How Do You Get to Tsumago and Walk the Nakasendo from Magome?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to reach Tsumago-juku, the preserved Nakasendo post town in Nagano Prefecture, and perhaps walk to it from Magome. It uses the access page of the Tsumago Tourism Association, which is written in Japanese and summarised here in English, and four English pages of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). All pages were read on 2026-10-04.

Bus times and fares are not on these pages, so check them with the bus operators.

The short answer

JNTO says to get to Tsumago you take a 1-hour ride from JR Nagoya Station by limited express train to Nagiso Station, then board a local bus or taxi. A longer JNTO feature says the bus from Nagiso Station to Tsumago takes 10 minutes, that buses are infrequent and that taxis are available.

By train and bus

JNTO's page on Magome gives a second way. From Nagoya, take the Shinano limited express on the JR Chuo Main Line to Nakatsugawa, or change to a regular train there for Nagiso. Buses at Nagiso Station go to both Tsumago and Magome. A bus from Nakatsugawa runs to Magome and connects on to Tsumago.

JNTO's page on a walking trail gives a journey of 55 minutes by limited express from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa for Magome, and a feature on a walking route gives around 50 minutes. The two pages measure the same train and differ by a few minutes.

By car

The association's access page lists driving routes with times of about 4 hours. From Tokyo it names the Chuo Expressway from Hachioji IC, either via the Okaya junction, the Nagano Expressway and Shiojiri IC, or via Nakatsugawa IC, followed by National Routes 19 and 256. From Osaka it names a route via the Komaki junction and the Chuo Expressway to Nakatsugawa IC.

The page also says the street is a pedestrian road from 10:00 to 16:00 and asks drivers not to enter. The association's history page says parking for cars and tour buses is provided at four places along National Route 256. The access page adds that wheelchair users who park at the central car park can enter the old street smoothly.

By highway bus

The access page also gives a bus route from Tokyo's Shinjuku by JR Tokai Bus to the Kamisaka parking area near Magome. From there it is a 20-minute walk to Magome-juku and then a regular bus to Tsumago, about 5 hours and 5 minutes in total. From Osaka Umeda it names a Hankyu bus to Komaba and a local bus to Magome, with the same walk and bus. The time for the Osaka route is not given.

Walking from Magome to Tsumago

JNTO calls this the most popular route on the Nakasendo, a well-maintained trail along the Kiso Valley of around nine kilometres. The pages give different times. JNTO's Magome page gives between 2 and 2.5 hours, its feature on walking routes gives 2 to 3 hours, and its rail-trail feature mentions a scenic 3-hour hike. The same feature calls the route relatively accessible for beginners.

JNTO also notes that baggage delivery is available between Magome and Tsumago, so your bag can be sent to your end point and you avoid carrying it on the hike. It adds that public transport is available between the towns too.

Staying overnight or coming for the day

The association's stay page says lodgings in the post town take reservations only in advance and do not accept same-day bookings, and it asks guests to contact the lodging directly. JNTO suggests staying overnight to feel the atmosphere of the street after dark. Because JNTO says buses to Tsumago are infrequent, a day visitor who plans the return bus in advance will have more time in town.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Bus timetables, fares and the Osaka bus journey time.
• Whether the 10:00 to 16:00 pedestrian hours are the current ones, since the access page is undated.
• The cost and booking of baggage delivery.
• Current trail conditions between Magome and Tsumago.

Related guides

• What Is Tsumago-juku? The 42nd Post Town and the Promise Not to Sell, Rent or Destroy
• What Is the Nakasendo, and Which Post Towns Can You Visit Near Tsumago?

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Access (Tsumago Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (driving, highway bus, pedestrian hours, wheelchair parking)
2. About town preservation (Tsumago Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (car parks along Route 256)
3. Walk the Historic Nakasendo Trail (JNTO) — (1 hour to Nagiso, bus or taxi)
4. The Nakasendo Rail Trail (JNTO) — (10-minute bus, hike times)
5. Magome (Nakasendo) (JNTO) — (Nakatsugawa and Nagiso routes, walking time)
6. Discover Picturesque and Culture-rich Villages While Hiking Through the Nakasendo (JNTO) — (nine kilometres, baggage delivery)