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Gratwanderer
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Kumano Kodo: walking through the forests of the Kii Peninsula

For over a thousand years, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes have crossed the mountains south of Osaka. A journey between cedars, shrines and hot springs.

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The ancient pilgrimage routes of the Kumano Kodo connect three grand shrines on the Kii Peninsula. Since 2004 they have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of only two pilgrimage routes with that status worldwide. The other is the Camino de Santiago.

On the trail

A hiker walking up a forest path on the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo

Photo: Susann Schuster / Unsplash

The best-known section, the Nakahechi route, climbs moss-covered stone steps through tall cedar forests. Nights are spent in small guesthouses, often with their own hot spring bath.

Good to know

  • Best seasons: spring and autumn
  • Luggage can be forwarded from one guesthouse to the next
  • The stages are short, but steep

Room for your own tips and photos from the route.

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