What to do

• Walk through the Okunoin cemetery to Torodo Hall and Kobo Daishi's mausoleum, ideally early in the morning.
• Visit Kongobu-ji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism, and its rock garden.
• See the Danjo Garan temple complex, including the vermilion Konpon Daito pagoda.
• Stay overnight in a shukubo temple lodging for a shojin ryori vegetarian dinner and the morning prayer ritual.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: Konpon Daito and Kongobu-ji each charge separate entry of around yen 500. Shukubo temple stays should be booked in advance through the official Koyasan Shukubo Association site, especially for weekends and the autumn foliage season.

Getting there

From Osaka (Namba), take the Nankai Koya Line to Gokurakubashi Station, then the Koyasan cable car up the mountain; local buses cover the town from there. The full trip from Namba takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Nearby

Mount Koya sits apart from Wakayama's coastal sights, but travelers combining it into a wider prefecture trip often continue on to Wakayama Castle in Wakayama City, or further south to Shirahama Beach for hot springs and coastline.

What to do

• Visit the free Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine grounds, then walk about one minute to neighboring Seiganto-ji Temple.
• Use the Seiganto-ji three-story pagoda for the elevated view toward Nachi Falls; admission is paid and the elevator reaches the top floor.
• Descend to the Falls Viewpoint at Hiro-jinja to see the 133-metre Nachi Falls up close.
• Walk the 600-metre Daimon-zaka stone staircase from its bus stop if you want a short Kumano Kodo section before reaching the sanctuary.

Tickets and fees

Checked August 2026: shrine grounds are free. The Falls Viewpoint at Hiro-jinja is ¥300 for adults and ¥200 for children (7:00–17:00); the Homotsuden Treasure Hall is ¥300/¥200, open 8:30–15:30 and closed Wednesdays. Seiganto-ji grounds are free; its three-story pagoda is ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for school-age children, open 8:30–16:00. Allow for weather or event changes and pay on site.

Getting there

From Kii-Katsuura Station, bus route 31 reaches Nachi-no-Taki-mae first (for the Falls Viewpoint) and Nachisan next (for Kumano Nachi Taisha and Seiganto-ji); the journey to Nachisan is about 25 minutes. For a simple downhill sequence, get off at Nachisan, visit the shrine and temple, then walk to the pagoda and Falls Viewpoint before returning from Nachi-no-Taki-mae. The April 2026 timetable marks some services as running only March 1–November 30, so check the current timetable before relying on a winter connection.

Nearby

Kii-Katsuura is the practical base for this remote mountain complex, with regular buses to Nachisan and Nachi Falls. For a longer Wakayama trip, continue to coastal Shirahama Beach on a separate day rather than treating it as a quick add-on.

What to do

• Relax or swim at the white quartz-sand beach, fully staffed with lifeguards during the July 1 to August 31 swimming season.
• Watch sunset over the bay, one of Shirahama's signature views.
• Soak in one of the town's hot spring baths or ryokan, among Japan's oldest onsen areas.
• Add a short trip to the nearby Sandanbeki Cliffs for a quieter coastal viewpoint.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: the beach itself is free; the public parking lot near the sand charges around yen 500 per day. Showers and changing rooms operate mainly during the official summer swimming season.

Getting there

From Shin-Osaka, take a JR limited express (about 2.5 hours) to Shirahama Station, then a local bus (about 10 minutes) to the Shirahama stop. Nanki-Shirahama Airport also has flights from Haneda, about an hour, plus a short bus ride into town.

Nearby

Shirahama anchors Wakayama's southern coast and pairs well with a longer Kii Peninsula trip; further south is Kumano Nachi Taisha and its waterfall (around 1.5 to 2 hours by car or train), while Wakayama Castle is about an hour north toward Wakayama City.

What to do

• Climb the reconstructed tenshukaku for Tokugawa-era exhibits and a rooftop view over Wakayama City.
• Walk the castle park's stone walls and gates, several of which are original Edo-period structures.
• Visit Momijidani, the nationally designated scenic Red Leaf Valley garden, especially in autumn.
• Stop by the small Wakayama Historical Center at the base of the castle.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: tenshukaku admission is yen 410 for adults and yen 200 for children, with children free on Saturdays; the castle park itself is free. Buy tickets at the tower entrance, no advance booking needed.

Getting there

Wakayama Castle is about a 20-minute walk from JR Wakayama Station or a 10-minute walk from Nankai Wakayamashi Station, with local buses also stopping nearby.

Nearby

Wakayama Castle sits in Wakayama City, making it a good base for day trips; Mount Koya is roughly 1.5 hours away by train, and Shirahama Beach is about an hour further south.