Japan walking holidays travel guide

How tough are they?

Japanese walking holidays are often as much about experiencing local history and culture as they are about the hikes. Check the number of days of full walking in the itinerary, because sometimes it might only be for half of the actual trip, if it is a guided trip. If it is tailor made, then you can hike as much as you like. And generally the walking is not too strenuous. On Nakasendo Trail walking holidays, there are only about four days of walking, and outings vary from two to five hours in length on mainly flat-ish, well trodden mountain paths that twist and turn through ancient forests. On Shikoku Island hikes, you will walk on gently rising mountain paths, a bit rough underfoot but nothing too taxing. On the Kumano Kodo Trail, the mountains are a bit tougher and on a guided hiking tour you will walk for about five days, between two and six hours a day, but with more climbs. So, although it is not Kilimanjaro by any means, a good level of fitness is required to tackle up to 1,000m ascents some days. But they are always interspersed with easier days, so don’t panic.

If you are going to take on the summits of Fuji or Yari, however, it is a different story. Some days involve six to eight hours of trekking, with challenging climbs and descents on Yari for two days. Indeed the final summit involves a scramble, ladders and chains. This is not for people with knee issues – nor vertigo, for that matter. Fuji is not as challenging but you still need to be ready to hike for two days, get up early to summit at sunrise and have a good level of fitness.