Difficulty: 3/5
Hiking Distance: 4 - 13 km
Time: 1-2 Days
Elevation Gain: 220m - 610m
Prefecture: Kumamoto
The Best Multi-day Hikes Near
Kyoto & Osaka
Overview
Kyoto and Osaka are major destinations for expats, students, and travellers, but most of us don't own a car, so here's a list of the best multi-day hikes accessible by public transport. There are a lot of mountains in Kansai, so we'll update this page if new contenders are found, this list is showcasing our favourite multi-day Kansai hikes after exploring the region for many years.
Weather & Seasons
Generally speaking, the best seasons for hiking are mid-spring, summer and autumn. These seasons offer the best scenery as the forests are full of life, with vibrant green landscapes during summer and colourful mountainsides during autumn. Winter can offer some beautiful snowy hiking, but often requires extra gear and knowledge.
The Best Multi-day Hikes Near Kyoto & Osaka
Trail Summary
The Kumano Kodo trail is a famous and ancient pilgrimage route in the mountains of Wakayama, located south of Kyoto and Osaka. The trail is over 1000 years old and is said to have been used by all levels of society including Emperors and Warlords. The Nakahechi route is the most popular among pilgrims and features many beautiful shrines and temples, most notably the grand shrines called Kumano Hongu Taisha and the Kumano Nachi Taisha. It also features an ancient onsen town and many accomodation options in between the hiking trails, with regular busses connecting all the routes.
The entire Nakahechi route runs from Tanabe city and ends in Nachi-katsuura, it takes roughly 7 days, but you can view the most famous attractions by hiking just half of the route.
Note: Accomodation often needs to be booked more than 1 month in advance.
Click here for the full description
Access: Train & Bus
Kyoto/Osaka: There is a direct bus to Tanabe/Shirahama, it takes about 4 hours and costs ¥3500 one-way or ¥6300 return. You can view all the details and make reservations here.
Trains take about three hours and cost around ¥6500, the tickets are covered by the Japan Rail Pass and JR Kansai Wide Area Pass. It's best to use google maps for the train timetables.
Tokyo: There is also an overnight bus from Tokyo, you can make reservations here.
Kii-Tanabe Station: Google Maps
Once you arrive: a seperate bus will take you to the various places along the Kumano Kodo, you can view more info here. The many busses may seem complicated but it becomes clearer once you arrive.