Japan hiking: Kiso Valley, Magome and Tsumago

Kiso Valley, a natural passageway through the Japan Alps, served as an official road, aka the Nakasendo Highway - between Kyoto and Tokyo during the famous Edo time.

Is located between Nagoya and Matsumoto and is famous for two beautiful old Nakasendo post villages, Magome and Tsumago.
Ant it was - for us, the second stay after a short stop in Matsumoto.

While we stayed at Kisoji resort in Nagiso/Tsumago we choose to start our #Japan hike in #Magome; we took a bus from Tsumago and we were not the only one! Well preserved and charming, with old inns and small shops on a sunny, stone-paved, steep slope, the village felt extremely welcoming. 

So we walked around, take millions pictures and buy some sweets and water.

And then on the trail!

We are kind of professional hikers mind you, so we reached Magome Pass within 1 hour enjoying all those scenic views on the way. And from there going mostly down, we comfortably strolled through bamboo groves, woods, rice paddies and old wooden homes all along a rushing river.

Three hours later we reached Tsumago and the sunny day was still with us; and we were delighted to walk into this tiny, ancient village with traditional wooden houses and cosy narrow streets. 

Imagine all those samurai traveling with their numerous escort, litters, servants, goods -

all of them trekking over the mountains on their way to Edo, following exactly this trail!

Magnificent!

Off we go - heading to Tsumago

Nakasendo trail: gorgeous

Magome

Wooden houses and a waterfall, still in use, on the way to Tsumago

still on the trail and what a wonderful day

This was outside a bathhouse in  Magome

Kiso Valley picture perfect

Charming old town Magome

Turisty might be but the place has its magic

beauty on the way

We choose to start from Magome so going up and up we go

this sunny day and the trail between these two centuries-old villages was less populated than we expected

arriving at Tsumago

Japan street art in Magome

Kiso Valley beautiful nature

The old wooden houses still standing along the Magome-Tsumago section of the Nakasendo highway

Kiso Valley: more than four hundred years ago,  on this  500 km Nakasendo “Highway” were 69 staging post  in total

stone lanterns and a gate to a magnificent past