Overview
Japan’s ultimate spiritual trail, the Kumano Kodo, has carried pilgrims for centuries across the peaks and valleys of the Kii Peninsula, to worship at three magnificent Grand Shrines en route. This 258km walking route has various subsections, and our six-day, self-guided walking adventure covers the inland, mountainous Nakahechi route. On this you get to see the Grand Shrines of Hongu and Nachi, while also enjoying some traditional treks and ryokan or minshuku accommodation. Walking the Kumano Kodo in winter is extra special, with generally crisp, clear weather and steaming thermal baths at the end of the day.
Please note: the cost of luggage transfers is not included. Most pilgrims use the very efficient Takkyubin Courier service, bookable locally with your accommodation providers. More details below.
- Kii Peninsula
- Grand Shrines of Kumano
- Ryokan accommodation
- Onsen hot springs
- Kii-Katsuura
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to the Kii Peninsula
Take a train from Kyoto (3h) or Osaka (2.5h) to the small town of Kii-Tanabe on the Kii Peninsula (included). A 15mins bus ride from Kii-Tanabe station takes you to the farming community of Kamiakizu. Tonight’s lodging is a renovated school, constructed from cedar and cypress and a community project focusing on sustainable tourism.
- Accommodation: traditional lodge in Kamiakizu
- Meals included: dinner
Day 2: Takijiri – Chikatsuyu | 7.8/14.5km
After breakfast, a short transfer (30mins) takes you to Takijiri, starting point of the Kumano Kodo. From Takijiri, there is a steady climb to the ridge-top village of Takahara. From there, walk to the nearby bus stop and catch a local bus to Chikatsuyu for tonight’s accommodation. If you have time, explore the local art gallery and shops before dinner at a family-run guesthouse. For a longer hike, there is an option to skip the bus ride and continue along the Kumano Kodo, with a further 4h hike to Chikatsuyu.
- Accommodation: minshuku in Chikatsuyu or Nonaka
- Walking for the day: 7.8km, 2.5h, ↑320m ↓600m (longer alternative 14.5km, 6h)
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3: Chikatsuyu to Hongu Grand Shrine | 7/15km
From Chikatsuyu and Nonaka, the trail continues through the mountains. Today there are shorter and longer hiking options to choose from, both including the walk between Hosshinmon-oji and Hongu Grand Shrine, and both manageable in shorter winter days. Kumano was said to be the entrance to the land of Yomi, the other world which spirits travelled to in Japanese mythology. From Kumano Hongu, a short bus ride brings you to Kawayu Onsen. Take the time to soak in a Japanese bath before or after dinner.
- Accommodation: ryokan in Kawayu Onsen
- Walking for the day: 15km, 7h, ↑635m ↓995m (shorter alternative of 2h (7km), using a local bus from Chikatsuyu to shorten the walk)
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Leisure day or hike along the Nakahechi Trail | 12.4km
Spend a second night at Kawayu Onsen, taking time to explore the village before undertaking one of two possible hiking options: ascend the Kogumotorigoe path towards Koguchi or undertake another section close to Hongu. The first option begins with a short bus ride to Ukegawa on the banks of the Kumano River. From Ukegawa, start on the Kogumotorigoe path, which heads up to the Kogumotorigoe Pass before descending to the village of Koguchi.
- Accommodation: ryokan in Kawayu Onsen
- Walking for the day: 12.4km, h ↑520m ↓500m ( different number of alternatives from 1-6h if staying close to Hongu)
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 5: Nachi Grand Shrine and waterfall | 15km
The final section of the trail travels from Koguchi up to the Ogumotorigoe Pass with a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. It then descends to Nachi-san, the location of Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine, one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano, and Nachi-taki waterfall. Stay overnight either in the small village of Nachi-san close to the shrine, or take a local bus to the port town of Kii-Katsuura with views over the island-studded bay.
- Accommodation: minshuku in Nachi-san or Japanese-style Hotel in Kii-Katsuura. Optional upgrade to an onsen hotel, located on its own secluded island in Kii-Katsuura Bay. This extension also enables you to join the tuna auction at the port on your final morning.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 6-7h, ↑980m ↓920m
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 6: Kii-Katsuura. Departure to Osaka or Kyoto
Kii-Katsuura is an active fishing port and has a lively early-morning fish market. Take the time to take in the views out over the island-studded bay. Take the train (included) around lunchtime to travel back around the Kii Peninsula to Osaka or Kyoto for mid to late afternoon.
- Meals included: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
The following types of accommodation are used on this tour; Please note that, in Japan, it is common for accommodations to have twin rooms rather than double. If you prefer a double bed, we will happily request this at time of booking, however it can’t always be guaranteed.
- Hotel (Kii-Katsuura): The hotel in Kii-Katsuura is a wonderful blend of Japanese and western styles; all rooms have Tatami mats and Futons laid out in the evening for sleeping. There are terrific indoor and outdoor communal thermal baths.
- Ryokans and minshukus (Kamiakizu, Nonaka or Chikatsuyu, Kawayu Onsen, Nachi-San): ryokans and minshukus are traditional Japanese-style inns. They may be in modern concrete or older wooden buildings, but the rooms are always in the Japanese style with tatami (straw) matting and futon bedding. At a ryokan, the futons are laid out for you in the evening. In a minshuku, you may need to arrange your own futon with the provided bedding. Dinners are served together, usually in the dining room, and are exquisitely prepared multi-course meals. Some ryokans have en-suite bathrooms, although older buildings generally offer shared facilities. Smaller inns offer normal baths used privately in turn by guests; larger inns offer communal spa-style baths, segregated by gender. Read more in our blog on Japanese baths.
*Accommodations are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will give you the exact accommodation details upon booking confirmation.
Meals
All breakfasts and five dinners on walking days are included, with superb Japanese cuisine. Vegetarian options are available, but limited. Strict vegetarian diets, vegan diets, or gluten free diets will be difficult to accommodate due to the pervasiveness of the fish-based stock dashi and the use of soy sauce and miso in Japanese cuisine.
Difficulty and terrain
This holiday is suitable for active and fit walkers who do regular full-day walking or hiking and are comfortable walking for extended periods on consecutive days, with much of each day involving ascent and descent. (read more about difficulty grades). Many of the walks can be optionally shortened (or completely skipped) using the excellent local public transportation system. Routes are well signposted in most parts.
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This holiday is available from the end of December to February. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your holiday on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking.
Please note that travel during the end of year holidays may incur supplements of up to 20%. We will only pass along to you the actual supplement charged to us by the accommodation, and we do not mark these up. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Japan.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Kansai Airport (KIX) in Osaka. The alternative airports are Narita Airport and Haneda Airport.
By train or bus
- Individual train tickets from Kyoto or Osaka to the Kumano Kodo trail, and from the Kumano Kodo trail to Kyoto or Osaka are included in your package. Please note this does not include airport transfers.
- There are regular trains from Kansai Airport to Osaka and Kyoto. For timetables and further information, visit Navitime or use the Omio planner above.
- From Tokyo, there are Shinkansen services to Osaka and Kyoto. For timetables and further information, visit Navitime or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 5 nights accommodation
- 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
- Taxi to Takijiri on day two
- Train tickets from Kyoto or Osaka to the Kumano Kodo trail, and from the Kumano Kodo trail to Kyoto or Osaka
- Topographical maps and walking Instructions
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare to and from Japan
- Airport transfers
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Luggage transfers
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Entrance fees to museums, temples etc.
- Please pay locally for the bus journeys
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Private daily luggage transfers between accommodation (rate for up to three bags, payable at time of booking), or local Takkyubin Courier service which is payable locally. Details below.
Baggage transfers
As well as the optional daily luggage transfers that can be requested at the time of booking, you can also opt for Japan’s very efficient Takkyubin Courier service, which you pay for locally. (Takkyubin is the brand name of the best-known service provider.) These services are secure, efficient and economical, typically around ¥5,000 (approx. €30, £25, $33) per bag per transfer, depending on the size or the bag. The sent luggage does not re-join you each night; it is waiting for you at the accommodation where you stay at a night or two later on. You carry overnight essentials in your daypack for the intervening nights.
Takkyubin does not need to be arranged in advance. You arrange and pay for the service yourself in Japan, usually with help from the concierge of your hotel or inn. Some smaller local hotels and inns may not offer the service, but they will direct you to the nearest location where the service is available – a local convenience store, for example.
Please note: travelling light on the trails is easy. All inns provide cotton yukata gowns and slippers for you to wear after arrival for dining, relaxing in your room, exploring outside and sleeping. They also provide small towels, soap, shampoo and hairdryers. You don’t need a complete change of clothing for the evening, so it is possible to manage with just a medium daypack to carry overnight essentials. Takkyubin may be a novel experience for clients who have walked self-guided in other parts of the world, but it works wonderfully well in Japan.
Takkyubin allows you to travel throughout Japan without having to handle your main luggage. You can avoid carrying your bags on trains and buses, where luggage space is often limited, or through busy railway stations. The only disadvantage is that you are without your main bag for one or more nights while it is in transit.
