Destinations
Yunomine Onsen
“For over 1,000 years emperors, aristocrats and humble pilgrims have walked the trails of the Kumano Kodo and now you can, too! Yunomine Onsen is a fantastic base to explore this stunning, sacred region.”
Ruth Hubbard - Travel Consultant
Yunomine Onsen is a great place to stay in the centre of Japan’s sacred Kumano Kodo. Tucked deep in the hidden valleys of Wakayama Prefecture, this is a beautiful, spiritual place little visited by Western tourists.
Yunomine Onsen is one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Japan. Natural, thermal waters were discovered here over 1,800 years ago. For a thousand years pilgrims have stopped here to bathe in the waters, purifying themselves before journeying on foot to Kumano Hongu Taisha, the sacred shrine in the centre of Kumano Kodo.
Today, Yunomine is a collection of quaint bath houses and ryokans along a small creek. This is a wonderful base for hiking as two sections of the Kumano Kodo trail, the Akagi-goe and Dainichi-goe, pass through here. The walk to Kumano Hongu Taisha is 3km long and takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.
Above the river in Yunomine, sits Tsuboyu, a small rock hot spring bath in a wooden cabin. This is the only UNESCO World Heritage onsen in Japan that you can bathe in. Visitors can book a 30 minute time slot to use the tiny bath privately.
14 Nights: £2350
11 Nights: £2150
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