Kumano Kodo Guide: All you need to know to hike Japan’s ancient pilgrimage trails

Whether you’re after a rewarding outdoor experience or an enriching spiritual journey with one-of-a-kind hospitality, the Kumano Kodo has it all. Hiking the Kumano Kodo was one of our best experiences in Japan (and indeed, one of our all-time favourites). In this guide, you will find all the information you need to create your own unforgettable hiking adventure on the ancient pilgrimage trails of Japan.

Where is the Kumano Kodo (and what’s so special about it)?

The Kumano Kodo is a network of over 1,000-year-old pilgrimage routes on the Kii Peninsula of Japan‘s main island, Honshu. These trails have been connecting

• the ancient Imperial capitals of Nara (710-784) and Kyoto (794-1868),
• the important religious centres at Mt Kōya (home of Shingon Buddhism) and Mt Ōmine (home of Shugendō mountain ascetics), and
• Ise Jingū (home of Amaterasu, the mythical ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan)

with the Kumano Sanzan, among the most important Shinto religious sites in Japan.

Kumano Sanzan - the three Grand Shinto Shrines of the Kumano Kodo

Kumano Hongū Taisha

Kumano Hongū Taisha [Official website, Google Maps location] is located in the centre of the Kii Mountains, at the confluence of the Kumano and Otonashi Rivers. Its original entrance is marked by the world's largest shrine gate (called Torii) - the Ōyu no hara Torii - which is 34 metres high and 42 metres wide. Having been destroyed by floods (and rebuilt) a few times in its history, Kumano Hongū Taisha was relocated from its original site along the Kumano River to higher ground nearby in 1889. Among others, Kumano Hongū Taisha enshrines Izanagi, the founding father deity of Japan.

Kumano Nachi Taisha

Kumano Nachi Taisha is the second Grand Shrine in the Kii Mountains [Official website, Google Maps location]. It's uniquely positioned on the side of a mountain high above the Nachi River and next to Nachi Falls - at 133 metres, Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall and the home of Hiryū Gongen, another important Shinto deity. Nachi-san (as the sacred complex is often called) is also home to Seiganto-ji, a Temple of the Tendai School of Buddhism, and a holy 850-year-old Camphor tree, which is said to grant wishes to worshippers who walk through its hollow trunk.

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

The third Grand Shinto Shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha [Official website, Google Maps location], is located on the east coast of the Kii Peninsula, in Shingū City near the mouth of the Kumano River. The Grand Shrine is home to a sacred 850-year-old Podocarp tree called Nagi no Ki. It is said that Izanagi and Izanami, the mythological couple that created Japan, first arrived in the area on a rock named Gotobiki Iwa. The rock marks the location of Kamikura-jinja, the original shrine, which pilgrims can reach by climbing a narrow 500-step stairway a few hundred meters south of the main complex.

In 2004, the sacred sites and pilgrimage trails on the Kii Peninsula were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Six of the ancient routes have been (partially) preserved. We have highlighted these routes (and the three Grand Shinto Shrines) on the map below and will discuss each route in more detail in this article.

What to expect when hiking the Kumano Kodo (compared to the Camino de Santiago)?

Religious/Spiritual Context

The Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago are both renowned religious and spiritual pilgrimages. However, while all routes of the Camino de Santiago end at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela [Official Website, Google Maps location], the Kumano Kodo connects multiple sacred sites, allowing pilgrims to hike between them in either direction.

Both pilgrimages have pilgrim passports, and stamps can be collected along the route to receive official recognition:

• The minimum distance required for ANY of the Camino routes is 100 kilometres on foot or 200 kilometres by bicycle.
• The Kumano Kodo offers official recognition only on two of its six routes: three recognised options on the Nakahechi and the Kohechi route from Koyasan to Kumano Hongu Taisha.

Unlike the Camino de Santiago (and, to us, surprisingly), many of the people we spoke to on the Kumano Kodo did not choose it for religious or spiritual reasons. Instead, they sought refuge from the hustle and bustle of the big cities with a peaceful and immersive outdoor experience.

Terrain and Climate

Another significant difference between the two pilgrimages is the level of difficulty. All Kumano Kodo routes are (significantly) shorter, but the three mountain routes – the Omine Okugake Michi, Kohechi and Nakahechi – are (significantly) more physically demanding than the Camino routes. To give you an idea: On the Nakahechi (the easiest of the three mountain routes), we hiked 67 kilometres over five days, with an elevation gain of 3,400 meters. Long stretches of uphills and downhills, often on slippery terrain, put a strain on your feet, legs and knees. Therefore, on the mountain routes of the Kumano Kodo, a decent level of fitness is a must, and the use of trekking poles is highly recommended.

Both pilgrimages take you through some of the wettest regions of their respective countries: Galicia in Spain and the Kii Peninsula in Japan, so carrying a raincoat or poncho is essential in both cases.

Logistics and Infrastructure

While both pilgrimages pass through beautiful natural landscapes, the mountain routes of the Kumano Kodo – the Nakahechi, the Kohechi and the Omine Okugake Michi – lead mainly through forests and over mountain passes, and (significantly) fewer (and smaller) villages compared to the Camino. The coastal routes of the Kumano Kodo – the Iseji, the Kiiji, and the Ohechi – on the other hand, reminded us somewhat of the Camino Portugués de la Costa.

Unlike the Camino de Santiago, where pilgrims can usually find accommodation upon arrival (especially in the off-season), lodging on the Kumano Kodo mountain routes must be booked in advance, with the availability and location of accommodation dictating the distance hiked each day. On the most challenging route, the Omine Okugake Michi, you need to bring your camping gear.

Way markers are present on both pilgrimages, helping pilgrims stay on the trail. In many places, signs even indicate trails that are not part of the Kumano Kodo, making it hard to get lost. Most way markers are made of wood or stone, but in some cases, especially on (parts of) the more remote mountain routes, it may just be an arrow and ribbons. So, check your location regularly using offline maps that track your GPS.

Distance markers on the Camino count down the kilometres to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (and on to Cape Finisterre). On the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route, numbered markers (approximately every 500 meters) count up towards Kumano Hongū Taisha (and down towards Kumano Nachi Taisha). On the last stage of the Kohechi route, 33 statues of Kannon (the Buddhist deity of compassion and mercy) count down your distance to Kumano Hongū Taisha.

The symbol of the Camino de Santiago is the scallop shell, while the Kumano Kodo is symbolised by the three-legged crow (known as Yatagarasu).

Which Kumano Kodo route to choose?

Which of the six Kumano Kodo routes to choose will depend on the following:

• how many days do you have?
• the time of year of your visit,
• your fitness levels,
• your thirst for adventure/risk tolerance, and
• the gear you have (and are happy to carry on your back).

The three coastal routes (Iseji, Kiiji and Ohechi) are relatively straightforward (and easily accessible) routes that can be hiked in (shorter) stages. The Nakahechi route is more challenging but still easily accessible. It can be done as a (multi-day) point-to-point hike or in day hikes from a central base.

The Kohechi takes it up a notch from the Nakahechi. The complete route can only be done as a 4-day through-hike. Only the last section (from Totsukawa Onsen [Google Maps location] to Kumano Hongu Taisha) could be done as a day hike (from Hongu). The Omine Okugake Michi is the most challenging route. It can only be done as a through-hike, although it can be shortened by two days by avoiding the Ōminesan-ji Temple area (which is not accessible to female hikers).

To help you decide which Kumano Kodo route is the right one for you, we compare all six routes in more detail below (in alphabetical order):

When is the best time to hike the Kumano Kodo?

The best time to hike any of the Kumano Kodo routes is in Spring (March to May) or Autumn (mid-September to early December): The temperatures are perfect for hiking, there is enough daylight to finish each day’s stage without stress, and all service providers are open for business. On top of that:

• In Spring, you can witness the beautiful blooming of flowers and trees (including cherry trees).
• Autumn is a great time to enjoy the vibrant colours of the foliage change.

If you want to hike the Kumano Kodo in Winter (December to February), your options are reduced to the coastal routes (Iseji, Kiiji, and Ohechi) and the section from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongū Taisha on the Nakahechi route. Hiking all other Kumano Kodo routes in Winter is not recommended (even impossible) for various reasons:

• the days are shorter, leaving you insufficient time to finish stages during daylight hours, and
• alpine mountain passes are snowed in (and thus closed from mid-December to mid-March).

Summer (June to August) is typhoon season, which means it is hot and humid, with a lot more rain (and wind), making it less ideal for hiking. Summer also means some nasty critters are way more active (more on that below).

How to get to the Kumano Kodo?

Reaching the Kumano Kodo is relatively straightforward, especially when utilising Japan‘s efficient public transportation network, although it does require some time.

The Kii Peninsula is south of and roughly halfway between Osaka and Nagoya. The nearest international airports are Kansai International Airport [Google Maps location, IATA: KIX] located on an island south of Osaka, and Chubu Centrair International Airport [Google Maps location, IATA: NGO) on an island south of Nagoya. The closest regional airport is Nanki-Shirahama Airport [Google Maps location, IATA: SHM], located south of Kii-Tanabe, which offers regular flights to and from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) [Google Maps location, IATA: HND].

The most common access points to the Kumano Kodo are as follows:

Given the time it takes to get to most access points, it is not recommended to travel from Nagoya, Osaka or further afield on the day you plan to start your hike. Likewise, we do not recommend booking your flight out of Kansai International Airport [Google Maps location, IATA: KIX] or Chubu Centrair International Airport [Google Maps location, IATA: NGO] on your last day of hiking.

Is there public transportation along the Kumano Kodo?

The short answer: It depends. The three coastal routes are loosely traced by railway lines (and some local buses), making it relatively easy to join or leave the routes.

It’s different for the three mountain routes, where buses are the only form of public transportation (if they exist at all). The ancient Kumano Kodo mountain routes do not align with the modern road network (or vice versa), so the opportunities to join or leave the Kumano Kodo mountain routes are limited to the few occasions where the routes intersect with the bus network. Furthermore, buses go very infrequently. So, depending on the schedule, you may have to wait a few hours for the next bus.

Out of the three mountain routes, the Nakahechi is best serviced by buses, and you can join/leave the Kumano Kodo at various points. Check our itineraries for recommendations on standard entry and exit points, and visit the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau website for up-to-date bus timetables.

If you want to leave or join the Kohechi, the best option is to do so at Totsukawa Onsen. If you want to leave or join the Omine Okugake Michi, the best entry or exit point is the Wasamata-guchi bus stop (approximately 24 km from Mt. Daifugendake, located south of the Ōminesan-ji sacred boundary/exclusion zone for women).

Where to stay and how to book accommodation on the Kumano Kodo?

Traditional Japanese inns (known as Minshukus and Ryokans) are the most common form of accommodation on the Kumano Kodo (except the Omine Okugake Michi route), offering a unique cultural experience:

• You will be sleeping on futons in rooms with tatami floors and paper-thin sliding doors (if you’re a light sleeper: bring earplugs).
• Bathrooms are shared among the guests.
• Many of these inns feature hot springs (onsen) – a blissful way to relax and rejuvenate after a long day of hiking.
• Most inns offer home-cooked meals through meal plans (more on that below).

Accommodation options along the Kumano Kodo are limited, particularly on the Kohechi and Nakahechi routes. We therefore recommend booking all your accommodations well in advance.

Traditional inns are often run by local families who don’t speak English (or very little). If you speak Japanese, you can contact the inns and make your reservation by phone; email is still relatively uncommon.

If you don’t speak Japanese, use booking platforms such as Booking.com, which list some guesthouses along the trail and provide a convenient and familiar way to secure your accommodation (we booked three of our five nights through these platforms), or make your reservation via the Kumano Travel website.

For easy reference, here are our accommodation recommendations on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route – from West to East (* where we stayed):

Kumano Travel is a locally run agency that connects pilgrims with guesthouses and local activities. Their website provides a list of guesthouses in each location, along with details on meal plans, pricing and reviews. Once you have found an inn you like, complete a booking request and submit it. Kumano Travel typically responds within 24 hours, either confirming your booking or offering alternative options if your preferred guesthouse is unavailable.

It is important to note that Kumano Travel’s cancellation policy is quite strict, so it is essential to review the terms and conditions before making a booking. Once you have paid for your accommodation through the booking system, you will receive a booking confirmation to present to your inn upon arrival.

Is (wild) camping allowed on the Kumano Kodo?

On the Kumano Kodo, camping outside designated campgrounds is allowed only on the Omine Okugake Michi route, where the Misen Hut is the only serviced accommodation option among otherwise basic, unstaffed mountain huts and other shelters (the latter operating on a first-come/first-served basis).

There are several campgrounds on the

• Iseji: Naosobimura, Ise-Kashiwazaki, Furusato Onsen and Owase
• Kohechi: Omata
• Nakahechi: Chikatsuyu, Kawayu Onsen, Watase Onsen and Koguchi
• Ohechi: Kii-Tanabe, Tonda and Susami.

Some campgrounds may be off the actual Kumano Kodo trail, requiring additional walking from/to the trailhead. Booking is recommended (especially during Golden Week). In addition to dedicated campgrounds, you may also be able to camp on private land in the villages you pass through (after asking for permission).

What about food (and water) on the Kumano Kodo?

How much food and water you should carry when hiking the Kumano Kodo will depend on the route you choose and the number of days you are planning to hike. Additionally, when booking accommodation in Japan (not just on the Kumano Kodo), you are commonly offered a meal plan, such as dinner only, breakfast only (one meal), dinner and breakfast (two meals), or dinner, breakfast, and lunchbox (three meals). It may be advisable to book a meal plan, depending on the route you choose. I’ll talk about both options (with and without a meal plan) in more detail below.

What to do with excess luggage during the Kumano Kodo?

Chances are that you don’t just come to Japan to hike the Kumano Kodo. So what do you do with any luggage you don’t need to schlepp around on the trails? You can either store any excess luggage (and pick it up afterwards) or forward it to your next destination.

Luggage storage options

Before we headed to the Kii Peninsula, we reduced the content of our travel packs to the absolute minimum, leaving everything we didn’t need (including our laptops) in a separate bag in Osaka. If you need a place to store your excess luggage, Daikoku near Osaka’s Shin-Imamiya Station [Google Maps location] is a safe and convenient option. With storage costs of JPY80 per day for a carry-on-sized bag, Daikoku is also significantly more affordable than coin lockers (which have time limits as well).

If you’re travelling through Kii-Tanabe, you can also store your excess luggage at the Tanabe Tourist Information Center (next to the train station) for JPY500 per bag/day.

Luggage forwarding options

If you only want to carry a daypack with food and water but have your main luggage available at your accommodation each night, same-day luggage forwarding services are available along the Nakahechi and Kohechi routes. The best is to ask your accommodation to organise this for you. The service is not cheap, though: budget between JPY 2,500 and JPY 5,500 per bag/day. We only did this once, for one of our packs, from Koguchi to Kii-Katsuura (organised by our accommodation host in Koguchi the evening we arrived, picked up the following morning and delivered to our accommodation in the afternoon).

If you want to hike the Kumano Kodo with a reduced pack and have your excess luggage join you after your hike, you can also forward your excess luggage to your post-hike destination. We did this when hiking the Nakasendo, using Yamato (organised by Daikoku near Osaka’s Shin-Imamiya Station [Google Maps location]) and paying JPY 1,620 for a one-way travel pack from Osaka to Matsumoto. We did have to pick it up at the Yamato Office in Matsumoto (but that wasn’t a problem for us).

What else to know before hiking the Kumano Kodo?

Budget for your Kumano Kodo hike and bring enough cash

It is important to bring plenty of cash as very few businesses along any of the Kumano Kodo routes accept credit cards, and ATMs that accept foreign cards are not readily available (and may charge withdrawal fees).

Over the six nights we spent on the Kumano Kodo (Nakahechi route) in March 2023, we averaged JPY 7,150 per person per night. This includes four nights’ accommodation in traditional Japanese inns and two nights’ accommodation in a hostel (all private rooms), all food/beverages, luggage storage (one bag/one week) and luggage forwarding (one bag/same day) as well as public bus transportation on the Kumano Kodo. Not included is the train journey to Kii-Tanabe/from Kii-Katsuura. For more details, check out how to budget for your Kumano Kodo adventure – updated regularly to reflect inflation.

Ten essential tips for a safe Kumano Kodo pilgrimage

For over 1,000 years, people from all levels of society have attempted the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage - sadly, not all survived it. Even today, some areas along the Kumano Kodo lack mobile phone coverage and/or have limited access to emergency services for injured pilgrims.

So, heed our advice to make sure you and your hiking pals have a safe and enjoyable experience:

1. Do not attempt to hike in the dark. Make sure you leave early to have plenty of time to enjoy your hike, take sufficient breaks, and arrive at your next accommodation well before sunset.
2. Carry enough food and water to sustain yourself. Many of the routes are physically demanding, so staying hydrated and keeping your energy levels up is vital.
3. Protecting yourself from the sun is also important. Apply sunscreen and wear a hat, especially on sunny days. While hiking through forests for most of the day, you can get sunburned.
4. Insect repellent may also be necessary during the summer to protect yourself from bugs and mosquitoes.
5. Most injuries on the Kumano Kodo result from slips and falls, as many old, moss-covered stones and wooden planks are slippery (even when not wet). Take your time and watch your steps, especially on downhill sections. Where possible, walk along the side of cobble-stoned sections where leaves and tree roots provide a safer surface. Trekking poles are also recommended.

6. Carry a satellite communicator on remote routes (for example, the Garmin inReach Mini): Mobile coverage on sections like the Omine Okugake Michi is limited to nonexistent. A device like this gives you a reliable way to communicate, share your location, and call for help if something goes wrong—not just trigger an emergency signal. If you're sticking to busier routes, you may not need it, but once you move into more remote sections, it becomes a practical safety tool rather than a nice-to-have.
7. While you are not likely to encounter bears on the more frequented routes (including the Nakahechi), Asian black bears roam the Kii Mountains, and carrying a bear bell is advised when hiking more remote trails. For further information on bear safety, check out this post (from Oze National Park in the centre of Honshu).
8. Other potentially dangerous animals include the venomous Mamushi snake (a small pit viper, 50 to 80 centimetres long), the Mukade (a black centipede with orange legs, about the length of an adult hand, with an excruciating bite), and the giant hornet, known as Suzumebachi. These critters are most active during the summer months. If a snake bites you, call emergency services (119) immediately.
9. Summer (June to August) is also typhoon season. Typhoons can bring powerful winds, heavy rainfalls, flash floods, and landslides, making hiking unsafe (you will see some of the damage from prior typhoons along the trails). Stay up to date on the latest weather conditions to ensure your safety.
10. In the event of an accident or bite, you may end up in the hospital. While Japanese medical facilities are excellent, they are not cheap. So, do make sure to buy travel insurance for your trip.

Get your (dual) pilgrimage recognised

If you want to have your pilgrimage recognised (particularly if you have completed or are planning to also walk the Camino de Santiago)

• Pick up a pilgrim passport free of charge at the Tanabe Tourist Information Center [Official website, Google Maps location].
• Make sure you collect stamps along the route. They can be found at many of the small shrines (oji) along the trail (look out for the small huts on poles) and are proof that you actually walked the route. Also, don’t forget your completion stamp.

If you’ve already completed the Camino de Santiago and would like to be recognised as a dual pilgrim, head to the Kumano Hongu Heritage Center [Official website, Google Maps location] across the road from Kumano Hongu Taisha, or to the Tanabe Tourist Information Center for your dual pilgrimage registration:

• You need a copy of your Camino de Santiago Pilgrims certificate – a digital copy is sufficient.
• The registration process takes about 10 minutes.

Where to find further information about the Kumano Kodo?

The Tanabe Tourist Information Centre [Google Maps location] is a great place to

• Obtain a paper copy of the Kumano Kodo route maps and an up-to-date bus schedule.
• Check for any route adjustments (typhoons in prior years have closed routes or required detours).

And last but not least, head to the Kumano Hongu Heritage Centre [Google Maps location], across the road from Kumano Hongu Taisha, to learn more about Wakayama Prefecture and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Kii Mountains.

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