Where do you stay on the Kumano Kodo?

Accommodation on the Kumano Kodo is mostly small, family-run, and booked well ahead. The main types are minshuku (family-run guesthouses, typically 1 to 3  rooms, ryokan (traditional inns with 1 to 20 rooms, ryokan hotels, and a small number of Western-style hotels.

Most rooms are Japanese-style: futon on tatami, shared bathing, yukata provided. Dinner and breakfast are usually included and served at set times, so arrival at your agreed on check-in time matters more than it would elsewhere in Japan.

A portion of the region's best properties take bookings only in Japanese, by phone or fax, and don't appear on international booking platforms at all. Several of the most rewarding ones are modest from the outside and give no indication of the hospitality and cooking inside.