A walking tour along a continuous route in central Japan.
The abridged version of Walk Japan’s Nakasendo Way tour focuses on the mid-section of this historical road through the mountains of central Japan; great walking with many of the attributes that made the Nakasendo Way a classic tour of Japan.
Year-round.
The Nakasendo Way: The Kiso Road is a fully-guided tour suitable for anyone who is an occasional walker and can walk for more than three to four hours in comfort. In general, the route is gently undulating but also it includes some short, steeper climbs. Please read more on Tour Levels here.
Tour accommodation is in Japanese inns and hotels. Please read more on accommodation here. The small, intimate nature of the inns makes the maximum group size 12 people. We have no minimum size. If we accept a booking we guarantee to run the tour.
The Kiso Road is one of the most beautiful sections of the Nakasendo Way, our original tour that has become the classic walking tour in Japan. This short-stay, fully-guided walking tour follows the ancient Nakasendo Way through the Kiso Valley of central Japan and also reaches the high alpine Kaida Plateau. Our route takes us into a world far removed from the modern bustle of Japan’s megacities. We travel through some of the most picturesque and historical villages in the nation, stay in rural family-run Japanese inns and relax in onsen thermal hot spring baths. Meals are a treat of Japanese cuisine, and because we are deep in the rural mountains of Japan, ingredients include many locally grown vegetables, morsels foraged in the surrounding mountains and fresh-water fish caught in the nearby streams and rivers.
The tour starts in Nagoya, from where we travel by train to the Kiso Road section of the Nakasendo Way. Soon afterwards, we begin our walk in the traditional countryside of stepped paddy fields, shrines, farmhouses with carefully tended gardens, woods and hills. Further into the hills, our trail takes us through deep verdant forests, past fast-flowing mountain streams and waterfalls before we reach our destination for the night, an atmospheric inn in a remote hamlet. Here, physically and emotionally, we are a long way from the big cities into the old heart of Japan.
The following day our travels take us through beautiful Tsumago, probably the best preserved post town in Japan, and further north, into the southern end of the Central Alps of Japan, where some of Japan’s highest mountains are found. We visit the Kaida Plateau, which we reach over a high pass of the old Hida Trail. This trail once linked to the Nakasendo Way but today barely anyone other than ourselves walks this route. Once over the pass we descend onto the Kaida Plateau. The Plateau is considered one of the most beautiful areas of Japan, not least because of the spectacular backdrop of Mt. Ontake, a sacred mountain and one of Japan’s largest volcanos. The onsen hot spring baths at our inn for the night provide a delightful way to relax before our dinner, another feast, together. Our final day on the road takes us back to the Nakasendo Way and over the Torii Pass, one of the old road’s highest points. We descend to Narai, another delightful old post town. Here we spend some time before travelling on to Matsumoto, a city surrounded by the mountains of Japan's Central Alps.
More information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website: Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
Tour accommodation is in Japanese inns and hotels. Please read more on accommodation here. The small, intimate nature of the inns makes the maximum group size 12 people. We have no minimum size. If we accept a booking we guarantee to run the tour.
The Kiso Road is one of the most beautiful sections of the Nakasendo Way, our original tour that has become the classic walking tour in Japan. This short-stay, fully-guided walking tour follows the ancient Nakasendo Way through the Kiso Valley of central Japan and also reaches the high alpine Kaida Plateau. Our route takes us into a world far removed from the modern bustle of Japan’s megacities. We travel through some of the most picturesque and historical villages in the nation, stay in rural family-run Japanese inns and relax in onsen thermal hot spring baths. Meals are a treat of Japanese cuisine, and because we are deep in the rural mountains of Japan, ingredients include many locally grown vegetables, morsels foraged in the surrounding mountains and fresh-water fish caught in the nearby streams and rivers.
The tour starts in Nagoya, from where we travel by train to the Kiso Road section of the Nakasendo Way. Soon afterwards, we begin our walk in the traditional countryside of stepped paddy fields, shrines, farmhouses with carefully tended gardens, woods and hills. Further into the hills, our trail takes us through deep verdant forests, past fast-flowing mountain streams and waterfalls before we reach our destination for the night, an atmospheric inn in a remote hamlet. Here, physically and emotionally, we are a long way from the big cities into the old heart of Japan.
The following day our travels take us through beautiful Tsumago, probably the best preserved post town in Japan, and further north, into the southern end of the Central Alps of Japan, where some of Japan’s highest mountains are found. We visit the Kaida Plateau, which we reach over a high pass of the old Hida Trail. This trail once linked to the Nakasendo Way but today barely anyone other than ourselves walks this route. Once over the pass we descend onto the Kaida Plateau. The Plateau is considered one of the most beautiful areas of Japan, not least because of the spectacular backdrop of Mt. Ontake, a sacred mountain and one of Japan’s largest volcanos. The onsen hot spring baths at our inn for the night provide a delightful way to relax before our dinner, another feast, together. Our final day on the road takes us back to the Nakasendo Way and over the Torii Pass, one of the old road’s highest points. We descend to Narai, another delightful old post town. Here we spend some time before travelling on to Matsumoto, a city surrounded by the mountains of Japan's Central Alps.
More information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website: Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
This original year-round itinerary for the Nakasendo Way: The Kiso Road is ground-only, beginning in the early afternoon in Nagoya and ending in Matsumoto. We walk a moderate 34km (21.1 miles) over four days for a gentle introduction to the sights and experiences of travelling the old highway.
The tour meets in Nagoya Station at 2pm for transfer by train to Ena. Before retiring to our accommodation, we pay a visit to a charming local museum dedicated to Hiroshige, one of Japan’s famous printmakers. Your Walk Japan tour leader holds a tour briefing over our evening meal composed of delicious Japanese fare.
Accommodation Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Dinner provided.
Total walking: N/A.
Total elevation gain: N/A.
After breakfast, we travel by train and taxi to the southern gateway of the Kiso Valley. From here we begin our walk along the Kiso Road section of the Nakasendo Way and follow this ancient road past paddy fields and quiet farmhouses to the pleasant post town of Magome, which was the home of Shimazaki Toson. Toson wrote Before the Dawn, a novel set in the days of Japan’s change from a feudal country dominated by the samurai to a fledgling industrial nation. The book is considered to be Japan's first modern novel. We continue onto O-tsumago, for the classic hike over Magome Pass, through old forests and past pristine mountain streams. O-tsumago is a lovely hamlet of a few traditional houses and inns set in a valley, aside a fast-flowing river.
Please note that depending on weather conditions tours from January through to mid-March tours, we may experience snow on a higher pass today and another on Day 3. In these circumstances we use snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Total walking: 10km (6.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: 461m (1,510ft).
After an early breakfast we set off again along the Nakasendo for nearby Tsumago, a beautifully maintained, traditional post town. We spend a little time exploring before continuing on our way for about 6 kilometres (3.75 miles) to Nagiso. Here an interesting footbridge provides us with a hint of two colourful people once associated with the area; a geisha, who appeared on the front cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1900, and her tycoon partner, who built the first of the many hydro-electric power stations found in the Kiso Valley.
We catch a local train to Kiso-Fukushima for the beginning of our walk over a pass on the Hida Road, an old trail that connected with the Nakasendo Way that leads us through forests to the Kaida Plateau. The plateau is dominated by the sacred Mt. Ontake, an active volcano that provides an impressive backdrop to one of the most picturesque areas of Japan. We return to Kiso-Fukushima and our accommodation, a delightful inn with onsen thermal hot spring baths, for the night.
As with Day 2, on tours during January and February we may encounter snow on a high pass today, in which case we don snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 12km (7.5 miles).
Total elevation gain: 371m (1,215ft).
After breakfast, we transfer by local train to Yabuhara, from where we rejoin the Nakasendo Way to climb the Torii Pass. The pass is named after the Shinto torii gate, which marks one of four protective sites surrounding Mt. Ontake. At 1,197 meters, the Torii Pass is also the second highest point on the Nakasendo. Our descent from here takes us along narrow mountain paths until we emerge at the outskirts of Narai, a lovely post town. Here we have free time to explore, relax in cafes, and shop in this well-preserved and atmospheric town before transferring by train to Matsumoto. We walk to our hotel, a charming and comfortable establishment in the centre of the city, where we enjoy our last dinner together.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Total walking: 10km (6.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: 373m (1,220ft).
Breakfast is followed by a guided visit to Matsumoto Castle, the keep of which is an impressive structure, symbolic of the powerful samurai clan that once controlled this region. Now a rarity, it is one of only four keeps listed as National Treasures in Japan. The tour finishes after visiting the castle but the city has plenty more to explore if you wish to do so, including the Matsumoto Art Gallery, which has an excellent permanent collection of work by Kusama Yayoi, probably Japan’s most famous living artist.
Express trains connect Matsumoto to Tokyo and Nagoya, where onward Shinkansen bullet trains speed to Kyoto. Your Walk Japan tour leader will be on hand to help you purchase your train tickets for your onward journey.
Accommodation: N/A.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Total walking: 2km (1.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: N/A.
This itinerary is subject to change.
For more information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
Day 1 Nagoya – Ena
The tour meets in Nagoya Station at 2pm for transfer by train to Ena. Before retiring to our accommodation, we pay a visit to a charming local museum dedicated to Hiroshige, one of Japan’s famous printmakers. Your Walk Japan tour leader holds a tour briefing over our evening meal composed of delicious Japanese fare.
Accommodation Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Dinner provided.
Total walking: N/A.
Total elevation gain: N/A.
Day 2 Ena - O-tsumago
After breakfast, we travel by train and taxi to the southern gateway of the Kiso Valley. From here we begin our walk along the Kiso Road section of the Nakasendo Way and follow this ancient road past paddy fields and quiet farmhouses to the pleasant post town of Magome, which was the home of Shimazaki Toson. Toson wrote Before the Dawn, a novel set in the days of Japan’s change from a feudal country dominated by the samurai to a fledgling industrial nation. The book is considered to be Japan's first modern novel. We continue onto O-tsumago, for the classic hike over Magome Pass, through old forests and past pristine mountain streams. O-tsumago is a lovely hamlet of a few traditional houses and inns set in a valley, aside a fast-flowing river.
Please note that depending on weather conditions tours from January through to mid-March tours, we may experience snow on a higher pass today and another on Day 3. In these circumstances we use snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Total walking: 10km (6.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: 461m (1,510ft).
Day 3 O-tsumago - Kaida Plateau - Kiso-Fukushima
After an early breakfast we set off again along the Nakasendo for nearby Tsumago, a beautifully maintained, traditional post town. We spend a little time exploring before continuing on our way for about 6 kilometres (3.75 miles) to Nagiso. Here an interesting footbridge provides us with a hint of two colourful people once associated with the area; a geisha, who appeared on the front cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1900, and her tycoon partner, who built the first of the many hydro-electric power stations found in the Kiso Valley.
We catch a local train to Kiso-Fukushima for the beginning of our walk over a pass on the Hida Road, an old trail that connected with the Nakasendo Way that leads us through forests to the Kaida Plateau. The plateau is dominated by the sacred Mt. Ontake, an active volcano that provides an impressive backdrop to one of the most picturesque areas of Japan. We return to Kiso-Fukushima and our accommodation, a delightful inn with onsen thermal hot spring baths, for the night.
As with Day 2, on tours during January and February we may encounter snow on a high pass today, in which case we don snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 12km (7.5 miles).
Total elevation gain: 371m (1,215ft).
Day 4 Kiso-Fukushima - Narai - Matsumoto
After breakfast, we transfer by local train to Yabuhara, from where we rejoin the Nakasendo Way to climb the Torii Pass. The pass is named after the Shinto torii gate, which marks one of four protective sites surrounding Mt. Ontake. At 1,197 meters, the Torii Pass is also the second highest point on the Nakasendo. Our descent from here takes us along narrow mountain paths until we emerge at the outskirts of Narai, a lovely post town. Here we have free time to explore, relax in cafes, and shop in this well-preserved and atmospheric town before transferring by train to Matsumoto. We walk to our hotel, a charming and comfortable establishment in the centre of the city, where we enjoy our last dinner together.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided.
Total walking: 10km (6.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: 373m (1,220ft).
Day 5 Matsumoto
Breakfast is followed by a guided visit to Matsumoto Castle, the keep of which is an impressive structure, symbolic of the powerful samurai clan that once controlled this region. Now a rarity, it is one of only four keeps listed as National Treasures in Japan. The tour finishes after visiting the castle but the city has plenty more to explore if you wish to do so, including the Matsumoto Art Gallery, which has an excellent permanent collection of work by Kusama Yayoi, probably Japan’s most famous living artist.
Express trains connect Matsumoto to Tokyo and Nagoya, where onward Shinkansen bullet trains speed to Kyoto. Your Walk Japan tour leader will be on hand to help you purchase your train tickets for your onward journey.
Accommodation: N/A.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Total walking: 2km (1.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: N/A.
This itinerary is subject to change.
For more information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
A more active version of the original itinerary for the Nakasendo Way: The Kiso Road is ground-only, beginning mid-morning in Nagoya and ending in Matsumoto. Compared with Itinerary I, Itinerary II includes an additional 14km (8.7 miles) for a 48km (29.8 miles) total over five days.
After meeting mid-morning in Nagoya we catch a train to Nakatsugawa, formerly an old post town and now a pleasant regional town. We have a leisurely lunch and tour briefing here before an afternoon walk in hilly countryside through the small post-town of Ochiai towards Magome, our destination for today. It’s a stiff climb, but the last section passes along one of the best-preserved parts of the old highway, and perhaps one of the most photogenic too.
Accommodation Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 8km (5 miles).
Total elevation gain: 320m (1,148ft).
Today we begin by exploring Magome post town, birth-place of Shimazaki Toson, Japan’s first modern novelist and author of Before the Dawn. Perched on a hill and boasting grand views of the surrounding countryside, Magome retains a charming character despite increasing numbers of visitors. Leaving the town, we follow the way up the appropriately named Magome Pass and meander slowly downhill through the woods, passing a pair of historic waterfalls before we reach the small hamlet of O-tsumago and, about 20 minutes further on, the village of Tsumago itself.
Tsumago is the best preserved and arguably the most attractive of all the post towns. The inhabitants take great pride in their town and have banished telephone poles, electric lines and vending machines from the main street. We follow the old highway on, passing idyllic hamlets and fields, until it descends to the town of Nagiso. From here, a local train takes us to Kiso-Fukushima and our accommodation for the evening.
Please note that depending on weather conditions tours from January through to mid-March tours, we may experience snow on a higher pass today and another on Day 3. In these circumstances we use snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 13km (8.1 miles).
Total elevation gain: 520m (1,706ft).
Transfer part-way to the Kaida Plateau where our morning’s walk follows an ancient path over the Jizo Pass and then down onto the Kaida Plateau. The plateau is dominated by Mt. Ontake, an active volcano that is considered sacred by one esoteric Buddhist sect.
After lunch, our afternoon’s excursion takes us over another high pass that, on a clear day, provides views high over the plateau to Mt. Ontake. We descend from here to our accommodation, a delightful Japanese inn with onsen baths.
The duration and destination of our walk will depend on weather conditions. For tours in January through March there may be a chance to snowshoe, again dependent on weather conditions.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 14km (8.7 miles).
Total elevation gain: 673m (2,200ft).
Returning from the Kaida Plateau to Kiso Fukushima, we stroll through the town and visit the reconstructed barrier station that stood here during the Edo period. A short rail transfer then takes us to Yabuhara, where we begin our climb of the Torii Toge (Torii Pass). The pass is named after the Shinto torii gate that marks one of four protective sites surrounding the sacred Mt. Ontake. At 1,197 meters, the Torii Pass is also the second highest point on the Nakasendo. The descent into Narai post town takes us along narrow mountain paths until we emerge at the outskirts of this famous post-town next to a joyato stone night lantern.
We have some time to explore Narai before transferring by train to Matsumoto, set in Japan’s Central Alps on a plateau famous in Japan for its apples, grapes and wine. Our final night is spent here at a modern hotel, dining together at a restaurant in the city.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.
Total walking: 11km (6.8 miles).
Total elevation gain: 373m (1,220ft).
Breakfast is followed by a guided visit to Matsumoto Castle, the keep of which is an impressive structure, symbolic of the powerful samurai clan that once controlled this region. Now a rarity, it is one of only four keeps listed as National Treasures in Japan. The tour finishes after visiting the castle but the city has plenty more to explore if you wish to do so, including the Matsumoto Art Gallery, which has an excellent permanent collection of work by Kusama Yayoi, probably Japan’s most famous living artist.
Express trains connect Matsumoto to Tokyo and Nagoya, where onward Shinkansen bullet trains speed to Kyoto. Your Walk Japan tour leader will be on hand to help you purchase your train tickets for your onward journey.
Accommodation: N/A.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Total walking: 2km (1.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: N/A.
This itinerary is subject to change.
For more information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
Day 1 Nagoya - Nakatsugawa - Magome
After meeting mid-morning in Nagoya we catch a train to Nakatsugawa, formerly an old post town and now a pleasant regional town. We have a leisurely lunch and tour briefing here before an afternoon walk in hilly countryside through the small post-town of Ochiai towards Magome, our destination for today. It’s a stiff climb, but the last section passes along one of the best-preserved parts of the old highway, and perhaps one of the most photogenic too.
Accommodation Traditional Japanese inn.
Meals: Lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 8km (5 miles).
Total elevation gain: 320m (1,148ft).
Day 2 Magome - Tsumago – Nagiso - Kiso-Fukushima
Today we begin by exploring Magome post town, birth-place of Shimazaki Toson, Japan’s first modern novelist and author of Before the Dawn. Perched on a hill and boasting grand views of the surrounding countryside, Magome retains a charming character despite increasing numbers of visitors. Leaving the town, we follow the way up the appropriately named Magome Pass and meander slowly downhill through the woods, passing a pair of historic waterfalls before we reach the small hamlet of O-tsumago and, about 20 minutes further on, the village of Tsumago itself.
Tsumago is the best preserved and arguably the most attractive of all the post towns. The inhabitants take great pride in their town and have banished telephone poles, electric lines and vending machines from the main street. We follow the old highway on, passing idyllic hamlets and fields, until it descends to the town of Nagiso. From here, a local train takes us to Kiso-Fukushima and our accommodation for the evening.
Please note that depending on weather conditions tours from January through to mid-March tours, we may experience snow on a higher pass today and another on Day 3. In these circumstances we use snowshoes to make our way.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 13km (8.1 miles).
Total elevation gain: 520m (1,706ft).
Day 3 Kiso-Fukushima - Kaida-Kogen
Transfer part-way to the Kaida Plateau where our morning’s walk follows an ancient path over the Jizo Pass and then down onto the Kaida Plateau. The plateau is dominated by Mt. Ontake, an active volcano that is considered sacred by one esoteric Buddhist sect.
After lunch, our afternoon’s excursion takes us over another high pass that, on a clear day, provides views high over the plateau to Mt. Ontake. We descend from here to our accommodation, a delightful Japanese inn with onsen baths.
The duration and destination of our walk will depend on weather conditions. For tours in January through March there may be a chance to snowshoe, again dependent on weather conditions.
Accommodation: Traditional Japanese inn with onsen hot spring baths.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.
Total walking: 14km (8.7 miles).
Total elevation gain: 673m (2,200ft).
Day 4 Kaida-Kogen - Narai - Matsumoto
Returning from the Kaida Plateau to Kiso Fukushima, we stroll through the town and visit the reconstructed barrier station that stood here during the Edo period. A short rail transfer then takes us to Yabuhara, where we begin our climb of the Torii Toge (Torii Pass). The pass is named after the Shinto torii gate that marks one of four protective sites surrounding the sacred Mt. Ontake. At 1,197 meters, the Torii Pass is also the second highest point on the Nakasendo. The descent into Narai post town takes us along narrow mountain paths until we emerge at the outskirts of this famous post-town next to a joyato stone night lantern.
We have some time to explore Narai before transferring by train to Matsumoto, set in Japan’s Central Alps on a plateau famous in Japan for its apples, grapes and wine. Our final night is spent here at a modern hotel, dining together at a restaurant in the city.
Accommodation: Western-style hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.
Total walking: 11km (6.8 miles).
Total elevation gain: 373m (1,220ft).
Day 5 Matsumoto
Breakfast is followed by a guided visit to Matsumoto Castle, the keep of which is an impressive structure, symbolic of the powerful samurai clan that once controlled this region. Now a rarity, it is one of only four keeps listed as National Treasures in Japan. The tour finishes after visiting the castle but the city has plenty more to explore if you wish to do so, including the Matsumoto Art Gallery, which has an excellent permanent collection of work by Kusama Yayoi, probably Japan’s most famous living artist.
Express trains connect Matsumoto to Tokyo and Nagoya, where onward Shinkansen bullet trains speed to Kyoto. Your Walk Japan tour leader will be on hand to help you purchase your train tickets for your onward journey.
Accommodation: N/A.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Total walking: 2km (1.2 miles).
Total elevation gain: N/A.
This itinerary is subject to change.
For more information about the history of the Nakasendo highway is available at our complementary website Nakasendo Way: A Journey to the Heart of Japan.
The itinerary for the Nakasendo Way: The Kiso Road tour is ground-only, beginning in Nagoya and ending in Matsumoto.
The airport closest to the tour’s start at Nagoya is Nagoya’s Central Japan Airport. The journey is also easily made from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and both Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda International Airports.
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FROM NAGOYA’S CENTRAL JAPAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NGO)
From Nagoya’s Central Japan International Airport, Meitetsu Line trains depart to Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.
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FROM OSAKA’S KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KIX)
From Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, Haruka Express trains depart to Shin-Osaka Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
-----
FROM TOKYO’S HANEDA AIRPORT (HND)
From Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, Keikyu Line trains depart to Shinagawa Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
-----
FROM TOKYO’S NARITA AIRPORT (NRT)
From Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, Narita Express trains depart to Tokyo Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.
The pre-tour pack includes detailed instructions, including a map, for travel to the accommodation at the start of the tour.
Tour participants are advised not to book themselves out on an early morning flight at the end of the tour, as the journey from Matsumoto to the nearest international airport takes approximately 3.5 hours.
The airport closest to the tour’s start at Nagoya is Nagoya’s Central Japan Airport. The journey is also easily made from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and both Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda International Airports.
-----
FROM NAGOYA’S CENTRAL JAPAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NGO)
From Nagoya’s Central Japan International Airport, Meitetsu Line trains depart to Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.
-----
FROM OSAKA’S KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KIX)
From Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, Haruka Express trains depart to Shin-Osaka Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
-----
FROM TOKYO’S HANEDA AIRPORT (HND)
From Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, Keikyu Line trains depart to Shinagawa Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.
-----
FROM TOKYO’S NARITA AIRPORT (NRT)
From Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, Narita Express trains depart to Tokyo Station, where shinkansen bullet trains then depart for Nagoya. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.
The pre-tour pack includes detailed instructions, including a map, for travel to the accommodation at the start of the tour.
Tour participants are advised not to book themselves out on an early morning flight at the end of the tour, as the journey from Matsumoto to the nearest international airport takes approximately 3.5 hours.
