Matsumoto Camp
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
8 days, planned by Meridian Overland
Eight days in the Northern Alps — a valley closed to private cars, a hut at 3,000 m, and the thatched villages on the way out.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Matsumoto Castle |
| Nakamachi |
| Japan Alps |
Private vehicles have been banned since 1975 and everyone arrives by bus. It is why the valley floor is quiet by four in the afternoon.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Kappa Bridge |
| Azusa river |
| Myojin pond |
| Hotaka range |
Japanese mountain huts are booked, staffed and serve dinner at a fixed hour. They are nothing like a European refuge and nothing like a bothy.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Yarisawa |
| Yarigatake |
| Mountain huts |
The last thirty metres are vertical rock with chains and steel ladders, and there is a queue on it in October. Everyone comes down the same way.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Yarigatake spire |
| Chain section |
| Yarisawa |
Takayama was a shogunate territory taxed in timber and rice, which is why the merchant houses are as good as they are.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Sanmachi Suji |
| Miyagawa market |
| Sake breweries |
Gasshō-zukuri means "praying hands" — roofs pitched at sixty degrees because the valley takes several metres of snow and thatch cannot hold it.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Gasshō-zukuri houses |
| Wada House |
| Shiroyama viewpoint |
Kenroku-en was built over about two hundred years by successive Maeda lords and is usually counted among the three great gardens of Japan.
| LANDMARKS |
|---|
| Kenroku-en |
| Nagamachi |
| Higashi Chaya |
| 21st Century Museum |
Two and a half hours to Tokyo on the Hokuriku line.
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
7 breakfasts and 6 dinners across 8 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 8.
13 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
“Europe and the far north on a fixed calendar”
Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side.
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Would book with them again.
Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. Would send friends their way.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Good value for what's included.
Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. No hesitation recommending them.
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
Chubu in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Solid operator.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Recommended.
Chubu in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Sleeping under canvas at that height is cold work and the kit was up to it. Worth every rupee.
The walk in is long rather than hard. The final spire is thirty metres of near-vertical rock on fixed chains and steel ladders, with a queue on it in peak season and a real drop underneath. From October ice on the chains closes it and the guides do not negotiate that.
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →