3 days4 Days Temple Stay and Kumano Kodo Tour
New4 daysOsaka
Length
4 days
Itinerary
4 days planned
Group
Max 8
Guides
English
Overview
Discover the sacred mountains of the Kii Peninsula on a 4-day journey along the Kumano Kodo.
Walk ancient pilgrimage trails, visit sacred shrines, experience Okunoin and sutra copying, and stay overnight at a Buddhist temple.
With an English-speaking guide and seamless travel by train, bus, and cable car, this is an ideal journey for active travelers seeking nature, spirituality, and tradition.
＜Important Notes＞
・This tour includes walking on natural pilgrimage trails and is recommended for travelers with a good level of fitness.
・Please note that temple lodging (Shukubo) may involve shared toilet and bathing facilities.
・This is a scheduled group tour with a minimum number of participants required for operation. If the minimum is not reached, the departure may be cancelled. In that event, we will notify you as early as possible, refund the tour fee in full, and gladly propose an alternative arrangement.
Day by day itinerary
1Osaka to Kii-Tanabe⌄
Transfer to Kii-Tanabe by Limited Express (approx. 2.5 hrs) Visit:Tokei-jinja Shrine (Historic shrine tied to the Kumano faith and the legend of Benkei, and linked to the World Heritage pilgrimage sites) Visit:Minakata Kumagusu Museum (Museum honoring the pioneering naturalist and folklorist deeply connected to the Kumano region and its forests) Visit:Tanabe Castle Ruins (Riverside remains of a former castle-town water gate, a quiet trace of the area's Edo-period history)
Overnight: 3-Star Hotel (Kii-Tanabe)
2Kumano kodo Walk⌄
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Walk: Takijiri-oji to Takahara (A 3.9 km introductory stretch of the sacred Nakahechi pilgrimage trail, climbing through forest to the hilltop hamlet of Takahara) Visit:Kumano Hongu Taisha (One of the three grand shrines of Kumano and a revered goal of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, set among towering cedar trees) Visit:Oyunohara (Original site of Kumano Hongu Taisha, marked by Japan's tallest torii gate rising from a sacred river sandbank)
Meals: Lunch: Lunch at Local Restaurant or Lunch Box
Overnight: Kumano Hongu Onsen Ryokan
3Satying Mt. Koya⌄
Transfer to Koyasan by the Koyasan-Kumano Pilgrimage Bus (approx. 4 hrs) Visit:Okunoin (The spiritual heart of Koyasan, a cedar-lined path winding through Japan's largest cemetery to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi) Visit:Danjo Garan (Koyasan's central temple complex, home to the towering vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda at the core of Shingon Buddhism) Sutra Copying (Shakyo) Experience (A meditative Buddhist practice of tracing sacred sutras with brush and ink at a temple hall) Temple Lodging and Experience a Traditional Temple Stay, called Shukubo (Buddhist temple accommodation offering monastic life, vegetarian cuisine, and morning prayers)
Meals: Lunch: Lunch at Local Restaurant or Lunch Box
Overnight: Koyasan Shukubo (Temple Lodging)
4Back to Osaka⌄
Morning Religious Service (Experience the serene atmosphere of Koyasan's early morning chanting ritual with the temple monks) Transfer to Osaka by Cable Car and Limited Express (approx. 2.5 hrs) Arrive at Osaka station and the tour end
What's included
- ✓Breakfast everyday, lunches as specified in the itinerary, Dinner on Day2 and Day3
- ✓Dedicated English-speaking guide
- ✓Lunch
- ✓Public transportation, including limited express, pilgrimage bus, and cable car
- ✓3 nights accommodation (3-star hotels, an onsen ryokan, and a temple lodging)
- ✓All entry fees to sites, activities as specified
Not included
- ✕Tipping
- ✕Transportation expenses to the meeting point and from the tour end point
- ✕Meals not specified in the itinerary
- ✕Personal expenses, Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
- ✕Visas, Travel Insurance
Good to know
Starts: Meet your tour guide at the Osaka Tourist Information Center, in front of the Central Ticket Gate of JR Osaka Station.
Ends: Meet your tour guide at the Osaka Tourist Information Center, in front of the Central Ticket Gate of JR Osaka Station.
Cancellation: All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
From
$1,811
