Kumano Kodo & Kumano Sanzan Full-Day Pilgrimage Tour

This tour was amazing with the sightseeing! That view with the temple and Nachi falls in the background is the highlight. However, you should take a few things into account. First, you will be spending a lot of time on the bus. The roads are in the mountains, meaning a lot of turns. If you suffer from motion sickness, take your meds with you and email the guide in advance if you would like to sit at the front. Second, take your favorite snacks with you. Third, take your headphones with you. I recommend eating a meal at the Nachi stop since that is the only chance for a proper meal. The good thing is that the guide gave neck pillows and also water, which was really nice. Also, I really appreciated that he had a Finnish audio guide! That is super rare. The guide spends all his time driving, so he plays the guides for everyone. He gave enough guidance to see the sights by ourselves. Lastly, check the weather forecast before going. With these in mind, you will have an amazing trip and incredible photos!

Excellent 1 day trip to Kumano Kodo. Great way to experience from Osaka on a 13 hour trip, out of which there is 8 hours of driving from and back Osaka. No problem at all as the driving was safe and comfortable. The trip is fulfilling and well planned with sufficient time to visit but don't take your own sweet time taking photos. Yan Lei is an excellent guide and a great driver. Good communication on timing and plans. Made it back on time to Osaka despite it being the Mountain day and Obon week. Highly recommended. Good for solo, couples and family. Suitable for all with a wide coverage of languages.

The tour is very well coordinated, which I liked. One thing I want to emphasize is that you get a 2-hour block to see the main sites and make sure to eat during that time. I got a little confused by the written itinerary and didn’t grab food in time since I thought it was after the sightseeing. Taiyuan is very kind, and there are emails ahead of time to remind you where to go. The bus is roomy and comfy, and he provided some neck pillows too, which were super helpful to sleep on the long ride. If you’re looking for a self-paced and do-whatever-you-want kind of tour, which is more of my vibe, I would definitely say go for this one. I highly recommend it. I liked that I could trust our driver and all the other passengers. Lunch is not included, but there are shops you can buy food from. Try to eat breakfast beforehand since it is a very long ride.

The price of the tour is really reasonable and worth it. I don't think I would have been able to get to these locations easily by train, and it would have taken so much time. The guide is helpful and friendly. You need to manage your time nicely to grab a quick lunch before leaving the Nachi Waterfall. There's also a coupon where you can get ice cream if you buy/eat something for ¥1000 (at the shop near the waterfall). However, the tour itself provides you with some snacks, water, and even a new pair of socks after the foot onsen. It really surprised me 😂. The itinerary was well planned too. I thought I might not be able to climb up to the top of the shrine, but I managed to get there! Nice tour!

Amazing experience. If you don't have the time and energy to do the actual pilgrimage, this is the solution. We were able to visit the 3 Kumano Kodo grand shrines in 1 day, plus ending the trip in a relaxing footbath. The guides were very helpful in giving us directions and information about the places through prerecorded explanations. The trip was super worth it.

The best tour with the sweetest guide! We were kindly picked up at the meeting point, which was clearly arranged in advance. Then we set off, stopping at various highlights. Along the way, an audio guide was played, which was very interesting, useful, and a great addition! Furthermore, at the highlights, it was clearly indicated how much time you had and what time you needed to be back at the bus. Tai An was incredibly kind and very hospitable. He even specially translated the audio guide into Dutch for us! He ensures a pleasant journey. He provided bottled water, travel sickness pills, umbrellas if needed, socks after the onsen, and a goodie bag with food and drinks at the end! Sidenote: this is separate from the amazing tour, but please keep in mind that you will be driving through the mountains and will therefore encounter bumpy roads, narrow roads, and winding routes. This can be quite challenging if you get car sick.

首先，我必須感謝我們的導遊兼司機Hanazawa先生，他辛苦地開了一整天的車，帶領大家穿越奈良、抵達和歌山，最後又平安回到大阪。一路上有將近一半都是山路，翻山越嶺確實非常不容易。其次，這次的行程安排簡直無可挑剔。從熊野三山重要性的詳細解說，到導覽手冊中地圖的清晰標示，都讓我們能在短時間內掌握當日行程的重點。特別是在參拜完熊野那智大社後，還貼心地安排了足浴讓大家放鬆身心，簡直完美。旅途中，Hanazawa對我們的照顧更是無微不至，爬山前發的一瓶礦泉水、下午休息時準備的頸枕，以及最後的小點心，都讓人備感溫馨。這不僅是一趟融合自然與心靈的旅程，更是充實且溫暖的一天。

The tour is worth the price. This saved me a lot of time in going to Kumano Kodo which usually takes days to complete. It was raining but it made the scene more amazing. In addition to that, the driver was kind and offered umbrellas. There’s also a recorded English guide to explain the significance of each place. 💯

Excellent route visiting the main temples of Kumano Kodo, an excellent experience with explanations in English. Hanazawa, the guide and driver, was super helpful and always punctual. It's very much worth it.

このツアーは、通常数日かかることを1日で実現します。ツアーガイドは非常にプロフェッショナルでフレンドリーでした。特に御朱印を集めている方には、このツアーをお勧めします。