Magome and Tsumago Nakasendo hiking from Kyoto/Osaka

How to get from Kyoto/Osaka to Magome and Tsumago Nakasendo Trail

If you are staying in Kyoto or Osaka and would like to visit Magome and Tsumago Nakasendo trail on a day trip, this is the tour for you. The hike between Magome and Tsumago takes about 3 hours. If you are not confident about your physical strength or if the weather is bad, you can also travel by car between Magome and Tsumago.

Regular routes from Kyoto/Osaka to Magome

Many websites offer a route from Kyoto or Osaka to Magome by taking the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya and then transferring to a limited express train and bus. Or you may take a Nakasendo tour from Nagoya such as 1-Day Tour from Nagoya: Hiking the Historic Nakasendo Trail.

Although these routes are popular, they are time-consuming and the limited number of express trains and buses makes it difficult to create a flexible itinerary. While a one-day tour from Osaka or Kyoto is not impossible, many people would probably give up.

Our Magome/Tsumago tour

What we offer is a private tour by car from Gifu Hashima Station. Gifu Hashima Station is less than 40 minutes from Kyoto Station on the Shinkansen bullet train. It is also about 50 minutes from Osaka. The distance from Gifu Hashima Station to Magome is about 2 hours by car.

A return Shinkansen ticket from Kyoto to Gifu-Hashima is approximately 10,100 yen per person (adult, low season price) for a reserved seat. Please note that the Shinkansen Nozomi does not stop at Gifu-Hashima Station. So you have to choose Hikari or Kodama. You can use the JR Pass for Hikari and Kodama.

Contact us from here

If you want to know what other travelers say about our services,
click here.

Magome

It takes more than 2 hours from Gifu Hashima Station to Magome by car. If you leave the station at 9:00 a.m., you will arrive in Magome at 11:00 a.m.

Magome-juku

Magome-juku was once a forgotten mountain village, but with the efforts of the locals, it has been revived as a new tourist destination. There is also a memorial hall for Toson Shimazaki, who was born there. He wrote a famous nobel “Before the Dawn” (Yoakemae).

From Magomejuku to Magome Pass, the trail continues uphill for a while. This part is the only long ascent on this hiking course.

Magome Pass

Climbing up a bit from here, you will reach Magome Pass. There is a teahouse on the pass. This is the end of a long climb. There is only downhill from here to Magome-juku.

Ichikokutochi

The site of Shiraki Aratame Bansho in Ichikokutochi. The Owari Han has just monitored the timber carried out of Kiso. Next to it is Tateba Tea House, where locals serve tea to hikers. There used to be a village here as well, but it seems that only the Makino family house, which was built in the late Edo period and is now used as a teahouse, remains today.

Waterfalls

After walking for a while you will see two waterfalls, Otaki and Metaki. A cool breeze blows here even in mid-summer.

Tsumago-shuku

A short walk from there takes you past the village of Otsumago and to the entrance of Tsumago Shuku. Here you will be greeted by a large horse made of straw.

Tsumago-shuku is a town where local residents have worked together to preserve the traditional landscape. The streetscape along the highway, including buildings from the Edo period, is very well preserved.

Tsumago-shuku is the goal of our hike. From here our guide will drive you back to Gifu Hashima Station. If you are heading elsewhere, your guide will take you to the nearest station.

Model itinerary for Osaka/Kyoto to Magome tour

This itinerary is for a Magome-Tsumago hiking. It does not take into account bad weather or road conditions. Click here to see the hiking trails.

7:54 Leave from Shin-Osaka Station by Kodama 708 bound for Tokyo
8:10 Leave from Kyoto Station by Kodama 708 bound for Tokyo
8:46 Arrive at Gifu Hashima Station and meet with the guides
11:00 Arrive at Magome
Lunch and self-guided tour in Magome (While you are in Magome, your guide will take the car to Tsumago and return to Magome by taxi.）
12:30 Leave from Magome
hiking
15:30 Arrive at Tsumago
16:30 Leave from Tsumago
18:30 Arrive at Gifu Hashima Station
18:58 Leave from Gifu Hashima Station by Kodama 739
19:34 Arrive at Kyoto Station
19:51 Arrive at Shin Osaka Station

If you are heading toward Matsumoto, Nagano or Nagoya by train after your tour, we will drop you off at either Nagiso or Nakatsugawa station.

Our car

We usually use a van (Toyota Estima or similar size), which has a capacity of up to 6 guests. If you are 4 or less, you can sit comfortably. If there are five or six of you, it is a bit cramped since three people sit in a row. We may prepare child safety seats if you are with children.

For a smaller number of passengers, we may use a smaller car.

Price of the Magome/Tsumago day trip

Estimated price (including tax) for this tour is 75,000 JPY in case of our standard van.

Prices include a driver/guide, highway tolls, parking fees, fuel, taxi fare, and sales tax. Shinkansen Tickets, meals and admission fees are not included.

Tour may be cancelled if there is a possibility of snowfall during the winter season. In winter, highways can be closed and bullet trains delayed.

Payment and cancelation

Tour guests are required to pay 10,000 yen as a deposit at the time of reservation. Payment can be made by WISE, Revolut, PayPal, credit card, or bank transfer. The balance is to be paid in cash on the day of the tour. Payment methods are negotiable.

If you cancel two days before, the day before, or the day of the tour for any reason, the deposit will not be refunded.

Please note that this service may not be available during winter (December to mid-March) , or will be canceled. In winter the highway may be closed due to heavy snowfall.

#MagomeFromOsaka
#MagomeFromKyoto
#NakasendoHiking
#MagomeTsumagoHiking

Osaka/Kyoto to Magome/Tsumago in Nagoya Guide