Kumano Kodo
Self-guided Tours
Self-Guided Hiking Tours
For over 1,000 years people from all levels of society, including retired emperors and aristocrats, have made the pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo, which stretches across the mountainous Kii Peninsula.
The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook religious rites of worship and purification. Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano’s spiritual countryside.
In July 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. This walk is a sister walk of the Camino Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage in Southern Europe.
Hike across the Kii Peninsula and experience ancient culture and architecture, delicious Japanese food, traditional accommodation, warm onsens and friendly Japanese hospitality! The self guided Nakahechi route is 6 days, but we can add or subtract days to suit your needs. Contact us for more information.
Photo gallery
Frequently asked questions
We are an accredited agent with Kumano Travel and have access to the best accommodations.
We have been guiding and Hiking in the Kumano Kodo area since 2017, and Marcus has completed the Nakahechi Route 14 times.
Our standard self guided tours are structured so that you visit all three of the main shrines – Hongu, Hayatama and Nachisan. We also ensure you do not miss any other important sights.
We can tailor the walking to your needs and experience
You choose your own dates and length of tour
Our price will not be beaten. We arrange similar or better experiences to our competitors at a much lower price. Compare our price!
- Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route, Japan. 6 days and 5 nights $AU1,690 per person
- Additional or less days, add or subtract $275 per night
- Tailored itineraries can be arranged upon request. As you are going self guided, we can tailor the hike to suit your duration, hiking preferences and hiking skill level. Please contact us to discuss options.
- A 10% discount is available for groups of 6-9 people
- A 15% discount is available for groups of 10-14 people
Included
- All accommodation (based on twin share)
- Most meals
- Luggage transfers while hiking (Note on the Kohechi route, luggage transfer is not from guesthouse to guesthouse, it is from Koyasan to Hongu, then from guesthouse to guesthouse)
Not included
- Airfares, train fares and bus fares
- Guide
- Some lunches and 1 dinner
- Passport, visa (if applicable) and travel insurance
Optional Extras
- Traditional Riverboat Tour on the Kumanogawa River – $80 per person
- English speaking Japanese guide – Half day $250, Full Day $500. (Price is for the whole group)
- We can also quote for additional charges for luxury accommodation, and accommodation at Takahara, where available
- Single Supplement, when available, is $80 per night.
The minimum size is 1 hiker, and the maximum size is 14 hikers.
As you are going self-guided you choose the itinerary. We can tailor the hiking to suit your preferences. On some days we have options you can choose. As an example, the 6 day / 5 night Nakahechi Trail has the following options.
Day 1 – Option A, No walking, arrive at Kii Tanabe in the afternoon
Day 1 – Option B, Arrive at Kii Tanabe before lunchtime. Bus to trail head. Walk 3.5km to Takahara Village. Ascent 430m, descent 200m.(Rated hard (2-3 hours walking)
Note 1: If you choose Option A on day one, choose option A on day 2. If you choose Option B on day one, choose option B on day 2.
Note 2: Availability of rooms at Takahara is limited (about 20 rooms in the whole village), so if all are booked out, Option A is the only option.
Note 3: Accommodation at Takahara is more expensive and attracts a surcharge of $AU50 – $AU100 per person, depending on the accommodation sourced. Dinner is included at Takahara, but not at Kii Tanabe.
Day 2 – Option A, Bus to trail head. Walk14km to Chikatsuyu, Ascent 900m, descent 800m. Rated hard (6-7 hours walking)
Day 2 – Option B, Walk 10.5km from Takahara to Chikatsuyu, Ascent 470m, descent 600m. Rated hard (4-5 hours walking)
Day 3 – Option A, Bus to Hosshinmon Oji, walk to Yunomine Onsen via Hongu. 10km, Ascent 300m, descent 450m. Rated moderate (4-5 hours walking)
Day 3 – Option B, Bus to Hosshinmon Oji, walk to Yunomine Onsen via Akagi-goe trail. 8km, Ascent 460m, descent 320m. Rated moderate (4-5 hours walking)
Day 3 – Option C, Bus to Doyukawa-bashi bus stop, walk to Hongu via Hosshinmon Oji. 17km, Ascent 630m, descent 950m. Rated hard (6-8 hours walking)
Note: On day 3, option A will allow you more time to explore the Grand Shrine area, Kumano Museum and information centre, shops and cafes at Hongu. Option B misses the Grand Shrine area, but if you did B, you could add a day and visit the shrine area before doing Day 4 Kawayu Onsen to Koguchi.
Day 4 – Walk 14km from Kawayu Onsen to Koguchi, Ascent 670m, descent 690m, Rated moderate – hard (6-7 hours walking)
Day 5 – Option A, walk 15km from Koguchi to Nachisan, Ascent 1,260m, descent 930m, Rated very hard (7-8 hours walking)
Day 5 – Option B, Traditional riverboat tour on the Kumanogawa River, finishing at Shingu. Then explore Hayatama Grand shrine and other sights at Shingu. Walking is 5km, mainly flat, rated easy (2-3 hours walking)
Day 5 – Option C, Bus to Shingu. Then explore Hayatama Grand shrine and other sights at Shingu. Walking is 5km, mainly flat, rated easy. (2-3 hours walking)
Note: The Traditional riverboat tour on the Kumanogawa River is closed December, January and February
Day 6 – Option A, Bus or train to Shingu. Store luggage at Tourist Information Centre. Then explore Hayatama Grand shrine and other sights at Shingu. Walking is 5km, mainly flat, rated easy. (2-3 hours walking)
Day 6 – Option B, Bus to Nachisan, Walk Diamonzaka Slope and explore the shrines and waterfall at Nachisan. Walking 5km, rated easy to moderate (2-3 hours walking)
Note: On days 5 & 6, options B & C will allow you more time to explore the Grand Shrine areas at Shingu and Nachisan. On Day 5, option A should only be done by fit, experienced hikers.
As you are guiding yourself, you choose the dates that suit you for the trip. The
best times to go are spring or autumn, followed by winter and finally summer.
Summer is hot and rainy.
Sometimes circumstances arise that result in dates needing to be changed. If this is due to Government imposed travel restrictions (e.g lockdowns or border closures), then there is no charge for changing the dates. In other circumstances, there is a $AU500 (total for all guests on the trip) administration charge to change dates.
Please contact us to book.
marcus@homecomfortshiking.com
or
Contact
A deposit of $300 per person will secure your booking. Bank details for the deposit are:
Home Comforts Hiking
BSB 923100
Account 36237075
Please contact us to book.
marcus@homecomfortshiking.com
Contact
A deposit of $AU300 per person will secure your booking. I will send you a PayPal invoice. You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment. You just need a Visa or Mastercard to make the payment.
We will not ask you for a deposit until accommodation is checked to ensure dates can be confirmed.
If accommodation is not available for your preferred dates, and an alternative timeframe is not suitable there is no charge.
Once accommodation requests have been submitted a deposit of $300 per person is required. Accommodation, luggage transfer, meals and other bookings are finalised 1-2 months prior to start date.
Upon finalisation of all details and bookings, and receipt of your final payment the information pack can be emailed and sent to your address. The Pilgrim Pack containing the guide book, maps and stamp books will be available for pick up at Tanabe Tourist Information Centre on the first day of your tour. Latest date for payment is one month prior to the start of the hiking tour. This ensures you get your Information pack and email files at least 3 weeks prior to departure.
If cancellation is by Home Comforts Hiking for any reason, you will receive a full refund of all amounts paid.
If cancellation is due to border closures, natural disasters or cancellation by our agent in Japan (Kumano Travel) you will receive a full refund of any amounts paid less $300 per person administration fee. The administration fee covers booking fees, bank fees, exchange rate losses and time taken to make bookings .
If the cancellation is by you before final payment is made, you will forfeit your deposit. If cancellation is by you, after final payment is made, a part refund may be possible, depending on how much we receive back from the accommodations. Generally cancellations between 8-30 days from departure date lose 40-60% of payments made, and cancellations received 7 days or less from departure receive no refund at all.
Please ensure you take out travel insurance to mitigate the risk of financial loss due to cancellation.
You can book your flights once you have paid your deposit and all booking requests have been submitted.
- Yes it is! Inexperienced and unfit hikers should not do this hike. You will be hiking in the mountains so there are many ascents and descents; some of them steep. Overall, the Nakahechi trail is rated moderate to hard for experienced hikers. The total distance walked over 5 days of hiking is 65km. That said, we can tailor the hiking to suit your skill level. The toughest sections can be avoided by taking buses.
As the stays are in small villages during the hike, and you only require one night’s accommodation at each village, the options available are very limited. The pricing is based on 2 people sharing a room. When you book and pay for single or twin accommodation, this is what you can expect:
· Night 1 at Kii Tanabe – If you book single, you will get your own room. Otherwise you will be sharing a twin room. There is an extra charge of AU$80 for single accommodation at Kii Tanabe.
· Other nights are at a village on the hike – You will stay at Minshukus, which are traditional Japanese, family run guesthouses. The rooms are traditional Japanese with tatami mats and futons. Breakfast and dinner are included each day. The rooms are all twin share, and the number of rooms are limited. If the Guesthouse has enough rooms, a single room may be available for a surcharge. If the guesthouse does not have the availability, then we can try and source accommodation at a nearby location for you. In these circumstances, I will enquire as to availability and quote you the surcharge for the single accommodation. Generally expect to pay $80 single supplement surcharge per night.
Note that bedding linen and towels are provided at every accommodation we stay at. Also, the pillows provided are sometimes quite hard, so you may want to bring your own pillow.
Most accommodations have onsite onsens and some also have fantastic public onsens nearby, which are worth visiting for the experience.
Most meals are included in the cost of the trip:
- On day 1 at Kii Tanabe, dinner is not included. There are over 70 restaurants in Kii Tanabe. Dinner is included all other nights, and the meals are of a very high Japanese standard. The meals are a highlight of the trip.
- Breakfast is included each morning. Usually it is Japanese, but sometimes a western option is served.
- Lunch – where it is possible to purchase lunch, you will purchase your own lunch. Where this is not possible, a Japanese lunch box will be provided and is included in the cost of the trip.
- Snacks – please bring or purchase your own snacks and ensure you have sufficient water each day.
Q. I am a vegetarian, can accommodations serve me vegetarian meals?
A. Some can and some can’t, if you have dietary restrictions we will try and book accommodations that can cater to your needs.
~ Not all accommodations can meet all dietary requests, especially at busier times of the year.
Making a Vegetarian Meal Request – When you make a reservation request and would like vegetarian meals, please choose your “Vegetarian type” from the .pdf file that we send to you showing the options available.
We will also advise accommodations of any allergies you have.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Katsuo Dashi (fish broth) is used for many types of seasoning and is very difficult to remove from traditional Japanese cooking. If you are able to eat the ubiquitous trace amounts of Dashi, then your options of places to eat will increase.
Luggage transfer is included for all Nakahechi Hikes. Each guest is allowed one bag up to 20kg. Bags are left at reception each morning by about 8.30am, then picked up and taken to our next accommodation. You only need to carry a day pack while hiking. If you prefer not to have luggage transfer, this can be arranged.
NOTE: Only 1 bag up to 20kg per person is allowed, for luggage transfer!
- Small backpack with waterproof cover
- One bag for luggage transfer
- Shirts, pants, shorts, underwear, socks, hat, masks
- Hiking boots or shoes (slippers are available at accommodation)
- Rainproof jacket or poncho
- Hiking Pole(s)
- Swimsuit
- Your own pillow if you don’t like hard pillows
- Money and/or Debit/Credit Card
- Passport, Visa (if applicable), Travel Insurance docs
- Phone and/or tablet, camera and chargers
- Toiletries and medication
Note: Cotton evening Yakutas are provided at all minshukus. Soap, shampoo and towels are also provided.
On receipt of your final payments you will receive the following by email:
- Detailed self-guided trip notes
- Safety information
- Accommodation and luggage transfer vouchers
We will send the following items by mail to the leader of your group:
- Detailed self-guided trip notes – hard copy
- Safety information – hard copy
- Accommodation and luggage transfer vouchers – hard copy
- Luggage tag(s)
- Bus timetables
- My business card, a brochure about Home Comforts Hiking tours and hat pin(s)
Upon arrival at Tanabe Tourist Information Centre you will receive a briefing (in English) and a Pilgrim Pack containing the following:
- One Kumano Kodo official guide book (additional copies can be purchased)
- Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route maps (one per person)
- One Kumano Tourist Map
- Dual Pilgrim stamp book (one per person)
- How to use the buses information card
The appointment time for your briefing will be detailed in your trip notes.
Please contact Marcus Ludriks. Contact details are:
E: marcus@homecomfortshiking.com
M: 0490 454220
WhatsApp: +61 490 454220
Our accommodation was on the second floor and our room had a huge sliding window that opened at waist height with a drop to the cement many metres below. An OH&S disaster waiting to happen! The place was thumping, literally, as it was Saturday night with a band and lots of backpackers and locals enjoying the entertainment.
Pam and I searched out some food in town for the next day, and later, wished that we had bought/brought more. Even at 5.00 pm, there was not much open.
The bus trip and dinner provided an opportunity to glean some first impressions of our walking companions and they were all positive: a very nice bunch. As well as Pam Dawes from Manly, there was Sarah, Steve and Claudia from Port Macquarie, Tony from Byron Bay, Derek from Mosman, plus Marcus and his wife Marika, their daughter Monica with husband Dave and daughter little, 12 months old, Ashlin. Steve had camping gear and used it for some of the nights.
Home Comforts Hiking proved to be a well-organised and friendly crew.
Mara Creek Campsite is the starting point for the Yuraygir Coastal Walk and this site is historically-significance as it was a source of fresh water and fish for the local Goorie (Aboriginal) people. A natural fish trap on the rock platform below the Shelley Beach path is clearly visible.
So it is with an appreciation of the timelessness of this stunningly beautiful area that we set off, a family of sorts. A group photo is taken. Little Ashlin is strapped into her carrier and Monica steps out strongly with tales of her walk along the Pacific Crest Trail (4,270 km) that makes our 65 km effort over 4 days seem insignificant. But it is good to chat about ultra trail events and great walks and to hear Monica describe her new interest: trail running, her long legs perfectly built for that.
The walk to Lake Arragan via Shelley Headland is varied, with the beach and sand dune trails offering views of ochre-coloured rock platforms and coffee rock sand cliffs to the south. Whales and dolphins are spotted by some of the group but I'm not quick enough to focus. We follow the coastal emu footprint signs and although we come upon wallaby or kangaroo footprints in the sand, we see no emus. Heath and woodland vegetation is diverse and we enjoy a springtime flush of flowers - flannel flowers, orchids, boronias. Coastal banksias, pandanus palms and paperbarks (complete with a native beehive) shade the trails.
By midday, the air became quite smoky from the fires to the north-west of Lake Arragan and as we walk on, we speak with locals who have packed up their pets and driven to Plumbago Headland to be well away from the fires. Later we are told that the picnic area near the lake where some of the group enjoyed a bracing swim was burnt out the next day and National Parks closed the section of the walk from Angourie to Laka Arragan until further notice.
We end the day with views of Red Cliff and Grey Cliff Headlands and drop down to the beach via stairs - newly repaired. We walk briskly along the beautiful beach to Brooms Head with its stately Norfolk Island pines but as we a glance northward, we are reminded that the fire situation is worsening. Devastating for so many.
Our accommodation is adequate - spacious and clean, the only problem being that the bathroom door doesn't close but we aren't too fussed and manage. The bathroom light globe pops but is replaced promptly. The shop is run down as is the owner, the shelves barely stocked and the food is outrageously expensive eg 50g of coffee $12.95! Dinner at the Bowling Club is pleasant and we finish the day with a lively game of BOMB.
Sandon is a pretty place with an estuary separating the camping ground and the renovated beach shacks; some are pretty flash. Life is in the slow lane here as access is limited. There is a clear message in the lack of garbage bins - take care of this special place. There was time to have a swim but the wind was cold so a sit in the sun, lunch and a wander around the camping area and along the inlet filled in the time nicely. The break provided an opportunity to read the information signs and appreciate that this stretch of coast is protected by Sanctuary Zones and Commonwealth Marine Reserves. The environmental campaigns of the '80s and '90s are to be applauded.
There could not have been a greater contrast to the Brooms Head shop in the Minnie Waters shop: pleasant people run it, well-stocked shelves, pricey...yes but good quality. I eyed off the cheeses... not this time. The sign on the window said it all: Kitchen and Coffee close by 4 (or earlier if there are waves or we just wanna) and the local facilities indicate a community at work here.
And what a peaceful end to the day's walk through the Angophoras for the last kilometre to the comfortable cabins at the caravan park. The late afternoon light was magical.
We were all feeling a little worn out after the soft-sand slog in the afternoon but showers and pre-dinner drinks followed by a hearty barbeque dinner prepared by Marcus and the family is just what we needed. I need to add that when we left Brooms Head in the morning, there was a possibility that the road would be closed due to the fires and Dave and the trailer would not make it to Minnie Waters. All was well however and Dave was able to bring the gear through as well as the BBQ makings.
Unfortunately. a cool southerly wind had sprung up and battered us for 6.5 km.
We were pleased to arrive at Wooli River Lodges mid-afternoon. What a nice place. Shady, well-maintained gardens; lodges with good linen; an outdoor fully equipped kitchen; and just 5 minutes to the local store and hotel. We enjoyed dinner at the hotel and this was followed by a gathering in the outdoor kitchen to wish Dave a happy birthday with party hats and cake. It seemed like a long day and I headed back to our lodge while most stayed to play 31. I was surprised to find it was only 7.30 pm but the opportunity for an early night was too good to pass up.
After lunch, we crossed Station Creek estuary easily as it was only wading depth. Then there was another beautiful beach walk to Red Rock River and our final boat crossing to Red Rock.
Press play on the following link:
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjpeABDY6
Pam and I had intended to spend the night at Nambucca Heads but as it was only 2.00 pm when we arrived at Red Rock, we canceled our motel booking, thanked and fare welled our walking family and drove home to Caves Beach.
What a wonderful walk along a beautiful, pristine coastline in good company, thanks to Home Comforts Hiking – we couldn’t ask for a better few days!
[post_title] => Yuraygir Coastal Walk 7 – 11 September, 2019
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