Walking holidays in Honshu
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.
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
Kumano Kodo trail self guided walking holiday, Japan
Self guided walking on the Kumano Kodo Trail
Nakasendo self guided walking tour
The Nakasendo Trail and Kamikochi -or extend to Nikko
Nikko and Yumoto Onsen walking tour, Japan
Explore Nikko and hike in the beautiful Oku Nikko plains.
Shikoku Pilgrimage self guided walking tour, Japan
Shikoku 88 Pilgimage route self-guided walking
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
Nakasendo Trail winter tour, Japan
The tranquil magic of winter on the Nakasendo trail
Japan walking holiday, North from Tokyo
A walking journey, rich in spirituality and tradition
Walking holiday in Japan
An ideal introduction to the delights of Japan
Japan walking and culture tour, Nakasendo & Kiso Valley
Guided tour of the highlights along the old Edo road
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 Alps winter walking holiday
Self-guided winter holiday in Nagano and Gifu
Honshu walking holidays will also frequently feature a section of a longer Japanese pilgrimage walk. You could embark on a five-day stretch along the legendary Kumano Kodo Trail in the Kii Peninsula, which is considered one of Japan’s great pilgrim routes and sees you trekking mountain trails thick with cherry trees, and fragrant woods of fir, cedar and pine. Or from Matsumoto you might tackle a section of the historic Nakasendo Trail in the magnificent Kiso Valley. The ancient samurai route in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, built in the Edo period to connect Kyoto and Tokyo, is threaded with charming timber-clad postal towns, taking you along forest paths where you routinely ring bells on gateposts to warn away bears.
Practicalities
Walking holidays in Honshu will usually incorporate time in the major cities as well as the mountainous countryside, starting in either Tokyo or Kyoto, and often finishing in Osaka. That means you can appreciate the clear distinctions between each of these thrilling cities, as well as contrasting them with the peace and harmony of the rural areas you’ll be walking through. Itineraries will likely be broken up into a handful of different point-to-point multi-day walks, with bullet train and regional transport included between each location.And speaking of accommodation, let’s talk about one of the great highlights of walking holidays in Japan: staying in traditional inns and guesthouse. Ryokans offer a quintessentially Japanese experience for visitors, usually independent and family-run, and sometimes with their own onsen (hot spring) facilities. You’ll be welcomed in, served delicious meals, and get a chance to interact with local Japanese families, helping to keep these delightful rural establishments going. Minshuku are slightly lower down the scale, Japanese-style bed and breakfasts where you’ll still be treated very hospitably and be introduced to some truly memorable cuisine.
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
Weather and terrain
Honshu Pilgrimage Trail walking
“The Nakasendo is one of Japan's more famous walking routes covering the old samurai trail through the mountains between Tokyo and Kyoto. Kumano Kodo is perhaps less known outside of Japan, but has been (and still is) one of the most sacred pilgrimage routes in Japan. Having existed for over a thousand years, you will still see pilgrims with their sticks and conical hats walking through the forests taking in shrines en route to the grand shrines of Hongu, Hayatama and Nachi Taisha. As is the case with Japanese beliefs, the mountains, trees and rivers are all sacred in themselves which is why this area is so important.”Accommodation
“One of the most satisfying parts of walking in Japan is staying in traditional Japanese ryokan guest houses and family-run minshuku. They will often have just a handful of rooms, but some of them, such as the ryokan in Yunomine Onsen will have traditional hot spring baths. The kimono-wearing owners of each place will greet you and serve incredible traditional meals in the evening as part of the stay. After a long walk, a hot spring bath and good food, a sleep on a futon will never have felt so good. I always like this Kumano Kodo video that one of our travellers made for us. It should give you an idea of what to expect.”“We are in our mid sixties and I was nervous beforehand about our ability to figure out the transportation by ourselves. In fact, with the helpful information plus clear ticketing, it was all very straightforward and went extremely smoothly. And local people just want to be helpful so assistance was always available.” – Jane Williams on a self-guided walking tour of Japan’s ancient capitals
“(Highlights were) walking in the countryside – seeing parts of Japan that I would never have discovered on my own and being guided by a reliable expert. Asuka, Dorogawa and the Mitarai Gorge were particularly memorable. Also – wonderful exotic food, charming ryokans and soothing onsens. (And the company of like-minded fellow travellers.)Ensure that you are fit enough to do the walking required, get a really good rucksack and carry as little as possible... (You don't need to take toiletries, towels or night gear as all is provided by the highly efficient hotels). Be prepared for the rigours of sleeping on a hard floor with a rice husk pillow in the ryokans!” – Una Dinning on a walking tour of Japan