter Fever
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Heard about the Nakasendo Trail? Magome and Tsumago are two charming, authentic villages in the Kiso Valley. Magome (Gifu Prefecture) and Tsumago (Nagano Prefecture) are located along the Nakasendo Trail, an important old postal route that connected Tokyo with Kyoto during the Edo period (17-19th century).

Nowadays, in modern times of email and video, the well-maintained part of this former postal route between Magome and Tsumago is beloved for recreational use. Also known as the Magome Tsumago Walking Trail. You can walk both ways; from Magome to Tsumago is the easiest (8 km) and that is exactly what I did.

Deserted main street of Tusmago late afternoon
Tsumago

Magome

Magome is a small picturesque town that was able to preserve a lovely authentic atmosphere with traditional wooden houses, inns and water wheels. There are a few optional sights to visit, such as the Honjin and Wakihonjin Inns, where high-level officials used to stay overnight. Try one of the pleasant little restaurants, such as Chaya, Masuya or CafƩ Kappe, especially the local soba noodles.

The Toson Memorial Museum is all about the town’s most famous resident, novelist Toson Shimazaki. He was born in Magome in 1872 and described in his book ā€˜Yoakemaeā€™ (Before the Dawn) his life during the early years of the Meiji Restoration. Magome felt slightly more touristy than Tsumago, both have souvenir shops and a few restaurants.

Exploring Magome
The beginning of the trail in Magome village is uphill Japan
The beginning of the trail in Magome village is uphill

Baggage Forwarding Service

The Tourist Information Office in Magome (750m uphill) runs a Baggage Forwarding Service. If you drop off your luggage there in time, between 08:30h and 11:30h, they will take care of the transport to Tsumago for a small fee (Ā„500) while you walk the trail. Pick up is between 13:00h and 17:00h. The service is available between March 20 to November 30 (2019). Alternatively, there are some lockers at the souvenir shop near the bus stop (small backpacks only).

I was late. Luckily, I met my angels in disguise, a super friendly couple from Israel offering luggage storage in their car, walk the trail together and drop me off at my hotel afterwards!

Magome is a pretty village
Fantastic architecture in Magome

Nakasendo Trail: Magome to Tsumago

From Magome, the first 3-4 km of the trail is up hill along some houses, the rest is relatively easy. The main part of the trail between Magome and Tsumago goes through a big green forest with tall trees, bamboo and flowing streams of water.

Gorgeous blossom tree at the Nakasendo Trail
Nakasendo Trail tall trees

You come across warning signs for bears, but none crossed our path. Finding the route is not difficult; the signs are both in English and Japanese. Local school kids greet you along the way. Except for the first kilometer or so from Magome, we rarely saw anyone along the way.

Bamboo at Nakasendo Trail Japan
Road signs Magome Tsumago

After about an hour, you come across Tatebajaya Tea House (open at least 10:00-1500h). Halfway you can make a short bypass to visit the Otaki and Metaki (Male and Female) Falls.

My angels in disguise from Israel that I met in Magome
My angels in disguise from Israel that I met in Magome
Signs to the waterfall at Nakasendo Trail halfway between Magome and Tsumago
Signs to the waterfall halfway between Magome and Tsumago

At a few points you cross the asphalt road number 7, so careful! The total walk from Magome to Tsumago took us around 3 hours, other people manage to complete it within 2 hours.

Tsumago

Tsumago is the bigger, most charming brother of the two villages. Like Magome, Tsumagoā€™s main street is car free, which strengthens the sense of really entering the Edo period. A lovely place to walk around on a lovely spring afternoon! Thirsty? Grab a coffee or tea at Sabo Ebiya for example.

Tsumago has a number of wooden craft shops, noodle restaurants, Japanese confectionery shops and historic inns. Just off the main street, there is Kotokuji Temple with an ancient cherry tree. I found the ruins of Tsumago Castle are not worth the walk up, there is just not anything to see.

Authentic old houses along Nakasendo Trail
The 7 road between Magome and Tsumago
Local art at Nakasendo Trail
Local art at Nakasendo Trail

Most likely you will either stay in Tsumago, return to Magome by bus or pre-arranged a hotel shuttle. If you need to catch a train, take the bus to Nagiso (35 min) or Nakatsugawa (via Magome, both only a few times a day). Or, if you have time and energy left, you can continue to walk the trail from Tsumago to Nagiso JR Station, which is another hour (3.5 km) and has a pleasant, rural atmosphere too.

Multiple day hikes

Hike lover and determined to see more? Expand your trip and see a bigger part of the Nakasendo Trail in 3-5 days.

  • Day 1: Magome to Tsumago (8.3km, 3 hours), as described above
  • Day 2: Tsumago to Nojiri (18.3 km, 6 hours), stay in Kiso-Fukushima
  • Day 3: Kiso-Fukushima waterfall circular walk (7km, 2-3 hours), take train to Yabuhara (Chuo line, 14 min, 3 stops), hike from Yabuhara over Torri pass to Narai (6.2km, 3 hours)
  • Day 4: take train from Kiso-Hirasawa to Karuizawa, walk from Narai to Hirasawa
  • Day 5: Karuizawa to Yokokawa

Walking the complete old Nakasendo Trail all the way between Tokyo and Kyoto would take weeks.

Where to stay

If you want to start walking the Nagasendo Trail early in the morning or at least not arrive too late at the Baggage Forwarding Service, consider spending the night before in Magome, for example at Tajimaya or Guesthouse Nedoko. Or spend the first night in Tsumago and walk the other way, from Tsumago to Magome the next morning.

Beautiful traditional houses along Nakasendo Trail Japan
When your shadow gives away your shameless selfie

Since Magome and Tsumago have such traditional atmosphere and are located relatively remote, this is a perfect spot to stay at a traditional ryokan with onsen (Japanese Inn with hot spring) for a reasonable price. Elsewhere, in more touristy areas, this fantastic Japanese experience can be much more expensive (Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, etc.). It is lovely to be able to relax your muscles in a hot onsen bath after the walk.

Try to book a traditional ryokan/onsen in Tsumago or Magome as soon as you can. Do not be surprised if everything is already full three months ahead, especially in high season like Golden Week and blossom season (March-April). If all ryokans in Tsumago and Magome are full, you could consider staying in Nakatsugawa for instance, with good train and bus connections, should you travel by public transport. The options in these towns via regular channels are very limited:

Staying in the heart of Tsumago? Go out and walk through the lovely village streets in the evening or early morning hours.

Enjoying the last sunrays of the day in Tsumago
Enjoying the last sunrays of the day in Tsumago
Tsumago houses at Golden Hour Japan
Tsumago houses at Golden Hour

Nagiso onsen

Should all good ryokans in Tsumago or Magome be already full, a great alternative is available in the nearby mountains of Nagiso. This is where I stayed.

  • Hotel Fuki no Mori is a very nice hotel with six different types of indoor and outdoor hot spring baths (onsen), sauna and a traditional restaurant.
  • Should Hotel Fuki no Mori be full or over budget, consider staying at the more basic Tokonamiso, baby brother of Hotel Fuki no Mori across the street. The owner is very nice! Unfortunately they seem no longer present on booking.

Both of these hotels in Nagisp offer free shuttle service and onsen experience. Soon I will try to post a separate article about my onsen experience in Japan a.s.a.p.

Or check out this website of Japanese Guesthouses. The downside of this website is that for each individual ryokan, you will have to ask and wait for availability (email), a time consuming process. But there are lots more options usually than via regular channels. Often with ryokans, traditional dinner and breakfast are included in the room price (check out the details to be sure).

Indoor onsen bath at Hotel Fuki no Mori Japan
Indoor onsen bath at Hotel Fuki no Mori Japan
Ryokan Hotel Fuki no Mori from the outside
Ryokan Hotel Fuki no Mori from the outside

When to walk the Nakasendo Trail

Intrigued to walk the Nakasendo Trail between Magome and Tsumago? The best months to do so are March, April, May, June, September, October and November. Try to avoid national holidays and weekends. Between October and April there can be snow on the trail. In March and April the blossom is blooming on the trees, the exact dates vary per year.

In summer it can be pretty hot and humid in Japan, 35 degrees Celsius is not an exception. If you go in July or August start your walk early in the morning. Take a hat or cap, sunscreen, plenty of water and some snacks with you. Do not expect to be able to buy any water along the trail.

Planning to visit Japan soon? Tip: via Japan Experience you can arrange all sorts of things in advance, such as Sim card or Pocket-Wifi, Pasmo or Suica cards and/or JR Pass.

Spring in Japanese countryside with all kinds of blossom trees
Pink blossom and mountain in Magome

How to get to Magome (starting point)

Should you want to go to the old village of Magome, make sure you look for ā€˜Magome, Nagatsugawa, Gifo prefectureā€™ or Magome-juku. Not Magome Station in Tokyo! For Tsumago, look at Tsumago Azuma or Tsumago-juku. For example when searching in Google Maps. Juku means postal town.

  • From Kyoto Station (36-53 min): take the shinkansen to Nagoya. Total trip app. 2.5 hours.
  • From Shinjuku Station in Tokyo (min. 2 hours 10 min): take JR train to Osaki, switch train to Shinagawa, switch train to Nagoya. Total trip app. 4-5 hours. Or 3 hours if you can take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Nozomi (not covered under JR Pass).
  • From Mount Fuji (Lake Kawaguchiko): take train from Kawaguchiko Station, Fujikyu-Highland Station, Fujisan Station or Gekkouji Station to Otsuki Station, switch train to Shiojiri Station or Matsumoto Station, switch train to Nakatsugawa Station. Total app. 5 hours.
  • From Nagano Station (2 hours): take the JR Shinano train (direction Nagoya), get off at Nakatsugawa Station (6 stops).
  • From Nagoya Station (50 min): take the JR Shinano train (direction Nagano), get off at Nakatsugawa Station (4 stops).
  • From Nakatsugawa Station (25 min): take the bus at track 3 to Magome (Ā„560 one way, cash only, 12x per day).
Gekkoji to Otsuki train ticket Japan
Shinkansen Ticket machines at train station in Japan

Tip: bring sufficient cash to pay for the bus, food, souvenirs etc. in Magome and Tsumago. ATM in 7Eleven near Nakatsugawa Station.

Bus Tsumago – Magome

There is a bus that runs between Tsumago to Magome, Google Maps does not seem to know about (yet). Follow the signs to the bus station (Parking 1.2). The bus goes only a few times a day, at 08:42h*, 10:12h, 12:47h, 14:22h and 16:42h (*only from April 28 to May 6 & from July 7 to August 31) and the ride takes 15-20 min. The price is Ā„600 one way, cash only. There are also buses from Tsumago to Hogami and Nagiso Station. Check in advance whether your accommodation has a shuttle pick up service.

Bus signs in Tsumago
Bus signs in Tsumago
The 7 road between Magome and Tsumago
The 7 road between Magome and Tsumago

Tours

If you would like to join a guided group tour, the following could be an option for you.  Not all include walking the whole trail! I must say that the prices of these guided tours are much more expensive than doing it yourself.

Map Magome Tsumago Nakasendo

This map includes places and spots mentioned in this article (and more). This one is ‘smartphone friendly’; you can easily use it via the Google Maps app. Click the icon at the top left to open the menu and see the categories. To adapt the map to your own preferences and interests, (de)select a category. Via Google Drive you can copy the map to your own My Google Maps account.

A PDF map of the Magome Tsumago Walking Trail is available here.

Read more about Japan

Going to Japan? I wrote many other, detailed articles about it full of tips! Check all my Japan articles in the Japan Blog Archives.

  1. Special experience: meeting a geisha or maiko in Japan
  2. Onsen in Japan: relax in a traditional hot spring ryokan
  3. Cherry blossom hunting in Japan: Matsumoto Castle and Joya Park
  4. Robot hotel in Japan, the coolest and weirdest hotel experience ever!
  5. Sumo wrestling in Japan: complete guide to an impressive cultural experience
  6. 15x Experience Japanese culture in Japan
  7. Tokyo: 25 fun things to do in a mind-blowing metropolitan
  8. Tokyo’s Fun Food Fairytales at themed restaurants and cafes
  9. Visiting the unique Jigokudani Yaen-koen Snow Monkey Park in Japan
  10. Japan: what you need to know about the JR Train Pass
  11. Kyoto: donā€™t miss these fun temples near Arashiyama bamboo forest
  12. Japan: fantastic places beyond the Golden Triangle Tokyo – Kyoto – Osaka
  13. Japan: Miyajima Island & Hiroshima, a recommended and wonderful combo
  14. Riding my bicycle around Mount Fuji, Chureito Pagoda and Lake Kawaguchiko

This article contains affiliate links to support this website. It does not cost you anything extra if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. Partner websites that I am affiliated with, reward me with a small commission for making useful connections between buyers and their service or product. This helps to cover the costs for this website. Consider it as a compliment for my work. For more information click here.

Last Updated on 10/14/2024 by Elisa Flitter Fever

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2 comments

ANJALY THOMAS 10/11/2019 - 06:45

Hello Elisa,

First of all, let me congratulate you for this wonderful post. It is very elaborate, useful and very picturesque I must say! Okay, so add “tempting” to that list. I am headed to Japan sometime after their winter and definitely putting this on my list of things to do.

Love this article! Thank you fo this!

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Flitter Fever 10/16/2019 - 22:06

Dear Anjaly, thank you so much for your kind message on my article about the Nakasendop Trail, I really appreciate it! I wish you all the best planning your next trip to Japan. Always so much fun there! By the way, did you notice there are 11 other articles about Japan on my site? Please feel free to explore: flitterfever.com/category/japan Kind regards, Elisa from Flitterfever.com

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