The 15 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Japan We Would Book Again

1.Fushimi Inari Hidden Hiking Tour (Private Option Available)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,750 reviews · from $63Our pick

Skip crowds on a guided 7km hike to Fushimi Inari, through bamboo and off-route shrines, with castle views. Small group, photos included.

“Great tour with EMI. She met us at the designated place, took us the opposite direction of the trip (starting at the end and finishing at the beginning) we avoided all the busy crowds that were building by the time our tour ended. Definitely gRead more”

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2.3-Hour Fushimi Inari Shrine Hidden Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 270 reviews · 3 hours · from $72

Join a 3-hour small-group hike from Tofukuji into Fushimi Inari forest trails and bamboo groves, with photo stops and torii views for $72.

“Fantastic trip. 3 hours far from the crowd. Opportunity to visit Fushimi Inari in a very interesting and quiet way. Our guide Shiori was very sympathetic and professional”

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3.Hiroshima Local guided Hiking Tour&Open-air Tea Ceremony

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 213 reviews · from $109

Guided hike in Hiroshima’s Futaba Mountains to sacred shrines, forest bathing, and an open-air nodate tea ceremony with city views.

“Our host, Nana, was friendly and knowledgeable. The hike was fairly easy with lots of stops as Nana shared the history of the area, the local shrine, and the Shinto rituals and their meaning. The view from the top was fantastic. Our whole faRead more”

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4.Hiking the Historic Nakasendo Trail [1 Day Tour from Nagoya]

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $210

Hike the historic Nakasendo from Tsumago to Magome with an English guide and round-trip transport from Nagoya, plus post-town time.

“Paula was a great guide - she was very friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable about the history of the area with lots of fun facts! We had a great time on the hike and exploring Tsumago and Magome. Asano-San was a great driver and the bus ride was very comfortable! We would definitely recommend this tour!”

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5.Kyoto Hiking Tour: The Nature and Legends of Kurama and Kibune

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · from $191

Door-to-door Kyoto hiking to Kurama and Kibune temples, Reiki lore, forest steps and Kifune water prayers, guided and ticketed.

“We had a wonderful time hiking amongst the trees, temples and shrines. Yuki was a fabulous guide. It was so nice to explore without worrying about getting lost or missing something interesting. It was a relief to get away from the crowds of Kyoto, too. Definitely a top highlight of our weeklong trip.”

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6.Morning Hiking Tour with Open-air Tea Ceremony

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 58 reviews · 3 hours · from $106

Morning hike on Futaba Mountain with a 500-step climb, shrine visits, forest bathing, and an open-air tea ceremony with views.

“I have really enjoyed this guided tour and would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about Japanese culture and the city of Hiroshima. We've learned a lot about the Shinto Shrine and traditions and have had an awesome view on top of the hill. The tea ceremony was a perfect ending tasting delicious Matcha tea.”

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7.Full Day Hiking Tour at Mt.Takao including Hot Spring

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · from $118

Full-day Mt. Takao hike with a private guide, a temple stop, and a relaxing onsen soak. Cable car return included, with Fuji views on clear days.

“Visiting Mt. Takao was definitely the touch of nature i wanted to try and experience while in Japan. Because i stayed in Tokyo primarily, this was one of the closer chances to get away from the city. My guide, Rie-san, was patient and definiteRead more”

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8.Hike and Hot Springs in Kurama

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 4 hours · from $80

Kyoto’s Kurama and Kibune hike plus temple prayers and an onsen finish, guided by locals on a half-day mountain escape.

“Amazing time with Eric! He was very knowledgeable and a great guy to spend the day with. We would do this trip again in a heartbeat! Beautiful scenery and wonderful area of Kyoto!”

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9.Hike Hakone Hachiri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $231

Walk Japan Heritage Tokaido sections in Hakone, with a family-run amazake stop, cedar shade, checkpoints, and a 12 km old-road hike.

“Wonderful guide, great history! This was a great day. We went in the rain and Tony was commicative and happy to change things a bit to account for some terrible weather. It was a great day with a moderate hike over stones. Bring sturdy comfy shoes!”

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10.Hike Japan Heritage Hakone Hachiri with certified mountain guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · from $158

Hike Hakone Hachiri with a certified mountain guide, tracing the Old Tokaido, Lake Ashi sights, and heritage paths toward Mishima.

“Fantastic experience, beyond expectations. And that’s even with rain and clouds for part of the day: Hiking in the midst of the stunning natural beauty that is the forest region of Hakone, while at the same time not only learning the history but Read more”

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11.Magome & Tsumago Nakasendo Trail Day Hike with Government-Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $155

Half-day Nakasendo hike between Magome and Tsumago with a government licensed English guide, history stops, photo breaks, and a mobile ticket.

“Our guide was Enomoto ("Matt") Masatake. I connected with Matt via email and Whatsapp before our arrival in Japan. He was extremely professional and responsive. We took the train from Matsumoto to Nagatsugawa where we met Matt. TheRead more”

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12.1-Day Tour from Nagoya: Hiking the Historic Nakasendo Trail

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 34 reviews · 8 hours · from $189

Hike the historic Nakasendo Trail from Tsumago to Magome on a small-group day trip from Nagoya, with preserved post-town stops.

“Beautiful scenery and Paula and Kim were wonderful guides. Very well organized trip and we went the opposite way from all the tourists so we had much less people in the villages which added to the magic!”

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13.Fushimi Inari Hidden Hike (Private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $62

Private Fushimi Inari Hidden Hike in Kyoto with a guide, quieter Mt. Inari trails, Shinto stories, torii photo stops, and complimentary DSLR shots.

“Louis was a great tour leader on this walking excursion in April 2025. His route allowed us to have a quiet hike through some beautiful places on the way to the bustling peaks and torii passages. Louis explained some of the history and mythRead more”

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14.Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Hiking Tour（Hidden Temples）

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $52Best value

Small-group hike in Kyoto’s Arashiyama bamboo forest to mountain views, then Adashino Nenbutsu-ji. English guide, temple fee extra.

“Great hiking tour with a knowledgeable guide for the entire experience. It was great to see both bamboo Forrest and climb the hills.”

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15.Sawanobori River Trekking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $140

Takayama Sawanobori river trekking with certified guides, hand-dripped coffee from spring water, and local lunch. Small group tour.

“The most incredible experience and one we will be reminiscing about forever. Walking through the river, rock climbing, learning about the local area enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The food and coffee was an absolute treat. A must do adventure if you’re in Japan!”

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