Another question about the Kumano region...

Hey, I am trying to plan a short trip to the Kumano region, I found the bus schedule here http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/transport/bus/
And I'm having a hard time figuring out whether the next plan is practical:
Day 1: Train from Kyoto to Koya-san, sleep in a temple
Day 2: Enjoy Koya-san, get to Shingu/Katsuura/Tanabe late at night by train and sleep there
Day 3: Bus to Nachi Taisha and walking up to the Taisha itself and to the waterfall, then walking all the way to Hayatama Taisha and a bus back to Shingu (and from there possibly returning to Tanabe and enjoying Shirahama in the evening)
Day 4: Bus to Hongu Taisha, then a bus to Yunomine Onsen (bathing) and a Bus to Shingu, from there a train to Kumano-shi, walking the Muramasa Pass, a train to Owase and walking the Magose Pass, then sleeping in Kyoto.


I am trying to hike the Kumano Kodo as much as possible since I love hiking, and it seems absolutely beautiful. If you think it's not practical, I can also give the area another day with ease, so please feel free to make suggestions!

I am afraid the itinerary at this stage is not feasible. You will have to work on your understanding of the area's geography and travel times.

Day 2: Enjoy Koya-san, get to Shingu/Katsuura/Tanabe late at night by train and sleep there

Tanabe and Shingu/Katsuura are two very different locations. The train ride from Koyasan to central Tanabe takes about 4 hours. To Katsuura 5.5 hours. To Shingu 6 hours. Nevertheless, days 1+2 seem feasible.

If you travel during the weekend, you could consider taking buses from Koyasan through the mountains instead of travel by train.

Day 3: Bus to Nachi Taisha and walking up to the Taisha itself and to the waterfall, then walking all the way to Hayatama Taisha and a bus back to Shingu (and from there possibly returning to Tanabe and enjoying Shirahama in the evening)

I am afraid that the trail from Nachi Taisha to Hayatama Taisha is not among the attractive ones. I am not sure but I get the feeling that not much of the original trail is preserved and that you would have to walk mainly along the main roads. It is at 20 kilometers also a quite long walk:
http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/maps/

And Hayatama Taisha is in Shingu!

and from there possibly returning to Tanabe and enjoying Shirahama in the evening

You have to improve your understanding of the location of Shirahama, Nachi, Hongu and Shingu in relation to each other. Shirahama is a two hour train ride west of Shingu. If you plan to see Hongu on day 4, it would make no sense, at all, to return to Shirahama in between.

Day 4: Bus to Hongu Taisha, then a bus to Yunomine Onsen (bathing) and a Bus to Shingu, from there a train to Kumano-shi, walking the Muramasa Pass, a train to Owase and walking the Magose Pass, then sleeping in Kyoto.

You underestimate the travel times. Buses and trains are very slow in the Kumano area. You need two days in order to all the things you plan for day 4.

Here are other resources to plan your trip:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4950.html
http://www.hyperdia.com/

We did walk the Kumano trail last year and it was perfect in every sense. You will find the locals super friendly, language barrier notwithstanding and the scenery is fantastic. I would strongly suggest that you consider the geography of the area as suggested by Uji. We drove from Osaka to Koyasan and then tru the mountains route in search of onsens. It's hanami time so we made numerous stops to appreciate their beauty. We have been advised by local tourist office that public transport connection is feasible but time consuming. One day we left the car at our guesthouse and hiked to Yonomine Onsen. We met only a few hikers on the trail and the signs are very good. Make sure you have accom in Yonomine as the bus out is very erratic.

Many thanks for the information!
Sadly I do not have much money to spare, so both a car and accommodation in Yunomine are a bit problematic...

Uji, I tried taking your information into account, since I see I was really underestimating walking time! I think I may still have some flaws (is taking the bus back in day 4 practical?) but I came up with the following plan:

Day 1: Train from Kyoto to Koya-san, sleep in a temple
Day 2: Enjoy Koya-san, get to Shirahama late at night by train and sleep there
Day 3: Train to Katsuura, bus to Nachi Taisha and walking up to the Taisha itself and to the waterfall, then taking a bus back to Katsuura, a train to Shingu and a bus to Hayatama Taisha, from which I will take and a bus back to Shingu (sleep at Shingu/Katsuura)
Day 4: Bus to Hongu Taisha, then a bus to Yunomine Onsen (bathing), and catching a bus back to Shingu/Katsuura to sleep there.
Day 5: A train to Kumano-shi, walking the Muramasa Pass, a train to Owase and walking the Magose Pass, then sleeping in Kyoto.


Put simply:
Day 1: Koya-san
Day 2: Koya-san+Shirahama
Day 3: Nachi Taisha+Hayatama Taisha
Day 4: Hongu Taisha+Yunomine Onsen (sleep in Shingu)
Day 4: Matsumoto Pass+Magose Pass (sleep in Kyoto)


Is day 3 practical? A friend told me Shirahama is quite a spectacle in this time of the year and this is the only way I found to integrate it.

A small correction about day 4 - I meant walking from Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen (roughly 2 hours) rather than taking a bus.

This is a huge improvement. The only problem I see now is that you will have almost no time to see Shirahama. Only time to overnight there.

This accommodation in Kii-Katsuura was very affordable
http://kamenoi.jp/koide.htm

That hotel looks amazing! Great location, price and even has facilities!
But it seems I cannot make a reservation past this month... How did you do it?

Hmmm, that's weird. I've tried a few dates as well for both the annex (Koide) and the main building (Kamenoi) but couldn't get anything except for in the immediate few days. We booked online, and certainly not within a month of our stay. Can you try ringing them?

By the way, there are some lower cost plans elsewhere if you don't have any luck. We stayed at Atarashiya in Yunomine Onsen. It wasn't too expensive especially as it included meals, but you can also stay for less than 4000 yen with no meals. You could bring along something to snack on, I guess. There's not really much of an option otherwise there. Have a look http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/lodging/list/#yunomine

Well,tried sending them a mail, if they won't reply by Tuesday I'll try ringing them up, thanks for the tip again!

No problem. Good luck! Here's my review of koide by the way. There's photos too.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1121355-d1486125-Reviews-Mins...

Alright, I decided to add a day and space things out even more so I can properly enjoy both Shirahama and the 3 Taisha area!
Thanks to everyone who gave their insightful opinions!

Day 1: Koya-san
Day 2: Koya-san+Shirahama (arriving at night)
Day 3: Shirahama (sleep in Kii-Katsuura)
Day 4: Nachi Taisha+Hayatama Taisha (sleep in Kii-Katsuura)
Day 5: Hongu Taisha+Yunomine Onsen (sleep in Kii-Katsuura)
Day 6: Matsumoto Pass+Magose Pass (sleep in Kyoto)

If I feel I have extra time on on day 4 or 5, I could always do some of the Iseji.

If you are the faster type of traveler and end up with extra time, I also recommend the Nakahechi section from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha:
http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/nakahechi/tsugizakura-oji-to-ku...

Hosshinmon-oji can be reached by bus from where you can then walk towards Hongu.

That looks great!

By the way, about Mishuku Koide, that's what they sent me:
民宿こいでは長期滞在のお客様で満室となっております。
申し訳ございません。
(the Minshuku is full with long-term-stay guests)

So sadly, no one will be able to reserve any time soon:( A darn shame too, since they had an amazing deal.

Sorry to hear they're fully booked :(