中山道 十九日間の旅 京都から東京

Free GPX Track Pack · 19 days · 540+ km

Walk the
Nakasendo
with us.

中山道 · 京都 から 東京

We walked every kilometre of Japan's historic mountain highway in early spring. From Kyoto's Sanjo Ohashi all the way to Tokyo's Nihonbashi. Now we're sharing our complete, field-tested GPX tracks so you can follow exactly where we went.

540+ kilometres
19 days
69 post towns
7 prefectures

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The complete 19-day route

  • Kyoto → Kusatsu 京都·草津
    Kyoto → Shiga
    ~24 km
  • Kusatsu → Echigawa 愛知川 ~32 km
  • Echigawa → Kashiwabara 柏原 ~34 km
  • Kashiwabara → Akasaka 赤坂
    Shiga → Gifu
    ~21 km
  • Akasaka → Kano加納 ~22 km
  • Kano → Magome 馬籠 Days 6-10
  • Magome → Suhara 須原
    Gifu → Nagano
    29.1 km
  • Through Nagano 長野 Days 11–16
  • Karuizawa → Honjo 本庄
    Nagano → Gunma → Saitama
    Days 17–19
  • Fukaya → Nihonbashi 日本橋
    Tokyo · by bicycle
    ~84 km
Over 550km of field-tested tracks in spring 2025

What's included

Everything you need to plan your own Nakasendo journey

GPX track on a hiking device on the Nakasendo

19 GPX Track Files

One file for each day, covering the entire 540+ km journey from Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto to Nihonbashi in Tokyo. You can upload these files to any hiking app on your phone or GPS device (such as Garmin or Apple Watch) to accurately track the route we followed.

Free for all subscribers
Daily journal entry from the Nakasendo walk

Day-by-Day Blog Series

Detailed write-ups for all 19 days, including post towns, history, what we ate, where we stayed, and the small moments that made the trail memorable. Published as we write them.

Free for all subscribers
Early spring weather on the Nakasendo trail

Season & Weather Guide

Early spring in the Nakasendo brings mild days, cold mornings, and the chance of snow in Gifu and Nagano. We documented the daily weather so you can pack appropriately.

Free for all subscribers

About the journey

A 540 km road through a thousand years of Japanese history

The Nakasendo (中山道) was one of Japan's five great highways of the Edo period, threading through mountains and valleys between Tokyo and Kyoto. Unlike the coastal Tokaido, it stayed inland — quieter, more rugged, more beautiful.

We walked it in March and April 2025, starting at dawn from Kyoto's Sanjo Ohashi bridge and finishing 19 days later in Tokyo. Along the way we crossed seven prefectures, stood on the Battle of Sekigahara battlefield, sheltered from mountain rain in 400-year-old post towns, and ate more ichigo daifuku than we care to admit.

This site is where we document all of it — practically, honestly, and with enough detail that you can do it yourself.

Get notified when Days 5–19 publish

Free subscribers get each daily report + GPX track as we publish them. No catch.

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Kyoto Sanjo Ohashi bridge, March 2025

Day 1 · Kyoto → Kusatsu

Sanjo Ohashi to Kusatsu next to Lake Biwa

~24 km · Sunny, 18°C lows of 7°C · For the next 19 days, we're trading the everyday for an epic journey on Japan's old highway. The road awaits, and we are ready to walk, eat, and breathe in every moment
Moriyama-shuku sign and Dobashi bridge

Day 2 · Kusatsu → Echigawa

Walking through Shiga's post towns

A 33km trek through historic post towns, where you'll discover unexpected delights like a Ukiyo-e workshop, experience heartwarming moments, and take in stunning views.
View of Mount Ibuki from a street in Echigawa

Day 3 · Echigawa → Kashiwabara

Hiking through the post towns of Takamiya, Toriimoto, Banba, and Samegai.

Despite the rain, we saw the birthplace of Goushu Ondo, the inn where the Meiji Emperor stayed, the setting of the anime K-On!, and enjoyed a home-cooked lunch.
Historical matsunamiki pine trees in Sekigahara, Gifu

Day 4 · Kashiwabara → Akasaka

Crossing into Gifu at Sekigahara

Explore the "Village of Bedtime Stories," the historic Battle of Sekigahara, and the "Carriage-Turning Slope." From rainy-day sushi to local sweets, join us as we walk 21km through legendary post towns and ancient Japanese.

Free vs. Member

Go deeper with a member subscription

The GPX tracks and daily blog posts are free. But if you're seriously planning this trip or part of it, our member content will save you hours of research, troubles, and probably money too. Not to mention, you're supporting our independent publishing!

Free subscriber

The essentials

  • ✓ 19 GPX track files (one per day)
  • ✓ Full day-by-day narrative blog posts
  • ✓ Post town history & cultural notes
  • ✓ Restaurant & sweet shop recommendations
  • ✓ Season and weather guide

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Paid member

The complete planner

  • ★ Everything in the free tier
  • ★ You support our publishing efforts
  • ★ Real cost breakdown — what we spent every day, by prefecture
  • ★ Full accommodation guide with honest ratings and prices paid
  • ★ Packing list with every item we actually used (and what we'd leave behind)
  • ★ Train logistics — exactly which lines to take to rejoin the trail each day
  • ★ Prefecture food guide — what to order, what to skip, where to find it
Become a member →

We wanted to allow enough time to explore and visit some museums, or enjoy food at a local restaurant — which turned out to be the right decision.

— Hitomi & Kevin, Tomie's Cuisine

Standing at the Shiga–Gifu border, it's easy to imagine voices drifting across that small gap in the rain.

— Day 4, Ne-monogatari no sato

He told us that he saw us arrive and came out to light the lantern for us.

— Day 2, Musa post town

It was as if our mum cooked for us — an absolute comfort food.

— Day 3, Aina Shokudo

Inside the member budget tracker

¥ Daily spend logs for all 19 days
🏨 Actual hotel prices + booking notes
🚃 Train fares for each return journey
🍱 Food costs by prefecture
📊 Total trip budget with breakdown

Start with the free tracks. Plan your Nakasendo.

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