Everywhere We Stayed While Hiking on Japan’s Kumano Kodo Trail
The Kumano Kodo ends at the a shrine next to the tallest waterfall in Japan.
This past spring, Jon and I hiked the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan, an ancient pilgrimage route on the Kii Peninsula. The Kumano Kodo is made up of several different routes throughout this forested, mountain region, all of which pass through small towns and villages, remote natural areas, to connect to large Shinto shrines called Taisha.
It’s also a rare multi-day through-hike that doesn’t require camping. Instead, hikers on the trail will stay in a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn often found in the countryside), bed and breakfast, hotel, or homestay in one of the small towns and villages along the way.
For our hike along the Kumano Kodo, we chose to hike the Nakahechi Route, the most popular option, which crosses west to east from Takijiri to Nachi, passing through three Taisha. While it never felt crowded—we often went hours without seeing any other hikers—it’s popular enough that you’ll want to book your accommodations as far in advance as you can. Here’s where we stayed.
Overview of our 5 day itinerary on the Kumano Kodo
| Day | Start / End | Total Hike | Hotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takijiri - Takahara | Bus from Tanabe to Takijiri, then hike 3.7 km (2.2 miles) ~2.5 hrs | Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge |
| 2 | Takahara - Chikatsuyu | 9 km (5.5 miles), 5~6 hrs | Sen Retreat, Chikatsuyu |
| 3 | Chikatsuyu - Hongu/Yunomine Onsen | ~25 km (~15.5 mi), 9-12 hours | Ryokan Adumaya, Yunomine Onsen |
| 4 | Hongu - Shingu | 2 km (1.2 miles) plus boat ride | [Kamikura-Hideaway] |
| 5 | Shingu - Nachi | Hiking optional | Return to Osaka/Kyoto |
Related: What to Pack for the Kumano Kodo Trail
Getting to and from the trailhead
We landed in Osaka and spent one night there at a hotel androoms Shin-Osaka, which was cheap, cheerful, close to the Shin-Osaka train station, and had an excellent (and early) breakfast. You can also forward luggage through their front desk. It was honestly perfect for this situation.
First thing in the morning, we took the train from Osaka to Tanabe. On the way back, we took a train from Shingu to Kii-Katsuura Station in the morning, left our luggage at the station while we visited the Nachi temple and waterfall, then back in the afternoon to train back to Kyoto.
We bought JR passes to cut down on transportation costs and since we had 4 other long-haul train rides (including the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo for our flight home), it was definitely worthwhile.
Tips for booking hotels on the Kumano Kodo
It can be difficult for foreigners to book hotel rooms directly on Japanese hotel websites. They don’t always have an English version and Google translate can be finicky at best. However, the official website for the Kumano Kodo is available in multiple languages, including English and allows you to book accommodations and tours directly through their site. You can even select one of their itineraries (such as this one), scroll to the bottom, enter a start date, and choose from a list of suggested places to stay. Overall, it’s an excellent resource.
However, if you’re going off-course from one of their suggested routes or simply prefer to book accommodations on your own—which we did—I’d recommend booking through an online travel agency (OTA) such as booking.com or Agoda. I found them to have a lot (though not all) of the Japan hotels I wanted to stay in listed, and were much easier to navigate.
Day 1 | Takahara | Kiri-no-Sato
Website: Website
Book now: Booking.com
Location: Google Maps
Most hikers will spend their first night on the Nakahechi Route in Takahara after hiking the 3.7km from Takijiri. However, we pushed on to Chikatsuyu for our first night because we were short on time. If we had stayed there, we would have booked Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge "Organic Hotel". This small hotel had rave reviews from many travelers, specifically highlighting its delicious, organic food, comfortable beds, and beautiful, sweeping views of the mountains and valley below Takahara. They also have an indoor and outdoor onsen, and a communal outdoor lounge area.
Note that they do not accept guests on Sunday nights and there is no public transportation directly to the hotel. Plan on hiking in and out.
Day 2 | Chikatsuyu | Sen Retreat
View from the patio at Sen Retreat in Chikatsuyu, Japan.
Website: Website
Book now: Booking.com
Location: Google Maps
Typically, hikers arrive in Chikatsuyu on the second night on the trail, after an 8-mile hike from Takahara. One of our favorite hotels of the entire trip, we spent the night here at Sen Retreat, a modern glamping-style accommodation made from refurbished shipping containers (they also have a location in Takahara). The rooms themselves are equipped with a small kitchen, comfortable beds, a full bathroom, and even a washing and drying machine. Designed to relax with friends and family in nature, the rooms also include comfortable outdoor sofas (complete with blankets and under-table heaters for cold nights) perfect for watching the sunset from, as well as a tiny projector for watching movies after the sun goes down. Although it was right off the main road, we found it a quiet and peaceful place to stay—especially from our room in the back, which overlooked a river and the green hills that surround this small town.
Left: Dinner box at Sen retreat. Right: a view of the containers.
With your stay, you are also given the option to add on dinner, breakfast, and a boxed lunch. We ordered all three. The dinner was tasty but lunch and breakfast were so-so and are actually served at a nearby cafe that doesn’t open until 7:30am (which might be too late for some hikers). If I were to stay here again, I would skip Sen Retreat’s breakfast and boxed lunch. Instead, there’s an excellent grocery store and bakery just across the street (the bakery also sells locally roasted coffee beans). The dinner was a highlight, though given how decked out the grill set up was, I wish I had opted for the BBQ set instead of the boxed dinner. I had assumed we’d be too tired for BBQ but I was wrong!
Day 3 | Yunomine Onsen | Ryokan Adumaya
A view from the trail on the way to Hongu.
Website: Website
Book now: Booking.com
Location: Google Maps
Even after taking a 10-minute bus ride to skip the first couple of miles of the stretch between Chikatsuyu and Hongu, this was the longest, most arduous day on the trail—clocking in at 12 miles in total. We also had to hustle to make sure we were in Hongu before the last bus for our accommodation for the night left at 4:58pm.
Fortunately, all of that hard work was worth the reward of staying at Ryokan Adumaya, a traditional Japanese-style inn with an indoor and outdoor onsen (hot spring). The inn itself is a dark yet inviting structure built in the 1800s and nestled against a backdrop of a tree-covered hill. By far, it had the best food of our entire hike. Shortly after arriving (and freshening up in their private onsen) we were served a full multi-course kaiseki dinner, featuring fish, game, and vegetables from the surrounding mountains. While at dinner, one of the staff members transformed our room from a sitting room to bedroom, complete with Japanese style futons laid out on the straw, tatami mats. The next morning, we were again treated to a delicious, multi-course breakfast—definitely make time to enjoy the morning if you stay here.
Left: Kaiseki dinner. Right: names of the night’s guests outside the entrance.
The only downside to this hotel is that it’s a bit run-down in places. The hallways, for example, were in need of some fresh paint, and the lighting could be better. But given that it was some of the best food we had during our entire trip, the hotel had access to a private (guests only) onsen, and the staff were incredibly hospitable, I would still recommend it, especially if you want to experience a more traditional ryokan.
Day 4: Shingu | [Kamikura-Hideaway]
Book now: Booking.com // Airbnb
Location: Google Maps
On our final leg of the journey, we hiked 2 kilometers back to Hongu and took a quick bus ride to catch a boat to the port town of Shingu and the second Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, on this route. From here, you can catch a train and hike to the final Taisha, Kumano-Nachi Taisha, which is also home to the largest waterfall in Japan.
Most of the accommodation options in Shingu and along the coast are large, nondescript hotels—but not [Kamikura-Hideaway], which is one of the most unique Airbnbs I’ve ever stayed in. At this stylish, retro little apartment tucked away on a quiet alley, you’re literally staying inside an interactive novel.
Left: a clue from the book. Right: the house’s story and a cup of coffee.
After arriving, our host pointed us to a couple of books, one in English and one in Japanese, that “tells the story of the house”. Rather than a single page of interesting facts, we discovered that we had a full novel on our hands, complete with stories and drama about the characters who used to live in the apartment. Clues from the story—including some supplemental reading materials—appear throughout the house, and as we read more, some of the objects in the house began to take on a new meaning. But what I loved most about the story was how connected it was to Japanese mythology and the local area, which allowed us to feel totally immersed in the area and be completely present in our location.
As for the practical features, the apartment had two comfortable tatami mats, a wonderful coffee set up in the (full) kitchen, and was only a 10-15 minute walk from the Kumano Hayatama Taisha (also the drop-off point for the boat tours). The hosts were especially kind and hospitable, and clearly put a lot of love into their place.
If you love books, don’t think twice, stay here.
Day 5: Nachi | Back to Osaka/Kyoto
The next morning, we woke up and took the train from Shingu to Kii-Katsuura Station, where you can catch a bus to the third and final grand shrine on this leg of the Kumano Kodo trail, Nachi. It’s also home to the largest waterfall in Japan. Since we were short on time, we just left our luggage in a locker at the train station to visit Nachi for the day, then returned to take a train directly to Kyoto. It’s also easy to continue on to Osaka or Tokyo from here.
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