Kumano Kodo Trail Hiking Tours

Not as standard. You carry an overnight bag and meet your main bag at Yunomine. Takkubin courier covers the two bag journeys at about $20 each, booked in Japan, or add daily luggage transfers from Takijiri to Kii-Katsuura on the Kyoto to Osaka tour.

Yes. Both tours are available to solo walkers. Single rooms are limited and a single supplement is payable, so book early.

Our 6-day tour covers the Nakahechi Route from Takijiri to Kii-Katsuura, with four walking days and a free day in Yunomine. Allow nine days if you'd like time in Kyoto and Osaka too.

Yes. The route is partly waymarked in English and Japanese, and we give you detailed route notes and topographic maps. Our local English-speaking team is on the phone if you need a hand.

By train via Osaka, hugging the coast to Tanabe, then a local bus of around 40 minutes to Takijiri, where you start walking. Train tickets from and to Kyoto or Osaka are included. For flights, Osaka Kansai (KIX) is the best airport.

Pack light, as the inns have tatami floors and narrow halls. Bring good walking boots or shoes with grip, a proper rain jacket and pants, a sun hat, sunscreen and warm layers. A full kit list comes in your info pack.

Tell us when you book. Inns cook in-house with seasonal local produce, and gluten-free, strict vegetarian and vegan diets are hard to cater to, as Japanese cooking uses a lot of gluten and fish. Many inns will swap the fish stock for mushroom or seaweed stock.