Kumano Kodo Trail - Kyoto to Osaka

Offers a great combination of rural and modern Japan, with time on the trail and in the vibrant cities of Kyoto and Osaka. The walking is moderate but does involve some days with fairly steep ascents and descents although the longer walking days can be shortened. Overnight accommodation is in very traditional minshuku and ryokan.

Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 12 Years

The walk is graded moderate but it does involve some days with fairly steep ascents and descents. The terrain can also be quite tricky underfoot as wet tree roots can be quite slippy at times.  The longer walking days can be shortened if you want to cut down the distance. On most days you will be walking between 2 and 6 hours although there is one longer day of up to 8.5 hours so you should be an experienced walker to get the most from this trip.

In Kyoto and Osaka, we use carefully selected 3 or 4* western-style hotels. We use local family-run accommodations on the walking section. They are generally simply furnished and less formal, but have excellent food and wonderful personal service.

Solo Walkers & Single Rooms

This trip is available to solo walkers and a limited number of single rooms are available, although a single/solo supplement is payable.

Meals

Japanese cuisine is the highlight of many people’s visit to Japan and this is especially the case on the Kumano Kodo Trail. Your trip includes all breakfasts and 5 evening meals whilst on the trail.

Most meals will be Japanese cuisine, though breakfast in western-style hotels usually includes more familiar choices.

Dinner and breakfast in ryokan and minshuku are set meals, usually with a whole succession of different dishes which will delight you. Alcoholic and soft drinks are not included with meals. Tipping is not customary at hotels and restaurants in Japan.

The route is partly way marked (in English and Japanese) and we provide detailed route notes and topographic maps so you should have no problem following the trail.

This trip is available year-round but we recommend April to November. The region may experience occasional snow from December to February and the hours of daylight are much less so during these months we may offer an alternative itinerary detailed below. It can get quite hot and sticky in July and August so please keep this in mind if you are looking to travel then. 
Accommodations are busy and may charge extra during the following Japanese holiday periods: New Year (29 December - 04 January), Golden Week (29 April - 05 May 2024), and O-bon (13-15 August 2024).
The inns get extremely busy for the months of April and May as this is peak cherry blossom season, so please be aware that bookings during this time may require a change of itinerary or accommodation. There is very limited accommodation in Takahara so if the inn there is full you will stay in Tanabe (where you usually take the train to on Day 3) on the first night and complete the first two sections of the walk on Day 4 to Chikatsuyu.

WINTER ALTERNATIVE DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

In order to make the itinerary work during the winter months, we offer a slightly adapted version of the walking section of this tour from Day 3 onwards during this time. This varation also highlights the location of Kawayu Onsen which is a hotspring town. For a limited time during winter, the thermal river is transformed into a giant open-air bath created by digging down through the rocky river bed to allow the natural hot spring waters to rise closer to the surface and bring the temperature of the natural mineral river to a soothingly warm temperature to contrast the cold winter temperatures, and locals and travellers alike can soak and relax in the hot water (around 40 degrees Celsius).

Japan has four distinct seasons, and the weather and temperatures change with the seasons. The weather in Japan is warm in May and September. The rainy season lasts from the middle of June through to mid-July. Towards the end of May, it can become quite hot at lower altitudes (up to about 30°C). It gets cooler in October, and at the beginning of November, it is cold at 1,800m.  You can expect daytime temperatures of about 15-20°C in October, although this does, of course, vary with elevation. Short tropical cyclones can hit Japan between June and October.

We recommend that you check local weather reports before setting out each day. These are available on the local TV and radio news and online. Good websites are www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html, www.yr.no/japan, and www.accuweather.com. If there are any tropical cyclones due to pass through whilst you are on your walk, our local partners in Japan will be in touch and advise you if it is unsafe to walk although this is quite rare.

We advise always bringing a waterproof jacket and trousers, and sunscreen!

By Air:

The best airport to arrive at is Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX), which has flights from international destinations. You can also fly into Tokyo Narita (NRT) and take an internal flight or the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto (3h30).

The West Japan Rail Company operates services between Kansai Airport and Osaka/Kyoto. For timetable information please visit http://www.westjr.co.jp/global.en/travel-information/timetable. The Airport Express HARUKA (Kansai Airport Line) takes approx 75 mins to Kyoto.

Getting around:

Your package includes train tickets from/to Kyoto or Osaka. The public transport system in Japan is world class and your pre departure information pack has detailed information on tickets, trains and how to use public transport easily.

Our Japan Product Manager, Laura travelled to Japan in 2014 and you can read her experience of using public transport, on the blog.

Visas

Please check your visa requirements with the foreign office or the embassy in your country of residence before travelling to Japan.

British nationals wishing to visit Japan for three months or less for business, tourism or family purposes etc (but not to work for a local employer) may do so without a visa. You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket. Please visit www.fco.gov.uk for up to date information.

Luggage transfer is not included during your walk as standard and you have a couple of options here. The first option is to arrange luggage transfers by a service called Takkyubin which is a courier service in Japan and can only be booked in Japan. This is cheap, reliable and costs approx £12 per day. With this service, your bags will not be moved each day but instead will be waiting for you at your accommodation a couple of nights later. On the Kumano Kodo tour, we recommend forwarding your luggage from Kyoto (or wherever you are staying before the walk) to Yunomine Onsen. You then carry overnight essentials for your nights in Takahara and Chikatsuyu. You then forward your luggage from Yunomine Onsen to wherever you are staying after the walk; you carry your overnight essentials for your nights in Koguchi and Nachi. Our information pack has full details on how to use this service, which is really easy. Your accommodation during the walk provides robes to wear in the evening and shoes are not worn inside, so you only need your hiking gear and can travel very light.

The other option is to arrange a daily baggage transfer service if you prefer to access your bag every night and this can be booked in advance through ourselves. Daily Luggage Transfer offers clients the option of bringing luggage by train and bus to the trail and then having it transferred from inn to inn on a daily basis. However, as it can be quite difficult to navigate public transport with luggage, we recommend Takkubin as the most convenient method. On the Kumano Kodo, this service is available from Takijiri through to Nachi-San. You will need to carry your bags with you on the last day.