4 nights, 5 days, fully guided between Koyasan and Hongu.
Trips depart from Koyasan, Osaka or Kyoto.
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The Koyasan World HeritageTour Highlights:
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The Kumano Kodo is one of only two pilgrimage routes globally designated as World Heritage by UNESCO. It is a pilgrimage route leading to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine that has been walked by emperors, ascetics and peasants alike for over 1,000 years. There are four Kumano Kodo routes leading to Hongu,
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Originally a pilgrimage route, this tour takes place on the Sankeimichi Kohechi trail.
The hike starts in the sacred town of Koyasan (known as the ceneter of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism) and Kumano Hongu Taisha (a Shinto shrine in Tanabe). It is a mountainous route within the UNESCO World Heritage Site and although beautiful, there are many volatile sections with steep climbs/ descents as well are more relaxing stretches. A good fitness is required and participants should be prepared to hike up to 19 km (7 hours) in a day and climb 250m in elevation (10% grade) a few times each day. In terms of time, we will usually hike between 4-6 hours. The trail does not each altitudes above 1100m and there is no scrambling (using your hands to climb) involved. For this tour, the first day will be spent with a departure from Osaka or Kyoto and half a day in Koyasan where the first night will be spent. The pilgrimage hike will start in the morning of Day 2. Many stretches of the Kohechi trail is within a beautiful World Heritage Site with a few small villages between stretches. There are historical/ cultural monuments along the way however the majority of the hikes will be in the mountains. As this trip is located in a more rural area of Japan, please note that the accommodation options are very basic. Lodging is simple and traditional, meaning that getting a single room or western style bed is difficult. The lodging we stay at will also provide packed lunches for us during the hikes. Both packed lunches and meals will be traditional Japanese style and any dietary constraints will be (although not impossible) challenging to cater to. For those interested in achieving Dual Pilgrimage status, the completion of this tour will give you the credits for the Kumano region. If interested, the meet up point for this tour will be at Tanabe station for registration purposes. |
Please note that this map shows an approximate route only.
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