Top Things to do in Wakayama Prefecture
Top Hotels in Wakayama Prefecture
What to do and see in Wakayama Prefecture, Kinki: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do
Discover the best top things to do in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan including Koyasan Okunoin, Kongobu-ji Temple, Adventure World, Mt. Koya, Tomogashima Island, Kawayu Onsen, Kumano Hongu Taisha Kyushachi Oyunohara, Kamikura Shrine, Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, Wakayama Dentetsu.
Restaurants in Wakayama Prefecture
1. Koyasan Okunoin
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,261 reviews
Reviewed By ggm96822 - Honolulu, United States
A place to let your soul re-awaken. Having last stayed in a monastery here 19 years ago, before it was added to the World Heritage list, I was apprehensive about returning, having heard of busloads of noisy tourists overunning everything, but it defies defilement; one of the world's truly sacred spaces. Early morning and dusk are the best time to visit, early there are monks chanting, at dusk as the shadows fall the 200,000 tombs of the cedar forest begin to stir quietly.
2. Kongobu-ji Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 504 reviews
Reviewed By AB_Stb_OZ - Oud-Zuilen, The Netherlands
Kongobu-ji temple is the center of the Shogun Buddhist community. There are many temples and subtemples and there is an interesting (huge) Zen Garden. Staff is highly accomodating to visitors.
3. Adventure World
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,421 reviews
Reviewed By Bishop-angelmacfire - Nishinomiya, Japan
I have watched the TV news that a baby panda was born last year. When I saw the baby, I have decided to see the panda. My high expectations have not been betrayed. The name of the child panda is “Saihin” She is a girl and so active! So cute! So lovely! You must see her. Now the crazy fever of baby panda boom has been calmed down, you can watch her very well without any clouds on week days. The adult pandas except the mother of “Saihin” was not active, just sleeping. So the timing is now to watch the lovely active child panda!
4. Mt. Koya
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 818 reviews
Wooden temples hidden among the trees, mist-covered mountains, smooth-headed monks in colorful robes--all the Buddhist film archetypes are alive on Mt. Koya. A deeply sacred place, central to the Shingon sect of Buddhism, Mt. Koya is also a World Heritage Site due to its more than 1000-year-old teaching and meditation sites.
Reviewed By epicure49
We stayed with the young monks at Yochi-In and absolutely loved walking around this stunning mountain-top enclave of Buddhist temples. This is surely what all we tourists expected and wanted of Japan. Peace and quiet in a remote wooded area... beautiful shrines and temples with an other-worldly quality so far removed from the hubbub of your normal lives. I took too many photos to show here but have included just a few... A very definite MUST VISIT place.
5. Tomogashima Island
6. Kawayu Onsen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 136 reviews
Reviewed By couteaufin - Whitchurch, United Kingdom
Dress in hotel dressing gown, swimsuit and flip-flops and cross the (quiet) road, descending to the river by easy stone steps or cross over the bridge (if busy) and try the other side. Enjoy the soothingly warm pool while naturally hot water is conveyed by bamboo piping to your bath. Relax.....
7. Kumano Hongu Taisha Kyushachi Oyunohara
8. Kamikura Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 200 reviews
Reviewed By PeterthePauper - Ulsan, South Korea
Intending to visit the Kii Peninsular for a few days in mid-July, I initially toyed with the idea of walking the full Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage. Given my age (late 60's), a lack of overall fitness following some serious medical issues and the prevailing heat and humidity at this time of year, common sense eventually prevailed and I opted for a few less strenuous days in Wakayama and Takamatsu respectively. Not prepared to give-up entirely on the Kumano; whilst in Wakayama, I thought I would extract some value from my 5-day JR Rail Pass and make the lengthy (3-hrs each way by Limited Express Kuroshio) but very scenic journey to Shingu. Arriving in Shingu, I first called-in at the Shingu City Tourist Information Centre (located immediately opposite the entrance to the JR Station) and picked-up a very useful 'Walking Map of Shingu' (available in various languages) which suggested a walking route which takes in all three Shingu Shrines. The suggested route of approx. 6km has an estimated completion time of 80mins, and talks in terms of 40mins to ascend/descend to/from the Kamikura Jinja Shrine. With temperatures in the 30's (deg C) and my phone app reading "feels like 43 deg", I opted to tackle the 'difficult' climb up to the Kamikura Jinja Shrine first. The description of "538 steep stone steps" is slightly misleading in that rather than even, consistent steps, these are rough hewn stones where the rise can vary anywhere from 100mm to 400mm. For me the ascent was beyond 'difficult', through 'gruelling' and into the 'brutal' category! You definitely need to make use of one of the walking sticks kindly left at the base by other travellers. With frequent stops every few metres to towel-down, take-on water or converse with other foreigners (I think everybody I met took the opportunity to stop and talk a while .... anything to take a break from this arduous climb!), the ascent alone must have taken the best part of an hour. On reaching the top, although only around 100m above the starting point, I felt the tremendous elation of a full cardio workout with tremendous views as a bonus. By the time I had carefully descended, it was time to head back to the JR Station to catch my train back to Wakayama. Although I missed out this day on the other Shingu Shrines, I was hardly disappointed after such a challenging experience.
9. Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 545 reviews
Reviewed By Maya762015 - Le Havre, France
This shrine is very nice and even 3 of 5 parts are from origin (saved by the flood) , this worth it to come. You can smell the tree odor in this shrine. Roof are amazing
10. Wakayama Dentetsu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 170 reviews
Reviewed By PeterthePauper - Ulsan, South Korea
Having seen a frequent 'spot' on CNN titled "60-Second Vacation" which featured Wakayama Prefecture, I decided to make the short hop from South Korea across to Osaka and spend a few days exploring Wakayama and the Kii Peninsular by train. The 5-day JR-West train pass I purchased on arrival at Kansai Airport for my travels also included travel on the Wakayama Electric Railway (Wakayama Dentetsu) - Kishigawa Line, so I was able to spend a few hours traversing the 14.3km line getting on and off trains at the main intermediate stop (Idakiso) in order to try each of the 4-themed trains ('Strawberry', 'Plum', 'Toys' and 'Tama'). The narrow gauge single track railway is wonderfully retro as it rattles and rolls its' way through the Japanese countryside and although there is no particular reason for travelling to Kishi, the experience is all about travelling on these wonderfully unique trains.
