三重県を旅するなら、伊勢神宮だけで旅を終えるのではなく、世界遺産・熊野古道まで足を延ばしてみてはいかがでしょうか。
伊勢神宮と熊野は、古くから多くの人々が祈りを求めて訪れてきた場所です。三重県には、伊勢から熊野へと続く「熊野古道 伊勢路」があり、伊勢と熊野という二つのエリアを組み合わせることで、より深く三重の歴史や自然を感じる旅ができます。
おすすめは、伊勢神宮を参拝したあと、南伊勢を経由して熊野方面へ向かうモデルコースです。
1日目は伊勢神宮の外宮・内宮を参拝。おはらい町やおかげ横丁で伊勢ならではの食や街歩きを楽しんだ後は、海と山に囲まれた南伊勢へ。
伊勢観光の余韻を残しながら、都会の喧騒から離れた自然豊かな場所で一晩ゆっくりと過ごします。
翌日は南伊勢からさらに南へ向かい、熊野古道 伊勢路へ。熊野古道には石畳や峠道など、かつて多くの旅人が歩いた景観が今も残っています。
伊勢から熊野までを一気に移動する旅も可能ですが、せっかくなら途中で一泊し、伊勢志摩の海や自然まで楽しむのがおすすめです。
Retreat Hotel ENTO ISESHIMAは、伊勢志摩・南伊勢の自然の中で過ごせる滞在拠点。
伊勢神宮から熊野古道へ。
目的地だけを巡るのではなく、その“間”にある美しい自然や時間まで楽しむ。
そんな三重ならではの旅を、ぜひ体験してみてください。
For travelers looking beyond Japan’s major cities, a journey from Ise Shrine to the Kumano Kodo offers a very different side of the country.
This route takes you through sacred sites, quiet coastal landscapes, mountain forests, and small communities across the Kii Peninsula. Rather than simply moving from one sightseeing spot to another, the journey itself becomes part of the experience.
Ise Jingu, often referred to as Ise Grand Shrine or Ise Shrine in English, is one of Japan’s most revered Shinto sites. To the south lies the Kumano Kodo, a network of ancient pilgrimage trails that has been walked for centuries.
The Kumano Kodo Iseji route historically connected Ise Jingu with the three major Kumano shrines known as Kumano Sanzan.
For travelers interested in Japanese spirituality, nature, history, or slow travel, combining Ise and Kumano can create one of the most memorable itineraries in Japan.
Day 1: Begin at Ise Jingu
Start your journey at Ise Jingu.
The shrine complex is divided primarily between Geku, the Outer Shrine, and Naiku, the Inner Shrine. Many travelers visit both before exploring the traditional streets around Oharai-machi and Okage Yokocho near Naiku.
While Ise is one of Japan’s most famous pilgrimage destinations, the spiritual journey does not have to end here.
Instead of immediately returning to Nagoya, Kyoto, or Osaka, continue south toward Minamiise.
As you leave the busier sightseeing areas around Ise, the landscape gradually changes. Mountains, fishing communities, sheltered bays, and winding coastal roads begin to define the journey.
This transition is part of what makes traveling toward Kumano so rewarding.
Stay Overnight in Minamiise
Rather than trying to cover Ise and Kumano in a single day, consider spending a night along the way.
Retreat Hotel ENTO ISESHIMA is located in Minamiise, within Ise-Shima Marina.
Surrounded by the sea and mountains, the hotel offers a quieter contrast to a day spent visiting major sightseeing destinations.
Guests can watch boats resting in the marina, enjoy the coastal atmosphere, and spend an evening simply slowing down before continuing deeper into the Kii Peninsula.
For travelers following an Ise Shrine to Kumano Kodo itinerary, this kind of overnight stop can transform a long transfer into part of the journey itself.
Day 2: Continue Toward the Kumano Kodo Iseji
The next morning, continue south toward the Kumano Kodo Iseji.
The Iseji route stretches for approximately 170 kilometers between Ise and the sacred Kumano area. Travelers do not need to walk the entire route to experience it.
Instead, choose one section that suits your itinerary and fitness level.
One well-known section is Magose Pass, where old stone paths lead through cedar and cypress forests near Owase.
Other sections of the Iseji reveal coastal scenery, mountain passes, historic villages, and traces of the pilgrims who once traveled south toward Kumano.
Even a short walk can provide a sense of how dramatically the atmosphere changes once you leave the main roads and enter the forest.
Day 3: Explore the Sacred Kumano Area
With additional time, continue toward the Kumano Sanzan: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha.
These three major shrines form the spiritual heart of the Kumano pilgrimage tradition.
Depending on your schedule, you can spend another night in the Kumano area and explore one or more shrines, nearby sections of the pilgrimage trail, waterfalls, forests, and hot spring communities.
A two- or three-night journey gives you much more time to appreciate the contrast between Ise, the coastline of southern Mie, and the mountains of Kumano.
A Journey Between Two Sacred Regions
An Ise Shrine to Kumano Kodo itinerary is not simply a way to visit two famous destinations.
For centuries, travelers have moved between Ise and Kumano in search of prayer, renewal, and reflection.
Today, the journey offers a chance to experience Japan at a slower pace.
Start among the sacred forests of Ise Jingu, travel through the quiet coastline of Minamiise, and continue toward the stone paths and mountains of the Kumano Kodo.
Retreat Hotel ENTO ISESHIMA can be part of that transition — a place to stop, rest, and experience the quieter landscapes that lie between Japan’s great spiritual destinations.
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