2026 Kumano Kodo Kiyohime Festival Full-Day Course

This full-day course centers on the Kumano Kodo Kiyohime Festival, held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Kurusugawa, Nakahechi-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, and includes a walk along the World Heritage-listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. At midday, enjoy souvenirs and light snacks at Michi-no-Eki Kumano Kodo Nakahechi, then visit Chikatsuyu-oji, one of the oji shrines of the Kumano Kodo, and walk part of the old route. Also stop by Tsugizakura-oji and Nonaka-no-Shimizu, a spring known for its pure water, strolling while enjoying the clear mountain air. In the evening, return to the roadside station for dinner, and as darkness falls, the Kiyohime Festival begins at Nakahechi Wakamono Plaza in Kurusugawa, lively with stage dances, taiko drumming, night stalls, and kitchen cars. The highlight is a scene in which a giant serpent, said to be the transformed spirit of Kiyohime, parades while breathing fire. This is a summer plan unique to Nakahechi, combining a walk along the historic Kumano Kodo with a local festival. Mountain evenings are cool, so bringing something to layer on is recommended.