Scenic Trekking on the Historical Kumanokodo Kohechi Route!Enjoy a Mysterious World Heritage Site with Breathtaking Views!

Welcome to Nara! Meet your driver in Nara City and make your way to Totsukawa Village, located in the southern region of Nara Prefecture. Have a look out the window and enjoy the changing scenery, from nostalgic city structures to magnificent natural landscapes.
On the way to our destination, we’ll stop for lunch in Gojo City at a restaurant called, “Gojo Genbei!” This is a Michelin Star Japanese restaurant, known for using local vegetables harvested early in the morning and incorporating them into an exquisite Japanese cuisine. This unique restaurant exists in a 250-year-old traditional style house!
Reach your destination and stay the night at Yunotani Senkei, a luxurious Japanese style villa with a private free-flowing open-air hot spring!
Have a great time relaxing in your own mini villa and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Today, you’ll be heading out for an adventure on the main walking tour along the Kumanokodo Kohechi Route. It is an old pilgrimage route to Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of three sites collectively known as the Kumano Sanzan.
Your tour starts at Hatenashi Settlement, also known as “the village in the sky.” Expect quite a steep climb between Hatenashi Settlement and Hatenashi-toge Pass, with an elevation exceeding 1,000 meters! Feel free to set a comfortable pace and take frequent breaks. Please take your time and enjoy walking safely, as the incline on the trail road from Hatenashi Settlement to Yakio bus stop is fairly steep. Enjoy passing old trail markers called, “Sanju-choishi,” positioned every few hundred meters along the path so that pilgrims could find their way. The distance is approximately 10 km and the walking time is estimated to take 4~5 hours. The total elevation gain is 730 meters, while the total elevation loss is 990 meters.
After reaching Yakio bus stop, you’ll visit Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the main worship sites in Kumanokodo!

The highlight for today is a special visit to Tamakijinja Shrine, which is situated near the summit of Mt. Tamaki, a sacred mountain 1,076 meters high. Surrounded by a forest of ancient cedars, Tamakijinja Shrine has a very serene and mysterious atmosphere. It’s also known as one of the important bases on the Okugake Pilgrimage Route for Shugendo and has fascinated many people for a long time. The shrine is located in a relatively unexplored region on the mountain, making it quite hard to access on your own. Your experienced tour guide will provide a special opportunity to experience Tamakijinja Shrine while informing you on the history and interesting facts of the area!
We hope you have a wonderful time and look forward to traveling with you again!