1. You can bus in to the first parts of the Kumano Kodo! The bus goes from Shirahama (cheaper accommodation, I stayed at a hotel here) and stops at many stops all the way to Shingu. You can find the general times on Google Maps but would advise to look at the bus companies (Meiko and Ryujin) website for accurate times and stop locations
2. Day 1: Bus from Shirahama to Takijiri. Walked from Takijiri to Chikatsuyu.
This section of the walk is pretty straightforward. You climb ~600m to the top of the range then traverse along it all the way until you descend into Chikatsuyu. The exposure can be a bit gnarly in places (one Aussie woman actually died after falling off the side!) but I didn’t have any difficulties with it. The only technical difficulty I can remember were occasional wet tree roots!
2. Book Minshuku / Ryokan / Guest House in advance. My experience was that I called up and everyone said the next available booking was in 2 weeks!
3. Day 2 was bussing from Shirahama to Kawayu Onsen. Accommodation was available here and for cheap (~$70) plus there’s numerous onsens and even the famous Yunomine onsen within reasonable walking distance. The hotel had a fairly big onsen plus you could use the public one down by the river. Like you’re in full view of everyone across the river, full on naked, no togs!
Day 3: Dainichi-goe and Akagi-goe
The walk from Kawayu Onsen is about 4km to the trailhead, but it’s pleasant none the less and you walk through Yunomine. I loved this section of the trail – the feelings, views, vibes were amazing. Like properly spiritual. The trail is really cool, nothing’s been machine but – it’s all hand built, with a lot of exposure in some places. There is one small section of fire trail however it’s only the last ~1km or so.
Pack some lunch and walk off the trail to find a secluded spot to have lunch. Or sit on top of the ridge and feel the anabatic breeze blow over you and gently rustle the trees. It’s unreal. I thought Australia was a very spiritual country, but I felt something I’ve never felt before that day in Japan.
The Hongu Taisha was pretty underwhelming – coming off the raw and natural trail you are hit with a bunch of tourists and tourist infrastructure at the Taisha and in the town itself, which is all underwhelming compared to the natural beauty of the walk itself. The tori gate at Hongu was also pretty underwhelming, too be honest.
Day 3 and onwards I spent in Shirahama/Osaka/Hiroshima but honestly all that was just a footnote on my trip. I wish I could have spent more time on the Kumano Kodo or even just mincing around Kawayu onsen.
The second last day however I caught the bus out to Inunakiyama and did a short walk ~4km up the hill. The bus can be caught from Hineno, which is accessible from Izumisano train station. It was a bit crowded but the walk and vibe was very cool – there were some temples in the forest and waterfalls. At the top of the walk you can continue through the mountains for longer but I didn’t proceed because there had been a landslide on the trail exposing loose rocks which looked pretty sketchy.
If you wanted to stealth/free camp on the Kumano Kodo you totally could. In and around the towns there is a lot of really leafy, thick bush. Plus you can walk a bit up the rivers, out of sight of the town and camp on the leafy margins of the stone bed. On the trail itself, there are lots of places along the ridgeline which are expansive and flat enough to be secluded, away from the trail. Plus there are actual camp sites along the way, like at Chikatsuyu and Kawayu.
So for anyone who hates cities and being around crowds, would highly recommend the Kumano Kodo trail. Even if you don’t, for me I would say I saw the “real” Japan and not the one presented to tourists. It’s a bit like how in Australia we say if you go to the outback or the top end you see the “real” Australia.