Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Japan

Magome馬籠宿

Stay one night in Magome, walk the 7 km Nakasendo trail to Tsumago in the morning, and leave by mid-afternoon bus.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
JPY
Best months
Apr–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (many museums closed, snow on the trail)
Airport
NGO
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.

Magome is a restored Edo-period post town on the Nakasendo, the old walking road between Tokyo and Kyoto. The cobbled main street takes about an hour to walk end to end, so the reason to come is the 7 km trail to Tsumago, not the town itself. Most travellers sleep one night here or in nearby Nakatsugawa, walk the trail early, and move on.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Magome, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥460–680 (≈ US$4–5)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi Nakatsugawa station to MagomeAbout ¥3,000 (≈ US$25)
  • Metro or bus rideBus Nakatsugawa to Magome¥570 (≈ US$4)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry¥200–500 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person¥3,500 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedMinshuku or small inn, twin room, a night, per room¥20,000 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedMinshuku or small inn, twin room, a night, per room¥35,000 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ¥6,000 (≈ US$45) · Mid ¥11,000 (≈ US$75) · High ¥20,000 (≈ US$140)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Nakasendo post townMagome–Tsumago trailShimazaki Tōson and his memorial museumGoheimochi and soba
Airports
NGO Chubu Centrair (Nagoya) (No direct link to Magome: train or bus into Nagoya, then JR Chuo line to Nakatsugawa, then the Kitaena bus. Allow 3–4 h door to door.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Magome: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−4°C

8 rd

Feb

5°C

−4°C

8 rd

Mar

10°C

−1°C

10 rd

Apr

16°C

4°C

10 rd

May

21°C

9°C

11 rd

Jun

24°C

14°C

13 rd

Jul

28°C

19°C

14 rd

Aug

30°C

20°C

12 rd

Sep

25°C

16°C

12 rd

Oct

19°C

9°C

9 rd

Nov

13°C

3°C

8 rd

Dec

7°C

−2°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot. The preserved street runs uphill from the bus stop to the old bulletin board and takes about 20–30 min to walk. The Nakasendo trail north to Tsumago is 7 km, about 2–3 h at an easy pace, with a short road section and a steep climb out of Magome at the start.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Tsumago

go

Door to door: 2–3 h on foot

Walk the Nakasendo trail north, 7 km

The reason to come. Start before 09:00 in summer; buses back run roughly hourly.

Nakatsugawa

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Kitaena bus M line from the main bus stop

Railhead for Nagoya, Nagano and Matsumoto; also the nearest car rental.

Nagoya

go

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Bus to Nakatsugawa, then JR Chuo line rapid

Doable as a long day out, but the last bus back from Magome is early: check times.

Takayama

overnight

Door to door: 4 h+

JR via Nagoya or Matsumoto

Too far for a return day; sleep there.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

In the preserved area

A handful of minshuku and small inns on or beside the old Nakasendo; book weeks ahead in spring and autumn.

Nakatsugawa

Railhead town 30 min by bus; cheaper business hotels, more food, and the fallback if Magome is full.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥6,000–10,000 (≈ US$45–70) excl. bed
Mid
¥10,000–16,000 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
High
¥16,000 (≈ US$110)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Minshuku or small inn, twin room1 × 1 night × ¥20,000¥20,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ¥11,000¥22,000
Kitaena bus, Nakatsugawa station to Magome, one way2 × ¥570¥1,140
Luggage forwarding Magome to Tsumago2 × ¥500¥1,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ¥2,500¥5,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge¥4,910
Trip total≈ ¥27,030 per person per day, bed included¥54,050≈ US$400

Often includes dinner and breakfast.

2026 estimate in yen; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥460–680 (≈ US$4–5)
Soba¥550–1,000 (≈ US$4–7)
Goheimochi (grilled mochi)¥200–500 (≈ US$2–4)
Museum entry¥200–500 (≈ US$2–4)
Bus Nakatsugawa to Magome¥570 (≈ US$4)
Taxi Nakatsugawa station to MagomeAbout ¥3,000 (≈ US$25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe. The real risks are the heat and humidity in July–August, uneven cobbles and steps on the trail, and shops that close early: carry cash and water.
  • People live in the old buildings: keep voices down and do not enter private gardens.
  • Many shops and restaurants close by 16:00–17:00 and take cash only.
  • The trail has no shops between Magome and Tsumago: carry water and use the toilets at either end.
  • The tourist information centre forwards luggage to Tsumago for ¥500 (≈ US$4).

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Magome馬籠宿

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ここまでお願いしますTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Embassy

No embassies in Magome or Nakatsugawa; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Nagoya and Osaka. US citizens: check the US embassy in Tokyo.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Kitaena bus Nakatsugawa → Magome: about ¥570 (≈ US$4), 30 min
  • Taxi Nakatsugawa station → Magome: about ¥3,000 (≈ US$25)
  • Luggage forwarding Magome → Tsumago: about ¥500 (≈ US$4) at the tourist information centre

Say or show

  • すみません — Excuse me / Sorry (sumimasen)
  • ありがとうございます — Thank you (arigatō gozaimasu)
  • これをください — This one, please (kore o kudasai)
  • いくらですか？ — How much is it? (ikura desu ka)
  • カードで払えますか？ — Can I pay by card? (kādo de haraemasu ka)
  • トイレはどこですか？ — Where is the toilet? (toire wa doko desu ka)

Tourist information centre, 4300-1 Magome, 08:30–17:00.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Magome. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (many museums closed, snow on the trail) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for NGO: last Chuo line and Kitaena bus departures field-checked, taxi fallback from Nakatsugawa, overnight rung.
  2. Two walking clusters with rescue anchors: the preserved street and the trailhead, plus Nakatsugawa station.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Tōson Memorial Museum, Wakihonjin, Shimizuya) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Trail-closure and winter-gear fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Japan

Sources