Tanabe is the gateway to the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route and Ajikoji—a densely packed area of bars where visitors can enjoy local Japanese night-life. Travel on the Limited Express Kuroshio from Shin-Osaka and arrive in Tanabe in around two and a half hours.
Useful Information
JAL Japan Explorer Pass
Fly to Nanki-Shirahama airport to begin your exploration of
Wakayama. Japan Airlines offers affordable domestic fares with the JAL Japan Explorer Pass. The easy-to-use English website makes booking flights very easy.
Nanki-Shirahama Airport
There are three direct flights a day from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to
Wakayama’s Nanki-Shirahama Airport. Booking flights is easy and flying into the area is a time-efficient and cost-effective option.
JAL Japan Explorer Pass
Fly to Nanki-Shirahama airport to begin your exploration of Wakayama. Japan Airlines offers affordable domestic fares with the JAL Japan Explorer Pass. The easy-to-use English website makes booking flights very easy.
Nanki-Shirahama Airport
There are three direct flights a day from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Wakayama’s Nanki-Shirahama Airport. Booking flights is easy and flying into the area is a time-efficient and cost-effective option.
RENTING A CAR
Rail and bus services in Wakayama operate infrequently compared to Japan’s urban centres, so if you are travelling in a group, with lots of luggage, or would simply like more freedom to travel, consider renting a car.
There are a number of car rental shops in Tanabe, and most of them have English websites making reservations straightforward. Consider arriving the night before to spend a night out in the Ajikoji Food Entertainment District. Start your road trip the next morning and enjoy driving the winding mountain roads that lead into the heart of Wakayama prefecture.
Make sure you have the all the right paperwork to rent a car. Research all the necessary requirements regarding driving in Japan, including international driving permits.
DAY 1
DAY 2
5 Lunch in Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge
6 Sightseeing in Hongu
7 Overnight in Hongu
Kawayu Onsen is a hot spring hamlet located close to the Kumano Kodo trails. There are several hot spring hotels and ryokan with a variety of different baths in the area, but it is Senninburo, a large open-air bath in the middle of the Oto-gawa river that is the main attraction.
Yunomine is an atmospheric hot spring hamlet with a long history. Take a dip in Tsubo-yu, a legendary hot spring bath with healing properties. You can even boil eggs in the hot water— head down to the special boiling area below the bridge.