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: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha. This 258km walking route has various subsections, and this 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 andryokan or minshuku accommodation.
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: Arrival and hike Takijiri – Takahara | 4.5km
Take a train (2.5h) from Kyoto (3h) or Osaka (2.5h) to the small town of Kii-Tanabe on the Kii Peninsula (included). Take a bus at Kii-Tanabe station and travel 40mins to Takijiri, which is where your trek on the Nakahechi Route of the Kumano Kodo begins. From Takijiri, the path climbs steadily to the ridge-top village of Takahara, your last top for today.
- Accommodation: minshuku in Kurisugawa or Japanese style lodge in Takahara
- Walking for the day: 4.5km, 2h, ↑370m (transfer by car option available)
Day 2: Takahara – Chikatsuyu | 10km
After breakfast, follow the trail through small settlements and peaceful countryside, passing several Oji shrines before finally descending to the village of Chikatsuyu. The paths are clearly defined, and flagstones have been laid in some places to make the climbs easier. Arrive in Chikatsuyu in time to relax before dinner at a family-run minshuku guesthouse.
- Accommodation: minshuku in Chikatsuyu or Nonaka
- Walking for the day: 10km, 4-5h, ↑480m ↓520m (transfer by bus option available)
Day 3: Chikatsuyu – Hongu Grand Shrine | 24km
From Chikatsuyu, the trail continues through small villages and forest trails over the Kii Mountains to Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano. At the heart of these sacred mountains, 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 Yunomine Onsen, one of the oldest natural hot-spring villages in Japan, or Kawayu Onsen famous for the thermal water bubbling to the surface of the crystal clear river. Enjoy a relaxing soak in a Japanese bath before or after your delicious, multi-course dinner.
- Accommodation: ryokan in Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen
- Walking for the day: 24km, 8-9h, ↑820m ↓1,140m (we offer two shorter alternatives of 7h (15km) or 2h (7km), using a local bus from Chikatsuyu.
Day 4: Dainichigoe and Akagigoe Trails | 9-16km
Spend a second night at Yunomine or Kawayu Onsen, from which you have different optional walks on new sections of the trail. The shorter walk is on the Dainichigoe Trail between Yunomine Onsen and Hongu. You can walk both ways or ride one way by bus. Or combine the Dainichigoe Trail with the Akagigoe Trail for a full-day hike. We also offer unique cultural experiences, such as travelling by boat along the Kumano River, making your own traditional Japanese paper or having a meditation session.
- Accommodation: ryokan in Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen
- Walking for the day: 9km, 3-4h ↑610m ↓585m (longer option: 16km, 5-6h)
Day 5: Nachi Grand Shrine and waterfall | 15km
The final section of the trail takes you from Koguchi up to 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. You also get a chance to visit Nachi-taki waterfall. Stay overnight either in the small village of Nachi-san close to the shrine, or take a local bus (20mins) ride to the port town of Kii-Katsuura with wonderful views over the island-studded bay.
- Accommodation: minshuku in Nachi-san or or Japanese-style Hotel in Kii-Katsuura. We also offer an 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
Day 6: Kii-Katsuura and departure
Spend the morning exploring the busy port of Kii-Katsuura, with its fascinating early morning fish market. We provide train tickets for you to board a train at lunchtime, travel back around the Kii Peninsula and arrive in Osaka or Kyoto mid to late afternoon.
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.:
- Hotels (Kyoto, Kii-Katsuura): A modern western-style hotel is used in Kyoto. The rooms are generally smaller than equivalent hotels in the west. All have en-suite facilities, air-conditioning and TV and most have fridges in rooms. 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. All have indoor and outdoor thermal baths.
- Ryokans and minshukus (Takijiri, Yunomine or Kawayu, Chikatsuyu or 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.
*Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or inn being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you 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 can 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 transport 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 trip is available from March to December. 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 Golden Week, O-Bon, or 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
The train journey from Osaka to Kii-Tanabe is around 2.5h; from Kyoto, it is around 3h and usually requires a change of trains at Shin-Osaka station. After this, you take a bus at Kii-Tanabe station and travel 40mins to Takijiri,
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Osaka International 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. You have to make your own airport transfer arrangements. For timetables, visit Navitime or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation for five nights
- Five breakfasts and five dinners
- 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.
