The Kumano Kodo Iseji is the road that links two of the most important sacred places in Japan. On this tour you walk the more demanding passes of one of the finest hiking routes in the country, connecting Ise Jingu with the Kumano Sanzan, the three grand shrines of Kumano. With one day of 12 km and another with a climb of 659 m, this journey is designed for those who are confident in their fitness.
Several routes make up the Kumano Kodo, and the Iseji is loved for three things: it is a coastal route where you enjoy both the sea and the mountains, it has the most beautiful stone-paved paths in Japan, and it carries the stories of the ordinary people of the Edo period who walked it with their prayers. A cool sea breeze makes it comfortable to walk from spring through autumn, and the mild climate means that even in midwinter you can walk the whole route without special equipment.
Your journey starts at Kyoto Station, heads south to Ise Jingu, the most revered shrine in Japan, and finishes at Kumano Nachi Taisha, where the tallest single-drop waterfall in the country roars. Over seven days this spiritual journey winds through the fishing and mountain villages of the Kii Peninsula, offering glimpses of the legends, the history and the daily life of one of the most sacred regions of Japan. The daily hiking is demanding, so this tour suits those who hike regularly. Along the way, self-guided sections where you walk alone are balanced with cultural experiences led by experts. After each day’s walk you stay at long-established inns and find calm in quiet seaside villages. Walking little-travelled paths, guided by the presence of the pilgrims of old, a journey towards a deep peace of mind begins now.
HIGHLIGHTS
• A visit to Ise Jingu, the highest-ranking shrine in Japan, dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, ancestor of the imperial family and guardian deity of the Japanese people, and still the spiritual home of the nation
• Walking the beautiful stone-paved passes of Magose-toge and Matsumoto-toge
• The climb over Yakiyama (647 m), the highest point of the Kumano Kodo Iseji, with sweeping views over the beautiful Kumano Sea
• Walking Mandara-no-michi, the silent path towards Daimonzaka and Nachi Falls (optional)
Your pilgrimage begins at Kyoto Station, from where a comfortable limited express train carries you towards the sacred landscapes of the Kii Peninsula. At Iseshi Station your private guide will be waiting on the platform. Your destination is the Inner Shrine (Naiku) of Ise Jingu, the spiritual soul of Japan and the eternal home of Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess. Before entering the sanctuary, give yourself over to the lively atmosphere of a faithfully recreated Edo-period street, and savour a local lunch surrounded by traditional architecture and cheerful hospitality. Then cross Uji Bridge into deep stillness, and spend a quiet moment in the most revered sacred ground in Japan, beneath a canopy of centuries-old cedars. As dusk falls, you arrive at a ryokan with more than 150 years of history. This is not simply a place to sleep but a piece of living history: a genuine wooden inn where you breathe the same air and see the same beauty that greeted the pilgrims of the Edo period.
Meals: Dinner provided.
Distance: NA
Elevation gain: NA
Duration: NA
The next chapter of the pilgrimage begins as you travel south to the seaside town of Owase. Today you cross Magose-toge, praised as one of the most magical sections of the entire Kumano Kodo Iseji. After arriving at your hotel and leaving your luggage, head to the trailhead where the road ends and the sacred path begins. This is an important moment, when the traveller becomes a pilgrim. You walk this section without a guide, alone. By walking deliberately in silence you meet the ancient landscape directly. Because there is no guide the forest becomes your own sanctuary, and the rhythm of your footsteps on the stone paving becomes a walking meditation. The path is famous for its everlasting stones, laid carefully by hand and now wearing vivid moss, leading deep into a cedar forest. If you have energy to spare, a detour to the summit of Tengura-san (30 minutes each way) is recommended, where a breathtaking view of the coastline opens up between the trees.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Distance: 5.2 km (3.3 miles)
Elevation gain: 413 m (1,354 ft)
Duration: 3 hours
Today you take on Yakiyama-goe, the toughest and most rewarding section of the Iseji. An experienced local guide accompanies you on this demanding climb, and their deep knowledge and reassuring presence will support you over the 659 metres of ascent. The physical effort is itself part of the ritual, and at the summit a magnificent view over the Kumano Sea opens up, a pure and clear moment earned by your own strength. Descending the mountain, the path leads to the quiet seaside hamlet of Mikisato. Tonight you stay at a charming, intimate guesthouse by the calm shore, where the warm hospitality of your local hosts brings the hardest day of the journey to a perfect close.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.
Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)
Elevation gain: 659 m (2,162.0 ft)
Duration: 5.5-7 hours
The day begins with the hearty, warming breakfast your hosts prepare for you. Rejoining your guide, you take a short journey of about 15 minutes on a local line, a charming ride with glimpses of the rugged coastline from the window. Arriving at Atashika, you walk the Hadasu path, the oldest section of the Kumano Kodo Iseji. Feeling the sea breeze, you follow gentle coastal paths towards Matsumoto-toge, a pass loved for its quiet bamboo groves and for the old stone Buddha that has watched over travellers for centuries. At the pass the deep forest suddenly opens, and Shichirimihama, the longest gravel beach in Japan, appears, stretching towards the horizon like a silver crescent. For those who want to feel more of the raw power of this land there is an optional visit to Onigajo, a surreal labyrinth of cave-like rock carved by the Pacific over thousands of years.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner provided.
Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Elevation gain: 773 m (2,536.1 ft)
Duration: 6-7 hours
By now the rhythm of the local trains along the coast of Japan will feel familiar. A short ride takes you to Shingu, a town where mountain, river and sea meet in spiritual harmony. Meeting your guide at Shingu Station, you experience Kumano mandala etoki, a captivating Buddhist performing art of storytelling with pictures. Long ago the “nuns of Kumano” travelled the country as charismatic storytellers, using sacred paintings to convey the tales and teachings of the Kumano faith. The pilgrimage then turns into a physical climb towards the heavens at Kamikura Shrine, where a primeval boulder sits like a silent guardian on the spot where the gods are said to have first descended to earth. The climb takes about an hour, but the 538 steep and rough stone steps demand your full concentration and respect, a true test of the spirit. After this ascent with your guide the afternoon is free: calm your mind at the vivid Hayatama Taisha, or explore the quiet corners of Shingu at your own pace.
* Optional evening experience, a window into the soul of Shingu: for those who would like to touch the local night culture, we can arrange a visit to a “snack” bar. This is the intimate world of a Japanese town’s evening salon, full of warm conversation, drinks, karaoke and nostalgic charm. Your hosts are two sisters who once lived as geisha and who still carry that grace and their stories with them. It is a rare and personal invitation into the hospitality that lives on in Shingu after dark.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Distance: NA
Elevation gain: 120 m (393.7 ft)
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
The journey now moves towards its breathtaking climax at the sacred site of Nachi. Today you walk as a true pilgrim, finding your own way to the great falls without a guide. Your first stop is Fudarakusan-ji, a place of deep and moving beauty. This was once the departure point of Fudaraku-tokai, a ritual regarded as the ultimate ascetic practice, in which monks boarded small box-like boats in search of the Pure Land believed to lie beyond the horizon, were nailed in from the outside and set adrift alive on the endless sea. Spend a while in the quiet of the morning with these thoughts before heading for the mountains.
A short ride on a local bus takes you to the entrance to Nachi Falls. Getting off at Daimonzaka, you begin the final stage: a gentle, stirring climb through an avenue of towering ancient cedars. There is no guide, and the rhythm of the climb is entirely your own. The path leads towards the mist and the roar of Nachi Falls, which has the greatest drop in Japan and is itself worshipped as a living deity. Stand alone before this majestic veil of water, take a deep breath and let the spray of the falls wash over you. Amid the grandeur of nature and the echo of centuries of faith, your pilgrimage comes to a quiet and powerful close.
* The bus is paid in cash in the traditional way. IC travel cards have not yet reached this quiet landscape, so please carry coins with you.
* Instead of taking the bus you can also walk from Fudarakusan-ji to Daimonzaka along Mandara-no-michi (5.4 km, about 90 minutes, level paved road and gentle trail).
Meals: Dinner provided.
Distance: 2.5 km (1.6 miles)
Elevation gain: 350 m (1,142.3 ft)
Duration: 2 hours
On your final morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the sunshine and let the calm energy of the coast settle into you. Before you leave, a slow walk through the seaside town of Nachikatsuura is well worth the time. Walking the local streets and breathing in the scent of the sea, you may catch the quiet daily rhythm of a town that has lived with the Pacific for generations. Before boarding the limited express, choose a carefully made bento from a local shop. The “ekiben” is a much-loved Japanese tradition, the companion of a long rail journey. Once the train moves off, settle into your seat for the ride to Osaka as the rugged coastline of Wakayama gradually gives way to the lively pulse of the city. Listening to the rhythm of the rails, look back on the sacred paths you have walked, the ancient stones beneath your feet and the deep stillness you found in the forest. A pilgrimage that stays with you ends here, leaving a refreshed heart and a story that is yours alone.
Meals: Breakfast provided.
Distance: NA
Elevation gain: NA
Duration: NA
■ INCLUDES
• Meals: Breakfast 5, Dinner 4
• Accommodation for 6 nights
• IC travel card (charged with 3,500 yen) *not valid on the local bus described on Day 6
• Limited express train fares (Kyoto to Iseshi, Kii-Katsuura to Osaka)
• Same-day luggage transfer (Days 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
• Private vehicle transfers (Day 2 Ise to Owase, Day 3 hotel to trailhead)
• Guide service (Day 1 half day, Day 3 full day, Day 5 half day)
• Kumano mandala storytelling
■ EXCLUDES
• Airfare
• Accommodation tax and bathing tax
• Travel insurance (travel insurance is required in order to join this tour)
■ TOUR CONDITIONS
• Application deadline: 30 days before departure
• Price: from JPY 460,900 per person (minimum price based on two people sharing a double or twin room)
• Note: hiking routes can be adjusted to your fitness level.
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Kyoto
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Osaka
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English
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