There are many options for walking the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route. You can do a few minutes walk to a week-long trek through the mountains. Walking times can vary depending on walking pace and rest times. Please give yourself lots of time to enjoy the mountains of Kumano safely. Also, be prepared for rain, it is an area with lots of precipitation.
2 Day Walks
Takijiri-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha
For this walk, you will need to stay the first night in Tanabe. Then the next morning take the bus to Takijiri-oji to begin the walk.
Day 1
Day 2
- Walk from Chikatsuyu-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
- (approx. 24 kms, walking time around 8 hours)
- Kumano Kodo Map (Tsugizakura-oji to Hosshinmon-oji)
- Kumano Kodo Map (Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha)
- Overnight in Hongu area (Hongu, Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, Wataze Onsen)
* Buses stop at Chikatsuyu-oji, so you can choose to do one or both days’ walk.
※ It is best to stay the night in Tanabe before your walk or stay in Takahara for the first night if you are planning to come from Osaka or Kyoto. Even if you take the earliest train and bus from Osaka or Kyoto, you will not have sufficient time to complete the entire walk from Takijiri to Chikatsuyu or Nonaka.
Sample Itineraries
View details and book locally online.
Hongu area to Kumano Nachi Taisha
For this walk, it is best to stay the first night in the Hongu area such as Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, or Watarase Onsen. Then the next morning take the bus to Ukegawa to begin the walk.
Day 1
- Walk from Hongu to Koguchi (trailhead is close to Ukegawa Bus Stop)
- (approx 13 kms, walking time around 5 hrs 30min)
- Kumano Kodo Map (Kogumotori-goe section)
- Overnight in Koguchi
Day 2
- Walk from Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha
- (approx 14.5 kms, walking time around 7~8 hrs)
- Kumano Kodo Map (Ogumotori-goe section)
- Bus service is available to and from Koguchi from either Hongu or Shingu.(timetable #5) So it is possible to break this 2 day walk into single day walks.
*This walk is good in either direction.
*It can also be easily linked up with the walk from Takijiri-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
(If you do that it is nice to have a rest day in Hongu to enjoy the onsens and countryside atmosphere)
Sample Itineraries
View details and book locally online.
Day Walks
For this walk, it is best to stay the first night in the Hongu area such as Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, or Watarase Onsen. The most convenient places to stay are Yunomine Onsen and Hongu village because they are directly on the loop walk.
Hongu Loop
- Walk from Yunomine Onsen to Hosshinmon-oji via the Agaki-goe route.
- (approx 6 kms, walking time around 3~4 hrs)
- Walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
- (approx 7 kms, walking time around 2~3 hrs)
- Walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen via the Dainichi-goe route.
- (approx 2 kms, walking time around 1~2 hr)
- Loop Walk Maps
Half Day Walks
For this walk, it is best to stay the first night in the Hongu area such as Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, or Watarase Onsen. Then the next morning take the bus to Hosshinmon-oji (or shuttle from your accommodation) to begin the walk.
Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha
- Bus to Hosshinmon-oji (timetable #6)
- Walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha
- (approx 7 kms, walking time around 2~3 hrs)
- Kumano Kodo Map
- This is a very popular course going through ridge top farming communities and forested areas. It is easy to spend a good portion of the day strolling this section of the Kumano Kodo.
*Bring a lunch to enjoy along the trail. Fushiogami-oji is a popular lunch stop.
Kumano Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen (Dainichi-goe route)
- You can walk either direction from Kumano Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen or from Yunomine Onsen to Kumano Hongu Taisha. It is a great way to link the two areas without using public transit.
- (approx 2kms, walking time around 1~2 hr) Kumano Kodo Map This route takes you over a small mountain pass. It is a steep climb and descent either way you go.
Kumano Nachi Taisha (Daimon-zaka section)
- The Daimon-zaka is a short but scenic cobblestone staircase that runs from the valley bottom, to the Nachisan Shrine-Temple complex.
- Nachisan Map
Sample Itineraries
View details and book locally online.
Multi-day walks
Sample Itineraries
View details and book locally online.
