Staying on the Nakahechi route without walking
The Nakahechi route is part of the Kumano Kodo walking trail network in Honshu, Japan. I am taken with the idea of staying on this route in particular but do not want to do more than moderate day-walking.
Is it possible to take a train or bus to any of the villages along the route and stay in ryokan accommodation there? What are some of the prettier locations along the route?
Best Answer
The Nakahechi route can be walked with multi-day trips or shorter walks. One popular shorter walk is the Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha section. It is a seven kilometer walk with a mixture of isolated villages and forests, and finishes at the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine. There are some scenic lookouts along the way.
Being based in one of the hot springs in Hongu is an excellent choice, such as Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen. Yunomine Onsen is along the Kumano Kodo route. Some of these accommodations at Kawayu Onsen have free shuttle buses to the Hosshinmon-oji trail head, such as Fujiya Ryokan.
As mentioned in the previous answer, public buses run to Yunomine Onsen and Kawayu Onsen from Tanabe in the west and from Shingu in the south. There is also a very long bus route to the hot springs from the north through Nara prefecture.
The local community based government run reservation system called Kumano Travel has a list of accommodations for the above hot springs. They really helped me out with my trip to the area.
This is one of the best ways to stay along the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi pilgrimage route being based in a ryokan with some moderate walking routes nearby.
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How long is the Nakahechi route?
How Long?: Allow 7 days in total, which will include 4-5 days of walking for full route, rest day and arrival & departure days. Our Team at RAW travel can adapt some of the walking days to suit your timeframe and ability so that the trip matches your desired length.How difficult is the Kumano Kodo?
Basic accommodation and food in remote areas will contribute to a walk being graded more difficult. Our Kumano Kodo trips a 6-7, Challenging to Strenuous with our Kumano Kodo Highlight trip graded a 4-6, Moderate to Challenging.How long does it take to hike the Kumano Kodo trail?
Starting from Koyasan in the north down to Hongu in the center of the Kii Peninsula. It is 70 km in length and is considered the hardest of all the routes because you trek over three mountain passes. This route typically takes 4 days to complete.How much does the Kumano Kodo cost?
How much does it cost to hike the Kumano Kodo on a budget? Organised tours (including the \u201cself-guided\u201d ones) will often cost well beyond $2,000. When you organise your trip independently, you need to budget for far less.KUMANO KODO | Nakahechi Route | Hiking Japan’s Pilgrimage Trail Day 1
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Images: Julia Sakelli, Anete Lusina, Dziana Hasanbekava, Anete Lusina