Tokyo → Ise → Kumano → Mount Kōya → Nara → Kyoto → Tokyo

Tokyo → Ise Grand Shrine (Mie Prefecture) Distance: ≈ 430 km Driving time: 6 – 7 h Follow the Tōmei and Ise Expressways west. Break near Nagoya for Nagashima Spa Land or Atsuta Shrine before reaching Ise, Japan’s most sacred Shintō complex. Walk the Oharai-machi street beside the river and cross the wooden Uji Bridge to the Inner Shrine (Naikū), rebuilt every 20 years in cypress wood. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Ise-Shi Misono – 10 min from Ise Shrine. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, local produce, EV chargers, no on-site showers. Nearby onsen: Ise Asama Onsen (7 km). Ise → Kumano & Nachi Falls (Wakayama coast) Distance: ≈ 140 km Driving time: 3 – 4 h Drive south along the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage corridor following forested valleys to the Pacific. Walk part of the Daimonzaka slope, visit Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and the striking three-storey pagoda beside Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest waterfall. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Nachi – 10 min from the falls. Facilities: 24 h toilets, café, gift shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Katsuura Onsen (12 km) – open-air baths overlooking the sea. Kumano → Mount Kōya Distance: ≈ 160 km Driving time: 4 – 5 h Climb inland on winding mountain roads through cedar forests. Mount Kōya (Kōyasan) is the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism, founded by Kūkai in 816. Park near the town edge and explore Okunoin Cemetery, Kongōbu-ji Temple and lantern-lit paths at dusk. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Kōya-Ryūjin – between Kōya and Ryūjin Onsen. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, local shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Ryūjin Onsen (13 km) – one of Japan’s top sodium bicarbonate springs. Mount Kōya → Nara Distance: ≈ 100 km Driving time: 2 – 3 h Descend from the mountains into the plains of Nara, Japan’s first capital. Visit Tōdai-ji Temple and its Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and the deer-filled parkland that connects them. Evenings are calm around Naramachi, a district of old wooden houses and small sake bars. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Hari Terrace – 20 min north of Nara Park. Facilities: 24 h toilets, café, EV chargers, coin showers, local produce. Nearby onsen: Nara Kenko Land (10 km). Nara → Kyoto (final cultural stop) Distance: ≈ 50 km Driving time: 1 – 1.5 h A short drive leads to Kyoto’s northern temples and gardens. Spend a day or two exploring Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Fushimi Inari Shrine, and evening walks through Gion and Ponto-chō. For an early-morning start, the Philosopher’s Path is at its best in soft light. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Kusatsu (Shiga) – beside Lake Biwako, 30 min by train or car to central Kyoto. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Ogoto Onsen (13 km). Kyoto → Tokyo (return) Distance: ≈ 430 km Driving time: 6 – 7 h Take the Tōmei Expressway back east. Optional breaks include Lake Biwa, Nagoya Castle, or Mount Fuji Five Lakes before returning your van to Tokyo Campers. Optional overnight: Michi-no-Eki Narusawa – within Fuji Five Lakes. Facilities: 24 h toilets, food hall, coin showers, Fuji views. Nearby onsen: Yurari Onsen (2 km).

Route 7 – Japan’s Spiritual Heartlands Tokyo → Ise → Kumano → Mount Kōya → Nara → Kyoto → Tokyo Google Map - Route 7 Overview This route follows Japan’s ancient pilgrimage roads through the mountains of Wakayama, Mie and Nara, connecting the country’s holiest shrines and temples. You’ll drive through cedar forests, river gorges and quiet countryside where Shintō and Buddhist traditions overlap. It’s ideal for travellers who want cultural depth and nature together — shrine walks by day, onsen evenings by night. Total distance ≈ 1,050 km Recommended duration 12–14 days Best seasons March–June and September–November (avoid midsummer humidity). Tokyo → Ise Grand Shrine (Mie Prefecture) Distance: ≈ 430 km Driving time: 6 – 7 h Follow the Tōmei and Ise Expressways west. Break near Nagoya for Nagashima Spa Land or Atsuta Shrine before reaching Ise, Japan’s most sacred Shintō complex. Walk the Oharai-machi street beside the river and cross the wooden Uji Bridge to the Inner Shrine (Naikū), rebuilt every 20 years in cypress wood. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Ise-Shi Misono – 10 min from Ise Shrine. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, local produce, EV chargers, no on-site showers. Nearby onsen: Ise Asama Onsen (7 km). Ise → Kumano & Nachi Falls (Wakayama coast) Distance: ≈ 140 km Driving time: 3 – 4 h Drive south along the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage corridor following forested valleys to the Pacific. Walk part of the Daimonzaka slope, visit Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and the striking three-storey pagoda beside Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest waterfall. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Nachi – 10 min from the falls. Facilities: 24 h toilets, café, gift shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Katsuura Onsen (12 km) – open-air baths overlooking the sea. Kumano → Mount Kōya Distance: ≈ 160 km Driving time: 4 – 5 h Climb inland on winding mountain roads through cedar forests. Mount Kōya (Kōyasan) is the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism, founded by Kūkai in 816. Park near the town edge and explore Okunoin Cemetery, Kongōbu-ji Temple and lantern-lit paths at dusk. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Kōya-Ryūjin – between Kōya and Ryūjin Onsen. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, local shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Ryūjin Onsen (13 km) – one of Japan’s top sodium bicarbonate springs. Mount Kōya → Nara Distance: ≈ 100 km Driving time: 2 – 3 h Descend from the mountains into the plains of Nara, Japan’s first capital. Visit Tōdai-ji Temple and its Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and the deer-filled parkland that connects them. Evenings are calm around Naramachi, a district of old wooden houses and small sake bars. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Hari Terrace – 20 min north of Nara Park. Facilities: 24 h toilets, café, EV chargers, coin showers, local produce. Nearby onsen: Nara Kenko Land (10 km). Nara → Kyoto (final cultural stop) Distance: ≈ 50 km Driving time: 1 – 1.5 h A short drive leads to Kyoto’s northern temples and gardens. Spend a day or two exploring Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Fushimi Inari Shrine, and evening walks through Gion and Ponto-chō. For an early-morning start, the Philosopher’s Path is at its best in soft light. Overnight stop: Michi-no-Eki Kusatsu (Shiga) – beside Lake Biwako, 30 min by train or car to central Kyoto. Facilities: 24 h toilets, restaurant, shop, no showers. Nearby onsen: Ogoto Onsen (13 km). Kyoto → Tokyo (return) Distance: ≈ 430 km Driving time: 6 – 7 h Take the Tōmei Expressway back east. Optional breaks include Lake Biwa, Nagoya Castle, or Mount Fuji Five Lakes before returning your van to Tokyo Campers. Optional overnight: Michi-no-Eki Narusawa – within Fuji Five Lakes. Facilities: 24 h toilets, food hall, coin showers, Fuji views. Nearby onsen: Yurari Onsen (2 km).