Very well organized . Great rout and very good accommodations

Just incredible! Everything was booked through Kumano Travel, and all the details and instructions were provided via email, making the whole experience really easy to organise. I stayed in three different places, each with its own unique charm. The first town was lovely and a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s major cities. The first day of trekking was challenging, with a steep incline almost immediately, so I’d definitely recommend bringing hiking poles and plenty of food and water. The walk to Chikatsuyu was absolutely stunning, passing through beautiful forests, small villages and some incredible scenery. The guesthouse in Chikatsuyu was a highlight, and I loved the town itself. It’s a quiet, sleepy little place with a handful of shops. I’d recommend checking out the beer garden and taking a stroll to the local mart. The second day involves quite a bit of travel, and unless you’re planning to hike from dawn until dusk, it might be worth considering the intermediate itinerary. Some sections of the trail are quite challenging, particularly the steep downhill stretches, so it’s worth being prepared\. The final guesthouse was another fantastic experience, with a traditional Japanese-style room and a wonderful dinner and breakfast featuring a varied spread of Japanese dishes. It’s also right next to some natural hot springs, where you can even dig a small hole in the riverbank and watch it fill with hot water! The luggage forwarding service was excellent and made the whole experience so much easier. Being able to walk each day with just a daypack was a huge bonus. One final tip: don’t stress too much about finding the correct buses. They’re generally full of other hikers, so it’s pretty easy to work out where you need to be. Overall, an unforgettable experience. The combination of spectacular scenery, peaceful villages, welcoming guesthouses and traditional Japanese hospitality made this one of the highlights of my trip. I’d highly recommend it!

We thoroughly enjoyed our kumano pilgrimage. Overall the experience exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were better than we expected and some of the host’s hospitality was tremendous. The weather did alter our plans a little, but having the bus backup allowed us to take advantage of later starts to avoid hiking in the rain but still being able to make it to our destinations before dark. The number of people on the trail was a bit more than we expected, but we were able to find enough solitude and still made friends from all over the world. I highly recommend this journey and hopefully we can come back some day and enjoy the pilgrimage again

No guest review.

Ce trek a été une expérience humaine incroyable, en particulier grâce au professionnalisme de l'équipe du Kumano Travel et grâce à la gentillesse de toutes les personnes que nous avons eu le plaisir de rencontrer lors des différentes étapes. Bref, je recommande à 100% ...

My wife and I did this route and it was the highlight of our entire Japan trip. The experience overall was one that we will remember forever. in regards to the hike, it is very challenging at times with all the incline, but well worth it. If you are an avid hiker, you will still be tested - but its nothing that you cant get through.

That was the best part of my Japan trip. I already want to come back to walk more of the trail. I had a great experience booking everything through the kumano-travel site. Everything was super smooth and well organized.

Overall, this was a great route that I'd highly recommend. I followed the recommended trekking route on the first day. It was perfect -- just the right mix of challenging elevation changes and easy flats. On the second day, I followed the recommended route but also walked from Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen by following the trail over the mountain instead of taking the bus from Hongu Taisha. I also did this route in less than the recommended time (total hiking time of 9 hours, including a lunch break and 1 hour spent walking around Hongu Taisha). I wouldn't recommend speed-hiking like this unless you're a quite experienced hiker; I hike and trail run a lot, and doing the route this quickly was difficult. The final stretch from Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen was quite steep, and I understand why the recommended route has people taking the bus instead. I walked this last stretch from 5-6pm, and the majority of the hike was in the dark (mid-October), which was a little scary since I didn't see anybody else on that trail (but did see a mamushi!). I saw many more people on the first day of hiking than on the second.

No guest review.

No guest review.