3 days / 2 nights in Wakayama: castle and temples, or stay on the coast?
For the castle and temples, stay 1 night in Wakayama city, then 1 in Koyasan. Change from JR to Nankai at Hashimoto, then ascend by cable car and mountain bus. For a day each at the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto, compare 2 nights at the same Shirahama hotel.
Choose a 2 nights, 3 days itinerary
Wakayama Castle, then Koyasan temples
Choose this route for both Wakayama Castle and Koyasan temples. Spend 1 night in Wakayama city, take JR to Hashimoto, then use Nankai trains, cable car and mountain buses for 1 night in Koyasan.
Wakayama Castle, then Koyasan temples →2 nights, 3 days BA day each for the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto
Choose this route to give the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto a day each. Spend 2 nights at the same hotel near Shirarahama and use Meiko buses. On the last day, see Engetsuto from the coast, then return to Shirahama Station.
A day each for the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto →Wakayama Castle, then Koyasan temples
Choose this route for both Wakayama Castle and Koyasan temples. Spend 1 night in Wakayama city, take JR to Hashimoto, then use Nankai trains, cable car and mountain buses for 1 night in Koyasan.
Day 1 · Wakayama Castle keep and city stay
Choose city accommodation with access to JR Wakayama, and mountain accommodation with checked access to Kongobuji, Danjo Garan and station-bound buses. Once you know the hotel addresses and dates, match JR, Nankai, cable-car and mountain-bus connections.
- JR Wakayama central exit → Wakayamajo-mae
From JR Wakayama’s central exit, take an appropriate castle-bound Wakayama Bus service, such as route 0 or 25, to Wakayamajo-mae. The official roughly 10 minutes is bus travel time; allow extra time to climb to the keep and queue. Travel-date times and return bus fares are excluded from the subtotal.
- Wakayamajo-mae and castle keep → Sightseeing and meals
Have lunch after the castle, or, for a late daytime arrival, check whether enough time remains after lunch before admission ends at 17:00. Usual keep hours are 09:00–17:30, closed 29–31 December. Also avoid the temporary closure on 9 December 2026.
Wakayama Castle keep fees and hoursCastle keep temporary closure notice for 9 December 2026
- Castle keep and Wakayamajo-mae → Return towards JR Wakayama and city accommodation
After visiting, check the JR Wakayama-bound boarding point and return bus at Wakayamajo-mae. Stay in Wakayama city for the night, then move to Koyasan tomorrow.
Day 2 morning · JR Wakayama to Hashimoto
- JR Wakayama Station → Wakayama Line to Hashimoto
Choose a JR Wakayama Line train towards Kokawa and Hashimoto from Wakayama. The official station guide lists platform 7; follow the day’s displays. Do not go to Nankai Wakayamashi or the Kishigawa Line. Look up the JR arrival and onward Nankai connection for your date separately.
JR official time and fare search (enter your travel date)JR Wakayama StationJR Hashimoto Station
- JR Hashimoto → Nankai Koya Line platform
Hashimoto · 橋本 Leave JR at Hashimoto and change to the Nankai Koya Line towards Gokurakubashi. Check the JR arrival, Nankai departure, station movement and ticket preparation together for your date. Choose connections through Nankai trains, cable car and mountain buses from the JR arrival onwards.
JR Hashimoto StationNankai Hashimoto and JR interchange informationNankai Koya Line route information
- Nankai Hashimoto → Gokurakubashi
Take a Nankai Koya Line local train from Hashimoto towards Gokurakubashi. Check the weekday or weekend/public holiday timetable for your date, together with the cable-car connection. Transport from your starting city to Hashimoto is separate. Distinguish ordinary tickets from additional reserved-seat and limited express charges.
Nankai Koya Line route informationHashimoto weekday timetable towards KoyasanHashimoto timetable towards Koyasan (weekdays and weekends/public holidays)
- Gokurakubashi → Cable car to Koyasan Station
Leave the train and change to the Koyasan-bound cable car. Choose a service from the timetable for your date that leaves enough time after the train arrives. From Koyasan Station, you still need a mountain bus to your hotel or temple.
Nankai Koya Line route informationGokurakubashi weekday timetable towards KoyasanGokurakubashi–Koyasan cable-car timetable (weekdays and weekends/public holidays)
- Koyasan Station bus stop → Kongobuji-mae bus stop
Take a mountain bus from Koyasan Station that calls at Kongobuji-mae and get off there. The official fare tables for routes 21, 31, 41, 42, 43 and 52, 53, 55 list JPY 460 per adult for this section. Route 44 via Daimon Minami car park has a different stopping sequence. Check destination and the weekday or weekend/public holiday station timetable, choosing a service that leaves time to visit before admission ends at 16:30. If going to your hotel first, check its own stop.
Rinkan Bus Koyasan mountain fares from 2026-03-28Rinkan Bus Koyasan Station timetable from 2026-03-28Kongobuji rail access and mountain map
- Kongobuji-mae → Visit Kongobuji
Go from the stop to Kongobuji. Usual hours are 08:30–17:00, with admission until 16:30; check event-day arrangements separately. Afterwards, go to your booked accommodation. If you arrive late, visit Kongobuji first the next morning and adjust time for Danjo Garan.
Kongobuji and Danjo Garan fees and hoursKoyasan temple and Danjo Garan locationsKongobuji rail access and mountain map
- Kongobuji → Booked accommodation, dinner and overnight stay
Go to your booked accommodation after the visit. Check the actual walking or bus route and dinner start time in your booking conditions. Ask whether dinner can be served if you will arrive late.
Kongobuji rail access and mountain mapKoyasan Shukubo Association accommodation information by property
Day 3 · Danjo Garan, then descend
Add the final visit only if time remains before your departure connection. Skip it for a morning departure.
- Koyasan accommodation → Konpon Daito at Danjo Garan
Visit Konpon Daito if time remains before your return transport. It is a separate facility and admission from Kongobuji. Usual hours are 08:30–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Check event-day arrangements. Kondo’s interior costs another JPY 500 and is optional. If you missed Kongobuji yesterday, prioritise one place according to the time before your return journey.
Kongobuji and Danjo Garan fees and hoursKoyasan temple and Danjo Garan locationsKongobuji rail access and mountain map
- Danjo Garan and Kongobuji-mae → Bus to Koyasan Station
After sightseeing, use the official mountain map to find the Kongobuji-mae boarding point and take a Koyasan Station-bound bus. The official stop timetable lists station-bound routes 31, 41, 43, 52 and 53; adult fare is JPY 460. Use this boarding point after the Kongobuji area; if using another stop near Danjo Garan or your hotel, check that stop’s station-bound timetable separately. Weekday school-day and school-holiday timetables differ, with a separate weekend/public holiday timetable. Leave time between the bus arrival and cable-car departure; shorten the final visit for an early connection.
Rinkan Bus Koyasan mountain fares from 2026-03-28Rinkan Bus Kongobuji-mae timetable from 2026-03-28Kongobuji rail access and mountain map
- Koyasan Station → Cable car to Gokurakubashi
Take the Gokurakubashi-bound cable car from Koyasan Station. Check its departure in the weekday or weekend/public holiday timetable for your date. Allow time to get from the mountain bus to the cable-car platform.
Nankai Koya Line route informationCable cars from Koyasan and connecting trains (weekdays and weekends/public holidays)
- Gokurakubashi → Nankai Hashimoto
Leave the cable car and change to a Hashimoto-bound local train. Check the day’s destination and departure information, leaving time for station movement and ticket checks. Look up onward connections from Hashimoto too.
Nankai Koya Line route informationGokurakubashi timetable towards Namba and Hashimoto (weekdays and weekends/public holidays)
- Nankai Hashimoto → Towards your chosen departure city or airport
For Wakayama city, check through the change to JR’s Wakayama Line at Hashimoto; for Osaka, check through to your chosen Nankai terminus. Tickets, station movement, waiting, airport transfers and check-in need separate time. For an airport connection, check onward trains through to your flight. For an early departure, skip the final temple visit and replan your descent first.
Nankai Hashimoto and JR interchange informationJR Hashimoto StationJR official time and fare search (enter your travel date)JR Wakayama StationNankai Koya Line route information
Included items: The partial adult subtotal includes JPY 1,910 for the castle keep, Kongobuji and Konpon Daito admission and JPY 1,980 for ordinary return travel between Hashimoto and Koyasan on Koya Line trains and the cable car.
Extra costs and conditions: Required mountain buses are excluded. The reference Koyasan Station–Kongobuji-mae section costs JPY 460 each way, JPY 920 return; extra hotel journeys are separate. JR Wakayama–Hashimoto and starting-city transport are also excluded. City buses, limited express supplements, accommodation, meals, luggage storage and optional Kondo admission are extra.
Ordinary adult admission: Wakayama Castle keep JPY 410 + Kongobuji JPY 1,000 + Konpon Daito JPY 500 = JPY 1,910. Add ordinary Hashimoto–Koyasan return transport of JPY 1,980 for JPY 3,890. The JPY 990 one-way fare covers Koya Line trains and the cable car. Add JPY 500 for Kondo’s interior.
Mountain buses are extra. Koyasan Station–Kongobuji-mae costs JPY 460 each way, JPY 920 return. The adult Koyasan day pass is JPY 1,500, so individual fares for only this return journey cost JPY 580 less. The pass applies on the designated date and sections, excluding the express Tateri Line and Koya-Ryujin Line. Add bus journeys for your hotel’s actual stops. Starting-city transport, JR, city buses, accommodation and meals are separate.
Wakayama Castle keep fees and hoursKongobuji and Danjo Garan fees and hoursNankai official fare searchRinkan Bus Koyasan mountain fares from 2026-03-28Rinkan Bus Koyasan day-pass price and coverage
A day each for the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto
Choose this route to give the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto a day each. Spend 2 nights at the same hotel near Shirarahama and use Meiko buses. On the last day, see Engetsuto from the coast, then return to Shirahama Station.
Day 1 · Station to beach accommodation
Spend 2 nights at the same hotel near Shirarahama, with a day each for the beach, cliffs and Engetsuto. On the last day, allow time after Engetsuto to take a bus back to Shirahama Station and board JR. Skip Engetsuto for a morning departure.
- JR Shirahama Station → Shirarahama bus stop
From JR Shirahama (S0), take Sandanbeki-bound Meiko route 12 to Shirarahama (S15). Check the JR arrival and bus departure for your date together. The railway station and beach stop are separate places.
Meiko timetable revised on 2026-04-01Find Meiko Shirahama routes and timetables
- Shirarahama bus stop → Walk Shirarahama Beach
Walk from Shirarahama stop to the beach and along the coast. This itinerary does not assume swimming. Afterwards, have dinner in Shirahama and stay overnight.
Day 2 · Sandanbeki and return
- Shirahama accommodation and Shirarahama → Sandanbeki bus stop
Take Sandanbeki-bound Meiko route 12 from Shirarahama to Sandanbeki. Check departure, arrival and stops for your date.
Meiko timetable revised on 2026-04-01Find Meiko Shirahama routes and timetables
- Sandanbeki bus stop → Cliffs and optional cave visit
Walk about 5 minutes from the stop, following the tourism bureau’s estimate, for cliff views. For the cave, buy a ticket in the building to the viewpoint’s right and take the lift down. Ticket and queue time are extra to the facility’s roughly 30-minute interior visit.
Sandanbeki cliffs, cave and bus accessSandanbeki Cave fees, hours and admission route
- Sandanbeki bus stop → Return to Shirarahama and your hotel
Check a returning route 11 bus that stops at Shirarahama. Have lunch and a rest near the beach, then spend the second night at the same hotel. Adjust coastal visits for wind, waves and access restrictions.
Meiko timetable revised on 2026-04-01Find Meiko Shirahama routes and timetables
Day 3 morning · Bus centre to Rinkai
- Shirahama Bus Centre → Rinkai (Engetsuto) bus stop
From Shirahama Bus Centre (S14), take Meiko loop route 102 to Rinkai (Engetsuto) (S54). Check departures, arrivals and stops for your date. Some loop services do not call at Shirarahama, so this route starts at the bus centre.
- Rinkai bus stop → View Engetsuto from the coast
From Rinkai, walk about 5 minutes, as listed by the tourism association, to the coast overlooking the island. This does not include entering the island or a boat trip. It is a morning visit, so it does not wait for sunset through the island’s hole. Follow local access restrictions and shorten the visit if the walking route is closed.
Engetsuto Rinkai stop and walking accessEngetsuto bus and walk from JR station
- Rinkai → Route 101 to Shirarahama
Return from Rinkai on Meiko route 101 that calls at Shirarahama. Check your date’s timetable and the bus destination. Rinkai, the bus centre and Shirarahama are different stops.
- Shirarahama → JR Shirahama Station
Take station-bound Meiko route 11 from Shirarahama to JR Shirahama. Choose a bus to suit your return JR train. Skip Engetsuto for a morning departure. The official roughly 16-minute station-to-Rinkai journey does not describe the whole return trip from the coast to the station.
Meiko timetable revised on 2026-04-01Engetsuto bus and walk from JR station
Included items: The subtotal includes individual Meiko fares for the listed journeys and optional Sandanbeki Cave admission.
Extra costs and conditions: JR, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, boats and other paid facilities are excluded.
The six listed Meiko journeys total JPY 1,460 in adult individual fares: JPY 340 each way between the station and Shirarahama, JPY 240 each way between the beach and Sandanbeki, and JPY 150 each for bus centre–Rinkai and Rinkai–Shirarahama. Walking from your hotel to the bus centre is assumed; check the actual address and route. These use the fare table revised on 8 April 2021 and linked from the official route page; recheck fares for your date.
Add ordinary cave admission of JPY 1,500 for JPY 2,960. The digital 3-day pass costs JPY 1,900, JPY 440 more than the six individual fares; with cave admission it totals JPY 3,400 before discounts. Compare again if taking additional buses or using facility discounts. JR, accommodation, meals and boats are excluded. If the official pass’s JPY 100 cave discount applies, the total is JPY 3,300, JPY 340 more than individual buses plus ordinary admission at JPY 2,960. Confirm ticket presentation and use-date conditions on site.
Meiko Shirahama section faresMeiko pass prices and end of paper 3-day passSandanbeki Cave fees, hours and admission route
Transport tickets, costs and pre-departure checks
Compare six Shirahama bus journeys with the 3-day pass
The six Meiko journeys in 3-day / 2-night route B total JPY 1,460 per adult in individual fares, JPY 440 less than the digital JPY 1,900 3-day pass. Check section fares, extra rides and facility discount conditions in the route’s cost notes.
Meiko Shirahama section faresMeiko pass prices and end of paper 3-day pass
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a paper 3-day Shirahama bus pass?
The paper 3-day pass ended at the end of July 2024; the digital 3-day pass remains on sale. Check official sales channels and device requirements.
Do I board the Engetsuto bus at Shirarahama?
This route uses service 102 from Shirahama Bus Centre to Rinkai (Engetsuto). Some route 102 services skip Shirarahama, so check the date’s stopping table for boarding at the bus centre. Check the hotel-to-bus-centre route using your actual address too.
What do transport and admission cost for Wakayama Castle and Koyasan?
JPY 3,890 is a partial subtotal of admission JPY 1,910 and ordinary Hashimoto–Koyasan return Koya Line/cable-car transport JPY 1,980. Required mountain buses, JR Wakayama–Hashimoto, city buses and starting-city transport are extra. Add JPY 500 for Kondo’s interior; accommodation and meals are excluded.
Wakayama Castle keep fees and hoursKongobuji and Danjo Garan fees and hoursNankai official fare search
Sources and confirmation dates
- Wakayama Castle keep fees and hours ·
- Wakayama Castle bus access ·
- Castle keep temporary closure notice for 9 December 2026 ·
- Kongobuji rail access and mountain map ·
- Kongobuji and Danjo Garan fees and hours ·
- Koyasan temple and Danjo Garan locations ·
- Shirarahama beach and stop information ·
- Find Meiko Shirahama routes and timetables ·
- Sandanbeki cliffs, cave and bus access ·
- Sandanbeki Cave fees, hours and admission route ·
- Engetsuto Rinkai stop and walking access ·
- Engetsuto bus and walk from JR station ·
- Nankai Koya Line route information ·
- Meiko timetable revised on 2026-04-01 ·
- Meiko Shirahama section fares ·
- Meiko pass prices and end of paper 3-day pass ·
- JR Wakayama Station ·
- JR Hashimoto Station ·
- Nankai Hashimoto and JR interchange information ·
- JR official time and fare search (enter your travel date) ·
- Koyasan Shukubo Association accommodation information by property ·
- Hashimoto weekday timetable towards Koyasan ·
- Gokurakubashi weekday timetable towards Koyasan ·
- Nankai official fare search ·
- Rinkan Bus Koyasan mountain fares from 2026-03-28 ·
- Rinkan Bus Koyasan Station timetable from 2026-03-28 ·
- Rinkan Bus Kongobuji-mae timetable from 2026-03-28 ·
- Rinkan Bus Koyasan day-pass price and coverage ·
- Gokurakubashi–Koyasan cable-car timetable (weekdays and weekends/public holidays) ·
- Hashimoto timetable towards Koyasan (weekdays and weekends/public holidays) ·
- Cable cars from Koyasan and connecting trains (weekdays and weekends/public holidays) ·
- Gokurakubashi timetable towards Namba and Hashimoto (weekdays and weekends/public holidays) ·