On foot | Stage by stage | Japan

Kumano Kodo Nakahechi — the Kii pilgrimage

Five days of shrines, cedar forest and onsen across the Kii peninsula.

70 kmTotal distance
3,800 mTotal climbing
5 daysStages on foot
14 kmAverage per day

The Nakahechi is the classic Kumano Kodo variant, linking the three great Kumano shrines. Stages are short but full of stone stairways and steady climbs.

You sleep in village minshuku and ryokan, dinner and breakfast included, with very limited beds. Local buses let you skip sections and stay two nights in the same place.

Stage simulator

How many km and how many days?

The full route is 67 km and about 5 days. Enter any km and days: if you are not doing it in one go, split it into several trips.

5 days, 67 km and 4200 m of climbing: about 13.4 km a day and 4 nights on the way.

  1. Takijiri-oji → Chikatsuyu14 km · 1000 m D+Sleep: Chikatsuyu · Eat: Shop at Takijiri
  2. Chikatsuyu → Hongu Taisha25 km · 1300 m D+Sleep: Hongu Taisha · Eat: Hosshinmon-oji
  3. Hongu → Koguchi13 km · 800 m D+Sleep: Koguchi · Eat: Ukegawa
  4. Koguchi → Nachisan or Kii-Katsuura7.5 km · 550 m D+Sleep: Nachisan or Kii-Katsuura · Eat: No services — carry the day's food
  5. Nachisan or Kii-Katsuura → Nachi Taisha7.5 km · 550 m D+Sleep: Nachi Taisha

Create your account and keep going with these 5 days.

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  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
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Stages and sections

Approximate distances and climbing. Every guidebook and GPX varies by a few kilometres.

SectionKmD+DaysSleepEat
Takijiri-oji - Takahara4 km400 m1TakaharaShop at Takijiri
Takahara - Chikatsuyu10 km600 m1ChikatsuyuVending machines and shop in Chikatsuyu
Chikatsuyu - Hongu Taisha25 km1,300 m1Yunomine Onsen or HonguHosshinmon-oji
Hongu - Koguchi13 km800 m1KoguchiUkegawa
Koguchi - Nachi Taisha15 km1,100 m1Nachisan or Kii-KatsuuraNo services — carry the day's food
Stops along the route6

Four facts per village — what is worth a stop, where to sleep, where to eat and the practical warning.

Takijiri-ojiSee — Trailhead shrine of the route
Sleep — Takahara
Eat — Shop at Takijiri
Good to know — Bus from Kii-Tanabe
See on the map
Takahara · km 4See — Village of mist and its views
Sleep — Chikatsuyu
Eat — Vending machines and shop in Chikatsuyu
Good to know — Very few beds — book ahead
See on the map
Chikatsuyu · km 14See — River, rice fields and minshuku
Sleep — Yunomine Onsen or Hongu
Eat — Hosshinmon-oji
Good to know — Dinner included at the minshuku
See on the map
Hongu · km 39See — Oyunohara and its giant torii
Sleep — Koguchi
Eat — Ukegawa
Good to know — Yunomine onsen close by
See on the map
Koguchi · km 52See — Hamlet below the Ogumotori-goe
Sleep — Nachisan or Kii-Katsuura
Eat — No services — carry the day's food
Good to know — Next stage is very demanding
See on the map
Nachi Taisha · km 67See — Nachi waterfall and pagoda
Sleep — Nachisan or Kii-Katsuura
Eat — No services — carry the day's food
Good to know — Coastal train from Kii-Katsuura
See on the map

Daily distance by level

Easy6-7 days with an extra night in Yunomine Onsen and some sections by bus.
Normal5 days, the classic Takijiri to Nachi split.
Hard4 days joining Chikatsuyu-Hongu and Koguchi-Nachi.

Travel and paperwork

Getting thereTrain to Kii-Tanabe from Osaka, then bus to Takijiri-oji.
Getting backBus from Nachi to Kii-Katsuura and limited express to Osaka or Nagoya.
SleepingMinshuku and ryokan with half board — book months ahead.
BaggageLocal luggage shuttle between villages, arranged the day before.

Season — March to May and October to November. Summer is hot and humid, and June is the tsuyu rainy season.

Keep it in your calendar

Once you build this route as a plan, every stage is a card with time, duration and place. From the plan link anyone can download the calendar (.ics) or add it to Google Calendar and Outlook, with reminders before each day and before payment or confirmation deadlines.

What to lock before you leave

Frequently asked questions

How long is Kumano Kodo Nakahechi — the Kii pilgrimage?70 km in total, with around 3,800 m of climbing.
How many days does it take?5 days on foot (14 km average per stage).
Where do people usually sleep?The usual overnight points are Takahara, Chikatsuyu, Yunomine Onsen or Hongu, Koguchi. The stage table lists them section by section.
How many kilometres a day should I plan?Easy: 6-7 days with an extra night in Yunomine Onsen and some sections by bus. Normal: 5 days, the classic Takijiri to Nachi split. Hard: 4 days joining Chikatsuyu-Hongu and Koguchi-Nachi.
When is the best time to go?March to May and October to November. Summer is hot and humid, and June is the tsuyu rainy season.

In Keago this route becomes a plan — one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.

Create your account and keep building your Kumano Kodo Nakahechi — the Kii pilgrimage plan.

It is free and takes a minute.

  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
Create my accountI already have an account