A guided woodland hike along the Nakasendo Trail over the historic Torii Pass to Narai-juku, one of Kiso’s best preserved post towns. If you’re staying in Matsumoto, or heading on to Takayama, and  you want a taste of Kiso but time is limited, this is the hike for you.

Where: Yabuhara (in Kiso Village) to Narai (in Shiojiri)

Duration: Usually about 4 hours

Start and Finish Times: Determined according to your itinerary and local train schedules

Distance: ~8.5 km (5.3 miles)

Elevation Gain: 270 m (886 ft)

Difficulty: Easy to medium (~3 km (1.9 mile) ascent to Torii Pass)

Season: April to early-December, depending on local conditions

Price: ¥49,000 per tour for up to six people

Getting There: 45 min by train from Matsumoto. 3.5 hr from Tokyo (via Shiojiri). 4 hr from Osaka and 3.5 hr from Kyoto (via Nagoya and Nakatsugawa)

Overview

Starting from Yabuhara Station, we hike a historic neighborhood that used to be the post town of Yabuhara, where you can get a feel for a typical Kiso Valley town. From there the Nakasendo ascends gradually through into the forest (have a water bottle to fill up with the same pure spring water travelers used when heading to the pass in the old days). After a picturesque section of ishidatami (traditional stone walkway) we climb through the woods until reaching Torii Pass at about 1,200 meters. Along the way is a landscape rich in history, legend, and myth, with ancient shrines and occasional views of the Kiso Valley. On clear days you can even see out to sacred Mt. Ontake. We then descend to the post town once known as “Narai of a thousand houses,” a beautifully preserved Nakasendo gem. We stop for lunch, often at one of Kiso’s renowned soba shops, before exploring Narai in depth. From the station in Narai you can get a train towards Matsumoto and Tokyo,  or on towards Nakatsugawa, Nagoya, and Kyoto/Osaka.

All tours are private, exclusively for your group. Inquire today to secure your dates.

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