On this tour, we will visit Kumano Hongu to walk the Kumano Kodo and to pray at Kumano Hongu Taisha.
On the first day, we will visit Kumano Hongu Taisha which is one of the Three Shrines in Kumano and its former site Oyunohara.
We will stay overnight at a peaceful hot spring resort which is just next to a beautiful river. This hotel’s main feature is the hot spring on the river bed.
On the second day, we will walk to final part of the Kumano Kodo for 3 hours to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
JR Kii Tanabe station Take JR Express train Kuroshio No3 which arrives at Kii Tanabe at 11:21. I will be on the same train.
- At the ticketing gate
DAY1 Kumano Hongu Taisha
This Shinto shrine enshrines the spirits of wood and water and is the first destination of the Kumano Pilgrimage
Kumano is also said to be a sacred site for resurrection, a lot of people have come to this shrine to pray for rebirth. Here, you can even ask for a special prayer (some donation required).
Kumano Hongu Taisha former site Oyunohara
This is the sacred place where the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine stood until it was swept away by a flood in the 19th century.
A sacred atmosphere surrounded by rivers and forests envelops you.
Kumano Hongu World Heritage Center
We will learn about the UNSECO World Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and the Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" at this educational facility.
Kawayu Hot Spring Resort "Midoriya"
We will stay overnight at Kawayu Hot Spring Resort Midoriya. This hotel features hot springs on a beautiful and quiet river bed.
Day 2 Kumano Kodo between Hosshinnmon Oji and Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
We will start pilgrimage at Hosshinmon Oji. Oji is a small shrine which enshrines Kumano Deities. There are ninety-nine Oji along the Kumano Kodo. Hosshinmon Oji is one of the five most important Oji.
After praying at Hosshinmon Oji, we will head to Kumano Hongu Shrine for another three hours. It is the 7km long final part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route.
Ending Point
JR Kii Tanabe station
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
guide fee
Insurance
Food and beverages
Transportation
Accommodation
Ask for details
As we will walk a lot, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Food and drinks are NOT included.
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, Osaka and other places in the Kansai area as I am 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.
Stephanie W.
“Tour of Nara”
Hiro was a wonderful guide, very friendly and exceptionally knowledgeable. Thank you for our day in Nara !
Hiroyuki T.
Stephany san, Thank you very much for your kind message. It is very good to know that you liked the tour. It was fun to feed deer there, wasn't it? Hiro
Tien N.
“An excellent excursion with Hiroyuki san”
Many thanks to Hiroyuki San for a very informative excursion with a delicious Zen vegetarian meals for lunch. My family was raving about the tour and I was so glad of my decision to book this Kyoto tour with Hiroyuki San .
Hiroyuki T.
Tien san, It was really nice to meet you and the group in Kyoto. I am glad to know you liked the tour. It was also nice that you liked the Zen Tofu Lunch. It was delicious, wasn't it? Thank you Tien san and the group.
Melinda A.
“Hiroyuki is the Zen master of tours”
We had so much fun with Hiroyuki. He was flexible and made sure we didn't see anything we already saw. But more importantly, he made the temples and shrines so much more than what we would have experienced if we toured them by ourselves. He taught us the complex history, politics, and social practices involved with everything we saw. I'm very curious and had many specific questions. He knows so much that he was able to answer and explain everything in detail and in such a way that we were able to understand the development of Japan and how it relates to the temples and shrines we saw. Thanks Hiroyuki! You made our visit so meaningful, educational, and fun!
Hiroyuki T.
Thank you very much for your kind message. I am glad to know that you liked the Zen tour. Our sense of beauty in Japan is based on Zen, now you all understand it. If you have a chance to come back to Japan, I will show you more.
$841/ per group