During our family trip to Japan, we spent 2 days in the Kiso Valley and walked a part of the Nakasendo trail. We spent time in Kiso Valley with kids aged 12 and 8 in the middle of June 2024.
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Is Kiso Valley worth visiting?
Yes, we think Kiso Valley is worth visiting. The post towns are beautifully preserved and give you a glimpse into the history of Japan and the Nakasendo. The Kiso Valley area is great for nature lovers, we were always surrounded by greenery.
How long to spend in Kiso Valley
Including our day trip to Narai-Juku, we spent 1 full day and 2 half days in Kiso Valley. We stayed in a post town for 1 night and absolutely loved walking around the quiet, little town. You could easily spend more time in Kiso Valley. I had a list of valleys, gorges, waterfalls and bridges in the area that we didn’t get to. I am glad we decided to visit Narai on a separate day instead of our original plan of visiting the town on our way back to Nagano. This gave us time to visit a gorge on our last day in Kiso Valley and it was an amazing sight.
Visiting Kiso Valley in June
Our visit to Kiso Valley was from the 18th – 20th of June 2024. The day we visited Narai-Juku it was raining and was much colder than the weather we had been experiencing. The top temperature on the day we walked the Nakasendo trail was 28°C but it didn’t feel too hot because a lot of the trail is shaded. We walked around at sunset and in the morning wearing only T-shirts.
How to get to Kiso Valley
We visited Kiso Valley by car. Avoiding the toll roads, it took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes from Matsumoto to Magome-Juku. If traffic is bad, there is a section of toll road that only costs ¥400. With Japan’s amazing public transport network, you can also get to Kiso Valley by train. In just over an hour, you can get from Matsumoto Station to Nagiso Station on the JR Shinano Line. Nagiso Station is a 17-minute bus ride from Tsumago, or you can walk 3.5km along the Nakasendo. You can also ride the bus to Magome. This is how we returned after walking the Nakasendo trail between the two post towns.
Where to stay in Kiso Valley with kids
While in Kiso Valley with kids we stayed one night in the post town, Kiso-Fukushima.
Kiso Valley family accommodation
Our family stayed one night in Kiso-Fukushima at Kiso Mikawaya. I would describe it as a hotel with a ryokan feel. They do not offer services such as futon making, luggage carrying or in-room dining like you would find at a ryokan. This means that you get a ryokan vibe at a fraction of the cost. We booked a Japanese-style room. The listing on Booking.com says the bedding is four futons, but the images show 2 single beds. On the Japanese booking site, it shows 2 single beds and 2 futons set up. On our arrival, we actually had 3 single beds and one futon on the floor.
The flooring was tatami mats and the windows featured sliding paper doors, giving a traditional Japanese feel. We loved the view from our window of little houses, mountains and the river and could hear the water rushing below us. Still in the same private room but separate from the sleeping area was the toilet, bath/shower and sink area. The hotel features an onsen room but we didn’t use this. In the lobby, they also have a range of items available to loan such as yukata, alarm clocks and a selection of manga.
Dining at our Kiso Valley Hotel
When booking our stay at Kiso Mikawaya, we added an optional dinner. This was a set meal and at check-in, we were given a card to tick which main we wanted. We all chose the dish labelled as the local speciality which was fried chicken. At the time of our dinner booking, we entered the dining room and found our room number on a table, our meals waiting for us. The fried chicken was like a large chicken schnitzel cut into pieces. On the tray, there was also salad, bean sprout mix, pumpkin, something pickled, a bowl with tofu and a vegetable we didn’t know, mayonnaise and lemon, and a little dessert. We were also able to help ourselves to rice. The meal was delicious and we all left with full tummies.
The room booking at Kiso Mikawaya included breakfast. This was served buffet style in the dining room. There were a variety of dishes but our favourites were the mackerel and miso soup.
Kiso-Fukushima
Although we had a car and didn’t need to stay near the town, I am so glad we did. It was such a nice warm night, I suggested we head out to see the sunset. We weren’t able to see the sun because it was setting behind a mountain but we found ourselves walking around the town. After walking along a more modern section of the Old Nakasendo, we headed uphill and found ourselves surrounded by traditional wooden buildings with beautiful lantern lights.
Our random walking then brought us to a temple and a shrine before we went back along the Old Nakasendo. It was even more beautiful now that it was darker and all the lights were warmly glowing. The sake shop was still open on our way back so we stopped in and bought a pack of three different sake for us parents to try.
In the morning, after breakfast, we walked to Kozenji Temple. The outside grounds were lovely but after entering the inner garden, we didn’t feel it was worth the fee. Before checking out, we spent some time by the river at the back of Kiso Mikawaya.
We loved our family stay in Kiso Valley and were so glad we stayed in Kiso-Fukushima. It allowed us to see another post town on the Old Nakasendo. It also had a charming little town feel about it with houses along the river and mountains in the background.
What to do in Kiso Valley with kids
There was nothing particularly ‘kid-focused’ on our Kiso Valley itinerary. At 12 and 8 years old, our kids were interested in the history of the area and were looking forward to seeing the old towns. Their love of the outdoors meant they enjoyed all the wonderful nature, especially jumping over rocks at the gorge. We paid extra for a traditional dinner at our accommodation which was also a highlight.
Visit the post towns
Post towns were the rest stops along long journeys. Kiso Valley is known for the post towns that are spread along the Nakasendo route. Nakasendo means inner mountain road and during the Edo period (1600 – 1868) the Nakasendo connected Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. There were once 69 post towns along the Nakasendo. Some of these have been preserved and can be explored today, giving an insight into the past. We visited the post towns of Magome, Tsumago, Narai and Kiso- Fukushima.
Walk along the Nakasendo
Hiking the Nakasendo is also a reason that people visit Kiso Valley. There is an option to hike several sections of the Nakasendo over several days. As we were travelling Kiso Valley with kids, we chose a short 2-hour walk between post towns and returned by bus.
Soak in the nature
The Kiso River flows through the area and you can find many gorges, valleys and waterfalls to explore. Our short walk along the Nakasendo provided us with many different nature experiences. We visited Nezame-no-toko Gorge which was a fascinating natural sight to explore.
Stay the night in a Japanese post town
The post towns are where travellers would spend a night before continuing their journey. Staying overnight in a post town gives you a sense of going back in time. We stayed in Kiso-Fukushima and it was so quiet and peaceful to walk around during sunset.
Walking the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Tsumago
As we were with kids and on limited time we chose to hike a part of the Nakasendo trail. The section from Magome to Tsumago is a shorter route but still offers amazing scenery. The total walking distance between the towns is about 8km one way. The path varies from pavement to cobblestones to dirt but it is always easy to follow.
Starting the Nakasendo in Magome
I had read that starting from this end would mean fewer uphill areas which is why we started in Magome. We parked in a small, free car parking space just off the main road in Magome-Juku. Stepping out of the car we were met with an incredible view over green rice fields. Next to the carpark was a public toilet that we all used before beginning our walk. It was super clean as per Japanese standards.
The beginning of this section of the Nakasendo trail is the toughest. The Old Nakasendo winds up through the post town of Magome at a steep incline. We passed by the wooden buildings, a water wheel and the museums. The museums can be entered for a fee, but we chose to keep walking. Continuing uphill, the path crosses a road before leading to a viewpoint.
Are there bears on the Nakasendo trail?
We did not come across any bears while hiking the Nakasendo with kids but there are bear warning signs throughout the Kiso Valley area. Spread along the Nakasendo trail are large bells to ring to scare off any bears. This was a novelty for our kids to be allowed to make a racket during a hike. You can also rent a bear bell to carry with you from the tourist information centre in either town.
Walking the Nakasendo with kids
Our kids were aged 12 and 8 and handled the walk well. The reason we chose to walk the section of the Nakasendo between Magome and Tsumago was because it was 8km, a distance we knew our kids could handle. The idea of the walk also appealed to them because it was starting and ending in a Japanese post town. Our 8-year-old gets bored easily and there were a few complaints but the scenery changes helped to keep him interested. Ringing the bear bells also kept them entertained. We packed snacks of Pretz (think savoury pocky) and Alfort Matcha biscuits (crunchy biscuits with matcha chocolate coating, delicious!) to eat along the way.
What is there to see on the Nakasendo trail?
As we walked from Magome to Tsumago, the path starts and ends in a town. Along with the shop buildings in the main area, the path also passes some houses and gardens. Up the hill from Magome is a viewpoint that overlooks the road and out to the surrounding mountains. As we were there in June, hydrangeas were out in bloom in places along the way. The Nakasendo trail leads through a forest area with tall trees providing shade and some of the dirt path is covered in tree roots.
A little less than halfway is a teahouse where you can rest and drink tea. We were far too hot to want tea but our eldest son wrote Australia on a board outside, it was cool to see people had visited from all over the world.
We were often walking alongside flowing streams and mini waterfalls. Towards the end of the trail, we came to a sign for waterfalls heading away from the direction of Tsumago. Standing there unsure whether it would be worth the extra walk, a lady approached and said “Waterfalls are very beautiful, you should go!” So, off we went down the hill. There are two large falls called Odaki and Medaki Waterfalls and they are both very beautiful. The scenery in the area is also lovely, with a wooden bridge leading across to the falls.
Visiting Tsumago-Juku
I enjoyed the outskirts of Tsumago-Juku more than the town centre. As we got closer to Tsumago, we passed by beautiful wooden buildings that I now know were Inn’s. The old Naksendo crossed over the Araragi River, with clear water flowing around rocks. The trail then passed houses and lush green scenery with little rice fields. We continued on past cute little shops, shrines and traditional buildings until we reached the main area of Tsumago.
Some shops were closed but we found a restaurant serving a meal we all wanted to try. We sat down in a restaurant named Rikyu and ordered Zaru Soba. Zaru Soba is cold soba noodles served with a soy-based sauce to dip the noodles in. There was also a little dish of sliced spring onions. Each meal cost ¥960. The noodles had a great texture and it was fun to challenge our chopstick skills by dipping them in the sauce. The cold meal was just what we needed after walking the Nakasendo trail on a hot day.
We didn’t enter any museums in Tsumago but you can enter both for a ¥700 combined fee.
After lunch, we walked around Tsumago viewing the buildings, water wheels and hydrangeas before heading to the bus stop. We rode the bus from Tsumago to Magome back to where we parked our car.
Nezame-no-toko Gorge
Nezame-no-toko Gorge was a 15-minute drive from our accommodation in Kiso-Fukushima. After parking in a large carpark, we found the trail leading to the gorge. After a short walk along a forest path, we saw a sign in large red Japanese writing with two exclamation marks. Using Google translate it read: NOTE!! Bear Infestation. For some reason, this freaked me out more than other signs we had seen which I now know all said bear infestation. As these showed an image of a bear we never translated them, assuming it was a warning. I don’t know if it was the word infestation, the double exclamation mark or that it didn’t look like a permanent sign but it put me on edge. The kids happily followed my instruction to make noise as we walked so that we wouldn’t surprise any bears.
I was happy when the path led to open grass with a pond and picnic tables under the shade of trees. Walking to the edge of the grass we were able to see the water and white rocks in the gorge. After standing to admire the view and flying the drone over, we saw people in the gorge, climbing over the rocks. We didn’t think you would be allowed to climb on the rocks but then we noticed a little shrine in the middle of the gorge.
We made our way over the granite rocks and boulders, some of which were square-shaped. The boys enthusiastically jumped from one to the other, and I cautiously kept an eye out for bears. It was such an incredible sight to see that in the middle of the gorge was a large formation of rocks with plants and trees growing around it and a little wooden shrine on top. We climbed up to the shrine and spent some time taking in the gorge around us before rock-hopping back the way we had come.
Narai-Juku Day trip
Originally part of our Kiso Valley itinerary, we ended up visiting Narai-Juku as a day trip from Matsumoto. As it was a very rainy day, we made changes to our plans to view the mountains and brought forward our visit to Narai-Juku. I felt the post town would still be charming in the rain and I was right.
Narai-Juku sits halfway between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) on the Nakasendo trail. It was the wealthiest of the post towns and has been preserved to show the buildings of the Edo Period. After parking our car, we admired the nearby Kiso Ohashi Bridge. Although recently built, it has a traditional style and is one of the longest wooden bridges in Japan.
Strolling down Old Nakasendo felt like we had stepped back in time. The fact that it was empty added to the feel as did the mist over the mountains. It was surprisingly cold so our first stop was to buy warm Mitarashi Dango, sticky rice flour dumplings on a stick coated with a sweet soy glaze. They were so delicious!
The Old Nakasendo runs through Narai and both sides are lined with traditional-style dark wooden buildings. The buildings house shops selling wooden crafts, pottery, lacquerware and knick-knacks. Some of them seemed genuine whereas others seemed to be typical souvenir shops. There are also restaurants and cafes.
Walking to the end of the wooden buildings, we came to Shizume Shrine. The orange torii gate was striking against the mist and the dark green trees.
Narai Juku Cafe
After viewing the beautiful shrine, we walked back along Old Nakasendo and because we were cold and wet, we stopped for hot drinks. The cafe, Matsuya Sabo, had the perfect cozy atmosphere. It was all dark wood with only a few tables. The workers were an elderly couple who didn’t speak English but were very friendly—upon entering the lady bought out a towel for our youngest to dry off his wet hair. We were given an English menu and ordered a cheesecake, a matcha roll cake, 3 hot matcha au lait and a cafe au lait. The set-up for coffee brewing was impressive and we watched as it was meticulously made. Everything was delicious!
Our thoughts on visiting Kiso Valley & walking the Nakasendo with kids
Visiting Kiso Valley as a family was a wonderful experience. From the preserved post towns to the lush green scenery, everywhere we went in Kiso Valley was beautiful. Walking part of the Nakasendo trail with kids will be a cherished family memory. Kiso Valley was an excellent place to surround ourselves with nature and slow down a little during our Japan trip.
