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Kiso Valley Itinerary: 2 or 3 Days from Magome to Narai Without a Car

Two days from Nagoya or Kyoto to Matsumoto by train, bus and on foot: Magome to Tsumago over the pass, a night in Tsumago, then Narai. A third day adds the Torii Pass.

Researched & written byRural Japan GuidesHow I researchSources21 sourceslisted at the endLast checkedDetails can change — check the official site before you travel.Read5 min
Narai-juku's main street of dark wooden houses under fresh snow, with snowy hills at the far end

Narai-juku in snow, the last post town on this plan. Photo: くろふね / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

The short answer
  • Day 1: Shinano from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa, bus to Magome, send your bag ahead and walk 9 km over Magome Pass to Tsumago. Sleep in Tsumago.
  • Day 2: from Nagiso Station, a local train reaches Narai in about 1 hour 6 minutes without a change; leave Narai for Matsumoto in the afternoon.
  • Day 3 (optional): sleep in Narai, take the train one stop to Yabuhara and walk about 6.4 km over the Torii Pass back to Narai.
My pick

Walk Magome to Tsumago on day 1, sleep in Tsumago, and spend day 2 in Narai on the way to Matsumoto.

The bag service carries your luggage over Magome Pass while you walk, and the JR Chuo Line links Tsumago's station, Nagiso, with Narai and Matsumoto without a change.

Add a third day and a night in Narai if you want the Torii Pass as well.

  1. 12 daysMagome – Tsumago walk, a night in Tsumago, Narai, Matsumoto
  2. 23 daysThe same, plus a night in Narai and the Torii Pass
  3. 31 dayMagome – Tsumago only, as a day trip

My Kiso Valley plan is built from official timetables, not a record of one trip. The route follows the old Nakasendo road through the Kiso Valley from Magome to Narai, and every leg is a train, a bus or a walk. Times and fares were checked on official pages on October 20, 2026.

For the post towns themselves, the sections you can walk and where to stay, see my Nakasendo trail guide.

How many days do you need in the Kiso Valley?

Plan Nights Walks Ends in
1 day 0 Magome – Tsumago Back to Nagoya via Nagiso
2 days 1 (Tsumago) Magome – Tsumago Matsumoto
3 days 2 (Tsumago, Narai) Magome – Tsumago, Torii Pass Matsumoto

The plans run south to north, from Nagoya toward Matsumoto, so they fit between Kyoto and the Japanese Alps. Kyoto to Nagoya takes about 33 minutes by Nozomi, according to JR Tokai Tours, JR Central's travel agency. Coming from Tokyo and the Alps instead? See starting from Matsumoto.

Only one day? Walk Magome to Tsumago and go back to Nagoya the same evening. My Magome to Tsumago walk guide has the buses at both ends and the bag service.

2-day Kiso Valley itinerary: Magome, Tsumago and Narai

Day 1: Nagoya to Magome, walk to Tsumago

  • Train: the limited express Shinano from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa. On weekdays it leaves Nagoya every hour from 7:00 to 16:00 (March 2026 timetable); in the weekday timetable, the Shinano 3 leaves at 8:00 and reaches Nakatsugawa at 8:50.
  • Bus: Kita-Ena Kotsu from JR Nakatsugawa Station to Magome, about 25 minutes, ¥800. To send your bag ahead, take the 10:45 at the latest (weekday timetable); it reaches Magome at 11:10.
  • Walk: 9 km over Magome Pass (790 m) to Tsumago. The Tsumago Tourist Association puts the walk at 2.5 to 3 hours.
  • Sleep: Tsumago. The Tsumago Tourist Association lists 8 places to stay.
The stone-paved Nakasendo path through a cedar forest, with a carved stone marker at the side
The stone-paved Nakasendo between Magome and Tsumago.Photo: DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
LuggageSend your bag to Tsumago

Drop it at the Magome Tourist Information Center or Magome-juku BASE between 8:30 and 11:30, and collect it at the Tsumago Tourist Information Center or your inn in Otsumago between 13:00 and 17:00. ¥1,000 a bag from March 20 to November 30, 2026.

Day 2: Tsumago to Narai, then Matsumoto

  • Tsumago → Nagiso Station: the first regular town bus leaves Tsumago at 11:21 (about 9 minutes, ¥300). For a morning train, the Tsumago Tourist Association lists a taxi (about 10 minutes) or walking (about 40 minutes).
  • Nagiso → Narai: local trains toward Matsumoto run to Narai without a change in about 1 hour 6 minutes (the 8:11 reaches Narai by 9:17; the 10:19 by 11:26). The Shinano does not stop at Narai.
  • Narai: the post town is a 1-minute walk from the station.
  • Narai → Matsumoto: in JR East's weekday timetable (November 2026), the 15:52 from Narai reaches Matsumoto at 16:48 and the 16:57 reaches it at 17:47, both without a change.
The platform at JR Nagiso Station, with the station sign and wooded mountains behind
Nagiso Station, where day 2's train to Narai starts.Photo: inunami / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Morning train from Nagiso

  1. Taxi or walk from Tsumago to Nagiso Station, then the 10:19 local to Narai (arrives 11:26).
Why pick itabout four and a half hours in Narai before the 15:52 to Matsumoto.
Watch outthe first town bus from Tsumago (11:21) is too late for this train.

Town bus from Tsumago

  1. The 13:51 bus to Nagiso Station, then the 14:34 local, which reaches Narai at 15:52 and Matsumoto at 16:48 without a change (weekday timetable).
Why pick itno taxi, and a slow morning in Tsumago.
Watch outyou pass through Narai without stopping, unless you sleep there (see the 3-day version).
LuggageCarry a small bag on day 2

I could not find an official service that carries bags from Tsumago to Narai. At Narai Station, the tourist information center keeps bags for ¥700 each (any size) from 8:40 to 16:40, and there are coin lockers (small ¥300, large ¥500).

3-day version: add a night in Narai and the Torii Pass

Follow day 1, take the morning train on day 2 and sleep in Narai instead of going on to Matsumoto. The Narai-juku Tourism Association lists 11 places to stay.

Day 3: the Torii Pass, then Matsumoto

  • Train: one stop from Narai to Yabuhara, about 6 minutes (for example 8:44 to 8:50).
  • Walk: from Yabuhara Station over the Torii Pass to Narai Station, about 6.4 km. Nagano Prefecture's tourism association gives about 3 hours one way and calls the climb steep.
  • Narai → Matsumoto: the 15:52 (arrives 16:48) or the 16:57 (arrives 17:47), weekday timetable.

Walking toward Narai means your bag can stay in Narai all day. The station's tourist information center opens at 8:40, only 4 minutes before the 8:44 train, so use a coin locker for that train. With the 11:21 train to Yabuhara instead, a 3-hour walk still brings you to Narai in time for the 15:52.

Costs I could confirm (per adult)

Item Price
Nakatsugawa Station → Magome (bus) ¥800
Magome → Tsumago bag service ¥1,000 a bag
Tsumago → Nagiso Station (town bus) ¥300
Narai Station bag storage ¥700 a bag

I have not confirmed the JR fares: Nagoya – Nakatsugawa, Nagiso – Narai and Narai – Matsumoto are not in this table.

Where to sleep each night

Night 2 days 3 days
1 Tsumago (8 listed) Tsumago (8 listed)
2 — (Matsumoto, or home) Narai (11 listed)

The counts come from the Tsumago Tourist Association and the Narai-juku Tourism Association. For the inns in each town, see the Tsumago and Narai inn lists in my Nakasendo guide.

Starting from Matsumoto instead

Coming from Tokyo or the Alps, run the plan in reverse:

  • Day 1: the 10:20 local from Matsumoto reaches Narai at 11:12 with no change. In the afternoon, trains toward Nakatsugawa leave Narai at 13:11, 15:36 and 16:46 (JR Central's daily timetable); check the arrival time at Nagiso on JR Central's Nagiso timetable. Sleep in Tsumago.
  • Day 2: send your bag from Tsumago to Magome (the service runs in both directions) and walk to Magome, then take the bus to Nakatsugawa Station.

Going on from Matsumoto

Matsumoto is the gateway to the Japanese Alps: Kamikochi, Hakuba and the bus to Takayama. My Japanese Alps without a car guide covers the routes and passes from there, and my 5- and 7-day Japanese Alps itinerary shows how the days fit together.

In winter

December 1, 2026 – March 19, 2027The bag service changes

From December 1, 2026 to March 19, 2027, a temporary service replaces the Magome – Tsumago bag service: ¥4,500 a trip for up to 3 bags.

  • The walk: the official walking page does not mention a winter closure. Ask the Magome or Tsumago tourist information center about snow and ice before you set off.
What I could not confirm yet
  • JR fares on the Chuo Line for this plan
  • Whether the Torii Pass path is clear of snow and ice in winter
  • Weekend and holiday times of the Kita-Ena Kotsu bus to Magome
  • Whether the Narai – Matsumoto times and the Shinano 3 are the same on weekends
  • Seasonal extra town buses from Tsumago (late April – early May, late July – August)

Getting to the Kiso Valley from Tokyo or Osaka

From Tokyo

Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the limited express Shinano on the JR Chuo Line. The Tsumago Tourist Association gives about 2 hours 40 minutes from Tokyo to Nagiso.

From Osaka

Tokaido Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya, then the Shinano. The Tsumago Tourist Association gives about 1 hour 55 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Nagiso.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in the Kiso Valley?

Two days covers the Magome to Tsumago walk, a night in Tsumago and a few hours in Narai on the way to Matsumoto. A third day, with a night in Narai, adds the Torii Pass walk. If you only have one day, walk Magome to Tsumago and go back the same evening.

Can you visit Magome, Tsumago and Narai without a car?

Yes. A bus links JR Nakatsugawa Station with Magome, a town bus links Tsumago with JR Nagiso Station, and Narai is 1 minute on foot from JR Narai Station. Local trains on the JR Chuo Line run from Nagiso to Narai without a change.

Does the limited express Shinano stop at Narai?

No. In JR Central's March 2026 timetable the Shinano stops at Nakatsugawa and Kiso-Fukushima, and only some trains stop at Nagiso. Narai and Yabuhara are served by local trains only.

Can I send my bag from Tsumago to Narai?

I could not find an official service for that. The bag service runs only between Magome and Tsumago. At Narai Station, the tourist information center keeps bags for ¥700 each from 8:40 to 16:40, and there are coin lockers.

Should I start the Kiso Valley from Nagoya or from Matsumoto?

Either works. This plan starts from Nagoya or Kyoto and ends in Matsumoto. From Matsumoto, run it in reverse: the 10:20 local train reaches Narai at 11:12 with no change, and you walk from Tsumago to Magome instead.

More on this route

Nakasendo TrailWalk the Nakasendo through Magome, Tsumago and Narai by train and bus: which sections to walk, trains from Nagoya and Kyoto and where to sleep.Magome to TsumagoThe 9 km Nakasendo walk from Magome to Tsumago without a car: which way to walk, how long it takes, the bag service and the bus back to Nagiso Station.Japanese Alps itineraryDay-by-day 5- and 7-day Japanese Alps itineraries by bus and train: where to sleep, where your luggage goes and estimated transport costs by season.

Sources

  1. Magome – Tsumago walking course — Tsumago Tourist Association
  2. Luggage forwarding service 2026 — Tsumago Tourist Association
  3. Access to Tsumago — Tsumago Tourist Association
  4. Places to stay in Tsumago — Tsumago Tourist Association
  5. Nagiso town bus timetables and fares (from April 1, 2026) — Nagiso Town
  6. Bus timetables — Kita-Ena Kotsu
  7. Magome line weekday timetable, Nakatsugawa to Magome (October 2025) — Kita-Ena Kotsu
  8. Nagiso town bus, Magome line timetable (from April 1, 2026) — Nagiso Town
  9. Chuo Line timetable from Nagoya (March 2026) — JR Central
  10. Chuo Line timetable at Nagiso (March 2026) — JR Central
  11. Chuo Line timetable at Narai (March 2026) — JR Central
  12. Chuo Line timetable at Yabuhara (March 2026) — JR Central
  13. Limited express Shinano 3 timetable (November 2026) — JR East
  14. Local train 1833M, Nakatsugawa to Matsumoto (November 2026) — JR East
  15. Local train 1835M, Agematsu to Matsumoto (November 2026) — JR East
  16. Local train 1826M, Matsumoto to Nakatsugawa (November 2026) — JR East
  17. Kyoto to Nagoya by Shinkansen — JR Tokai Tours
  18. Narai-juku FAQ (luggage) — Narai-juku Tourism Association
  19. Narai-juku inns (ryokan) — Narai-juku Tourism Association
  20. Narai-juku inns (minshuku) — Narai-juku Tourism Association
  21. Torii Pass walk, Yabuhara to Narai — Nagano Prefecture Tourism Association

Researched and checked by Rio, based in Japan. I read Japanese timetables, operator PDFs and prefecture notices, cross-check them and date every fact. Published . Updated . How I research →