The Kumano Kodō, or Kumano Ancient Trail, is a pilgrimage route to Kumano, part of the mountainous Kii Peninsula which stretches south from the Kansai cities of Ōsaka, Nara and Kyōto. The well-maintained trail threads its way through deep valleys, mountains, and small villages to offer a wonderfully varied hike over four days. Stay at comfortable family-run inns with excellent food, soak in natural hot springs, and visit the shrines along the way.

The pilgrimage routes to the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano – Hongū, Nachi, and Hayatama – were popularised during and after the Heian Period (794-1185). During this period, Imperial family and nobility began to seek salvation in sangaku shinkō, a belief in the supernatural power of mountains, rather than through common religious practices. Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239) made no fewer than thirty pilgrimages to Kumano, recording his thoughts and feelings in the Kumano poems.

Our journey begins in the modern city of Kyōto, after which we travel south by train along the coast and spend four days hiking the UNESCO-certified Nakahechi route, one of the Kumano Kodō trails. There is a day mid-way to relax, with a gentle ride along the Kumano River to Hayatama Grand Shrine. We cross the Kii Peninsula on foot to its eastern coast, and the fishing town of Katsuura, with two nights at a hot spring hotel and a further optional day of hiking. We finish by travelling on to Kyōto by train. On small-group guided tours with Oku Japan, your guide handles luggage arrangements for you.

We are the only tour operator with a local branch on the Kumano Kodō trail: See more about our Kumano Kodō branch.

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