Enjoy the beautiful green season in Echigo-Yuzawa, with a guided hike along the Mikuni Kaido, an ancient historic highway. You’ll learn about local history and nature from your guide, as you hike 6 kilometers of lush green mountain trails once used by the region’s famed warlord Kenshin Uesugi.
• The maximum capacity of this tour is 12 people • Participants must be aged 10 or older • The tour is suitable for wheelchair users, but you will need to bring your own off-road wheelchair • You can use the restroom at Shukuba no Yu before starting the hike, but entry to the onsen is not included with this tour
Echigo-Yuzawa is best known as a mecca for winter sports and hot springs. But in the “green season,” it boasts some wonderful hidden hiking experiences! On the Mikuni Kaido, one of Japan’s ancient highways, you can connect with a slice of history while learning about the local nature and culture on a beautiful, secluded three-hour walk. This route was also once an important road, famously utilized by Uesugi Kenshin, a key figure in Japan’s Warring States period. With the modernization of Japan, the Mikuni Kaido has become a broad, quiet mountain trail, perfect for novice hikers and even off-road wheelchair users, with a sense of ancient history about it. On this tour, an English-speaking guide will introduce you to the hidden beauty of Echigo-Yuzawa. The tranquil trails, clear running water, carpets of moss, and venerable structures will take you back in time as you walk in the footsteps of Uesugi Kenshin. At the end of the hike, you’ll arrive at Kaikake Onsen, a remote hot spring spa said to have been used by the warlord himself.