Practicalities
Private vehicles are banned from the valley. If you're driving , park your car at the Sawando car park in the village of Nakanoyu, 8km outside Kamikochi, for Y500 a day. From here buses (Y1000) and taxis (Y4000) make regular runs to and from Kamikochi, passing through narrow rock tunnels. To get here from Matsumoto, take a thirty-minute train journey on the Matsumoto Dentestu line to Shin-Shimashima Station (Y680), then transfer to a bus (Y2000), which takes one hour and fifteen minutes to reach Kamikochi. There is also a direct bus twice a day in summer from Matsumoto bus terminal, opposite the station (Y4600 return). From Takayama, hop on the bus to Hirayu Onsen (Y1530), where you'll have to transfer to the Kamikochi bus (Y1550), which travels along the scenic Norikura Skyline Road. There's also a daily bus service between Norikura Kogen and Kamikochi. Once you've arrived, make sure you reserve your seat on a bus out of Kamikochi - the sheer number of visitors leaves many people at the mercy of the taxi drivers. There's an information centre (9.30am-5pm; tel 0263/95-2433) at the bus terminal where you can pick up a good English map, showing the main hiking trails. The assistants won't speak much English, so if you need more information or want to arrange accommodation, do this in Matsumoto before setting out. At the national park visitor centre (8am-5pm; tel 0263/95-2606), just past Kappa-bashi, the assistants should be able to give some description in English of the many rare animals, plants and songbirds in the valley. The most convenient campsite is at Konashidaira (Y400 per person per night), just beyond Kappa-bashi and the visitor centre. Otherwise, the best budget option is in the large dorm at Nishi-itoyasa-so (tel 0263/95-2206, fax 95-2208; Y7000-10,000), which has both bunk beds and tatami areas. The rates here include two meals - a good deal for Kamikochi. Nishi-itoyasa-so also run a ryokan, where the rates are slightly higher than those for the smallest rooms at the upmarket Gosenjaku Lodge (tel 0263/95-2221; Y20,000-30,000) next door. If you really want to push the boat out, book into the luxurious Western-style Kamikochi Imperial Hotel (tel 0263/95-2001, fax 95-2006; Y30,000-40,000), a true classic with that delightful spookiness of a grand old hotel in a wilderness setting. Putting up at the excellent youth hostel in Norikura Kogen and travelling into Kamikochi for the day is also a viable option. Eating options are a bit limited: most hotels serve up standard soba and curry rice at inflated prices. If you're visiting for the day or are planning a hike into the mountains, bring food with you. For lunch, Kamonjigoya beside Myojin-ike is worth stopping at for the iwana (river trout) lunch at Y1500. The fish are roasted on sticks beside an irori (charcoal fire), making this an ideal refuge if the weather turns nasty.
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