Photo: aestelle ↗THE JOURNEY IN DETAIL
A pilgrimage through cedar hills.
The Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrim paths across the Kii peninsula, more than a thousand years old and one of only two pilgrimage routes on the UNESCO list alongside Spain's Camino. We walk the main Nakahechi variant from Takijiri to the three grand shrines of Kumano, sleeping in ryokan and soaking in onsen.
- The three grand shrines of Kumano
- Yunomine, the oldest onsen in Japan
- The 133 m Nachi waterfall beside its shrine
- Kaiseki dinners in family-run ryokan
With old friends or new ones
Join a group or arrange a separate departure for your own team. Before travelling, we get to know each other, discuss everyone's experience and find suitable dates. You can also prepare together.
DAY BY DAY
Your daily itinerary.
A provisional itinerary. Weather, group readiness and local conditions may change the order and length of the stages.
- DAY 1 · Briefing and preparation
Gathering in Kii-Tanabe
We meet in coastal Kii-Tanabe, where the Nakahechi road begins. Logistics first: bags travel by van, you carry only a day pack. Dinner in the Ajikoji lanes in the evening.
Overnight: Hotel in Kii-Tanabe - DAY 2 · 4 km, 400 m of ascent
Takijiri to Takahara
A bus to the Takijiri-oji gate, where pilgrims traditionally enter the sacred mountains. A steep 400 m start through cedar to Takahara (320 m), a terrace village looking out over misted ridges.
Overnight: Minshuku in Takahara - DAY 3 · 10 km, 500 m of ascent
Takahara to Chikatsuyu
A classic Nakahechi day: 10 km along the ridge past a dozen small oji shrines and over the Iwagami pass. It ends in Chikatsuyu on the Hiki river, where pilgrims once performed their ablutions.
Overnight: Minshuku in Chikatsuyu - DAY 4 · 18 km, two passes
The Mikoshi pass and Hosshinmon
The longest stage, around 18 km over the Mikoshi (620 m) and Iwagami passes and past the Yukawa teahouse. We stay in the hills near Hosshinmon-oji, the gate of awakening faith.
Overnight: Minshuku near Hosshinmon - DAY 5 · 7 km, down to the shrine
Down to Kumano Hongu Taisha
The final 7 km of the pilgrimage, dropping through tea fields and the Fushiogami-oji viewpoint to the first of the three shrines. Beside it stands the largest torii in the world, 34 metres. Yunomine onsen in the evening.
Overnight: Ryokan in Yunomine - DAY 6 · 16 km by boat, a shrine
The Kumano river and Hayatama
We drop down the Kumano river in a traditional wooden boat, the only part of the Kumano Kodo recognised by UNESCO as a waterway. At its mouth, in Shingu, stands Hayatama Taisha.
Overnight: Hotel in Katsuura - DAY 7 · 8 km, 400 m of ascent
Daimonzaka and Nachi falls
Up the Daimonzaka, a paved stair between eight-hundred-year-old cryptomeria, to Nachi Taisha and the Seiganto-ji pagoda. Below it drops the 133-metre Nachi waterfall, itself an object of worship.
Overnight: Hotel in Katsuura - DAY 8 · Train and transfer
Departure from Kii-Katsuura
The morning tuna auction at Katsuura harbour, then the Kuroshio limited express to Osaka or Nagoya, roughly four hours along the ocean. A farewell breakfast at the ryokan first.
Overnight: —
Included in the estimated price
Ryokan and minshuku with dinner and breakfast
Bento lunches on walking days
A Russian-speaking leader and a local guide
Daily luggage transfer between stops
Bus transfers along the route
The Kumano river boat to Hayatama
Not included in the price
Flights to the meeting point
Personal travel insurance and visas
Personal equipment
Single-room supplements and personal expenses
The JR Pass and shinkansen to Kii-Tanabe
Paid onsen outside the hotels
Single occupancy supplement in the ryokan
YOUR PREPARATION
Arrive ready for the route.
Nothing technical, but days of 15 to 18 km with constant 400 to 600 m ups and downs on stone steps. A month out Ivan suggests getting used to back-to-back walking days and choosing shoes that come off easily: you take them off at the door of every ryokan.
Prepare with IvanROUTE QUESTIONS
BEFORE WE MEET ON THE TRAIL
What to prepare in advance
- Broken-in trekking footwear and a suitable daypack
- Rain gear, an insulating layer and spare socks
- Poles, if you are used to them
- Personal items within the agreed luggage allowance and suited to the accommodation
Once we choose a date, we agree on the equipment list, meeting point and transfer time. Please wait until the programme is confirmed before booking flights.