Highlights

  • Visit the atmospheric Hongū Grand Shrine and Hayatama Grand Shrine
  • Enjoy enchanting sections of the Kumano Kodō for travellers with a more limited schedule
  • Taste excellent Japanese cuisine freshly prepared with local ingredients
  • Sleep on futons laid out on tatami-mat flooring in traditional Japanese inns – an authentic Japanese ryokan experience!
  • Bathe in the thermal waters at a hot spring ryokan
  • Earn credentials to receive Dual Pilgrim status

South of Japan’s ancient capital of Kyōto and bustling Ōsaka lies the Kii Peninsula, the largest peninsula on Japan’s main island of Honshū. The history of this region goes back more than 1,000 years as a spiritual centre, with pilgrims ranging from emperors to common folk walking the trails that made up the Kumano Kodō. The Kumano Kodō (Kumano Ancient Trail) is made of five specific routes: the Nakahechi, Kohechi, Iseji, Kiiji, and Ōhechi.

Our 4-day Kumano Kodō tour is our shortest on this ancient pilgrimage, and introduces you to the classic Nakahechi route, weaving through forested mountains and small villages towards Hongū Grand Shrine.

After visiting ridgetop villages and peaceful countryside settlements, arrive in Hongū to visit the Grand Shrine here. Afterwards, arrive in Shingū, home of Hayatama Grand Shrine and Kamikura Shrine, a sacred place where it is believed the gods first descended before being enshrined.

If you’re looking for a condensed version of the Kumano Kodō experience, our 4-day self-guided tour will introduce you to many of its highlights, as you enjoy delicious local meals at your traditional Japanese inns and refresh yourself in onsen baths between your hikes.

What is included

  • 3 nights at Japanese inns along the Kumano Kodo Trail
  • 3 breakfasts and 3 dinners
  • Round-trip train tickets from Kyoto or Osaka
  • Detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking directions
  • Detailed maps
  • Local support by telephone and at our Kumano Kodō branch
  • Our Preparing for Your Trip and Travelling in Japan guidebooks

What is not included

  •  Flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
  • Local bus journeys which must be paid directly to the bus driver
  • Single room supplement(s) for solo occupancy
  • Daily Luggage Transfer

Kumano Kodo self-guided walking 4 days

(subject to change until the booking has been finalized)

Day 1 Hike from Takijiri to Takahara

Our tour includes train tickets for your journey from Kyōto or Ōsaka to the small town of Kii-Tanabe on the mystical Kii Peninsula, gateway to the historic Kumano Kodō Trail. The railway line runs close to the ocean for the latter part of the journey and offers fine views out over the sea. The journey from Ōsaka to Kii-Tanabe is around two and half hours; from Kyōto it is around three hours and usually requires a change of trains at Shin-Ōsaka station. Board a local bus outside Kii-Tanabe station and travel forty minutes to Takijiri. This is where your walk on the Nakahechi portion of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage route begins. From Takijiri the path climbs steadily to the ridge-top village of Takahara and takes around two hours.

Stay tonight in a small, Japanese-style minshuku in the tiny village of Takahara, or in the nearby village of Kurisugawa. Both serve delicious home-cooked dinners featuring local seasonal ingredients.

Walking distance:4.5 km / 2.8 mi
Elevation gain:390 m / 1,280 ft of ascent and 160 m / 520 ft of descent
Time required: About 2 hours

Accommodation:Minshuku (family-run guesthouse)
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 Hike from Takahara to Chikatsuyu

After your Japanese breakfast, you leave your inn and follow the trail as it winds through small settlements and peaceful countryside. You pass several ōji 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 guesthouse.

Walking distance: 10 km / 6.5 mi
Elevation gain:  610 m / 2,000 ft of ascent and 640 m / 2,100 ft of descent
Time required: About 4 – 5 hours

Accommodation:Minshuku (family-run guesthouse)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 Hike from Chikatsuyu and Nonaka to Hongu

From Chikatsuyu and Nonaka, the trail continues through the mountains. We have shorter and longer hiking options to choose from this day, all of which include the ‘can’t miss’ walk between Hosshinmon-ōji and Hongu Grand Shrine. 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 Hongū, a short bus ride brings you to Yunomine Onsen, one of the oldest natural hot spring villages in Japan, or to 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.

Walking distance: 7 km / 4 mi
Elevation gain: 170 m / 560 ft of ascent and 440 m / 1,440 ft of descent
Time required: About 2 hours

If you prefer a more challenging day, we offer two longer alternatives of 7 hours (15 km / 9 mi) or of 8-9 hours (24 km / 14.9 mi), both with significant ascent and descent. You can choose which option you prefer on the day – no need to decide in advance!

Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4 Explore Hayatama Grand Shrine and Shingu

Before or after breakfast, take time to explore the atmospheric village of Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen. Travel by bus along the picturesque valley to Shingū and visit Hayatama Grand Shrine, one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano, 15 minutes on foot from Shingū Station. Within the shrine precinct is a giant nagi tree about a thousand years old. ‘Nagi dolls’ made from the seeds of this tree are believed to bring about lucky encounters with the opposite sex or a happy married life for couples.

Kamikura Shrine on Mount Gongen, further on from Hayatama Grand Shrine, is also well worth a visit. People worship a large rock as a god here and the shrine is extremely atmospheric. After visiting the sights of Shingū, use the train tickets we provide for the train journey onwards to Ōsaka or Kyōto. The journey takes around five hours, arriving in Ōsaka or Kyōto early- to mid-evening.

Meals: Breakfast

Sacred entrance to Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine in Wakayama, Japan — a key spiritual site on the UNESCO-listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, featuring traditional Shinto architecture and tranquil forest surroundings
Scenic view of Takahara village on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in Wakayama, Japan, with traditional countryside homes, terraced rice fields, and lush green mountains.
Steep stone staircase leading to Kamikura Shrine in Shingū, Wakayama, Japan, with the sacred Gotobiki rock perched on the mountainside and panoramic views of the Kumano region.























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