NAKASENDO
Estimated Price: $1,5000 USD per person double occupancy, +20% for single occupancy
Suggested Activity Level: 7/10
Trip Includes
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4 nights accommodation
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All breakfasts and dinners
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All activities, guiding and transportation within tour
Trip Excludes
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Airfare to/from Japan
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Lunches
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Alcoholic Beverages
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Travel insurance, medical coverage, etc.
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Transportation to Nagoya Station and from Kiso Fukushima Station
activities
Hiking
Suggested Dates
April - June, September - November
location
Nagano & Gifu
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
Itineraries listed are recommended by Active Travel Japan but can be customized based on desired length and fitness level. Price listed is subject to change. Group sizes are a minimum of 4 and maximum of 10.
Day 1 Nagoya - Ena
Meet in Nagoya in the early afternoon. We will transfer from here to Ena, a post town on the Nakasendo (1 hour) and visit the Hiroshige Museum of Art. Hiroshige was a prolific woodblock print artist that worked during the mid 1800s. We stay at a wonderful local Ryokan that is currently on their 16t h generation of innkeepers and go out to a local restaurant for their home cooked style food.
● Hotel: Ichikawa Ryokan
● Facilities: Japanese Style (en suite)
● Meals Provided: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 2 Magome - Tsumago
We transfer this morning by train from Ena to Nakatsugawa, then by taxi from Nakatsugawa to the village of Magome (1-hour total). We walk from Magome to Tsumago (3 hours, 7.5 km) with some stops for coffee, lunch and tea along the way. This is the most historic walk on the whole Nakasendo and the one that most people do. We see small rice farming villages, forests, waterfalls and mountainous scenery along the way. Our ryokan for the evening picks us up in Tsumago, and we drive about 20 minutes. We will have dinner in the ryokan and hopefully enjoy the stars if the weather permits.
● Hotel: Fuki no Mori
● Facilities: Japanese Style (en suite)
● Meals Provided: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 Kaida Plateau
Transfer from Tsumago to Kisofukushima this morning and leave our bags at the ryokan for the evening. From Kiso Fukushima, we transfer to the Kaida Plateau, where we do a wonderful walk down to a forest restaurant (1-2 hours). After visiting the Kiso horse conservation stables and a local dairy farm, we walk back to a bus stop and transfer back to Kisofukushima, where we have an onsen (hot spring) and dinner in town.
● Hotel: Onyado Tsutaya
● Facilities: Japanese Style (en suite)
● Meals Provided: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 Narai Juku
We transfer to Yabuhara this morning, about a 20-minute train ride from Kiso Fukushima. From here we walk over the Torii Pass and into the wonderful village of Narai, another historic post town. After a fantastic soba lunch and some time to look around or shop, we take the train back to Kisofukushima and have a relaxing afternoon, followed by our goodbye dinner.
● Hotel: Onyado Tsutaya
● Facilities: Japanese Style (en suite)
● Meals Provided: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 Departure
Transfer back to Nagoya or Tokyo and onto your onward destination. Daniel will help you purchase your train tickets the day before.
PACKING LIST
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Enough clothing for the entire tour (laundry facilities are limited)
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Toiletries
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Waterproof jacket or windbreaker
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Waterproof hiking pants
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T-shirts (short and long sleeve) + fleece (depending on the season)
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Water bottle
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Worn-in waterproof hiking boots. Make sure you have worn them multiple times before the tour
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Warm socks
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Day pack/backpack and pack cover
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Gloves (depending on the season)
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Beanie/knit cap and/or ear warmers (depending on the season)
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Hat
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Sunscreen
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Sunglasses
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Hiking poles
Additional Items
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Passport – Make sure it is not expired and that you do not need a visa to enter Japan! Bring a photocopy of your passport in case the original is lost or stolen
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Credit Card – Most businesses in Japan accept major credit cards (there may be an international transaction fee)
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Cash – For the places that don’t, bring at least $300 ~ $500 per person
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Debit Card – Along with your PIN number for cash withdrawals. Post offices and 7-11s accept all major debit card companies
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Important Documents – Bring a copy of your travel and medical insurance policies
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Camera – Don’t forget th charger or extra batteries
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Medication – Please inform us beforehand of allergies if there is anything we should know regarding your medications
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Reading material - Sometimes there is no wifi or English TV stations
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Snacks - If there is anything specific you want while hiking or walking
CANCELLATION
20% Transferable but Non-Refundable Deposit
60 ~ 31 Days Prior to Arrival: 70% Refund
30 ~ 4 Days Prior to Arrival: 25% refund
72 Hours or Less Prior to Arrival: 0% refund
PAYMENT
20% Deposit to Reserve Your Place
60 Days Prior to Departure: 80% Balance Due
CONDITIONS
5 hours for making reservations, research, changes to the itinerary etc. is included in the price of a custom tour. After 5 hours, ¥5,000 per hour will be added to the tour price.
Group sizes are between 4 and 10. A 30% and 50% surcharge will be added to custom tours with 3 and 2 people respectively
LIABILITY & INSURANCE
Traveling with Active Travel Japan involves potentially dangerous activities and therefore Active Travel Japan assumes no liability for any loss, theft, damage, personal injury or death resulting from participation in its tours. Active Travel Japan requires all travelers to sign a waiver form prior to participation, in addition to being covered under a medical insurance and travel insurance policy to both minimize the financial and medical associated with high risk activities.