One of the world's only two pilgrimage routes, a holy place in the hearts of trekkers, the Kumano Kodo Totally Treaded Guide!

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🤗 Transportation Information

The Kumano Kodo is located on the Kii Peninsula south of Osaka, mainly in Wakayama Prefecture, so hiking the Kumano Kodo or sightseeing by car usually starts in Wakayama City. It is most convenient to fly to Kansai Airport, which is only 40 minutes to Wakayama.

One of the most important transportation lines on the Kii Peninsula is the limited express train "Kuroshio", which travels all the way along the coast from Osaka to important transit areas such as Kii Tanabe, Kii Katsuura, Shingu, etc., and by taking the Kumano Nankai Gobo bus, you can go directly to Kumano Sansha.

Both types of transportation are very expensive, with Kuroshio fares comparable to Shinkansen and buses costing more than 5,000 yen for a round trip from Shingu to Kumano Hongu Taisha, so it's important to buy a JR PASS before you go.

This "Ise, Kumano, Wakayama Area Pass" is the best choice. It is valid for all JR trains on the Kii Peninsula and the Kumano Nankai Gobo bus, and you can make 6 reservations for reserved seats (it is worth noting that the Kuroshio is an all-seat train, so make sure to reserve your seat in advance. The recommended number of reservations is mainly for the Kuroshio) and is the best way to explore the Kumano Kodo and Kii Peninsula.

Official price 16,500 yen, can be used in 5 consecutive days

🤗 Knowledge mini-science

Kumano Sanzan: Not three mountains, but three of the most prominent shrines on the Kumano Kodo, Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Kumano Sotoku Taisha.

Oji: Many small shrines were built along the Kumano Kodo, and these shrines are the Oji Shrines, also known as the Kumano Kujukoji (Kumano Ninety-Nine Princes). They were used in ancient times for travelers and worshippers to rest their feet.

Toujou: Walking the entire officially designated route and collecting stamps (usually referred to as the Naka-side road).

🤗 pre-departure preparation

Equipment: Hiking shoes, hiking bag, trekking poles, knee pads, outdoor clothing (punching bag, etc.), raincoat, and other hiking equipment. The Kumano Kodo is not considered a heavy hike, so you only need to bring up to 4 days' worth of luggage. Be sure to bring enough dry food and water, especially since there are no vending machines or stores in this section of the Great and Small Undorikoshi.

Luggage delivery: If you bring large luggage such as suitcases, you can use a luggage delivery service to send it directly to your hotel at the end of the hike. You can make a reservation on the Kumano Kodo website but it is expensive. Some hotels offer a paid delivery service, and convenience stores offer a similar service, which is basically next-day delivery. You can also leave your luggage at a hotel in Wakayama or Kii-tanabe, and take a bus back to pick it up after the hike.

Official website: www.kumano-travel.com/ja This website has the most complete information on the Kumano Kodo, so you can plan your itinerary according to the number of days you have and recommend accommodations along the way, many of which can only be booked here.

🤗 Kumano Kodo Route

Kumano Kodo is actually not a specific road, but a general term for the many pilgrimage routes between the three mountains of Kumano, of which there are six routes in total:

Nakabe Route: Tanabe to Kumano Sanzan is the most traveled route with a gentle road and plenty of supplies along the way, and has been the official route for the nobles of the emperor since the Heian Period.

Obeji: The route from Kii Tanabe to Nachi Katsura follows the coastline and has beautiful scenery.

Kobianji: The route from Mt. Takanoyama to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine is 70 kilometers long, but it is very difficult to climb over three high mountains.

Ise Road: 170 kilometers from Ise Jingu Shrine to Kumano Sanzan.

Kii Road: Osaka to Tanabe, this section is hardly traveled without reaching Kumano Misen.

Omine Okuyudo: 170 kilometers from Yoshino to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, this is the most difficult route and is only for professional hikers.

The most famous and most traveled of these routes is the Nakabe Road, which is also the main route introduced today.

🤗 Nakabe Road Full Tap Raiders

The Nakabeji route is divided into two main parts, west of Hon-miya and east of Hon-miya, and each of these parts can be divided into several small sections, so you can combine the itinerary according to your own situation, or you can partly ride and partly hike. Although the Nakanabe Route starts from Kii Tanabe, people usually take a bus from Tanabe to Takijiri Prince and start hiking.

01. Takijiri Oji-Takahara

Walking distance: 3.7km; Walking time: 2-3 hours; Lowest elevation: about 85m; Highest elevation: about 370m

It takes about 40 minutes from Kii Tanabe to Takahara Prince by Meikou bus or Ryujin bus (No. 91/95/85), and the steep hill at the beginning is much better after that.Takahara, known as the "Village in the Mist," has a rest area, restrooms, parking lot, and a few lodgings, and has a beautiful view of the landscape. Take a break and have lunch before heading out.

02. Takahara-Chikatsuyu Oji

Walking distance: 9.5km; Walking time: 4 hours; Lowest elevation: about 290m; Highest elevation: about 700m

Although this section has a high altitude climb, it is gently sloping, so it is not too tiring. It is recommended to walk together with the first section and stay in Nokonaka area.

03. Chikatsuyu Oji-Hosshinmon Oji

Walking distance: 18km; Walking time: 6-8 hours; Lowest elevation: about 250m; Highest elevation: about 670m

The route is a long walk through the forest, away from houses and roads, and across three mountain passes, it is quite tiring, so if you do it in one day you need to leave early. There is no accommodation near the Hatsumon Gate and you need to take a bus to the Hongu area, remember to CHECK the latest bus times, if you can't make it you can take the bus halfway and continue the next day.

04. Hosshinmon Oji- Kumano Hongu Taisha

Walking distance: 7km; Walking time: 2-3 hours; Lowest elevation: about 60m; Highest elevation: about 310m

This is one of the routes that can be certified as a pilgrim's route. If you are hiking this section alone, you can take the Ryujin Bus from Kii Tanabe or Kumano Hongu Taisha, which is the best part of the Nakabe Route. The road is gentle, and the scenery is beautiful all the way through the mountains, making it the most classic beginner's route.

05. Kumano Hongu Taisha-Yunomine Onsen

Walking distance: 3.5km; Walking time: 1.5-2 hours; Lowest elevation: about 60m; Highest elevation: about 300m

If you still have energy after arriving at Hongu Taisha Shrine, you can take this route to reach your accommodation for the night, or you can go there by public transportation. Yunomine is the oldest hot spring in Japan, famous for the fact that worshippers can rest here after a long journey, and successive emperors have also liked to patronize the area. Among them, [Kotatsuyu] is a natural hot spring that is said to change color seven times a day, which, together with the Kumano Kodo (Kumano Old Road), adds an extra layer of legend, and it is the only hot spring to have been rated as a World Heritage Site.

06. Ukegawa-Kooguchi

Walking distance: 13km; Walking time: 4.5-6 hours; Lowest elevation: about 60m; Highest elevation: about 500m

The difficulty of this section of the road begins to improve, if the direction from the Hongu Taisha to Nachi Taisha, all the way up very much, so it is recommended to go the opposite way will be easier. There are very few accommodations in Oguchi! It is best to stay in Motomiya or Kii Katsura.

07. Kooguchi-Kumano Nachi Taisha

Walking distance: 14.5km; Walking time: 5.5-7 hours; Lowest elevation: about 70m; Highest elevation: about 870m

The most difficult section of the Middle Border Road, the climb is very high, if you do not have confidence in their physical strength is not recommended to go.

08. Takanosaka + Shingu Sansha

This section is mainly hiked in Shingu City and is the end part of the Nakabe Route. Starting from Kumano Sodama Taisha Shrine near Shingu Station, you pass by Kamikura Shrine, Asuka Shrine, and walk all the way along the coast to Takanosaka, listening to the sound of the waves, and seeing black sand beaches similar to those found in Iceland. The journey is about 7 kilometers and takes about 2-3 hours. This route is highly recommended, and it is very beautiful to see the mountains and the sea!

09. Omonozaka-Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine

Take bus 31 from Kii Katsuura and get off at Daimonozaka (25 minutes), then climb the steps from Daimonozaka all the way to Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, which is the choice of most people. The distance is only 1km, but don't take it lightly because the whole journey is covered with moss-covered stone steps, which makes it very tiring, and it will take you at least one hour to walk.

At the entrance of Daimonzaka is the famous Couples Cedar, and the old trees along the way make you feel as if you have traveled back to the Heian Period.

One of the routes 04/08/09 is good for travelers with limited time to take a short half-day hike with public transportation.

All pedal through the itinerary:

DAY1: Takijiri Prince - Konroe Prince, stay near Nonaka area DAY2: Konroku Prince - Hashinmon Prince, stay in Hashinmon Prince or Hongu area (since there are not many accommodations in Hashinmon Prince, we recommend to take a bus after hiking on this day to stay near Hongu and then take a bus back the next day) DAY3: Hoshinmonji - Kumano Hongu Shrine - Kawatoyu Onsen, overnight in Kawatoyu Onsen or Yunomine Onsen DAY4: Koguchi - Koguchi, stay at Koguchi (accommodation is scarce, so we recommend staying in the Hongu area or Shingu city) DAY5: Oguchi - Kumano Nachi Shrine - Kii Katsuura (by car), overnight in Kii Katsuura DAY6: Kii Katsuura - Shingu (by car), hiking in Takanosaka and Shingu Shrine, stay in Shingu or go back to Kii Tanabe/Wakayama directly

Accommodation on the Kumano Kodo is limited so you need to book early, there are buses available throughout the Nakabe Road so if you don't book accommodation at your destination for the day you can choose to take a bus to Motomiya/Kawatoyu after your hike, and then the next morning take a bus back to the end point of the previous day's hike to continue the walk.

A more hassle-free way is to stay in the Hongu area for days 1-3 and stay in Ki Ischigaura for days 4-5, and take the bus to the starting point of the day's hike each day, or reduce the hiking distance flexibly if you are tired.

The two days of day4 and day5 are very difficult and can be abandoned by non-professionals, so that on the third day you can just take a bus down the mountain and stay at Kii Katsuura before following up.

If you are lucky, you can try to book the Kumano River Light Boat Tour from Motomiya Taisha Shrine to Sotama Taisha Shrine twice a day, which is very popular and hard to book, but the experience is excellent, and can only be booked through the official website via email at kawabune.info/.

Anyway, the point of the itinerary arrangement is to arrange and combine the above trail segments and modify them flexibly according to the accommodation and the number of days.

🤗 Accommodation Booking

Accommodations on the Nakanabe Road include Takijiri, Takahara, Konroku, Nonaka, Motomiya, Yunomine Onsen, Kawatoyu Onsen, and Oguchi. Most of them can only be booked through the official Kumano Kodo website in front of you, and there are very few of them, like there are only about 10 lodgings in total in Takahara.

So make sure to book early (at least a month and a half or more in advance)! As for the two hot spring areas, Motomiya and Kii Katsudura, the more touristy areas like Shingu can be checked first on klook, airbnb, booking, agoda, there are more choices. It's worth noting that many accommodations have a hiking shuttle service, so just talk to the store in advance.

Be sure to go to the official website in advance to check the latest schedule, schedule changes according to the season, the bus frequency is very little, try to arrange a good trip, more than a few alternatives, or miss the bus can only be dark to walk the mountain road is very dangerous.

🤗 Stamping Guide

The Kumano Kodo and the Santiago Pilgrimage Route in Spain, which is also a World Heritage Site, were twinned as World Heritage Sisters in 1998, and have joined forces since 2015 to offer a common tour handbook and a corresponding [Dual Pilgrim Certificate].

You can pick up the stamp albums pictured here at the Tanabe City Tourist Center, kumano travel (near Kii Tanabe train station), the World Heritage Kumano Honmiya Hall, and the Kumano Kodo Hall in front of Prince Takijiri. Don't miss the shrine-style stamping points you see along the Kumano Kodo!

Officially, there are four recommended ways to certify the pilgrims at Motomiya Taisha Shrine by collecting all the stamps on any one road, of which the first route is the complete center side road, and the third route is the easiest to reach:

(1) From Takijiri Prince to Motomiya Taisha Shrine, approximately 38 kilometers; (2) From Nachi Taisha Shrine to Motomiya Taisha Shrine, approximately 30 kilometers; (3) From Hashinmon Prince to Motomiya Taisha Shrine, about 7 kilometers, and to visit Kumano Sodama Taisha Shrine and Nachi Taisha Shrine (by any means necessary); (4) From Takanoyama to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, about 65 kilometers.

The stamping points on Nakabe Road are distributed as follows:

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It's summer, so backpack and head out into the wilderness!