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A Jo Ann Taylor Signature Adventure
Japan:
Pilgrimage | Culture | Cuisine | Connection
9-Day Signature Walking Adventure Along the Best Paths of The Kumano Kodo Trail and Awaji Island!
May 9 - 17, 2027
Post-trip:
Extension to Kyoto, Japan
The Kumano Kodo is a network of ancient pilgrimage trails included within the UNESCO World Heritage Site, "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range."
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Stay in traditional Japanese inns and a Buddhist temple lodging, soak in mountain hot springs, and discover the quieter landscapes and living traditions of Awaji Island.
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INSPIRATION
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This thoughtfully paced journey begins in the energetic city of Osaka before moving into the forested mountains of Japan's Kii Peninsula. Here, we follow portions of the UNESCO-listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network through small villages, cedar forests, sacred shrines, and centuries of Japanese spiritual history.
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After completing our pilgrimage among the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, we continue to Koyasan, one of Japan's most important centers of Buddhism. Our final days are spent on Awaji Island, where walking is paired with traditional indigo dyeing, local pottery, sustainable agriculture, and the island's own pilgrimage heritage.
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This is a journey through sacred landscapes—but equally important, it is an opportunity to experience Japan slowly, personally, and largely beyond the crowds.​​
Hosted By Walking Connection Founders
Gene & Jo Ann Taylor
Come Walk The Kumano Kodo With Us!
Hosted by Walking Connection Founders, Gene & Jo Ann Taylor
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Trip Dates: May 9 – 17, 2027
​Priced from:​
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From $7398 USD
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$1000 USD Deposit Due with Registration.
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Highlights and Inclusions:​
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​A unique itinerary created by Jo Ann Taylor & our team in Japan.
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Professional English-speaking Interpretive resident guides. (2 if there are eight or more guests).
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9-Days/8-Nights as indicated by the final itinerary.
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All tour & luggage transfers. Train tickets.
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Meals as indicated in the final itinerary.
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Entry into all site visits as indicated in the final itinerary.
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Detailed Know Before You Go information.
Payments, Cancellation Policy, Trip Minimums, etc., Click "Get Details."
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Every detail reflects the heart of Japanese hospitality carefully curated by Jo Ann Taylor to create an experience that’s authentic, immersive, and true to place, without compromise.
A Signature Adventure
Walk an Ancient Pilgrimage Route
The Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage trails crossing the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. For more than a thousand years, emperors, monks, nobles, and ordinary pilgrims have traveled these paths in search of purification, renewal, and connection with the sacred landscapes of Kumano.
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Our itinerary follows carefully selected sections of the Nakahechi route, combining meaningful walking with time to understand the shrines, villages, beliefs, and traditions that shaped the pilgrimage.
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Experience Traditional Japanese Hospitality
This journey includes several distinct styles of Japanese lodging. Along the way, we stay in modern Western-style hotels, traditional ryokan and minshuku inns, a mountain hot-spring resort, and a Buddhist temple lodging known as a shukubo.
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Complete the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano
Our journey includes Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha. Together, they form the spiritual heart of the Kumano region.
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Discover the Living Culture of Awaji Island
Awaji offers a different side of Japan—coastal landscapes, local crafts, family traditions, sustainable agriculture, and a quieter pace of life.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Arrive in Osaka and welcome dinner.
DAY 2 - Travel to the Kumano Kodo; walk Takijiri to Takahara.
DAY 3 - Walk Takahara to Chikatsuyu; transfer to Yunomine Onsen.
Day 4 - Walk Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Day 5 - Visit Hayatama Taisha; walk Daimonzaka to Nachi Taisha.
Day 6 - Travel to Koyasan; temples and Okuno-in Cemetery.
Day 7 - Travel to Awaji Island; coastal park walk and indigo dyeing.
Day 8 - Hike Mount Senzan; pottery artisan and farm-to-table experience.
Day 9 - Departure transfer to an Osaka-area airport or transfer to Kyoto (Extension).
Depart or Stay! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: 4-Days/3-Nights in Kyoto. Experience the train station
NOTE: Map is NOT for navigation.
Sites are approximate and may change without notice.
