Starting in Matsumoto on our third day of the trip, we took the Highland Rail over to Shin-Shimashima station then transferred to the Highland Bus to take us directly to Kamikochi. It took us almost two hours before we finally reached the bus terminal inside the park. We were already surrounded by nature once we got off the bus, but it was even more amazing being enclosed by mountains as we started our hike inside the park. All the scenery around us look like it came directly from a painting.

First we followed the route alongside the Azusa River. Then we crossed the Kappa Bridge and continued along the trails, passing through the wetlands before we reach Myojin. Once we arrived we stopped at a restaurant called Kamonji-goya for lunch. It was a really nice day out so it was super relaxing sitting underneath the shade enjoying our meal. I ordered a bowl of soba noodles along with one of their specialty dishes, iwana, which is grilled the traditional way over a hearth.

After lunch my sister and I paid the admission fee to go inside the Hotaka Shrine and Myojin Pond. I’m not sure why they had a separate admission, but it’s definitely worth paying the price because the pond was absolutely gorgeous. The water inside was so clear you could see straight through to the bottom.

Afterwards we crossed the Myojin Bridge and took the trail on the other side of the bank all the way back towards the bus terminal. Once we got there we had a little under two hours left in Kamikochi, as we had reserved our seats for the bus back towards Matsumoto. Timing was a little tight if we wanted to hike towards Taishoike, but at the end we decided to take a taxi going there, then travel back on foot.

It was definitely worth visiting Taishoike because it was another one of those picturesque views. There’s also less people in the area, so it was not as crowded as the hike we did in the morning. By the time we returned to the bus terminal I think we had hiked about 10km that day. It didn’t feel like it was 10km because I was honestly just admiring the scenery the entire way. However it was a good excuse to buy an ice cream cone and sit down before the bus came. =P

For those people doing a day trip to Kamikochi, it is a good idea to reserve your seats for the bus back the minute you arrive at the terminal. The buses do get full, so it’s a good way to ensure you have a seat. Plus they let you board according to the time you made the reservation, so the sooner you do it the better.

It was an uneventful ride back to Matsumoto, although it was very long due to the traffic on the streets. We didn’t have any plans for our second night in Matsumoto, so we ended up picking a random izakaya to have dinner at. The food wasn’t as great as the first night, but it still did the trick and it wrapped up the end of the alpine route portion of our trip.