Walk the Kumano Kodo

Expert Local Guides

Award Winning Adventures

Nature First Adventures

Support Local Communities

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11 Days from

USD 5,479

Walking & Trekking

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Walking & Trekking

Activity Levels :

3 out of 7 - Moderate

Trip Code :

W10KK

Walking the ancient pilgrimage trail, Kumano Kodo

Embark on an incredibly rewarding hike through the Kii Peninsula Mountains along an ancient pilgrimage trail known as Kumano Kodo. The “Kodo” (old ways) are a key part of the region’s World Heritage destination and have been in use for 1,000 years. The pilgrimage routes were developed as a way for people to move between the sacred areas on the Kii Peninsula. At the centre of this religious area are the three Kumano shrines: Hongu Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha, collectively known as Kumano Sanzan.

The Kii Peninsula points south away from Kyoto and Osaka and is one of the most remote and mystical areas of Japan, despite its proximity to these great cities. From the 11th century, successive emperors and their families made the long and difficult pilgrimage to Kumano from Kyoto. Our trip focuses on the Nakahechi-do, which weaves its way through the forested mountains and small villages to the Grand Shrine of Hongu, before finishing near the Pacific Ocean at Nachi Grand Shrine.

Explore the fascinating city of Kyoto before beginning your Kumano Kodo journey and end with two nights in Osaka. Famous for its beautifully built Buddhist temples and traditional teahouses, Kyoto is a great introduction to your Japanese adventure. From here, you can visit the historical city of Nara, full of cultural treasures and tranquil gardens.

Osaka is known as the food capital of western Japan, inheriting its name in part from the fantastic Dotonbori area in the south of the city. Countless restaurants line the Dotonbori-gawa River offering dinner with views. The city is also home to Osaka-jo – a symbolic castle, re-built to its grand size after repeated fires.

Highlights

Walk the ancient pilgrimage route Kumano Kodo, one of Japan’s most remote and rewarding journeys
Witness the Grand Shrines, bathe in the hot spring thermal waters, and admire stunning views over the mountains towards the Pacific Ocean
Immerse yourself in Japanese culture, staying at traditional ryokans and minshuku guesthouses

What's Included

10 nights’ accommodation in hotels and Japanese-style inns (ryokan/minshuku)
All breakfasts & 6 dinners
Management by your local Headwater appointed agent
Route directions and maps
Luggage transfers between accommodation on the trail
Train from Kyoto to trail starting point and from trail end point to Osaka

What's Not Included

Lunches
Travel insurance
Single supplements
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Visas and vaccinations

6 Days of Walking & Trekking

Day 3

4 km / 2.5 miles

Day 4

10 km / 6.2 miles

Day 5

24 km / 14.9 miles

Day 6

4 km / 2.5 miles

Day 7

10 km / 6.2 miles

Day 8

13 km / 8.1 miles

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips which improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People - How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

The use of a local guide means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.
This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
We use fairly small, family run and locally staffed establishments which ensures that we are benefiting local communities.
Our activity also benefits the rural village of Copey, which is nestled in the highlands of the Central Mountain Range. By passing through this area, seeing how the locals live and work and having lunch in a typical home, we are encouraging cultural exchange and providing valuable avenues of income here.
There is an option for clients to directly support local schools by packing a gift of educational supplies when we visit Copey area on this tour.
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people.
Our local operator is very involved in supporting community projects. On International Tourism Day in 2019 they took part in cleaning a beach at Guacalillo. They collected a total 150 Kg of waste and all the plastic lids collected were donated to the Fundación Proparques, for a project developing walkways to improve accessibility for people with mobility problems in the country's protected wild areas.
In 2017 Exodus Travels introduced the Inspiration Project, where we’ve worked with our partners to take more than 6,000 children in 30 countries on a day of adventure and exploration. Each inspirational day out is designed to introduce young minds to the wonders of our world and their place in it. From visiting cultural heritage sites to natural wonders, each trip has been packed with firsts – their first time leaving their own village, their first time seeing the sea, their first time visiting a busy city. We continue to operate these days out to inspire children to protect and preserve the world as they grow up.

Places - How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
Being a wildlife-based tour, we are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact and aid conservation. We visit national and private parks, including the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the first community-managed reserves in the country. Our entrance fees also directly support conservation efforts in the areas we visit.
Our local operator has a policy of Animal Welfare that requests suppliers to comply with the minimum conditions of animal welfare.
Our local operator has been awarded by the Costa Rican Tourism Board for their sustainable tourism practice & dedication to improving sustainability standards. This means that efforts are made to rationally use water and electricity, provide adequate waste management, and positively impact communities, among many other actions.
Most of the accommodation and restaurants we visit on this trip use locally sourced food such as fruit which is always sourced locally and abundant. Esquinas lodge have their own policy whereby they produce their own organic vegetables and fruit, marmalade, juices, mayonnaise, bread, chocolate and seasoning.
Vegetarian options are available if notice is given which include a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, and rice.
To reduce our carbon emissions, we use a shared coach at the beginning of the tour to transport clients from San José to Tortuguero rather than an internal flight. During the trip, we travel responsibly using appropriate methods of transport; therefore, depending on group size, a minibus/coach will be used.
Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

Planet - How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
An example of eco-friendly accommodation on this trip is the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, a model project combining conservation, environmental research and community development in a rural area. The plot is surrounded by approximately 3,000 hectares of untouched rainforest which acts as a carbon sink and the lodge itself is 100 % carbon neutral, meaning it will take action to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they produce.

Itinerary

Take the express train from Osaka Kansai Int. Airport to Kyoto City (approx. 70mins), then a local taxi to your first hotel. (approx. 10mins).

Overnight Royal Park Hotel Sanjo, Kyoto.

Enjoy a rest day in the incredible city of Kyoto, famous for its Buddhist temples, tranquil gardens, and traditional teahouses. We recommend visiting the historical city of Nara, full of cultural treasures and expansive parks, located approx. 1hr from Kyoto city on the train.

Overnight Royal Park Hotel Sanjo, Kyoto.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Your day begins by taking the train to Kii-Tanabe (included) then the bus to Takijiri (paid locally – total travel time approx. 3hrs 30mins); this is the gateway to the historic Kumano Kodo Trail and the start of your walking journey. You’ll walk the Nakahechi portion of the Kumnao Kodo pilgrimage route, climbing steadily from Takijiri to the ridge-top village of Takahara.

Tonight, you’ll stay in a small, Japanese style hotel in the tiny village of Takahara or in a Japanese Minshuku in the nearby village of Kurisugawa.

Overnight Japanese-style hotel, Takahara or Minshuku Guesthouse, Kurisugawa.