The Best Nakasendo Route: Nakatsugawa to Nagiso (With Soba Stop!)

If you want to really enjoy the Nakasendo Trail, I recommend hiking from Nakatsugawa to Nagiso. Start early in the morning — the light is beautiful, the air is cool, and you’ll have the trail mostly to yourself for the first few hours.

The stretch from Nakatsugawa to Magome is much nicer than people expect: quiet, scenic, and with surprisingly few people. Magome itself can get very crowded with day-trippers, but once you head towards Tsumago, the atmosphere changes. The trail here is stunning, and Tsumago is calmer and more authentic than Magome, with a slower rhythm that makes it easy to imagine the old post town life.

One tip: stop at Sabo Ebiya in Tsumago to taste the local soba noodles. It’s a simple dish, but it’s what the region is known for, and eating it after hours of walking feels exactly right.

If you have the time and energy, continue all the way to Nagiso. It’s a longer hike, but you’ll get the satisfaction of completing a bigger section of the historic trail instead of just the tourist part.

In short: start in Nakatsugawa, go early, enjoy the first stretch, don’t linger too long in Magome, and reward yourself with soba in Tsumago before finishing in Nagiso. #japan #japantrip #japanvibes

Post by VeRGi | Sep 22, 2025