Kumano Kodo Travel Guide: Beginner-Friendly Walks and Itineraries

Pilgrimages to the Kumano Sanzan are known as Kumano-moude. From the Heian through the Kamakura periods, retired emperors and aristocrats also made the journey to Kumano.
Along the trails are small shrines called oji, where pilgrims prayed for safe travels. They preserve the history of these pilgrimages.
In 2004, the Kumano Sanzan, parts of the Kumano Kodo, and other sites were inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site under the name “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.”
As you walk, take in not only the stone paths and natural scenery but also the places where people have offered prayers for generations.

This walk climbs Daimonzaka’s moss-covered stone path through cedar groves, visits Kumano Nachi Taisha and Seiganto-ji Temple, and continues to Nachi Falls. It combines the atmosphere of the old pilgrimage trail with the Nachi area’s major sights.
The distance is relatively short, but the climb up stone steps continues all the way to Kumano Nachi Taisha. Allow plenty of time for photos, visits to the shrine and temple, and breaks along the way.

This Nakahechi walk leads through mountain villages and wooded stretches of the old trail to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
It begins at Hosshinmon-oji, considered the entrance to the sacred grounds of Kumano Hongu Taisha.
It suits those who want to spend several hours on the trail, stopping at oji shrines along the way.
If you have time after visiting the shrine, continue to Oyunohara, the former site of Kumano Hongu Taisha.

For a Kumano Kodo walk on the Mie side, Matsumoto Pass offers stone-paved mountain paths and ocean views.
Starting at JR Odomari Station and crossing the pass to JR Kumanoshi Station, it is easy to include in a trip by train.
After climbing the stone-paved slope, you will be greeted by a large Jizo statue at the bamboo-lined pass. A detour from the pass to the gazebo offers sweeping views of the Kumano Sea and Shichiri Mihama.

This one-day plan combines walking the old trail with visits to sacred sites in the Hongu area. Leave the Hongu area in the morning and walk from Hosshinmon-oji toward Kumano Hongu Taisha. The walk itself takes about 3 hours; allow around 3–4 hours with breaks and photos.

This two-day, one-night plan combines visits to the Kumano Sanzan with a walk along Daimonzaka. Travel between the three shrines by bus and train, and stay overnight in Nachikatsuura. The itinerary assumes you can reach the Hongu area by around midday on the first day. If the journey from your starting location takes a long time, consider arriving the night before.

From the Osaka area, one option is the Kuroshio limited express toward Kii-Tanabe or Kii-Katsuura Station.
Use Kii-Tanabe Station as your gateway for walks toward Hongu, or Kii-Katsuura Station for Daimonzaka and Nachisan.

From the Nagoya area, take the Nanki limited express toward Kumanoshi or Shingu Station. For Matsumoto Pass, check train connections from Kumanoshi to Odomari Station. For Hongu, look up buses from Shingu Station toward Hongu.

Some Kumano Kodo walks start and end in different places.
If driving, decide both where to park and how you will get back to your car after the walk.

A walk along Daimonzaka pairs naturally with visits to Kumano Nachi Taisha and neighboring Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple.
Kumano Nachi Taisha is revered as Musubi-no-Miya, a shrine associated with forming bonds between people and fulfilling wishes.
Seiganto-ji is the first temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage of 33 temples and is also known for the view of its three-story pagoda with Nachi Falls.

After your visit, head to Nachi Falls.
The waterfall has a drop of 133 m and is worshipped as the sacred embodiment of the deity at Hiro Shrine. Along with the view, it offers an opportunity to learn about Kumano’s tradition of worshipping nature itself.

Kumano Hongu Taisha awaits at the end of the old trail from Hosshinmon-oji.
Take a quiet moment to worship among the shrine buildings with their cypress-bark roofs, reflecting on the walk you have just completed.
Afterward, continue to Oyunohara, the shrine’s former site.
Kumano Hongu Taisha once stood here but was moved to its present location following a major flood in 1889.
Distinct from the current shrine grounds, this site preserves another chapter in the history of Kumano worship. It is about a 10-minute walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha.

Behind the great torii gate lies the forest of the former shrine grounds. If adding Oyunohara to your walk and visit to Hongu, allow time for the round trip and exploring the site.

Located in Shingu, Kumano Hayatama Taisha is one of the Kumano Sanzan and is noted for its vivid vermilion shrine buildings.
Look for the sacred nagi tree in the grounds as well. This large tree, long an object of reverence, offers a sense of Kumano’s pilgrimage history.

To learn more about Kumano’s religious traditions, consider visiting Kamikura Shrine as well. Reaching Gotobiki Rock, the shrine’s sacred object of worship, requires climbing steep stone steps. Wear comfortable walking shoes and decide whether to make the climb based on your fitness and the weather.
Kumano Hayatama Taisha is in a different area from the Daimonzaka and Hosshinmon-oji walks. If visiting from Nachi or Hongu, account for travel between areas as well as time at the shrine.

If you have extra time, add a spot where you can experience the natural scenery around Kumano.

All of these sights require additional travel from the 3 walks introduced above.
If you plan to visit, allow time for the round trip and sightseeing in addition to your trail walk.

At Daimonzaka Chaya, near the entrance to Daimonzaka, you can change into Heian-period clothing and stroll along the old trail. Take a photo against the cedar groves and stone paving that evokes the history of pilgrimage to Kumano.
If adding this experience to your trip, allow time to change and return the clothing. Reservations receive priority, so booking ahead is a good idea once you know your preferred date and time.

Travel down the World Heritage-listed Kumano River in a wooden boat. Listen to a storyteller’s commentary while taking in the mountains and rock formations along the river. The tour departs from the Kumano River Boat Center near the Michi-no-Eki Kumanogawa bus stop. This one-way trip ends on the riverbank near Kumano Hayatama Taisha, making it easy to combine with shrine visits in the Shingu area.

Goshuin are seals received as a record of worship at a shrine or temple. Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha each offer their own. Bring a goshuin book, worship first, then visit the shrine office. Check each shrine’s official information for reception hours and how the seals are provided, and allow plenty of time.
At Nachisan, you can also receive a goshuin at Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple, next to Kumano Nachi Taisha. Keep a record of your visits in one book alongside the memories of your walk.

The equipment you need depends on the distance, trail surface, and weather.
See the illustration and table below for preparation details.

The table below summarizes key things to check before your Kumano Kodo trip. Be sure to review them shortly before traveling.

Stay on the trail and take your trash with you. If using trekking poles, fit rubber tips to avoid damaging the stone paving and dirt paths.

For the walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha, consider staying around Hongu or at Yunomine, Kawayu, or Wataze Onsen.
You can stay the night before and start walking in the morning, or stay after your walk and enjoy the hot springs.

If you want to use your accommodation’s shuttle, confirm its destinations, schedule, and reservation requirements directly.
Check the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau’s bus timetables for local buses from the Hongu hot spring area to Hongu.

For walks around Daimonzaka or Nachisan, consider accommodation near Kii-Katsuura Station or elsewhere in Nachikatsuura.
Local buses run from Kii-Katsuura Station toward Nachisan, making it a useful base for travel by train and bus.
If you would like a hot spring bath after walking and visiting sacred sites, consider a stay at Nanki Katsuura Onsen.

If traveling by public transportation, allow enough time to get from your accommodation to the station and catch your bus toward Nachisan.
Check shuttle schedules and service status on the Hotel Urashima access page and the Kyukamura Nanki-Katsuura access page.