Spiritual Respite in Kumano Kodo

Day 1
Arrival in Osaka / Mt. Koya

Arriving in Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, you will be transported to your quaint temple lodging nestled among the forested pine slopes of Mount Koya. This sacred mountain is the birthplace of the mystical Shingon Buddhism in Japan.Late afternoon, you will be joined by a temple monk to practice Ajikan meditation. Allow yourself to gradually enter a state of rhythmic breathing to purify your minds before concluding with a healthy dinner of Shojin Ryori, handed down through the generations with its mindful ingredient selection of seasonal vegetables and edible wild plants.

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Day 2
Mt. Koya / Nakahechi Trail / Kawayu

Rise early to participate in the morning ancestral memorial service dedicated as an appreciation of the Buddhist saints, followed by a Goma fire ritual. Local monks are known to practice this ritual to burn away the root of human suffering.

Thereafter, you will be transported to Chikatsuyu-oji, where you will begin your Kumano Kodo walk along the Nakahechi trail to Tsugizakura-oji. In ancient times, hundreds of pilgrims walked this path as a purification ritual. The walk is around 4.2km, taking approximately 2 hours as you breathe in the fresh mountain air. Tonight, you will stay in the Kawayu Onsen area.

Day 3
Kawayu / Kohechi Trail / Kawayu

Let us take you on a “forest bathing” experience along the scenic Kohechi trail, framed with ancient 500-year-old cedars and towering deciduous trees with colourful foliage—bright green in spring and deep red in autumn. The walk spans 7.5km from Hosshinmon Gate to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine, taking approximately 3 hours in total.

After an active walk along the pristine forest, slow down in the afternoon with a relaxing dip on your onsen. Blessed with alkaline thermal spring, the onsen in Kawayu is known to carry health benefits in soothing nerve pain and diabetes.

Day 4
Kawayu / Nachi Taisha Trail / Ise-Shima

Today’s walk will bring you along the picturesque Nachi Taisha trail, bestowed with camphor trees and bamboo groves along the Daimon-zaka slope. Ascend to the Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine, a centrepiece of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage path. Feel the awe of the bountiful Nachi Falls, the tallest single-tiered waterfall in Japan. This trail spans 1.5km and takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete.

Thereafter, we continue to the coastal area of Ise-Shima where you will check-in at the lovely Amanemu resort for the next two nights.

Day 5
Ise-Shima

Dive deeper into the heart of Japan’s spiritual home as you visit the country’s holiest Shinto shrine: the 2000-year-old Ise Jingu. Thereafter, you will have the opportunity for a seafood lunch with an ama on a diver’s hut. Gain priceless insights into the life of an ama, the ancient female free-divers who make their living by collecting pearls, shellfishes, sea urchins and seaweeds from the seabed.

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Day 6
Ise-Shima / Departure from Osaka

Spend your final day at leisure. You may want to explore the tranquil seaside surroundings at your own pace before we pick you up for your transfer to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport or Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport for your onwards journey.