Walking holidays in Nikko & Yumoto Onsen

Green leaves, young leaves
Glittering in the sunlight

Nikko National Park
Our Japan walking Holidays
Japan self guided walking holiday, Nakasendo Trail
Self-guided walking along Japan’s ancient Nakasendo trail
Honshu hiking holiday in Japan
A challenging walking and hiking holiday in Japan.
Kumano Kodo trail self guided walking holiday, Japan
Self guided walking on the Kumano Kodo Trail
Nakasendo Trail walking tour, Japan
Village-to-village walking on the historic Nakasendo trail
Kumano Kodo walking holiday, Japan
Village to village walking in the sacred Kii Peninsula
Nikko and Yumoto Onsen walking tour, Japan
Explore Nikko and hike in the beautiful Oku Nikko plains.
Nakasendo self guided walking tour
The Nakasendo Trail and Kamikochi -or extend to Nikko
Shikoku Pilgrimage self guided walking tour, Japan
Shikoku 88 Pilgimage route self-guided walking
Nakasendo Trail winter tour, Japan
The tranquil magic of winter on the Nakasendo trail
Japan ancient capitals self guided walking tour
Ancient Capitals, historic trails and cultural treasures.
Japan walking tour of Shikoku
Beautiful Shikoku Island and the 88 Pilgrimage trail
Japan walking holiday, North from Tokyo
A walking journey, rich in spirituality and tradition
Japan Guided Tour, Eastern Hokkaido
Explore the untamed wilderness of Hokkaido
Kumano Kodo trail walking holiday in Japan
1200-year-old Kumano Kodo walk, major pilgrimage destination
Japan walking and culture tour, Nakasendo & Kiso Valley
Guided tour of the highlights along the old Edo road
Walking holiday in Japan
An ideal introduction to the delights of Japan
Japan Alps winter walking holiday
Self-guided winter holiday in Nagano and Gifu
The five-storey pagoda by the main gate, and the intricate Yomeimon Gate, are two of the most handsome structures in the Toshogu Shrine complex. There is also a museum, where you can see the shogun’s personal effects including swords, armour and personal letters, and a sombre mausoleum. Tokugawa, the ‘Great Deity of the East Shining Light’, is celebrated as a strategic mastermind, no doubt a factor in the length and stability of his dynasty. While here you might also visit the Futuarasan-jinja and Rinnōji shrines which make up the rest of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vermillion Sacred Bridge across the Daiya River is reckoned among the most beautiful in all Japan.
Other points of interest in the area for walkers include the Oze Marshlands in a lava-formed valley, surrounded by the Nikko Mountains and thronged with alpine flora and wild birds; the Kegon Falls, at 97m one of the highest waterfalls in Japan, and Lake Chuzenji, which is a popular summer resort for its hot springs and magnificent seasonal foliage, and was created by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago.
Yumoto Onsen
Yumoto is a small town next to Lake Yunoko in Okunikko, a region of the park that lies at a higher elevation. Many Japanese people come here during the summer to escape the heat, and it’s a year-round walking destination. Yumoto has two principal claims to fame: its scenery, and its hot springs.The town gets very busy in October, as the autumnal changes in the foliage are known for their beauty. Typically, the colour change begins in Yumoto from early October, descending to Lake Chuzenji by the middle of the month and reaching the town of Nikko in early November.
Note that more than half of Japanese onsen still refuse access to people with tattoos, as decorative skin art is strongly linked with yakuza gangs. Even though you probably don’t resemble a gangster in the slightest, if you have a tattoo you may not be able to bathe in an onsen, so it’s worth checking with your operator beforehand if the places you’re going to be visiting are either tattoo-friendly, or if they can make arrangements for covering them up.
Our top Japan walking Holiday
Japan self guided walking holiday, Nakasendo Trail
Self-guided walking along Japan’s ancient Nakasendo trail
This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
Practicalities
As with any walking holiday we recommend familiarising yourself before you go with the Seven Principles of the Leave No Trace philosophy – sticking to the centre of marked trails and watching out for dropped waste are beneficial to preserving pristine environments that you’re going to find in places such as Nikko.
“Hard to choose the most memorable moment. Bathing naked in hot spring under the stars. Walking snow packed paths, through the mountains...We had an amazing experience and the people at the inns couldn’t have been more kind and helpful.” – Prue Thimbleby on a Nikko and Yumoto Onsen walking holiday
“(Highlights were) walking for days with seeing hardly anybody, only wonderful nature. And the amazing food in the local inns...Don´t hesitate to do this on your own, it´s perfectly safe and very well sign-posted.” – Babette Braun on a Nikko and Yumoto Onsen walking holiday