Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass

This pass covers the Kii Peninsula south of Nagoya and Osaka, taking in Ise Grand Shrine, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails and the Wakayama coast. It is a pass for a specific and rather special trip, and one very few overseas visitors make.

What it covers

Five consecutive days across the Kii Peninsula, combining JR lines with the buses that reach the trailheads.

• JR Central and JR West lines between Nagoya, Ise, Shingu and Osaka
• Limited express Nanki and Kuroshio services
• Selected bus routes serving the Kumano Kodo and Hongu
• Some local services around Ise and Wakayama

The bus coverage is the point. The Kumano Kodo trailheads are not near stations, and without it you are paying separately for every connection.

The Kumano Kodo

A network of pilgrimage routes through the mountains of the Kii Peninsula, walked for over a thousand years and UNESCO listed alongside the Camino de Santiago, with which it is twinned.

The Nakahechi route from Takijiri to Hongu is the most walked and can be done in two to three days with overnight stops in village guesthouses. Day walks on individual sections are entirely feasible if you do not want the full route.

Ise and the coast

Ise Grand Shrine is the most sacred site in Shinto, rebuilt every twenty years for over a millennium in a ritual of renewal. The inner shrine sits in ancient forest and the approach through Oharaimachi is lined with wooden shopfronts.

Nachi Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall in Japan, stands beside a three-storey pagoda in one of the country’s most photographed compositions. Shirahama on the Wakayama coast has white sand beaches and hot springs.

How to buy

Available through overseas agents and at JR Central and JR West ticket offices including Nagoya, Osaka and Kansai Airport. Reserve seats on the limited express services, which run infrequently on this coast.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need this pass to walk the Kumano Kodo?

No, but it covers the buses to the trailheads, which is where the value sits. Those connections are awkward and costly otherwise.

Does it cover Koyasan?

Koyasan is reached by the Nankai line, a private railway, and is generally not covered. Check current coverage before relying on it.

Is five days enough?

For Ise, one section of the Kumano Kodo and the coast, yes. For the full Nakahechi route plus Ise it is tight.

Check Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Pass prices