Private Tour
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle
Overview
8 hours
Mobile ticket
This is the ideal pick for time-tight travelers wanting to discover lots of Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage highlights in a day. An ancient network of pilgrim trails dating back more than 1000 years connecting historic shrines and temples running through the river and deep mountains..all set to the backdrop of Kii Peninsula.
The Kumano area has been considered a sacred site since prehistoric times. There are three major shrines in Kumano. Together, they are known as the Kumano Sanzan; each enshrines one of the area’s mountains, and under the influence of Buddhism came to be worshipped as the three deities of Kumano.
Your guide and driver will fully support your Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage tour. We assure you will spend plenty of time with sacred breathtaking views.
Note*: Tour details has a possibility of change depending on the traffic conditions. Please feel free to ask us if you have any special request for your itinerary. We will do our best to meet your request.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Michi-no-Eki
Kumano Kodo (熊野古道, Kumano Kodō) refers to a network of pilgrimage trails through the southern Kansai region. The Kodo ("old ways") are a key part of the region's UNESCO designation, and have been in use for over 1000 years. They are the only pilgrimage routes besides the Camino de Santiago to be designated a world heritage site. The pilgrimage routes developed as a way for people to move between the sacred areas on the Kii Peninsula. At the center of this religious area are the three Kumano shrines: Hongu Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha, collectively known as Kumano Sanzan. By the 12th century, the Kumano Sanzan were well known shrines in Japan, drawing pilgrims from Kyoto, Osaka and beyond. More than just a means to reach the three shrines, the pilgrimage trails were designed to be a religious experience in themselves and often pass through difficult, even dangerous, mountain terrain.
Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社, Kumano Hongū Taisha) is one of the Kumano region's three famous shrines. As well as enshrining its own deity, Hongu Taisha also enshrines the deities of the other two Kumano shrines, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha, and the sun goddess Amaterasu. It serves as the head shrine of over 3000 Kumano shrines across Japan. Reference to Hongu Taisha was first documented in the 9th century, which the establishment of the shrine must have preceded substantially. Due to floods in 1889, the shrine was moved from its original location at Oyu no Hara to its present site one kilometer away. In front of Oyu no Hara stands the biggest torii gate in the world, which, at 33 meters tall, dwarfs visitors passing under it.
What‘s Included
Private vehicle
Customizable Walking Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list'
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Van (for 7 PAX or less)
Van (for 7 PAX or less): *Not including your guide
Pickup included
Regular(for 2 PAX or less)
Regular(for 2 PAX or less): *Not including your guide
Pickup included
Reviews
14 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Must-do experience in Japan
Nyssa M,,Nov 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Kiyoko was a fantastic, knowledgeable, patient and friendly guide and Mr. Hiroshi was a very attentive, professional, and kind driver. We were travelling with three small children and Kiyoko made our tour very specialized to consider our needs. We also had dietary restrictions and she ensured we had a great culinary experience both during the tour, and helping us to ensure we were able to eat properly after the tour by showing us things and giving recommendations. The tour was really beautiful, with epic views and a lot of history that you can feel just in the air.
Kumano Kodo exploration
921lorab,,Nov 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The sites and driver were stellar. The guide was not incredibly helpful and could use updates in her approach and hand-held reference docs.
Miyuki was an incredible guide
Y2982GJadamg,,Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Just an incredible amount of preparation and effort on behalf of the guide Miyuki to make the widespread three Kumano shrines accessible in a turbo-charged 8 hours. Fantastic.
Great experience
roelvdende,,May 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yuka was a great guide. Flexible, practical, kind, knowledgeable and her English was the best we've heard so far. This all made for a great tour along spectacular and beautiful locations.
Beautiful Tour with detailed Tour Guide!!
robrP6297MQ,,Apr 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great tour guide who helped in so many ways in preparation before the trip, during the trip, and afterwards! Kiyoko was great and we would 100% book her again!!
Tour was great, the guide was even better
James L,,Sep 20, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00The experience was great. Our guide Kiyoko contacted us early and we worked out a tour based on our pickup point, what we wanted to see and her recommendations. We did about four iterations and she put a lot of thought and effort into each one. We saw all the main temples and Nachi Falls. Kiyoko recommended a walk along the traditional trail and that was an excellent suggestion. The walk gave you a feel for what the experience would be if you did the entire thing (but without some of the more difficult parts). Kiyoko is also very knowledgeable about the places visited and her English is good, We settled on taking a train back to Tanabe to make the most of our time and Kiyoko scouted out several places to eat after our tour that were close to the train station. Once we picked one, she set up the reservations, translated their whiteboard menu to English so we could pick our meal in advance due to the tight train schedule. On the day of the tour, our selected foods were waiting for us in a private room when we arrived. Overall very very happy with our guide and the whole experience. The amount of work she put in made us feel special.
Amazing day trip!
Bradley C,,Jun 18, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent in every way. Our driver braved a storm as we went to our destinations and our guide, Yuka, was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and wonderful. A great choice for anyone looking to see a lot in a limited time.
Magical day
Sayre G,,Jun 13, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Magical full day at the three grand shrines. Yuki hiked with us up all the steps 😄 and explained the enshrinement of the deities very well. Our driver stipped at other notable sights/sites along the route and found a lively sushi restaurant for lunch. I loved it all. Thank you!
Great tour experience of Kumano Kodo
Willy T,,Jun 8, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We had an awesome experience at the various spots of the Kumano Kodo! Guide Yuka planned the day itinerary and the timings were great giving us time to explore as well as understanding the history and stories of the various shrines. for those who want to cover as many spots at Kumano Kodo, this guided tour with private car is highly recommended!
Great experience in Kumano
Alvin M,,Mar 9, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We did our tour with Hira. Hira did a great amount of preparation in advance and provided us with detailed plans in advance. We really appreciated his responsiveness and planning here. During the trip, he was very kind and attentive. We really enjoyed our time in Kumano.
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Operated by Japan Guide Agency