The Kumano Pilgrimage is a twin to El Camino de Santiago’s one. Since not far ago was approached as an intimate and religious personal experience. And still is.
-
Destination
-
Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
-
Min/Max travelers
Min.1 Max 12
-
Transport
Public Transport & Private Bus (5-8 seats)
-
Accommodation
hotels
Ancient Japanese in the Ping’ an era, whether noble or civilian, set out from Kyoto to worship at the Kumano complex and then arrived in Suiyu by boat. There is an ancient road with mossy stone steps in the green grass, surrounded by three mountains of Xiongy: the pilgrimage road. This is the one you are going to take.
Among shrines, stone tablets, and hot springs and waterfalls, the ancient path is interlaced and complex, leading to various important Buddhist temples, forming a unique network of pilgrimage trails covering the southern part of the Kii Peninsula and southern Osaka.
Japan
Day 1
Arrive at Kansai Airport - Giitan
For the convenience of your trip and the smooth progress of your journey, we recommend that you choose the flight arriving at Kansai International Airport that afternoon. You can then take the JR Line to Kii-Tanabe, the gateway of Kumano Road. Our leader will meet you at Tanabe. (If you have any questions about purchasing JR tickets, please contact the staff for assistance)
Lunch at own arrangement.
In the evening, experience the traditional cuisine of the local countryside. The mountains and seas at the edge of the fields breed abundant food resources. Apart from fresh seafood, the sparkling wine houses will be perfect to create a light night, know your fellow companions, and open up to a cultural hiking trip in Japan. Please note the restaurant will no longer serve dinner after 19:30.
Accommodation
Food
-/-/D
Accommodation
Altier Hotel（或同级）
Day 2
Ki Ida Bian - Prince Near Dew - Nobuka
After breakfast, we will arrive at Prince Yueyu by bus and begin a day's hiking trip.
The way is Takahara, known as "the village in the fog", and then goes to Gyubadoji, on the middle of Xiongye Ancient Road, up to Chikatsuyu-oji, where the first day's hiking ends.
Picnic lunch and Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation
- Transportation: Public transport (0.5-1 hours), private minibus (5-8 seats) (less than 0.5 hours)
- Hiking distance: 14 km
- Hiking time: 7-8 hours
- Cumulative rise and fall: +1000/-800 M
Food
B/L (picnic)/D
Accommodation
MINSHUKU NONAKA SANSO（或同级）
Day 3
Prince Yezhong-Faxinmen-Chuantang Hot Spring/Tangfeng Hot Spring
After having breakfast in the dormitory, we will leave the field and go on foot to Prince Faxinmen. The prince's societies served as posts and landmarks on the pilgrimage road since the Peace Age. When the day ends, we will take a bus transfer to the hotel for a rest.
Picnic lunch and Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation
Food
B/L (picnic)/D
Accommodation
KAWAYU MIDORIYA（或同级）
Day 4
Chuantang Hot Spring/Tangfeng Hot Spring-Bengong Club-Suiyu Club-Shengpu
Continue hiking to Kumamoto. It is one of the most important shrines in Japan, also known as a miracle in wooden architecture. It is rumored to symbolize the intersection between the world and the divine realm and has the largest birdhouse in the world.
Arrive by ferry in the afternoon and make a pilgrimage to the Suiyu Commune by the traditional wooden boat. Finally, take the train to Jiyi Shengpu to rest, which is also a hot spring destination.
Picnic lunch and Dinner at the hotel.
Accommodation
Food
B/L (picnic)/D
Accommodation
MINSHUKU KOSAKAYA
Day 5
Shengpu; return journey or continuation of journey
If we get up early, we can also visit the fish market near the harbor, including watching the auction. Afterward, visiting Kumano Nachi Taisha and Seiganto-ji, Nachi Falls will end this half-day journey.
Depending on the flight schedule, we can go back to the airport by JR line. Please let us know in advance if you need to book an extended tour or continue to stay in Shengpu for one night.
Lunch and dinner at own arrangement
Food
B/-/-
Kii Tien Bian
Altier Hotel
In view of the particularity of outdoor travel, our selection of hotel/accommodation may include: 1. Standard Hotel (independent bathroom); 2. Hotel apartment (our apartment is a separate apartment, in which our own members share bathrooms, such as four rooms, two halls and two bathrooms); 3. Alpine cottage (2-8 rooms according to room size; public bathroom); 4. Characteristic camp: 2-4 people; general public bathroom, partial independent bathroom; Unless specified, all our accommodations are hotel or hotel-style apartments (large beds kind size need to be booked in advance, the default is twin beds); For all final accommodation lists, please refer to the schedule documents (including specific itinerary dates) and itinerary confirmation letter that we ultimately will send. We will give you the most accurate explanation.
In the wild
MINSHUKU NONAKA SANSO
Chuan Tang Hot Spring/Tangfeng Hot Spring
KAWAYU MIDORIYA（或同级）
Sheng Pu
MINSHUKU KOSAKAYA（或同级）
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- The cost of accommodation described in the itinerary includes 2 nights of hotel and 2 nights of characteristic accommodation. You may consider them as 3* hotels. These are simple and practical premises selected for serving the hiking purpose
- The catering expenses described in the itinerary include four breakfast, three lunches and four dinners
- The local service team (local English professional outdoor leader) described in the itinerary
- Team pick-up and take-off flights and local transportation charges mentioned in the itinerary. Please note that we only provide team pick-up and take-off flights once. Please purchase them at the recommended flight time given by us. If the customer purchases flights of other periods on his own, it is not included in the group shuttle, please pick up the shuttle or let us arrange additional shuttle service
- The cost of visiting the scenic spots mentioned in the itinerary includes Nazhi Club of Xiongye and Qingandu Temple
- The fees for the special activities mentioned in the itinerary include visiting the fields, hiking Xiongye, hiking near Prince Lu, traveling on traditional wooden boats and visiting the Palace Club
- During the hiking process, each person's luggage transshipment limit is 20 kg
- Tangchuan Hot Spring/Shengpu Hot Spring as described in the itinerary
- The cost of bus or private car connecting all parts of the journey
- Japanese English leaders are used to accompany the guide locally. English or Japanese leaders need to undertake their own translation. If they cannot translate, they can arrange BM full-time local leaders
Not Included
- Tipping for the whole journey
- Single room price difference
- Personal Insurance (recommended)
- International Flights
- Visa (if assistance needed please revert to us)
- All drinks and beverages except tea drinks provided or included in some restaurants, boarding houses and picnics
- All personal consumption during free activities
- Force Majore events
- JR tickets for Kansai Airport, Kiyoshimpu-Kansai Airport to Kiyota Edge
- Wine of the house, tasting of local aquatic products, meditation classes
- Additional expenses incurred by evacuation for personal reasons or injuries
- Tea art classes are booked by a single group. Four people form a group, each with RMB of 300 yuan. They need to arrive in Tianbian City before 17 p.m.
Payment and Cancellations
- There is no refundable fee for this itinerary. No refund will be made for any itinerary abandoned due to the guest's own reasons.
- Cancellation Date Reservation Date to Tour 46 Cancellation, Deposit Collection. From 45 to 31 days before the trip, 30% of the total travel fee will be charged for breach of contract; from 30 to 21 days before the trip, 50% of the total travel fee will be charged for breach of contract; from 20 to 4 days before the trip, 80% of the total travel fee will be charged for breach of contract; and from 3 to 10 days before the trip, 100% of the total travel fee will be charged for breach of contract
- As for cancellation period, please note the following: 1. All registration before cancellation period is confirmed by deposit payment; otherwise, we may cancel the reservation; 2. All registration arriving at cancellation period has paid the full amount for final reservation; otherwise, we may cancel the reservation; 3. All registration after cancellation period needs to be confirmed by us. We do not guarantee the application of the same price and predetermined policy. 4. If the deduction is still lower than the actual loss in accordance with the agreed proportion, it should be paid according to the actual loss.
Is this trip guaranteed to run?
- The scheduled departure dates need to reach a minimum of 8 guests. Please do not buy air tickets or apply for visa before the trip confirmation
- Foreigners will be required to have a two ways ticket to/from China and a two entry visa for China
Important notes
Few important details to frame the experience:
- For several consecutive days of hiking, it is recommended to carry a pair of climbing sticks and wear proper outdoor equipment
- DAY 1: You may be interested in self-paid small projects: tea lesson experience. Note: If you choose to add a tea session, please fly to Kansai Airport in Osaka before 14 o'clock
- DAY 4: The boat project is only provided from the end of March to November every year. It may also stop in the dry season. Once the boat stops, we will use the vehicle to go there
- DAY 5 - DEPARTURE: It is strongly recommended that you book flights after 18:00 p.m., as the return time of JR line takes 4 hours
Prepare for one lifetime experience.
You are booking
Holy Mountains : Pilgrimage in Japan
-
Destination
-
Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
-
Min/Max travelers
Min.1 Max 12
-
Transport
Public Transport & Private Bus (5-8 seats)
-
Accommodation
hotels
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.