Kumano Kodo Daimon-zaka and Nachi Waterfalls - from Wakayama
Kumano is an important part of the World Heritage site “the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains”. Kumano is in Wakayama Prefecture and I worked for Wakayama Prefectural Government as a general manager of Cultural Heritage Division and I was also in charge of the World Heritage Project. I know this sacred site very well.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
TBD
Pick up
In this tour, we will make a pilgrimage on Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine, Nachi-san Seigantoji Temple and Nachi Waterfalls.
Shintoism, a religion unique to Japan, is rooted in nature worship. People feared and worshiped nature, which brings both blessings and calamities to them as gods and goddesses. The mountainous Kumano is full of natural wonders. Nachi waterfalls which is 133m high was a wonder for ancient people, people worshipped the waterfall itself as a goddess. As Shinto was organized, people built a shrine here. It is the origin of Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine.
Kumano Kodo Daimonzaka Pilgrimage (1.5km 1hour)
Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine
Nachi-san Seigantoji Temple
Nachi Waterfalls
Ending Point
TBD
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee,
Insurance
Transportation; ask for details before you book this tour
Lunch for guests and guide
Tour Important Information
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Please be NOTED that the price does NOT include transportation cost for both clients and GUIDE.
Transportation fare; approx JPY16,000; JPY14,200 FOR GUIDE
Lunch and dinner are also NOT included in the guiding fee.
Direct payment will be occurred in CASH on the spot on the day of the tour.
As this is a walking tour, comfortable shores are recommended. In this tour we will make a pilgrimage to Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine for 1.3km for 1 hour. The Daimon-zaka is a short (600m long and 267 steps) but scenic cobblestone staircase that runs from the valley bottom to the Nachisan Shrine-Temple complex. And we will walk on another 467 steps approach to Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
About Tour Guide Hiroyuki T.
Hi!
I had been working for Wakayama Prefectural Government for 38 years, mainly in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations. I am a national certificated English guide and I have a lot of knowledge and experience in the field of cultural heritage management and international relations.
I am very good at cultural heritages.
And Koyasan and Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture are inscribed in the World Heritage List as parts of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". I was a project manager of "the Koyasan and Kumano World Heritage Inscription Project” at Wakayama Prefectural Government. I know inside and out of Koyasan, Kumano, Wakayama and other places in the Kansai area.
I have a lot of experience of guiding as I was also in charge of international relations for a long time at the government.
I will be able to provide interpretive guiding service for you around Koyasan, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka and other places as I was a cultural heritage management and international relations professional.
I am sure you will be able to get deeper understandings on Japanese culture and that your trip with me will be memorable one.
If you need a good guide in the Tokyo area, I have a friend on GoWithGuide I can recommend you!
Reviews
Kerri N.
“Experience in Mt. Koya was beyond expectations. ”
We have been to Koyasan before and loved it so much we wanted to return. Hiroyuki was the perfect guide to provide history and information to make the day one we will always remember. Among other things, we enjoyed learning about the women’s pilgrimage trails and even spending time on one trail while in Koyasan. Maybe we will come back to tackle the entire trail! Thanks to Hiroyuki, we now understand so much more about a place we already had reverence for and loved. Bonus: Hiroyuki knows all of the best places to stop for lunch!
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Hiroyuki T.
Thank you very much for your kind message. It is good to know that you liked your second visit to Koyasan and the Shojin vegetable food there. I love Koyasan, it is sacred and quiet, it is special. I will have to stay fit so that I will the able to walk the entire Women’s Pilgrimage Route with you (haha). Thank you very much again for everything.
Kerri N.
“Kumano Kodo tour hit the mark”
We wanted to spend time on the Kumano Kodo trail while in Wakayama. Hiroyuki not only led us on a great hike, he also served as a photographer so we finally have pictures of the two of us together on this Japan journey. Plus, his knowledge of the area made every stop interesting and fun!
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Hiroyuki T.
I was a long day but I am glad that you liked the rocks, fishing villages, tuna lunch, the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route, Shrines and the Waterfall. I was very surprised to see that your husband is fit enough to walk through all the uphill and the downhill. He is 7 years older than me, but he is fitter than me. Tell him to stay fit so that he will be able to come back to Wakayama to stay at Marriott.
Kerri N.
“Finding Japanese relatives and putting together missing pieces of the family puzzle”
Hiroyuki was patient and wonderful for months leading up to our trip and then on the day of our tour. He was able to locate family members, find our family burial site, and translate koseki papers for us. He was also a patient translator helping to bridge the language divide as we learned more about each other. We truly enjoyed seeing a 300 year old family home where relatives who immigrated once lived. The day was special and memorable.
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Hiroyuki T.
Thank you very much for your kind message. It was very nice to be with you at such an important moment for your family. It was amazing that the family members came back to the roots after 125 years to meet their relatives and to give a prayer to their ancestors. As I explained, there is an ancestor worship in Japan. May your ancestors protect your family in the USA. Hiro
$386/ per group
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