Tokyo to Kyoto With Nakasendo Trail and Tateyama Alpine Route In Between
Apr 26th, 2012, 09:51 PM
#1
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Tokyo to Kyoto With Nakasendo Trail and Tateyama Alpine Route In Between
Please help me figure out the best routing using trains and local buses going from Tokyo to Kyoto with the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago) and the Tateyama Alpine Route in between.
The routing I am thinking of going is:
Tokyo (staying 6 nights)
Tokyo to Nagoya to Nakatsugawa (Magome) - overnight at Fujioto Ryokan
Nagiso (Tsumago) back to Nagoya to Shinanomachi (gateway to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route) - overnight at Hotel Tateyama
Toyama to Kyoto - staying in Kyoto 6 nights
Does anyone have a better alternative plan or routing? If possible, I would really like to keep our itinerary as is, but it seems pretty ambitious. Any thoughts?
The routing I am thinking of going is:
Tokyo (staying 6 nights)
Tokyo to Nagoya to Nakatsugawa (Magome) - overnight at Fujioto Ryokan
Nagiso (Tsumago) back to Nagoya to Shinanomachi (gateway to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route) - overnight at Hotel Tateyama
Toyama to Kyoto - staying in Kyoto 6 nights
Does anyone have a better alternative plan or routing? If possible, I would really like to keep our itinerary as is, but it seems pretty ambitious. Any thoughts?
Apr 26th, 2012, 10:21 PM
#2
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Not sure I can be of much help, as we self-drove the route. But it looks as though your routing is fine. Take a look at the below blog posting for some visuals:
http://cokesmithphototravel.com/Natu...bu_Region.html
Bon voyage & ganbatte!
http://cokesmithphototravel.com/Natu...bu_Region.html
Bon voyage & ganbatte!
Apr 27th, 2012, 02:13 AM
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One alternative would be to go via Matsumoto. When I did the Naka sendo I took the Asuza Ltd Express train to Matsumoto where I had a couple of hours to explore the castle and town before catching the train to Nagiso, the connection to Tsumago. The route of the Asuza is very pretty IMO.
It's an alternative to going through Nagoya twice.
Alternatively, go through Nagoya to Nakatsugawa (you may want to ride the Shinkansen to Nagoya) and go from Nagiso to Matsumoto after your stay in Tsumago. Then you can connect to the train to Shinano Omachi (note the two o's)
From Toyama you take the Thunderbird to Kyoto. I just did the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route in one day - a weekend no less. I don't think your plans are overly ambitious at all. Sounds great - have a great time.
It's an alternative to going through Nagoya twice.
Alternatively, go through Nagoya to Nakatsugawa (you may want to ride the Shinkansen to Nagoya) and go from Nagiso to Matsumoto after your stay in Tsumago. Then you can connect to the train to Shinano Omachi (note the two o's)
From Toyama you take the Thunderbird to Kyoto. I just did the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route in one day - a weekend no less. I don't think your plans are overly ambitious at all. Sounds great - have a great time.
Apr 27th, 2012, 06:46 AM
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Looks like a well thought out plan.
The day you leave the ryokan in Magome will be the hectic one. I assume you plan on walking to Tsumago and Nagiso in the morning before then take the train back to Nagano. Then on a local train on to Shinano Omachi then start the TAR from there.......bus, trolley bus,walk,cable car and ropeway finally to your hotel may be a long day,lol. Two nights in the area may be better but....
Do you fly home from KIX or do you have to go back to NRT? What time of year are you traveling?
Aloha!
The day you leave the ryokan in Magome will be the hectic one. I assume you plan on walking to Tsumago and Nagiso in the morning before then take the train back to Nagano. Then on a local train on to Shinano Omachi then start the TAR from there.......bus, trolley bus,walk,cable car and ropeway finally to your hotel may be a long day,lol. Two nights in the area may be better but....
Do you fly home from KIX or do you have to go back to NRT? What time of year are you traveling?
Aloha!
Apr 27th, 2012, 10:52 PM
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We are planning this trip for late May/beginning of June 2013. The plan is to fly into TYO and out of KIX, but we have not purchased our tickets yet. I posted my itinerary for Tokyo and Kyoto previously, but are working out the details in between the two cities.
Looking on Hyperdia if we leave Tokyo at 9:40 and arrive at Nakatsugawa at 12:45, that would be enough time to walk at a leisurely pace from Magome to Tsumago and spend the night there, or am I mistaken?
The next day, leaving Nagiso at 9:41 and arriving at Shinano Omachi at 13:39 I believe would give us enough time to get to Hotel Tateyama where we would stay overnight. The next morning we would take a short hike around Tateyama, complete the alpine route and make our way to Kyoto.
As this trip is more than a year away I am open to changes to this itinerary. I appreciate all comments thus far and will research the Matsumoto alternative this weekend.
Looking on Hyperdia if we leave Tokyo at 9:40 and arrive at Nakatsugawa at 12:45, that would be enough time to walk at a leisurely pace from Magome to Tsumago and spend the night there, or am I mistaken?
The next day, leaving Nagiso at 9:41 and arriving at Shinano Omachi at 13:39 I believe would give us enough time to get to Hotel Tateyama where we would stay overnight. The next morning we would take a short hike around Tateyama, complete the alpine route and make our way to Kyoto.
As this trip is more than a year away I am open to changes to this itinerary. I appreciate all comments thus far and will research the Matsumoto alternative this weekend.
Apr 28th, 2012, 12:07 PM
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hawaiimom - I have now read your previous post which I didn't remember, sorry.
My comments about the trip from Tokyo to Nakatsugawa are: it still takes another 30 minutes or so to get to Magome by bus and you will be too late for the daily luggage delivery service which stops at 11:30 - so you will have to use another alternative such as the takuhaibin which is not same day - maybe you can just take a small pack with your stuff for two nights then and send your luggage directly to the Kyoto hotel....you really won't have time to sightsee at all in either Magome or Tsumago. Have you considered spending the night in Nagoya in which case you can get an early start?
As far as the leg to Shinano Omachi - the really good connections are with the Ltd. Exp. Shinano which leave Nagiso at 8 or 11 - that is a difficult connection to make - I'm wondering if there is any other way....
Have you thought of doing the Alpine Route first and the Nakasendo second - I haven't researched it myself but maybe it's easier.
When I went I spent the whole time in the Chubu area and I went Nagoya->Magome->Tusmago->Gujo Hachiman->Takayama->Kanazawa->Alpine Route->Matsumoto->Tokyo over a 11 day period so entirely different.
My comments about the trip from Tokyo to Nakatsugawa are: it still takes another 30 minutes or so to get to Magome by bus and you will be too late for the daily luggage delivery service which stops at 11:30 - so you will have to use another alternative such as the takuhaibin which is not same day - maybe you can just take a small pack with your stuff for two nights then and send your luggage directly to the Kyoto hotel....you really won't have time to sightsee at all in either Magome or Tsumago. Have you considered spending the night in Nagoya in which case you can get an early start?
As far as the leg to Shinano Omachi - the really good connections are with the Ltd. Exp. Shinano which leave Nagiso at 8 or 11 - that is a difficult connection to make - I'm wondering if there is any other way....
Have you thought of doing the Alpine Route first and the Nakasendo second - I haven't researched it myself but maybe it's easier.
When I went I spent the whole time in the Chubu area and I went Nagoya->Magome->Tusmago->Gujo Hachiman->Takayama->Kanazawa->Alpine Route->Matsumoto->Tokyo over a 11 day period so entirely different.
Jul 9th, 2012, 12:44 AM
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Now that we actually have our flights, keeping the 6 nights in Tokyo at the beginning of our trip and the 6 nights in Kyoto at the end of the trip, does the following make more sense in between these two cities?
Day 1 - 6: Tokyo
Seventh day: Leave Tokyo and go to Tsumago. Overnight at Fujioto Ryokan.
Eighth day: Hike Magome to Tsumago in the morning. In the afternoon make our way to Matsumoto and overnight in Matsumoto.
Ninth day: Leave Matsumoto early to do the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Leave Toyama and go to Kyoto (3.5 hrs by JR).
Day 10-16 Kyoto
Day 1 - 6: Tokyo
Seventh day: Leave Tokyo and go to Tsumago. Overnight at Fujioto Ryokan.
Eighth day: Hike Magome to Tsumago in the morning. In the afternoon make our way to Matsumoto and overnight in Matsumoto.
Ninth day: Leave Matsumoto early to do the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Leave Toyama and go to Kyoto (3.5 hrs by JR).
Day 10-16 Kyoto
Jul 9th, 2012, 01:52 AM
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The ninth day seems like a long exercise in transportation, with more than 6 hours being spent on some form of transportation or another. You might want to spend a night in Murode or even Toyama to break it up and give you time to enjoy the sights of the Alpine route rather than just riding the various transport through it.
Jul 10th, 2012, 07:02 AM
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Day nine would be 200 minutes via train from Matsumoto to Shinano Omachi to start the TAR then add another 4-5 hours to get through to Toyama(that would be without stopping anywhere) and then add the 3+ hours to get to Kyoto not to mention the fact that you just spent about 10,000 yen per person to travel just through the Alpine Route alone I would think you would want to stop and "smell the roses" somewhere along the line as day 9's travel seems as long as this sentence is. 
Aloha!
Aloha!
Jul 10th, 2012, 02:24 PM
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Thank you so much for the comments. My initial plan was to stay overnight at Hotel Tateyama, but after reading the reviews, decided against it. Let me rethink this...I will be back with more questions.
Jul 10th, 2012, 03:07 PM
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Most people start the TAR in the morning from either Toyama or Shinano-Omachi maybe even Kanazawa if you happen to be there.....save Matsumoto for another trip.... FWIW that's what I would recommend.
Aloha!
Aloha!
Jul 11th, 2012, 01:16 AM
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Hawaiiantraveler, I am really confused. I wanted to stop overnight in Matsumoto because on the jnto website it says Matsumoto is an hour away from Shinano Omachi and I thought we could get an early start in the morning up the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. Am I missing something? Is it really 200 minutes?
Jul 11th, 2012, 06:38 AM
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Ooooops, sorry, yes it is only an hour to Shinano Omachi from Matsumoto. Must have hit the wrong button on hyperdia.com still a long travel day but doable if you have to
I do love Matsumoto-jo, one of my favorite castles in Japan
Aloha!
I do love Matsumoto-jo, one of my favorite castles in Japan
Aloha!
