Discover the sacred mountains of the Kii Peninsula on a 4-day journey along the Kumano Kodo.
Walk ancient pilgrimage trails, visit sacred shrines, experience Okunoin and sutra copying, and stay overnight at a Buddhist temple.
With an English-speaking guide and seamless travel by train, bus, and cable car, this is an ideal journey for active travelers seeking nature, spirituality, and tradition.
＜Important Notes＞
・This tour includes walking on natural pilgrimage trails and is recommended for travelers with a good level of fitness.
・Please note that temple lodging (Shukubo) may involve shared toilet and bathing facilities.
・This is a scheduled group tour with a minimum number of participants required for operation. If the minimum is not reached, the departure may be cancelled. In that event, we will notify you as early as possible, refund the tour fee in full, and gladly propose an alternative arrangement.
What's included
Breakfast everyday, lunches as specified in the itinerary, Dinner on Day2 and Day3
Dedicated English-speaking guide
Lunch
Public transportation, including limited express, pilgrimage bus, and cable car
3 nights accommodation (3-star hotels, an onsen ryokan, and a temple lodging)
All entry fees to sites, activities as specified
Tipping
Transportation expenses to the meeting point and from the tour end point
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Personal expenses, Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
Visas, Travel Insurance
What to expect
Day 1: Osaka to Kii-Tanabe
Pass by
Transfer to Kii-Tanabe by Limited Express (approx. 2.5 hrs)
Visit:Tokei-jinja Shrine (Historic shrine tied to the Kumano faith and the legend of Benkei, and linked to the World Heritage pilgrimage sites)
Visit:Minakata Kumagusu Museum (Museum honoring the pioneering naturalist and folklorist deeply connected to the Kumano region and its forests)
Visit:Tanabe Castle Ruins (Riverside remains of a former castle-town water gate, a quiet trace of the area's Edo-period history)
Day 2: Kumano kodo Walk
Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
Pass by
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Walk: Takijiri-oji to Takahara (A 3.9 km introductory stretch of the sacred Nakahechi pilgrimage trail, climbing through forest to the hilltop hamlet of Takahara)
Visit:Kumano Hongu Taisha (One of the three grand shrines of Kumano and a revered goal of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, set among towering cedar trees)
Visit:Oyunohara (Original site of Kumano Hongu Taisha, marked by Japan's tallest torii gate rising from a sacred river sandbank)
Day 3: Satying Mt. Koya
Koya-cho
Pass by
Transfer to Koyasan by the Koyasan-Kumano Pilgrimage Bus (approx. 4 hrs)
Visit:Okunoin (The spiritual heart of Koyasan, a cedar-lined path winding through Japan's largest cemetery to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi)
Visit:Danjo Garan (Koyasan's central temple complex, home to the towering vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda at the core of Shingon Buddhism)
Sutra Copying (Shakyo) Experience (A meditative Buddhist practice of tracing sacred sutras with brush and ink at a temple hall)
Temple Lodging and Experience a Traditional Temple Stay, called Shukubo (Buddhist temple accommodation offering monastic life, vegetarian cuisine, and morning prayers)
Day 4: Back to Osaka
Osaka
Pass by
Morning Religious Service (Experience the serene atmosphere of Koyasan's early morning chanting ritual with the temple monks)
Transfer to Osaka by Cable Car and Limited Express (approx. 2.5 hrs)
Arrive at Osaka station and the tour end
Meeting and pickup
Meeting point
Meet your tour guide at the Osaka Tourist Information Center, in front of the Central Ticket Gate of JR Osaka Station.
End point
Meet your tour guide at the Osaka Tourist Information Center, in front of the Central Ticket Gate of JR Osaka Station.
Additional information
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
