Nakasendo Trail, Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Koya and Nara
About this trip.
The old post road
The Edo-period Nakasendo ran inland between Kyoto and what's now Tokyo, skirting the mountains of central Honshu and stringing together a series of post towns where samurai, messengers and merchants stopped to rest. Sections of the old route survive — stone-paved climbs, cedar groves, farmhouses with blackened timber — and four days of walking along it form the backbone of this eleven-day trip.
Expect low mountain paths, quiet valley villages, and a gradual shift in the landscape between post towns that have kept their wooden Edo-era frontages. It's walking at a human pace, enough to get the feel of a country that most visitors only see from the Shinkansen window.
Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Koya and Nara
Four places book-end the walking, and they cover an unusually wide range for a single holiday. Tokyo is the modern bookend: dense, fast, relentlessly itself. Kyoto, the old imperial capital, is the opposite register — temples, teahouses and the lingering patterns of court culture. Nara sits a short hop south of Kyoto with its vast wooden Todai-ji and the tame deer wandering its park.
Mount Koya, up on a forested plateau, is the one that tends to stay with people. It's a working Buddhist monastic town where visitors sleep in temple lodgings and eat Buddhist vegetarian food. A night there resets the tempo of the trip and sits oddly well against the urban days at either end.
Bookings and who it suits
Macs Adventure runs this as a self-guided trip from £3,275 per person, eleven days and ten nights in total. The walking sections come with route notes, luggage transfers between post towns and pre-booked accommodation; the city portions are built around hotels and transfers that leave your days free to plan as you like.
It suits travellers who want to see Japan properly rather than tick off the headline list in a week: people comfortable carrying a day pack over mixed terrain, happy to eat what's in front of them, and open to the shift between urban Japan and a few nights in a mountain temple. International flights aren't included. Eleven days is about the minimum needed to do this combination justice — any less and either the walking or the cities gets compressed.
The shape of the trip.
What's typically in the price, what isn't.
A general guide for walking holidays of this kind. Check the operator's booking page for the final inclusions on this specific trip.
Typically included
- ✓Hotel accommodation, double or twin en-suite rooms
- ✓Daily breakfast at each hotel
- ✓Luggage transfer between hotels on every walking day
- ✓Detailed route notes with maps and GPX files
- ✓24/7 support line in English for the duration of the trip
Typically not included
- ×Flights to and from the country of travel
- ×Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- ×Lunches — typically a village picnic or café stop
- ×Some evening meals — depends on the specific itinerary
- ×Alcohol beyond any wine included with set dinners
- ×Optional room or transfer upgrades
Everything you might be wondering.
Q1How hard is it really?
The grading is set by the operator and usually reflects daily distance and total ascent. As a rule of thumb: if you can comfortably manage a 5-6 hour hillwalk at home on a weekend, a moderate-graded route will be fine. Read the day-by-day notes carefully, and train with a loaded pack in the months before.
Q2Can I do this solo?
Yes — self-guided walking holidays are well suited to solo travellers, and some operators waive the single-room supplement on certain departures. The route notes are written for confident independent walkers, and most operators run a 24/7 support line.
Q3Do I need to speak the language?
No. Hotels and restaurants on the route are used to English-speaking walkers. A phrasebook for menus and a few polite basics (hello, thank you, please) is all you really need. The operator's support line speaks English.
Q4Can I bring my dog?
Some routes are dog-friendly, others aren't — it depends on whether all the accommodation on the itinerary accepts dogs. Check with the operator before booking. If you do bring a dog, you'll need a pet passport, up-to-date rabies vaccination, and a lead for villages.
Q5What if it rains?
The route is walkable in rain — your luggage travels ahead regardless, so you'll always arrive somewhere dry. Some trails get slippery in wet weather and the operator's support line can arrange a taxi for any stage if conditions are properly bad.
Q6How do I get there from the UK?
Most routes are reachable by a short flight to a nearby airport, followed by train or transfer. The operator will usually point you at the nearest airport and can advise on rail connections. Some will book train tickets on your behalf for a small fee.
Q7Can I shorten or extend it?
Usually yes. Many operators offer shorter versions of a route as a standalone, and most will add extra nights at the start or end at their own rates. Ask when you enquire — they'll tailor it before booking.
Q8What about cancellation?
Typically a deposit (usually 20-25%) is taken at booking, with the balance due 8-10 weeks before departure. The operator's own terms apply — Mooch doesn't handle the booking or refunds. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Three walking holidays, side-by-side.
Other walking holidays on Mooch in the same spirit. All prices per person, from the operator.
