This walk is available all year round, but you may encounter some snow from December to February. Many people prefer to walk in spring to see the cherry blossoms and in autumn because of the change of seasons and the good weather.

Travelling to the Start of the walk

This walk starts in the Hongu region (train to Tanabe from Osaka and bus to either Yunomine, Kawayu or Wataze Onsen) and ends in Nachi-san or Nachi-Katsuura. You will need to get yourself to and from the start and end of your walk (i.e. you will need to organise your travel to the start of the walk in Hongu and then onwards from your last accommodation). To make it easy we have collated some useful information that will assist you in making arrangements for your travel.

By Air: By far, the best option is to fly into Osaka and take the train from there. You can take the train direct from Osaka Kansai Airport to Kii-Tanabe (train station).  Take a local train for a few stops and then hop on the Kii Peninsula JR West train. The train station is at the airport, and there are English speaking staff at the ticket office. You might consider spending some time in Osaka. Osaka is a very interesting city and has many beautiful temples and of course Osaka Castle. In spring it is particularly beautiful. It also has a sophisticated restaurant culture and markets that seem to go on for kilometres, literally.

By rail and bus: Japan has one of the best train systems in the world, so it’s very easy to catch a train to any destination in the country. An express train is the fastest way to travel to the area. Travelling in Japan on trains is a seamless experience, and it is not necessary to always pre-purchase tickets. There’s plenty of rail staff that speak English well enough to direct you the right way and to converse with you about how to buy your ticket. Please talk to our destination consultants if you’d like any more information.

Hyperdia is a great website resource to figure out when and where your train departs. It might be best to buy your train ticket on the JR train network when you first arrive in Japan so you can relax. However, the trains run often and are so efficient that you shouldn’t have any trouble just arriving 20 minutes beforehand and buying a ticket. JR passes can be a convenient and reasonable way to get around the area. There are two regional JR passes that cover the Kii Peninsula: Kansai WIDE Area Pass, and Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass.

The journey from Osaka to Tanabe takes about 1 – 2 hours and costs about YEN 3,800. You can take the train direct from Osaka Kansai Airport to Kii-Tanabe (train station).  Take a local train to Hineno station then hop on the Kii Peninsula JR West train. The train station is at the airport, and there are English-speaking staff at the ticket office.

If you stay in Osaka then you’ll need to catch the subway (Osaka Metro Midosuji) to Tennoji station. The tickets can be purchased locally. From Tennoji it’s a JR train service to Kii-Tanabe bound for Shirahama.

The bus station for your onward journey to the Hongu region is located in front of the Kii-Tanabe train station, the ticket can be bought at the Visitors Information Centre next to the train station. The buses depart every 30 minutes or so and take about 1.5 – 2 hours and costs about YEN 2,700 – YEN 4,200 depending on the service. All details will be made available in your notes and during your briefing session with a local representative in Tanabe.

Travelling from the end of the walk

By rail: The train from Kii-Katsuura (train station a short distance from Nachisan by bus) back to Osaka takes about 4 hours and costs about YEN 4,700. You can also choose to go to Tokyo or anywhere else for that matter in Japan. However, you most likely will need to travel through a major city to get there.

By Air: See above

The walk is moderate to moderate-to-challenging with some long days if you wish. Full day walks average about 15 km with 5 –7 hours walking each day. The walking is over well-maintained paths but expect each day to start with some reasonable elevation gains.

This historic route has stacks of small temples (Oji) and statues to admire along the way. For much of the time, you are walking under a forest canopy which makes for mild conditions, other than in the height of summer.

For what to bring, please refer to Gear Advice on our FAQ section.

From the end of  March, the temperature begins to increase. In summer it’s quite warm and humid but still good for walking,  particularly if you enjoy warmer temperatures and taking a dip in a stream.

The walk is offered in winter but bring some warm clothes and good rain gear.  The area is just as beautiful if not more and is not busy at all. Soaking in an outside onsen in the cool of the night is one of those real authentic Japanese experiences that you can look forward to after a big day on the track.

As walkers, we believe spring and autumn to be the best time as the weather is perfect for walking.

See the weather information about Osaka’s average weather at different times of the year.

We require that you have adequate travel insurance against potential losses, damage or injury, including cancellation costs and loss of luggage.

For all trips that require international travel, you must have purchased travel insurance that also includes medical evacuation coverage.

We also charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it to cover costs incurred from our suppliers and in the office.  See the FAQ section for more information.

For nearly 30 years we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a very detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants. You can get in touch with us via our contact form or email us at info@stroll.com