The Expedition Hotel "Zenagi"

We spent the first three days of 2026 as a family of six at Zenagi, this most beautifully renovated farmhouse. The attention to detail is on another level. Selah, the private butler and her team made all the difference. They gave us so much insight into the cultural heritage of Kiso and Nagano. The meals prepared by the private chef, especially the Osechi which is the New Year’s day meal were incredible. We had the most wonderful and unforgettable time at this very special, quiet and truly Zen place. We hope to return one day.

My only regret is that I stayed only one night! As a solo traveler, I felt very welcomed and looked after and really enjoyed interacting with the staff- they are what makes Zenagi truly special. Dinesh was a wonderful hiking guide, explaining everything about the Nakasendo trail and samurai history. His enthusiasm and kindness made the 3 hour hike from Magome to Tsumago a breeze. Selah was so sweet look after me and make my breakfast in the morning. Her English was fantastic and we had lovely conversations. The villa itself is amazing but the dinner is just…WOW. And all for little old me! Kudos to the chef for making one of the best meals I’ve ever had- all 8 courses were amazing and Yosuke, the sommelier, selected amazing pairings. Do the full pairing!! I am still dreaming about the charred eggplant with jalapeño sauce paired with hot, fragrant sake. The venison ragu was also a standout dish and I’m not a huge game meat person. Non gave faultless service, with a friendly smile and some jokes, and also drew an amazing bath to end the night. I had a little tear in my eye when I had to leave the next morning. Bravo Zenagi, you are a slice of heaven!

We had an absolutely amazing 3 nights stay at Zenagi. We were so well looked after by everyone at Zenagi. Our driver, Dinesh, would magically appear at our rest stops during the Nakasando hikes and serve us water or hot tea. When lunchtime arrived, we found him already set up the table and chairs at a beautiful location waiting for us to arrive! We were always greeted by the beautiful smiles of Non and the manager Selah when we get back to the house. Dinners at Zenagi were legendary! We had different themed dinners with different ingredients for the 3 nights. All very tasty and perfectly executed! They also gave me a surprise celebration for my upcoming birthday!!! The Mont Blanc dessert was the best I have ever had! It beats the ones at 3 Michelin starred restaurants! The accommodation was tastefully decorated with luxurious bathrooms and fine cedar bath tubs. The optional activities like meeting local artists and learning the traditional Japanese lacquer art of Maki-e was special. The water rafting was so much fun and the scenery was amazing! They captured all our special moments with their phones and share all the photos with us! We only left there not long ago but we already want to go back! There’s no better way to do Nakasando trails than the Zenagi way!!

Selah and her Team at Zenagi are unbelievably impressive. Staying there was the absolute highlight of our first trip to Japan. The Dinners are truly amazing and worthy of Michelin ratings for their presentation, local produce and flavors! The Residence itself is outstanding, but equally the attentive staff, every detail from welcome, rooms, onsen preparation, cleaning and then the tours of the Nakasendo Trail and Post Towns by Dinesh and his wonderful humor and knowledge. We can not recommend staying at Zenagi more highly, it is as close to heaven as we will probably ever be!

Zenagi is a wonderful, renovated farmhouse not far from the Nakasendo Trail. We were met at the train by the Manager/Guide who took us to walk part of the trail. After a lovely afternoon with him, learning the history of this region and experiencing the beauty of the old post villages and nature along the way, we went to Zenagi. There are 3 rooms, each with a private bathroom. This would be a great place to go with family or friends. The bedrooms are upstairs and the bathrooms are downstairs. The entire home is beautifully done, with modern amenities in this traditional structure, and it is very clean. The bathrooms each include large wood soaking tubs. The staff was wonderful. We felt very well taken care of during our stay, and only wish we could have stayed longer. The breakfast and dinner were amazing, and full of fresh, local foods. ||I highly recommend a stay at Zenagi.

We discovered Zenagi three years ago, when we walked the Nakasendo trail. We enjoyed the beautiful house, the catering and the sports activities, kayaking on the Kiso river, paragliding high above the rice paddies in the Kiso valley, so much that we decided to return to this gem in November as part of another vacation in Japan. Selah, the private butler, and her team pampered us throughout our 3 day (2 nights) stay. Selah had interacted with us over weeks to meticulously plan the activities during our stay, and exceeded our already high expectations. The private visit to the Yamato family, creators of beautiful bowls and plates from various woods and the hand on experience of maki-e painting was as memorable as the visit to the Mino Ceramic Art Museum and the Kõbei Kiln in Tajimi. The latter is a 220-year-old kiln, and we were not only guided by Ryotaro Kato, now 8th generation head of this family of Living National Treasure potters, but also had the privilege of enjoying a Matcha Tea ceremony with the artist, and drink Matcha from bowls, each of them an artwork in itself. Last but not least, the two multi-course dinner menus prepared by Chef Ishimatsu with his "farm to kitchen" philosophy, drawing on local producers, were highly innovative and just amazing in terms of presentation as well as execution, including in the way he coped with dietary restrictions. Little doubt that Zenagi will again be on our destination list when we visit Japan in the future.

Zenagi is a unique and incredible experience while in Japan. It’s off the beaten track and is a romantic and special more like luxury home experience. With a staff not too big and not too small to take care of all our needs from gourmet dinners too amazing trekking. Very special.

We had a superb stay at Zenagi. This place rocks! ||Basically it is a converted farmhouse. The ground floor is a large common area, divided into sitting area, a large dining table, and a long bar counter where we had breakfast. ||‘Round the Back of the house are three bedrooms. First the toilets and shower, then a staircase To the second floor overlooking the lobby. The beds are placed under the rafters. There’s also a living area and extra beds along a bench next To the window. ||We had breakfast and dinner provided. The villa plays strong emphasis on sustainably sourced vegetables and meats. Our meals were vegetarian 60-70% of the course. And yet the meals are so unusually prepared and super tasty, that we could not believe we were eating just vegetables. I think my wife would stay here longer just to learn from the chef! ||The staff are so caring and efficient. We were the only guests and they looked after us so well! Kudos to Stella and Dinesh!||Thank you for looking after us and showing us the beauty of the area, and the special tea education! Let’s not forget the cold picnic by the river!!||Would love to come back sometime. Let’s see where life takes us…