ON FOOT · JAPAN HIKING TOURS
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 japan hiking tours earn the slot, priced and timed so you can decide over breakfast and still make the trailhead.
Start near Tofukuji Station with an English-speaking guide such as Hina, Naru, or Shiori. Walk quiet forest paths and bamboo groves, climb Mount Inari, learn Shinto customs, and enter Fushimi Inari Shrine from the back. Expect about 7 kilometers of hills, stairs, photos, and a small group of up to nine.
“It was an amazing tour!! Very beautiful and nice! Ayane, is a really good and nice guide!”
Start at Hiroshima Station and follow guides such as Nana, Michi, or Naomi into the Futaba Mountains. You’ll visit Hiroshima Toshogu and Kinko Inari shrines, climb about 500 steps, pause for forest bathing, and enjoy Nodate tea beside a mountaintop view of Hiroshima, the Seto Inland Sea, and Miyajima.
“Local people invite you to share in their special pilgrimage route in the heart of Hiroshima. Not only is the walk beautiful, but you get a real insight into Hiroshima culture. At the end of the walk the views, experiences and tea ceremony are lovely. Nana our guide, was genuine and kind. Thank you.”
![Hiking the Historic Nakasendo Trail [1 Day Tour from Nagoya] - Walking the 8 km trail to Magome](https://cdn1.hikereviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/hiking-the-historic-nakasendo-trail-1-day-tour-from-nagoya.jpg)
Leave Nagoya for a guided 8 km walk between Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku, two preserved Edo-era post towns. Guides such as Emily, Kim, Paula, and Polly have led this route, explaining its history while you pass waterfalls, forest paths, and mountain views. Round-trip private transport is included, but bring your own lunch and sturdy shoes.
“We loved our hike with Kim and Vincent!!! This is a must do trip if you love the outdoors, want to see more than just the cities and want some great information about the history of this area. The scenery was beautiful! Kim had some much knRead more”
Start near Hiroshima Station with a small group of up to six and climb Futaba Mountain with an English or Japanese guide. Visit Hiroshima Toshogu and Kinko Inari shrines, reach the Peace Pagoda after about 500 steps, then slow down with forest bathing and a matcha tea ceremony overlooking Hiroshima. Guides may include Naomi, Nana, Michiyo, Mimi, or Stephanie.
“Naomi met us at arranged time Local guide with obvious passion and knowledge of area Time spent at shrines and clear expiations with photos Fun Forest bathing which we got involved in happily Tea ceremony was so beautiful and Naomi involved out daughter to experience making the matcha tea correctly Plenty of time taken for photos We were guided to our chosen restaurant for lunch after Photos forwarded quickly Sting reenactment at Shrine - just great!”
Meet your private guide at Takaosanguchi Station for a 5.5-hour Mt. Takao hike. Choose an easier or tougher trail, visit Yakuo-in Temple, ride a cable car or lift downhill, and soak at Takaosan Onsen. Guides such as Hiroko, Rie, Keita, and Takeshi add useful cultural context.
“Just a great experience hiking with Yumi. Loved the views from the top and the nature trail along the river.”
Ride the Eizan train from Kyoto to the mountain villages of Kibune and Kurama, then hike forest steps to Kurama Temple with an English or French guide. Philippe, Chris, Kevin, and Salome have led this route. The tour ends in Kurama, where you can eat, explore, or use the hot spring at your own cost.
“Phillip was a fantastic guide! Knowledgeable, down to earth, and fun. He knew all the cool people most people don’t know about. Plus, the views and history are excellent. I’d highly recommend taking this tour!”
Follow the old Tokaido route from Hakone Yumoto to Mishima with certified guide Aki, also identified as Akihiro. This seven-hour, 8km outing mixes forest trails, buses, Lake Ashi, a cedar avenue, Yamanaka Castle Ruins, and local history. Bring lunch money, bus fare, and sturdy shoes.
“Aki was knowledgeable, kind, and a wonderful host. He also took many photos of us as a family. The best!!”
Travel from Nagoya to Tsumago, explore its preserved Edo-era streets, then hike 8 km through forest, streams, waterfalls, and mountain scenery to Magome. Guides such as Kim and Mir add useful history along the way. You will return by comfortable small-group bus, but bring lunch and sturdy shoes.
“The tour was very lovely, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of background information. We walked at a nice pace and also got enough time to enjoy the lovely towns. The bus drive was also very comfortable. I recommend!”
Join an English-speaking guide for an 8-km walk from Tsumago to Magome on the old Nakasendo route. You’ll see Edo-era cobbles, waterfalls, tea houses, rural scenery, and beautifully preserved wooden towns. Transport takes roughly two hours each way from Matsumoto, with departures also available from Nagano and Kokusai 21. Guides may include Shawn, Kim, Joyce, Kevin, Devon, or Sijung.
“Fantastic hike on the Nakasendo trail from Tsumago to Magome. Kim, our guide was very knowledgeable and happily answered our numerous questions along our way. We lucked upon a beautiful day for the hike too.”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Nakatsugawa Station for a 9-kilometer walk from Magome to Tsumago. Follow forest paths, visit the Odaki and Medaki waterfalls, explore preserved post towns, and see Edo-period buildings before ending at Nagiso Station. Guides such as Ryo, Harumoto, and Kazuo are praised for local knowledge and thoughtful pacing.
“Our guide Ryo was awesome! He was very knowledgeable about the area (he grew up in the area of the Nakasendo Trail). Great attitude and very enthusiastic. Highly recommended!”
This private, small-group morning walk links Hiroshima Station with Hiroshima Toshogu, Kinko Inari Shrine, Mt. Futaba, and its Peace Pagoda. Guides including Michi, Naomi, Michiyo, Kota, and Lisa have led the experience, though your guide may vary. Expect forest paths, shrine history, a local bento, forest bathing, and a Nodate tea ceremony with views toward Hiroshima, the Seto Inland Sea, and Miyajima.
Follow parts of the 32-kilometer Hakone Hachiri route with nationally certified mountain guide Aki, also called Akihiro. You’ll hike about 8 kilometers over 5 to 6 hours, using buses and shared taxis to skip the steepest sections. Expect cobbled paths, Lake Ashi, Mt. Fuji views when skies cooperate, Mishima Taisha, Genbe River, and warm amazake at a 400-year-old teahouse.
“Great hike, nature and history September 2024 A really good experience on the old Taikado route. Had a good hike with a good tour guide, he shows the best spots. Aki explains also the history and culture of Japan, so you feel the real experience of the country. PS he also makes great pictures of you💪😊”
Join Tony for an eight-hour private hike along an eight-mile section of Old Tokaido. Begin near Amazake Chaya, walk through cedar forest to Lake Ashi and Hakone Checkpoint, then continue toward Yamanaka Castle Ruins and Mishima. Tony guides in fluent English and Japanese, explains the area’s past, and helps you manage the day’s transport.
“BEST experience so far in Japan. We hiked an area of Hakone we never would have known about and had an insider’s perspective thanks to Tony’s years of experience living in the area. He customized our route based on our schedules and anticipated the weather - finished our day 10 minutes before the rain came down! Our chat with the owner of a 400 year old tea house along the shogun’s old road (translated by Tony) will be a special family memory for us - all thanks to Tony!”
Spend six hours with a licensed English- or Japanese-speaking guide on Kamakura’s 6-kilometer Daibutsu Trail. Start at your hotel or a nearby station, then tailor the day around the Great Buddha, Zeniarai Benten, Jufuku-ji, and nearby Zen temples. Guides such as Shinji, Seizo, and Andy have earned praise for clear communication and thoughtful help.
“We enjoyed our day with Seizo. Even though the weather was very hot, Seizo made sure that we were able to do and see everything we wanted to without getting too hot.”
Join Yuki, a licensed English-speaking guide, for a six-hour private walk through Oiso, a quiet Shonan town west of Tokyo. You’ll visit Japan’s first public beach, Oiso Port, Takaku Shrine, Mt. Koma, Shonan-Daira Observatory, 7th-century tombs, and Meiji-era villas. The hike is moderate, weather dependent, and lunch is extra.
“Yuki’s Heartwarming Tour I had such an amazing time! I didn’t know much about Oiso, but I found it very charming. We visited the houses and gardens of former Japanese prime ministers and famous diplomats. We also went to a very beautiful beach and enjoyed watching the sunset there. Yuki explained everything in a fun and easy-to-understand way, using illustrations and maps. I had no idea that Oiso was the birthplace of Japan’s seaside resort! I was actually tired that day, but she kindly adjusted the schedule and places according to how I felt. She showed us spots where we could see Mt. Fuji and explained why many famous Japanese…”
Other ways to spend the day on foot
Rock, ice, forest or crater rim.
