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Magome to Tsumago on Foot: Direction, Time and the Bus Back

How to get to Magome without a car, which way to walk over the pass, how to send your bag ahead and how to catch the bus back from Tsumago.

Researched & written byRural Japan GuidesHow I researchSources15 sourceslisted at the endLast checkedDetails can change — check the official site before you travel.Read6 min
Tiled roofs of Magome-juku with the forested valley and mountains beyond in April

Looking out over the valley from Magome-juku in April. Photo: DavideGorla / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

The short answer
  • Start in Magome and walk 9 km over Magome Pass (790 m) to Tsumago. Allow 2.5 to 3 hours.
  • Send your bag ahead: ¥1,000 a bag, dropped off 8:30–11:30 and collected 13:00–17:00, March 20 to November 30, 2026.
  • From Tsumago, the Nagiso town bus reaches Nagiso Station in about 9 minutes; the last bus to Nagiso Station leaves Tsumago at 17:41, and the last bus back over the pass to Magome at 16:42.
My pick

Start in Magome, walk the 9 km over Magome Pass to Tsumago and send your bag ahead.

The Tsumago Tourist Association describes the Magome side as a short, steep climb and the Tsumago side as a long, gentle slope, so starting in Magome puts the steep part first, while your legs are fresh.

The walk takes 2.5 to 3 hours. The bag service costs ¥1,000 a bag from March 20 to November 30, 2026.

The walk from Magome to Tsumago follows the old Nakasendo road through the Kiso Valley for 9 km, on stone paving and mountain paths over Magome Pass. Both post towns can be reached by train and bus, and a bag service carries your luggage over the pass while you walk, so you do not need a car at any point.

Times, fares and bus schedules below come from the Tsumago Tourist Association, Nagiso Town, Nakatsugawa City, Kita-Ena Kotsu and JR Central, checked on October 20, 2026. For the rest of the old road, including Narai and the Torii Pass, see my Nakasendo Trail guide.

Which way to walk

The Tsumago Tourist Association describes the Magome side as a short, steep climb to the pass and the Tsumago side as a long, gentle slope.

Start in Magome

  1. Kita-Ena Kotsu bus from JR Nakatsugawa Station to Magome, about 25 minutes.
  2. Walk 9 km over Magome Pass to Tsumago, 2.5 to 3 hours.
  3. Nagiso town bus from Tsumago to JR Nagiso Station, about 9 minutes.
Why pick itthe steep part comes first, while your legs are fresh, and the walk ends with a long, easy descent.
Watch outto have your bag carried to Tsumago, drop it in Magome by 11:30.

Start in Tsumago

  1. Nagiso town bus from JR Nagiso Station to Tsumago, about 7 minutes.
  2. Walk 9 km over Magome Pass to Magome.
  3. Kita-Ena Kotsu bus from Magome to JR Nakatsugawa Station.
Why pick itNagiso Station is the closer start if you arrive from the north (Matsumoto or Kiso-Fukushima).
Watch outthe climb is longer, and the walk ends with a steep descent into Magome.

Magome Pass to Tsumago only

  1. Nagiso town bus to the Magome Pass stop.
  2. Walk the downhill side to Tsumago, about 1.5 hours.
Why pick itthe shortest walk, all on the gentle side.
Watch outwith 4 buses a day, check the bus to the pass before you plan the day.

On the way you pass a free rest house and the Odaki and Medaki waterfalls. The stone paving is slippery after rain.

Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram →

Magome to Tsumago: the walk over Magome Pass and the buses at each endThe walk from Magome over Magome Pass to Tsumago: about 9 km, 2.5 to 3 hours. From Magome it is a short, steep climb to the pass at 790 m, then a long, gentle descent of about 1.5 hours to Tsumago. To start, take the Kita-Ena Kotsu bus from JR Nakatsugawa Station to Magome, about 25 minutes, ¥800; to send your bag, drop it off in Magome by 11:30. To finish, take the Nagiso town bus from Tsumago to Nagiso Station, about 9 minutes, ¥300; with only 4 buses a day each way, plan the walk around one. Bag service: ¥1,000 a bag, March 20 to November 30, 2026, drop off 8:30 to 11:30, collect 13:00 to 17:00. Checked Oct 20, 2026.Magome → Tsumago on foot, with the buses at each end1The walkMy pick: start in MagomeMagomeMagome PassTsumagoAbout 9 km · 2.5–3 hours on footShort, steep climb to 790 mLong, gentle descent · about 1.5 hoursStone paving is slippery after rain2Bus to the startFrom JR Nakatsugawa StationNakatsugawa StationMagomeKita-Ena Kotsu bus · about 25 min · ¥800Sending your bag? Drop it off in Magome by 11:303Bus backTo the JR Chuo LineTsumagoNagiso StationNagiso town bus · about 9 min · ¥300Only 4 buses a day each way: plan the walk around oneBag service, Magome – Tsumago (either direction): ¥1,000 a bag, Mar 20 – Nov 30, 2026Drop off 8:30–11:30 · collect 13:00–17:00WalkBusChecked Oct 20, 2026 · sources in the caption
The walk over the pass, the bus to the start and the bus back, with the bag service times.Diagram by the author, based on the Tsumago Tourist Association, Kita-Ena Kotsu, Nakatsugawa City and Nagiso Town · checked Oct 20, 2026

Send your bag over the pass

LuggageWalk with a day pack

The Magome – Tsumago luggage service carries bags between the two post towns in either direction: ¥1,000 a bag, Mar 20 – Nov 30, 2026.

Regular service Winter (temporary) service
Dates Mar 20 – Nov 30, 2026 Dec 1, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027
Price ¥1,000 a bag ¥4,500 a trip for up to 3 bags (+¥1,000 a bag from the 4th)
Drop off 8:30–11:30 8:30–17:00
Collect 13:00–17:00 Not listed: ask when you drop off

Where: Magome Tourist Information Center or Magome-juku BASE at the Magome end; Tsumago Tourist Information Center or your inn in Otsumago at the Tsumago end. The service page does not give size limits, so ask when you drop off a large suitcase.

Drop your bag by 11:30 and you have until 17:00 to collect it at the other end: enough for the 2.5- to 3-hour walk plus lunch.

Only need to store a bag? The Magome Tourist Information Center and Magome-juku BASE keep bags for ¥500 each, 8:30–16:30. The Nakatsugawa City Tourist Information Center next to JR Nakatsugawa Station keeps them for ¥700 a bag (¥500 for up to 2 hours), 9:00–17:00.

Getting to Magome

From JR Nakatsugawa Station: Kita-Ena Kotsu's Magome Line bus takes about 25 minutes and costs ¥800. The weekday timetable (from October 1, 2025) has 12 buses from Nakatsugawa Station to Magome, the first at 7:42 and the last at 18:30. To send your bag ahead, take the 10:45 at the latest: it reaches Magome at 11:10, before the 11:30 drop-off deadline. Weekend and holiday times differ; check Kita-Ena Kotsu's timetable page.

From JR Nagiso Station: the Nagiso town bus runs to Magome 4 times a day, arriving about 35 minutes later. Use this if you arrive from the north on the Chuo Line and still want to start in Magome.

Nagiso Station departs Magome arrives For the full walk to Tsumago
10:10 10:45 Yes, with time to send your bag (drop-off until 11:30)
12:40 13:15 Yes, but too late to send your bag
14:15 14:50 No: you reach Tsumago around 17:30, close to the last bus to Nagiso Station (17:41)
16:35 17:10 No: for staying in Magome only

From Nagoya: on weekdays the limited express Shinano leaves Nagoya every hour from 7:00 to 16:00 (March 2026 timetable). Every Shinano stops at Nakatsugawa. Only 4 a day stop at Nagiso: on weekdays they leave Nagoya at 7:00, 10:00, 15:00 and 19:40, and the 7:00 reaches Nagiso at 8:00.

From Kyoto: take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya and change to the Shinano. JR Central Tours gives about 33 minutes from Kyoto to Nagoya on the Nozomi.

By highway bus from Nagoya: buses from the Meitetsu Bus Center at Nagoya Station toward Iida stop at Chuo-do Magome on the expressway, about 20 minutes on foot from Magome-juku.

Magome-juku is closed to cars from 10:00 to 16:00.

A local bus waiting at the Magome-juku bus stop
The Magome-juku bus stop.Photo: DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

The bus back

The Nakasendo running between dark wooden houses in the center of Tsumago-juku
Tsumago-juku, where the walk ends.Photo: DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

Tsumago → Nagiso Station: about 9 minutes on the Nagiso town bus, ¥300. The Tsumago Tourist Association also lists a taxi, about 10 minutes (Nagiso Kanko Taxi, 7:00–19:00). From Nagiso Station, trains on the JR Chuo Line run toward Nagoya and toward Kiso-Fukushima and Matsumoto.

Tsumago → Magome (to go back for your hotel, your bag or the Nakatsugawa bus): Nagiso town bus, about 28 minutes, ¥1,000 (Nagiso Town's flat fare for trips over Magome Pass). If you left a bag in Magome, the 14:22 from Tsumago is the last bus that arrives before bag storage closes at 16:30.

Nagiso town bus, daily (from April 1, 2026) Departures
Tsumago → Magome 10:17, 12:47, 14:22, 16:42 (arrive 10:45, 13:15, 14:50, 17:10)
Magome → Tsumago 10:55, 13:25, 15:00, 17:15
Tsumago → Nagiso Station 11:21, 13:51, 15:26, 17:41

Extra buses run only from April 25 to May 6 and from July 25 to August 23. With 4 Nagiso town buses a day, plan the walk around a bus, not the other way around: if you start in Magome at 10:00, you reach Tsumago around 13:00, in time for the 13:51 bus to Nagiso Station.

Tsumago → Nakatsugawa Station: on weekdays, Kita-Ena Kotsu's Sakashita Line runs from Tsumago to Nakatsugawa Station at 9:25, 12:55, 14:50 and 16:22.

2-day bus pass: a ¥2,700 mobile pass (adults only, sold in the Jorudan transit app) covers Kita-Ena Kotsu's Magome and Sakashita lines and the Nagiso town buses to Tsumago and Magome for the day you start and the next day. For the basic trip (Nakatsugawa → Magome ¥800, then Tsumago → Nagiso Station ¥300), single tickets are cheaper.

Before you go

BearsCarry a bell

Bears have been reported coming down near villages, and the Tsumago Tourist Association recommends carrying a bell or something else that makes noise. The tourist information centers in Magome and Tsumago rent bear bells: you pay ¥2,100 and get ¥2,000 back when you return the bell.

  • Walking certificate: a certificate for completing the walk costs ¥300 at the Magome and Tsumago tourist information centers.
  • Winter: the walking page does not mention a winter closure. Ask a tourist information center about snow and ice before setting off between December and March.
What I could not confirm yet
  • Whether the path is clear of snow and ice between December and March
  • Times and fares of the highway bus from Nagoya to Chuo-do Magome
  • Collection times for the winter bag service
  • Weekend and holiday times of the Kita-Ena Kotsu bus to Magome

To make it a longer trip, with a night in Tsumago and Narai the next day, see more of the Nakasendo in the Kiso Valley.

Getting to the Kiso Valley from Tokyo or Osaka

From Tokyo

Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the limited express Shinano on the JR Chuo Line. The Tsumago Tourist Association gives about 2 hours 40 minutes from Tokyo to Nagiso.

From Osaka

Tokaido Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya, then the Shinano. The Tsumago Tourist Association gives about 1 hour 55 minutes from Shin-Osaka to Nagiso.

Frequently asked questions

Which way should I walk, Magome to Tsumago or Tsumago to Magome?

Either works. From Magome the climb to the pass is short and steep, and the long side down to Tsumago is gentle. From Tsumago the climb is long and gentle, and the descent into Magome is short and steep. The bag service and the buses run in both directions.

How long is the Magome to Tsumago hike?

About 9 km. The Tsumago Tourist Association gives 2.5 to 3 hours on foot. If you take the bus to Magome Pass and only walk down to Tsumago, allow about 1.5 hours.

How much is the luggage service between Magome and Tsumago?

¥1,000 a bag from March 20 to November 30, 2026. Drop off 8:30–11:30 at the Magome or Tsumago tourist information center (or Magome-juku BASE), and collect 13:00–17:00 at the other end. From December 1, 2026 to March 19, 2027, a temporary service costs ¥4,500 a trip for up to 3 bags.

How do I get back from Tsumago?

The Nagiso town bus runs from Tsumago to Nagiso Station (about 9 minutes, ¥300) and back over the pass to Magome (about 28 minutes, ¥1,000). There are 4 buses a day each way. If you left a bag in Magome, take the 14:22 from Tsumago at the latest: the 16:42 reaches Magome at 17:10, after bag storage (16:30) and the bag service (17:00) close.

Can I walk from Magome to Tsumago in winter?

The official walking page does not say the path closes in winter, and a temporary bag service runs from December 1, 2026 to March 19, 2027. Ask the Magome or Tsumago tourist information center about snow and ice on the path before you set off.

More on this route

Nakasendo TrailWalk the Nakasendo through Magome, Tsumago and Narai by train and bus: which sections to walk, trains from Nagoya and Kyoto and where to sleep.Japanese Alps without a carThe Japanese Alps by bus and train: Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Kamikochi, Matsumoto and Hakuba, with fares, reservations and winter closures.Japanese Alps itineraryDay-by-day 5- and 7-day Japanese Alps itineraries by bus and train: where to sleep, where your luggage goes and estimated transport costs by season.

Sources

  1. Magome – Tsumago walking course — Tsumago Tourist Association
  2. Luggage forwarding service 2026 — Tsumago Tourist Association
  3. Access to Tsumago — Tsumago Tourist Association
  4. Kita-Ena Kotsu and Nagiso bus 2-day pass — Tsumago Tourist Association
  5. Nagiso town bus timetables and fares (from April 1, 2026) — Nagiso Town
  6. Bus timetables — Kita-Ena Kotsu
  7. Luggage storage in Nakatsugawa and Magome — Nakatsugawa City
  8. Magome-juku — Gifu Prefecture Tourism Association
  9. Chuo Line timetable from Nagoya (March 2026) — JR Central
  10. Chuo Line timetable at Nagiso (March 2026) — JR Central
  11. Shinkansen from Kyoto to Nagoya — JR Central Tours
  12. Nagiso town bus: Magome line timetable (from April 1, 2026) — Nagiso Town
  13. Magome line timetable, weekdays — Kita-Ena Kotsu
  14. Sakashita line timetable, weekdays — Kita-Ena Kotsu
  15. Access and traffic restrictions — Magome Tourist Association

Researched and checked by Rio, based in Japan. I read Japanese timetables, operator PDFs and prefecture notices, cross-check them and date every fact. Published . Updated . How I research →