The Nakasendo trail linked Kyoto to Tokyo during Japan’s feudal period. It was the ‘road through the mountains’ (as opposed to the Tokaido route which travelled the Pacific coast) travelled by feudal lords and their retinues, samurai, merchants, and travelers. Along the route were 69 ‘post towns’, where weary travelers could rest before continuing on the next leg. Our journey will start in Tokyo, known as Edo during Japan’s period of rule by the Shoguns. We will then spend four days walking along the Nakasendo. By day we will walk along the ancient route as it passes through beautifully-preserved villages along an easy path, and by evening we will stay in traditional country inns enjoying exquisite regional cuisine prepared from the freshest ingredients, soak in natural hot springs, and enjoy the warm hospitality of our hosts. Enjoy bathing in hot spring water after a day on the trails! We’ll then continue by bullet train to Nara, to explore the former imperial capital, wander the old town and see the famous Todaiji temple, Nara park. From Nara we will continue to Yoshino, a beautiful village famous for its cherry blossoms in springtime and also for its ‘warrior’ monks. We will walk in the hills and relax in the evening in a lovely ryokan. After Yoshino we visit Mount Koya, in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula, a temple complex founded in the 9th century by the monk Kobo Daishi, where we will stay in a ‘shukubo’ (temple lodging), enjoying the vegetarian shojin-ryori cuisine. Finally, we travel by train to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, at the western end of the Nakasendo, with time to explore some of the most important temples and shrines, as well as the craft shops and food markets. Our tour ends here and we say farewell.