Japanese Alps, post towns and craft cities

Day-by-day route

1. 1

   Days 1–2 · Tokyo

   Tokyo arrival base

   Recover and prepare luggage forwarding before entering areas with smaller buses and stations.

   Open prefecture guide
2. 2

   Days 3–5 · Nagano

   Nagano, Matsumoto and one mountain module

   Choose either Kamikochi in its operating season, the Kiso Valley or a northern Nagano module; doing all three is not realistic.

   Open prefecture guide
3. 3

   Days 6–7 · Gifu

   Takayama and a protected village

   Stay overnight in Takayama, then visit Shirakawa-go with reserved transport and respect for private homes.

   Open prefecture guide
4. 4

   Days 8–9 · Ishikawa

   Kanazawa crafts, gardens and markets

   Use two nights for Kenrokuen, a craft or museum block and one historic district without racing between all three tea districts.

   Open prefecture guide
5. 5

   Days 10–12 · Kyoto

   Finish with Kyoto's quieter edges

   Arrive via the Hokuriku connection and focus on neighborhoods that complement, rather than duplicate, the historic towns already visited.

   Open prefecture guide