The Kumano Kodo is a network of 11th-century pilgrimage trails in the Kii Peninsula that feels more like J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastical Middle-earth than Japanese countryside. One of only two such routes in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 70 kilometres of dense, dark old growth forest and lichen-covered stones is cloaked in fog and punctuated by tumbling waterfalls. High peaks offer sprawling views of tea terraces, towering cedars, and distant parcels of green and gold farmland.

The route carves through the undulating Kii Mountain Range, about five hours southwest of Tokyo by bullet train. Vermilion gates, called torii, mark countless small Oji Shinto shrines along the way, in addition to the three grand shrines of Kumano Hongu, Hayatama and Nachi. Collectively referred to as the Kumano Sanzan, these three shrines marked the pinnacle of the pilgrimage for imperial devotees who made the trek a thousand years ago.

Oji shrines are dedicated to the Kumano deities said to protect pilgrims on their journey, and offer a brief lesson in Shintoism, Japan’s indigenous animist religion. After passing through the torii, hikers wash their hands at the temizuya (a small water basin with ladles,) and then proceed to ring the shrine’s bell to greet the deity. The deep reverberations of a giant gong and perfume of sandalwood incense drift through the trees, leading the way to the larger shrines.

On most treks, a weary, half-hearted effort to pitch a tent and slurp down freeze-dried food is the only reward at the end of the day, but not on the Kumano Kodo. Hikers can plot their course so that after a long day of walking, they can retreat to one of the traditional inns, called ryokans, that dot the countryside, where they can rest their tired feet in the healing waters of a hot, steamy onsen (natural hot spring bath) and feast on local fare. Irorian Minshuku and Yoshinoya Ryokan are two such inns offering comfortable accommodations.

Explore a historic town by bicycle

After the dizzying rush of Tokyo, visiting Takayama feels like a long exhale. Cradled at the foot of the Northern Japan Alps, the small mountainside town gives travellers a glimpse of history they can see, feel, and taste. Postcard streets dotted with Edo-Period houses are flanked by canals, and rolling hills await just outside the town centre, begging to be explored by bike.

The hosts at Auberge Hida No Mori, a tranquil bed and breakfast shrouded by forest, can hook travellers up with bicycles and a map from a shop near the train station. From there, it’s a 10-minute ride north to Sanmachi Suji, a grid of historic merchant streets that still maintain a bustling trade. Look out for large suspended cedar balls, called sugidam, marking the doorways of centuries-old sake breweries—Sanmachi Suji has them in spades—and stop in for a free tasting. Before hopping back on your bike, drop by one of the area’s take-away restaurants and pick up a piping hot steamed bun filled with black sesame paste or a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth skewer of the Hida Beef for which the region is famous.

Southwest of the Takayama city centre is the Hida Folk Village, easily reached by a 30-minute ride through a pastoral landscape of rice paddies divided by tributaries of the Miyagawa River. The folk village, or Hida no-Sato, is a network of traditional, thatched-roof farmhouses in the Gassho-zukuri style—named for the roof’s resemblance to two hands in prayer—that gives visitors a feel for rural life in the 17th century. Most homes are two to three stories high, and the upper levels are used for sericulture, or silk farming. If you’re going to spring for a souvenir, pump your brakes at Koito Pottery on the way back into town. The multigenerational family business crafts artisanal ceramics  from local clay using the unique Takayama Irabo glaze.

A second day can be spent cycling to some of the historic houses and temples outside Sanmachi Suji, like the Edo-era government house Takayama Jinya, the Nara-Period triple pagoda temple Hida Kokubunji, or the Yoshijima Heritage House.

Follow in the footsteps of Samurai