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Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/20 07:36
Ifm planning on following the Kiso Road from Tokyo to Kyoto. Do I need to make overnight reservations in advance or will I be able to find accommodations upon reaching the post towns? Also, which are the best months to hike? Thank you
by John byrd (guest)  

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/20 10:21
Whether you can just turn up or need to book will likely depend on the time of year you wish to travel.

When you say Kiso road, do you mean the Nakasendo? Which section/s are you planning to walk?
by kh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/20 11:51
It will greatly depend on the time of the year and if it is weekend or not. (I had a hard time finding accommodation this Saturday in Saga province and finally needed to add another 20 km to my day. Which was okay because i knew in the morning and could plan the day accordingly).

I personally donft really know about Kiso road but on my bike tour I always reserved at least one day ahead accommodation. In many places in Japan there are not that many accommodation and with a bicycle (or worse, hiking) if you get to a place and donft find any accommodation you need to walk/cycle to the next town and that might just be slightly too far to be comfortable.

I would probably not reserve the entire hike but at least in the morning I personally would like to be sure to have a bed for the night.

Enjoy your hike through Japan!
by LikeBike rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/20 19:32
My understanding is that the Kiso Road is part of the Nakasendo; the part between Tokyo and Kyoto. One of my questions is whatfs the best time to go, so donft know yet when Ifd be going. However, making reservations the night before or in the morning is acceptable.

Would like to hear from others who have hiked the Nakasendo over multiple days. I do not speak Japanese, only English and Spanish so am concerned about my ability to make reservations and follow the correct roads/paths. Donft believe these will be big problems, but would like to hear from others. Thanks!
by John byrd (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/21 04:00
Hi John. The route you're talking about (if I understand you correctly) from Tokyo to Kyoto is usually called the Nakasendo. In Japanese, it's sometimes also called the Kisoji (Kiso road), but this name is also used to refer to the part of the Nakasendo that passes through the Kiso valley only, so probably best not to use it.

As for your specific questions, it's possible to find accommodation when your arrive, but be aware that not all the former post towns have accommodation, and Japanese style places (minshuku, ryokan) prefer you to reserve in advance, especially if you intend to eat there.

IMHO the best times to walk the Nakasendo (in fact to do any walking in Japan, other than in Hokkaido) would be spring or autumn. I walked it in October-November, and while I encountered some rain from a passing typhoon at the start, it was otherwise great, and the autumn colours were beautiful.

One final comment. Your chances of getting replies from people who have actually walked the Nakasendo in its entirety on this forum are not great, so my advice would be to search out blogs by people who have. Maybe start with mine :-)
http://thewalkingfool.blogspot.co.nz


by Walkingfool rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/21 08:21
If you're intending to walk from Tokyo to Kyoto, note that many sections of the route no longer exist, or are now highways or railways. You can't walk the Nakasendo the full distance between the two cities.
by kh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/21 11:42
While it's true that the Nakasendo only exists in its original form in a few places, you certainly can follow the original route all the way from Kyoto to Tokyo. In fact hundreds of people do it every year. Also, I have done it :-)
by Walkingfool rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/21 11:44
And yes, by "follow" I mean "walk."
by Walkingfool rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/21 20:40
Question for the walking fool and others who have done this walk - do you speak/understand Japanese? We do not and wonder if having a translation book for common terms is sufficient. Thanks to everyone for their responses
by John byrd (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Accommodations on the Kiso road 2017/11/22 04:46
Yes, I speak/understand Japanese. Obviously, the better you are able to communicate the more smoothly your trip will go and the more rewarding your experience will be, but I know of people with very little knowledge of Japanese who have succesfully walked the Nakasendo, etc.
by Walkingfool rate this post as useful

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