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Magome to Tsumago: Walking the Nakasendo from Nagoya (Luggage, Buses, Timing)

Facts checked against official sources: 2026-10-18

Quick answer: The Magome to Tsumago walk on the Nakasendo is about 9 km and takes 2.5 to 3 hours, with the highest point at Magome Pass, 790 m above sea level. From Nagoya, take the Limited Express Shinano to Nakatsugawa in about 50 minutes and a 25-minute bus to Magome, then return from Tsumago by bus to Nagiso Station and take the Shinano back to Nagoya in about 1 hour. Luggage forwarding costs 1,000 yen per bag from March 20 to November 30, 2026, with drop-off from 8:30 to 11:30.
The Nakasendo road through Tsumago-juku
Photo: DimiTalen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Magome and Tsumago are two preserved post towns on the Nakasendo, the old inland highway that linked Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. They are connected by a forest trail over Magome Pass. Magome sits in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, and Tsumago is in Nagiso Town, Nagano Prefecture, so a walk between them crosses a prefectural border.

This guide covers the full day from Nagoya: the train to Nakatsugawa, the bus up to Magome, the walk itself, sending your bags ahead, and the bus and train back from Tsumago. For more trips from the city, see our Nagoya day trips hub.

The route at a glance

You can also walk the route the other way, from Tsumago to Magome. The section on direction below explains how the two options differ.

Getting from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa

The JR Central travel guide to Kisoji lists the Limited Express Shinano from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa at about 50 minutes (JR Central, as of October 2026). The Shinano runs on the JR Chuo Line toward Nagano. Nakatsugawa and Nagiso are both on that line, which makes a one-way walk easy to plan: go out to one station and come back from the other.

This guide does not give a fare for the Shinano, because a current official Nagoya–Nakatsugawa fare could not be confirmed. Check the price when you book.

There is also a highway-bus option. The Magome Tourist Association lists JR and Meitetsu highway buses from Nagoya Station that stop at Chuo-do Magome, about a 15-minute walk from the entrance to Magome-juku (Magome Tourist Association access page, as of October 2026).

Bus from Nakatsugawa Station to Magome

Kita-Ena Kotsu runs the Magome Line from Nakatsugawa Station to Magome. According to the operator's timetable page, buses leave from stop 3 at the station. The weekday timetable shows the ride taking 25 minutes, with 12 departures toward Magome. The first leaves at 7:42 and the last at 18:30 (weekday timetable revised October 1, 2025, as of October 2026). Weekends and holidays use a separate timetable.

The fare is not given here, because the official fare chart could not be matched to a specific stop with confidence. Check the Kita-Ena Kotsu timetable page or ask the driver.

Arriving with a large suitcase? The Magome Tourist Information Center offers luggage storage, and there are coin lockers next to Magome-kan (Magome Q&A, as of October 2026). To walk through to Tsumago without your bags, use the forwarding service described below.

The walk: distance, time and elevation

The Tsumago Tourist Association gives the Magome–Tsumago route as 9 km, taking 2.5 to 3 hours (tsumago.jp walking page, as of October 2026). The Magome Tourist Association also describes it as about 9 km, taking about 3 hours (Magome hiking page, as of October 2026).

The highest point is Magome Pass, at 790 m above sea level (Magome hiking page, as of October 2026; Nagiso Town tourism, as of October 2026). The trail runs from Magome-juku up to the pass, then down through forest and small hamlets, including Otsumago, to Tsumago-juku.

Inside Magome itself, the stone-paved main street includes about 600 m of slope with steep sections, and walking shoes are recommended (Magome Q&A, as of October 2026).

Which direction to walk

The Tsumago Tourist Association describes the two sides of the pass (tsumago.jp, as of October 2026):

Starting in Magome means a short, steep climb at the start, then a long, gentle descent into Tsumago. Starting in Tsumago means a long, steady climb, then a steep drop into Magome. Nagiso Town's English trail guide is written from Nagiso Station toward Magome, and it tells walkers coming from Magome to read it from the bottom up (Nagiso Town tourism).

A shorter, downhill-only option

The Tsumago site also describes an "energy-saving course": take a bus or car up to Magome Pass, then walk only the downhill part. The walk from the pass to Tsumago takes about 1.5 hours (tsumago.jp, as of October 2026). Nagiso Town's Magome Line bus stops at Magome Pass. See its timetable PDF for times.

Start times and trail conditions

The Magome hiking page asks walkers to start by 15:00 in summer and by 14:00 in winter. It notes that the trail has no street lights (Magome hiking page, as of October 2026). It also asks walkers to bring rain gear, since there is little shelter, and recommends insect protection in summer. Strollers and wheelchairs cannot be used on the trail.

The Tsumago site warns that the stone paving (ishidatami) gets slippery after rain (tsumago.jp).

Luggage forwarding between Magome and Tsumago

A luggage transport service runs between Magome, Otsumago and Tsumago. The details below come from the Tsumago Tourist Association walking page (as of October 2026):

The drop-off window closes at 11:30, so if you are walking from Magome to Tsumago with bags, plan to reach Magome in the morning. The service does not run outside the season above.

If you are not forwarding bags, there is storage at the Tsumago end. Nagiso Town's luggage storage guide lists the following (as of October 2026):

Bears and safety

The Tsumago Tourist Association recommends carrying a bell or something else that makes noise (tsumago.jp, as of October 2026). You can rent a bell at either tourist information office for 2,100 yen, and 2,000 yen is refunded when you return it, so the rental costs 100 yen. You can rent at one end and return at the other. The Tsumago office also sells the same bell for 2,000 yen (as of October 2026). The Magome hiking page also lists bear bells as recommended gear and says they can be bought or rented at its information center (Magome hiking page).

Nagiso Town links to a Nagano Prefecture leaflet on preventing bear encounters (PDF). Read it before you set out.

You will want a working phone for maps, bus times and emergencies. If you need data, a Japan eSIM on Klook can be set up before you leave home.

Getting back from Tsumago

Nagiso Town runs community buses between Tsumago and JR Nagiso Station. From April 1, 2026, the adult fare within the town (which covers Nagiso Station to Tsumago) is 300 yen, and 100 yen for elementary school children. On the Magome Line, the adult fare from Nagiso Station to stops beyond Magome Pass is 1,000 yen (Nagiso Town public transport page, as of October 2026). The Magome Line timetable says it runs daily (PDF). Some departures run only in peak periods, so check the timetable for your date.

You can buy bus tickets at the Tsumago Tourist Information Center, open 8:30–17:00, which accepts credit cards and IC cards. You can also pay in cash to the driver when you get off (Nagiso Town access page, as of October 2026). Kita-Ena Kotsu's Sakashita Line also serves Tsumago and Nagiso Station (Nagiso Town).

From Nagiso, the Limited Express Shinano takes about 1 hour to Nagoya (Nagiso Town access page, as of October 2026). Nagiso Town also publishes an English JR timetable for Nagiso.

Winter considerations

Sample timing for a day trip

A day built from the official figures above might look like this:

  1. Take the Shinano from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa (about 50 minutes).
  2. Take the bus to Magome (25 minutes), arriving before 11:30 if you are forwarding bags.
  3. Walk over the pass to Tsumago (2.5 to 3 hours, plus time in each town).
  4. Take the bus from Tsumago to Nagiso Station.
  5. Take the Shinano back to Nagoya (about 1 hour).

Check every connection against the current timetables before you set out. If you would rather join a guided trip, you can browse Nakasendo tours on Klook.

FAQ

How long is the walk from Magome to Tsumago?

The Tsumago Tourist Association gives the route as 9 km, taking 2.5 to 3 hours (tsumago.jp walking page, as of October 2026). The highest point is Magome Pass, at 790 m above sea level (Magome hiking page, as of October 2026).

How do you get from Nagoya to Magome?

Take the Limited Express Shinano from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa, about 50 minutes (JR Central, as of October 2026). Then take the Kita-Ena Kotsu Magome Line bus from stop 3 at Nakatsugawa Station, a 25-minute ride (weekday timetable revised October 1, 2025, as of October 2026, Kita-Ena Kotsu).

Can I send my luggage from Magome to Tsumago?

Yes. A luggage transport service runs from March 20 to November 30, 2026, at 1,000 yen per bag, with drop-off from 8:30 to 11:30 and pick-up from 13:00 to 17:00 (as of October 2026, Tsumago Tourist Association walking page). The service does not run outside that season.

Should I walk from Magome to Tsumago or from Tsumago to Magome?

The climb from Magome to Magome Pass is steep but short, and the climb from Tsumago to Magome Pass is gentle but long (tsumago.jp, as of October 2026). Starting in Magome means a short, steep climb, then a long, gentle descent into Tsumago.

Do I need a bear bell on the Magome–Tsumago trail?

The Tsumago Tourist Association recommends carrying a bell or something else that makes noise (tsumago.jp, as of October 2026). A bell can be rented at either tourist information office for 2,100 yen, with 2,000 yen refunded on return, so the rental costs 100 yen.

Prices, hours and schedules change. Check official sources before you go. Facts last checked: 2026-10-18.

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