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Walk the Kumano Kodo

A place: Japan

Pilgrims have walked these forest paths on the Kii peninsula for about a thousand years, and the stone steps are worn into shallow bowls. The Nakahechi route to the Hongu shrine takes four days, sleeping in family-run inns that forward your bag to the next one. Cedars close overhead and it is often raining, which suits the place. Stamp stations along the path have ink pads for a small book. By the third day the walking is just what you do, and you notice when a bird stops singing.

Practical

Cost
$700–1,000 for four nights
Best time
March to May, October to November
Difficulty
Moderate
Time it takes
Four days
What people get wrong
Booking inns late. There are few of them on the route, and they fill months ahead in spring.
With
One other person

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