Japan: Koya-san & Kumano Kodo Trek
Overview
Highlights
- Experience two of the main religions in Japan – Buddhism and Shintoism – by following the footsteps of ancient pilgrims on their quest for faith along the Koya-san and Kumano Kodo trails.
- Discover two of the major cultural hubs of Japan on foot, walking the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto and strolling through the Dotombori district in Osaka.
- Join in the morning prayers and share a traditional shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) meal during an overnight temple stay in Koya-san, deep in mountainous Wakayama prefecture.
- Soak in an ancient onsen after a day of trekking in Yunomine – there's no better way in Japan to relax and rejuvenate, as well as understand local traditions, than in the natural mineral waters of a hot spring.
- Explore Kyoto on a couple of nearby hikes for a different perspective on the life and culture in this notable city, as well as visiting some sites of natural and religious significance.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Intrepid Foundation partner, Eden Reforestation Projects. Donations help them provide local employment opportunities and tackle climate change one tree at a time as they restore forests across 10 different countries. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Itinerary
Konnichiwa! Welcome to Kyoto, Japan. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today. If you have some free time, step out onto the streets for your first taste of this beautiful city. Originally founded as Heian-kyo – ‘tranquility and peace capital’ – in A...
Get active this morning with a walk to the eighth century Shimogamo Shrine – located right at the intersection of the Kamo-gamo and Takano rivers. The shrine is dedicated to the god of harvest and holds many rites around purification and agricultural produce, and this...
Take a train (approximately 2.5 hours) to Kii-hosokawa Station in the Koya-san district, ready for your forest trek. Koya-san is the name given to a monastic complex in the Koya-Ryujin Quasi-National Park, and is one of Japan’s most sacred sites. Begin your 11-kilomet...
This morning, you’ll have the chance to participate in the monastery’s morning prayers, before making tracks to Yunomine Onsen by private vechicle. This 4.5-hour journey weaves through the Koya-san and Kumano Kodo mountains. Yunomine is an ancient onsen town that form...
Embrace an early start as you’ll hike part of the historic Kumano Kodo today. The Kumano Kodo is one of only two World Heritage-listed pilgrimage routes in the world, the other being the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This morning, transfer to Ukegawa by bus (a short 15...
New day; new trail – get ready for another full-day hike on the sacred Kumano Kodo. For around the first 3 hours, it’s a steep uphill climb, rising to over 800 metres. After reaching the Echizen-toge Pass, follow the ridge of the forest for another couple of kilometre...
In the morning, visit the local tuna market at Kii Katsuura, where tuna from the cool waters of the Pacific is traded daily, before you hop on a train and rest your legs for the long journey to Osaka (approximately 5 hours). You’ll hit Osaka around lunchtime, just in ...
With no activities planned for today, you are free to depart at any time.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check current availability, prices, specials & more.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Intrepid Travel Reviews & Ratings
Other Intrepid Travel Reviews
Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this…
Completed 3 trips with Intrepid this year. A prior last year. The Leaders are well organized, informative and fun. Travelling inland in Greece and the Greek Island...
The intrepid group were excellent to…
The intrepid group were excellent to work with and were very helpful at all times and made organising the trip a breeze. This was an excellent trip, and was enjoyed ...
Awful waste of time and money.
I’m aware that Intrepid responds to reviews, so here’s my updated take. I paid approximately $1,800 USD for a 9-day trip to Costa Rica. However, between the arrival...
Tour Operator
The Intrepid Travel Experience
If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.
Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.
Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.
Why Intrepid?
- Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
- Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
- Local leaders - authentic perspectives
- Local transport - get close and personal
- Local accommodation - experience real living
- Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions
History
Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.
Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.
Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.
Values
On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:
- Integrity – Doing the right thing
- Responsible – Think global, act local
- Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
- Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
- Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
- Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer
Associations
About Travelstride
Find your perfect trip
Save time
Save money
Travel confidently
Logistics
Accommodation
Transportation & Flights
Transportation & flights
Finish point
- The Bridge Hotel Shinsaibashi
- 1-10-24, Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi 大阪府大阪市中央区西心斎橋1-10-24
- Osaka
- Osaka
- 542-0086
- JAPAN
- Phone: +81 649636501
Become a member
- Save up to $700 per person
- Access members-only specials
- Personalize trip recommendations