Kumano is an important part of the World Heritage site “the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains”. Kumano is in Wakayama Prefecture and I worked for Wakayama Prefectural Government as a general manager of Cultural Heritage Division and I was also in charge of the World Heritage Project. I know this sacred site very well.
At your hotel in Hongu
In this tour we will walk the 14km long Kumano Kodo Hongu Loop. We will visit Kumano Hongu Taisha and its former site Oyunohara as well.
We will walk the 7km long Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Akagi Route for three hours. This route was frequently used after the 14th century.
Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Akagi Route merges into the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Main Route near Hosshinmon Oji. Oji is a small shrine which enshrines Kumano Deities. There are ninety-nine Oji along the Kumano Kodo. Hosshinmon Oji is one of the five most important Oji. After praying at Hosshinmon Oji, we will continue pilgrimage to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine for another three hours. It is the 7km long final part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route.
After walking 14km for six hours, we will arrive at Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine. This is one of the Three Shrines in Kumano and is the final destination of the Kumano Pilgrimage. The sacred atmosphere of the precincts will surround you.
At your hotel in Hongu
guide fee
Insurance
Food and beverages
As we will walk a lot, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Food and drinks are NOT included.
He was very attentive to what the kids might loke and he took them to all the right places!!! Thank you for a memorable day!
Thank you very much for your kind message. I am glad kids liked the tour. See you later for Nara tour.
Hiro was the most gracious guide/host for our family. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful of our time. He made sure we knew how to navigate through the crowds and find the the best spots for photos. He is well educated and easy to understand and does a lot to make sure we have a good grasp of the history. Hiro is a must guide to have!
Thank you very much for your kind message and pictures. It was really nice visiting Nara and Osaka Castle with you and your wonderful family yesterday. It was very hot and a little hurry, but we had a wonderful day, didn't we? It's sometimes very difficult to do a tour with teenagers. But your family was different. You were all smiling all the time. There's a saying in Japan, "fortune goes to a smiling family". May fortune goes to you. Have a safe trip, bon voyage!
Went as a solo traveller, he is extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture surrounding mt koyasan. Shared many of his insights and made for a very fruitful and enjoyable day trip to koyasan!
Thank you very much for taking my Koyasan tour today. It was hot but I had a wonderful time with you. Have a safe trip and I will be looking forward to seeing you again.
Hiro you are a Rockstar!! I booked a small group tour with Hiro for both Kyoto and Osaka and the experience was fantastic. Hiro and I communicated a number of times pre-travel to solidify the 2 day itinerary. He was very open to ensuring we were able to see and experience what we wanted, our itinerary was very much personalized for us and was flexible. At the last minute we threw out a request to shop for Japanese carving knives and without issue he worked it into our itinerary. One of the things that our group appreciated about Hiro was that he didn’t just take us to locations and shared information, he asked us questions and then challenged us to truly experience the location. At the Ryoaji Temple he got us to sit, clear our minds, search for inspiration and then attempt to see the 15 rocks so that we could be “perfect”! Forcing a group of Canadian to essentially “stop and ponder life”, was something that we didn’t know we needed, until we did it! During our tours we also visited the Golden Temple, Osaka Castle, Dontombori shopping and other spots. Hiro truly helped us better understand the nuance of Japanese cultural. My group really loved him! The depth of knowledge and the ability to convey feeling as well as knowledge just added to the experience. Anyone who is visiting Kyoto and Osaka and is looking for “more than just a tour”, should connect with Hiro! Thank you so much Mike Expedia Cruises Oakville South (Ontario/Canada)
Mike-san, It was really nice to visiting Kyoto and Osaka with you the other day. You and your group were so nice that I enjoyed the tour myself. To be honest, I was a little worried about Ryoan-ji, the Rock Garden. In fact, there are some people who don't understand the values of the Rock Garden. But you all liked it and everyone became perfect. Please come back to Japan someday. There are a lot more to see in Japan. I will be looking forward to seeing you again.