Nagoya & Central Japan Day Guides
How to Spend a Day on Nakasendo Magome–Tsumago Trail
Last updated 5/2/2026
9km Edo-era trail between two post towns: granite stones, gohei mochi, honjin inns, and a ¥1,000 luggage-forwarding service so you walk light.
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A full day, hour by hour
8:00 — Travel to Nakatsugawa
- JR Chuo Line from Nagoya, 1.5 hr, ¥1,340
9:30 — Bus to Magome
- 30-min bus from Nakatsugawa Station, ¥570
- Magome — post-town no. 43 on the Nakasendo (Edo–Kyoto route)
- Granite-paved street + wooden honjin houses
10:00 — Walk Magome → Tsumago (8.5 km)
- Forest trail with bamboo, streams, the Magome-toge pass
- A relaxed 3–4 hours
- Forward your luggage Magome → Tsumago for ¥1,000
12:00 — Tateba mid-walk break
- A reconstructed Edo-era rest hut
- Free tea + gohei mochi (grilled walnut-miso rice cakes) ¥300
13:30 — Magome-toge pass summit
- 800m, highest point
- Wooden marker + Kiso Valley views
14:30 — Tsumago village
- Post-town no. 42 on the Nakasendo
- Honjin ¥600
- Wakihonjin Okuya ¥600 — secondary inn
- The most pristine post town in Japan — no power lines, no modern signage
16:30 — Bus Tsumago → Nagiso → Nagoya
- 10-min bus to Nagiso Station, ¥300
- JR Chuo Line 1 hr 40 min, ¥1,510 to Nagoya
Quick facts
- Trekking shoes — 15% gradients on the pass
- Mid-late November koyo is the prime season
- Avoid winter — snow makes the trail slippery
- Total cost: ¥3,700 transit + ¥1,000 luggage + ¥1,200 entries + ¥1,500 food = ¥7,400
Suggested combo
2D1N at a Tsumago minshuku (¥10,000/night with dinner + breakfast) — true Edo immersion.