Self-Guided Adventure

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Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking)

3 Nights: from US$1131 per person (twin share) Trip Code: KK001

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This short but challenging hiking module, which introduces you to the ancient pilgrimage trails of the Kumano Kodo, can be added to just about any Self-Guided Adventure that visits Kyoto. Get in touch with one of our travel consultants to start planning your perfect trip! Read more >

The Kumano Kodo is a collection of ancient pilgrimage routes tracing their way through the verdant forests of the Kii Mountain Range. These routes connect the three grand shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan - Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha, and Hayatama Taisha - and have been in use continuously from roughly the 10th century until the present day.

Originating at Hongu Taisha at the centre of the Kumano Kodo, the region's various pilgrimage trails lead onwards to the other three shrines as well as to sacred Mount Koya, the spiritual home of Shingon Buddhism; Yoshino and Omine in Nara Prefecture; Kii Tanabe on the coast and even as far as Ise, Shintoism's most sacred site.

This advanced walking module traverses the Kii Peninsula from the small city of Kii-Tanabe to Kii-Katsuura in the east. You'll be attacking some of the more challenging sections of the Kumano Kodo trail network, including some great ridge-walking sections, amazing views from local observation points, and an impressive stone staircase on Mount Nachi.

Along the way you will not only have plenty of opportunities to admire the sacred temples and lush forests with which the area is blessed, but also to soak in a UNESCO World Heritage onsen at Yunomine, stay in traditional Japanese-style ryokan and minshuku inns, sample delicious kaiseki cuisine, and wonder at Japan's tallest waterfall at Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine.

This is an ancient and atmospheric area of Japan with great religious and historical importance and outstanding natural beauty.

This is an advanced module for more confident walkers and hikers - information below is provided as guidance for what to expect on this hike:

Day 1 - Kii-Tanabe to Yunomine Onsen - Approx 2km hiking; 1-2 hours; 250m up; 190m down; bus available if you prefer/in case of bad weather.

Day 2 - Ukegawa to Koguchi - Approx 13km hiking; 4.5-6 hours; 670m up; 690m down; bus available if you prefer - no 'escape route' from hike path.

Day 3 - Koguchi to Nachi Taisha - Approx 14km hiking; 7-9 hours; 1260m up; 930m down; bus available if you prefer - no 'escape route' from hike path.

Please note that there may be times that we will need to adjust the routing and inclusions due to availability of accommodations or experiences. We work with local experts who ensure we provide the best possible trip through the area so rest assured we will do our best to ensure you can enjoy Kumano Kodo whenever you travel.

At a glance

What's Included

What's included

Three nights' Japanese-style accommodation
Breakfast every day, three evening meals and two lunches
Kumano Kodo orientation
All train travel between destinations
Same-day luggage forwarding service between destinations on the Kumano Kodo
Pocket WiFi device
Personalised InsideJapan Info-Pack

What's NOT included:

Lunch after your arrival in Kii-Tanabe
Local transport at destinations, including all buses
Any entrance fees, including those for temples, shrines and onsen

Trip Highlights

Soak in a UNESCO World Heritage hot spring at Yunomine Onsen
Enjoy three included kaiseki meals
Admire the tallest waterfall in Japan

Marvel at two of the Kumano Kodo's three great shrines
Stay in traditional Japanese-style ryokan and minshuku inns

For more information email us: info@insidejapantours.com or call: + 44 117 244 3380

What, where, when and how...

Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking) - 4 Days

Map for Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking)

Destinations

Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking) - 4 Days - Day by Day

Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking) - 4 Days - Accommodation

Yunomine Onsen

Adumaya Ryokan

Superior
Koguchi

Shizen-no-Ie

Budget
Nachi

Mitaki Sanso

Budget

Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking) - 4 Days - Experiences

Day 3-4

On day three you will walk from Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha, another of the three great shrines and the end point of one of the region's main pilgrimage routes.

This handsome red temple and its pagoda stand against the dramatic backdrop of Japan's tallest waterfall, Nachi-no-Otaki, which is 133 m (436 ft) tall and 13 m (43 ft) wide. This waterfall has been worshipped since ancient times and is still used for ascetic training by monks of the Shugendo sect of Buddhism.

For lunch today you will have a bento lunchbox provided by your accommodation in Koguchi.

Tonight you will be staying in a minshuku inn on Mount Nachi with a tranquil, religious atmosphere and wonderful views of the great waterfall. Dinner will once again be included in your stay.

On day four you will take a short bus ride from Nachi to Kii-Katsuura, the point at which the Kumano Kodo reaches the Pacific Ocean. From here it is a four-hour train ride to Osaka.

Overnight: Mitaki Sanso
Day 1

From Kyoto you will make your way by train to the coastal city of Kii-Tanabe, the access point for the Kumano Kodo area.

After a short orientation, grab a delicious seafood lunch in the Ajikoji district near the station before heading to Yunomine Onsen. Yunomine is one of the oldest spa towns in Japan and boasts the only operational UNESCO World Heritage onsen bath in the country, so make the most of this opportunity for a soak!

This afternoon you can commence your exploration of the area by taking one of the convenient local buses to Kumano Hongu, one of the Kumano Kodo's three great shrines and the point at which all the pilgrimage trails originate.

After exploring the shrine, you will hike onwards to Yunomine and enjoy a delicious kaiseki spread at your ryokan and a dip in the hot springs after your walk. Your luggage will have been transferred ahead to Yunomine by car already.

Overnight: Adumaya Ryokan
Day 2

Today you will take the bus from Yunomine to Ukegawa and from there make the long hike south to Koguchi, a journey that should take roughly five-and-a-half hours and encompass some lovely stretches of ridge-walking with fantastic views of the area.

Most of the trail is relatively gentle in terms of incline, and you'll pass the ruins of the Sakura-jaya Teahouse along the way. We will provide you with details of all the bus routes in the Kumano Kodo area in case you should wish to skip some sections of your hike, and a lunchbox will be provided by your ryokan in Yunomine.

Koguchi, your destination for this evening, is a tiny little mountain village commonly used as a stop-off point between Kumano Hongu Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha. You'll be staying at a beautifully renovated junior high school that has been converted into a Japanese-style minshuku inn. Dinner will be included as part of your stay.

Overnight: Shizen-no-Ie
Day 3-4

On day three you will walk from Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha, another of the three great shrines and the end point of one of the region's main pilgrimage routes.

This handsome red temple and its pagoda stand against the dramatic backdrop of Japan's tallest waterfall, Nachi-no-Otaki, which is 133 m (436 ft) tall and 13 m (43 ft) wide. This waterfall has been worshipped since ancient times and is still used for ascetic training by monks of the Shugendo sect of Buddhism.

For lunch today you will have a bento lunchbox provided by your accommodation in Koguchi.

Tonight you will be staying in a minshuku inn on Mount Nachi with a tranquil, religious atmosphere and wonderful views of the great waterfall. Dinner will once again be included in your stay.

On day four you will take a short bus ride from Nachi to Kii-Katsuura, the point at which the Kumano Kodo reaches the Pacific Ocean. From here it is a four-hour train ride to Osaka.

Overnight: Mitaki Sanso
Day 1

From Kyoto you will make your way by train to the coastal city of Kii-Tanabe, the access point for the Kumano Kodo area.

After a short orientation, grab a delicious seafood lunch in the Ajikoji district near the station before heading to Yunomine Onsen. Yunomine is one of the oldest spa towns in Japan and boasts the only operational UNESCO World Heritage onsen bath in the country, so make the most of this opportunity for a soak!

This afternoon you can commence your exploration of the area by taking one of the convenient local buses to Kumano Hongu, one of the Kumano Kodo's three great shrines and the point at which all the pilgrimage trails originate.

After exploring the shrine, you will hike onwards to Yunomine and enjoy a delicious kaiseki spread at your ryokan and a dip in the hot springs after your walk. Your luggage will have been transferred ahead to Yunomine by car already.

Overnight: Adumaya Ryokan

Previous story Next story

Day 1

From Kyoto you will make your way by train to the coastal city of Kii-Tanabe, the access point for the Kumano Kodo area.

After a short orientation, grab a delicious seafood lunch in the Ajikoji district near the station before heading to Yunomine Onsen. Yunomine is one of the oldest spa towns in Japan and boasts the only operational UNESCO World Heritage onsen bath in the country, so make the most of this opportunity for a soak!

This afternoon you can commence your exploration of the area by taking one of the convenient local buses to Kumano Hongu, one of the Kumano Kodo's three great shrines and the point at which all the pilgrimage trails originate.

After exploring the shrine, you will hike onwards to Yunomine and enjoy a delicious kaiseki spread at your ryokan and a dip in the hot springs after your walk. Your luggage will have been transferred ahead to Yunomine by car already.

Overnight: Adumaya Ryokan
Day 2

Today you will take the bus from Yunomine to Ukegawa and from there make the long hike south to Koguchi, a journey that should take roughly five-and-a-half hours and encompass some lovely stretches of ridge-walking with fantastic views of the area.

Most of the trail is relatively gentle in terms of incline, and you'll pass the ruins of the Sakura-jaya Teahouse along the way. We will provide you with details of all the bus routes in the Kumano Kodo area in case you should wish to skip some sections of your hike, and a lunchbox will be provided by your ryokan in Yunomine.

Koguchi, your destination for this evening, is a tiny little mountain village commonly used as a stop-off point between Kumano Hongu Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha. You'll be staying at a beautifully renovated junior high school that has been converted into a Japanese-style minshuku inn. Dinner will be included as part of your stay.

Overnight: Shizen-no-Ie
Day 3-4

On day three you will walk from Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha, another of the three great shrines and the end point of one of the region's main pilgrimage routes.

This handsome red temple and its pagoda stand against the dramatic backdrop of Japan's tallest waterfall, Nachi-no-Otaki, which is 133 m (436 ft) tall and 13 m (43 ft) wide. This waterfall has been worshipped since ancient times and is still used for ascetic training by monks of the Shugendo sect of Buddhism.

For lunch today you will have a bento lunchbox provided by your accommodation in Koguchi.

Tonight you will be staying in a minshuku inn on Mount Nachi with a tranquil, religious atmosphere and wonderful views of the great waterfall. Dinner will once again be included in your stay.

On day four you will take a short bus ride from Nachi to Kii-Katsuura, the point at which the Kumano Kodo reaches the Pacific Ocean. From here it is a four-hour train ride to Osaka.

Overnight: Mitaki Sanso

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Trip Reviews

Self-Guided Adventure Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking)
Excellent
Opps, I didn't mean to check this. We didn't have a tour operator on our trip.
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Self-Guided Adventure Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking)
Excellent
We don't want to sound like alcoholics but we never had success with finding somewhere for a pre dinner drink,even the Palace in Tokyo looked astounded when we went down.Also…
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(12 month average based on 1 review)

5.0 out of 5 from 1 review Show all Kumano Kodo Three-Night Module (Advanced Hiking) Reviews

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