Recommended routes
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- Recommended routes
Traveling by bus takes you right to your sightseeing destinations while along the way you sit back and leisurely enjoy the landscape from the bus window. For a convenient way to see a variety of local sightseeing spots, purchase a bargain unlimited ride pass, take the Kumano Kodo Rapid Bus between Shirahama and Kumano Kodo, or get off along the way to rent a bicycle. Refer to our recommended routes for enjoyable ways to bus around Shirahama and Kumano Kodo.
- 01Don’t miss any of Shirahama
Tour of Shirahama’s sights (overnight trip) - 02Relax and rejuvenate
Tour of Shirahama’s foot baths (day trip) - 03Enjoy Shirahama and Kumano Kodo
Tour of Shirahama and Kumano Kodo (overnight trip)
Don’t miss any of Shirahama
This pleasure-packed route
takes you all over Shirahama.
Day 1
Shirahama Station
Shirahama Station bus stop（s-1）
Your Nanki-Shirahama journey starts here. Local buses leave Shirahama Station regularly to sightseeing spots, hotels, and other locations. At the Meiko Bus Shirahama Station Information Center, you can purchase an unlimited ride pass, a convenient and economical way to see Shirahama’s sightseeing spots.
Shirahama Station
16 min. by bus
Rinkai (Engetsuto)
Engetsuto
Rinkai (Engetsuto) bus stop (s-54)
This islet goes by the name Engetsuto because of a hole shaped like a full moon (engetsu) in its center. Take the glass-bottom boat around the island and marvel at the undersea world.
Kyoto University Shirahama Aquarium
Rinkai (Engetsuto) bus stop (s-54)
Affiliated with the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, a marine biology field research station of Kyoto University, this aquarium displays invertebrates and fish native to Shirahama. It houses Japan’s foremost collection of invertebrates, including coral and shrimp.
Minakata Kumagusu Museum
Rinkai (Engetsuto) bus stop (s-54)
This museum introduces the achievements of Minakata Kumagusu, a native of Wakayama and a world-renowned figure in the fields of natural history and folklore studies. The rooftop observation deck affords a panoramic view of Shirahama.
Rinkai (Engetsuto)
6 min. by bus
Shirarahama
Shirarahama
Shirarahama bus stop (s-15)
One of Kansai’s top beach resorts, Shirarahama is renowned for its fine-grained white sand beach and an azure ocean that stretches to the horizon. Colorful parasols dot the beach in summer. At the Shirasuna open-air hot spring, visitors can enter in their bathing suits in summer and enjoy a soothing foot bath in winter.
Shirahama Energy Land
Shirarahama bus stop (s-15)
Located right next to Shirarahama beach, this hands-on theme park explores our connection to nature’s energy and curious phenomena. Popular attractions include the optical illusions of the Trick Art House and a dizzying walk through the Mystery Zone.
Shirarahama
3 min. by bus
Yuzaki
Fisherman’s Wharf Shirahama
Yuzaki bus stop (s-18)
Operated by local fishermen, this facility has restaurants serving freshly caught fish and other seafood from Yuzaki Fishing Port along with Nanki-Kumano-grown vegetables. You can also purchase local souvenirs.
Yuzaki
4 min. by bus
Sandanbeki
Sandanbeki
Sandanbeki bus stop (s-24)
Sculpted by the forces of nature, these sheer cliffs are a breathtaking sight for visitors from around Japan and around the world.
Sandanbeki
1 min. by bus
Senjo-guchi
Senjojiki
Senjo-guchi bus stop (s-21)
Walk from the bus stop past the pine trees and find yourself looking over a vast stone plateau and an endless ocean. The name Senjojiki means “1,000 tatami mats” because it resembles stone mats piled upon each other.
Go to hotel
Hotel
Day 2
Hotel
Adventure World
Adventure World
Adventure World bus stop (s-32)
Adventure World combines an amusement park, zoo, and aquarium. Enjoy a dolphin show, a penguin parade, and of course the main attraction, the pandas.
Adventure World
6 min. by bus
Toretore Ichiba
Toretore Ichiba Market
Toretore Ichiba bus stop (s-5)
This is the place to go if you want to buy fresh seafood and local souvenirs. Enjoy dishes like fresh seafood on rice in the cafeteria.
Toretore Ichiba
5 min. by bus
Shirahama Station
Take the Kuroshio limited express train for Osaka
Relax and rejuvenate
Drop in anytime to one of Shirahama’s ubiquitous foot baths. Each one offers unique spring-water qualities and gorgeous scenery.
Shirahama Bus Center
Shirahama Bus Center bus stop (s-14)
This is the departure and arrival point for express buses to and from Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, and local buses running in Shirahama.
Shirahama Bus Center
3 min. by bus
Hashiriyu
Tsukumoto Foot Bath
Hashiriyu bus stop (s-16)
From the south side of Shirarahama beach, just cross over the seawall to get to this foot bath. As you approach, you’ll smell the aroma of sulfur in the air.
Hashiriyu
3 min. by bus
Shin-Yuzaki
Infinity Foot Bath
Shin-Yuzaki bus stop (s-19)
This foot bath in the Shirahama Key Terrace Hotel Seamore is open free-of-charge to non-hotel patrons as well. Relax in the 30-meter-long foot bath while enjoying the sweeping Pacific Ocean view.
Sandanbeki
3 min. by bus
Sandanbeki Foot Bath
Sandanbeki bus stop (s-24)
Soak in this foot bath while you take in the sight of Sandanbeki. It’s a feast for your eyes and comfort for your feet.
Sandanbeki
4 min. by bus
Yuzaki
Yuzakihama-hiroba Foot Bath
Yuzaki bus stop (s-18)
Located at Fisherman’s Wharf Shirahama, this foot bath is a great place to rejuvenate after a shopping trip or a meal.
Enjoy Shirahama and Kumano Kodo
A deluxe tour of Shirahama and Kumano Kodo.
Day 1
Shirahama Bus Center
Shirahama Bus Center bus stop (s-14)
Meiko Bus’s hub, Shirahama Bus Center is the departure and arrival point for express buses to and from Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, and local buses running in Shirahama.
Shirahama Bus Center
2 min. by bus
Shirarahama
Shirarahama
Shirarahama bus stop (s-15)
Shirarahama is one of Kansai’s top beach resorts. Near Shirarahama bus stop, you can rent a bicycle at Machikado Gallery Shirasuna and take a leisurely cycle around Shirahama.
Shirarahama
3 min. by bus
Sandanbeki
Sandanbeki
Sandanbeki bus stop (s-24)
Sculpted by the forces of nature, these sheer cliffs are a breathtaking sight for visitors from around Japan and around the world.
3 min. by bus
Senjo-guchi
Senjojiki
Senjo-guchi bus stop (s-21)
Walk from the bus stop past the pine trees and find yourself looking over a vast stone plateau and an endless ocean. The name Senjojiki means “1,000 tatami mats” because it resembles stone mats piled upon each other.
Senjo-guchi
Go to hotel
Hotel
Day 2
Hotel
Shin-Yuzaki
Kumano Kodo Rapid Bus
Shin-Yuzaki bus stop (s-19)
The Kumano Kodo Rapid Bus is a convenient way to travel between Shirahama and Kumano Kodo. Boasting a comfortable coach-type interior, it makes two round trips a day. The trip from the Shirahama area to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine is about 2 hours and 10 minutes. No reservations are required.
Shin-Yuzaki
2 hr. and 11 min. by bus
Hongu-taisha-mae
Kumano Hongu Taisha
Hongu-taisha-mae bus stop
This is one of the Kumano Sanzan, the three grand shrines of Kumano, and the headquarters of over 3,000 Kumano shrines throughout Japan. After you climb the 158 stone steps and pass through the main gate, you will see the imposing shrine buildings with their cypress-bark roofs.
Hongu-taisha-mae
1 hr. and 33 min. by bus
Tanabe Station
Kii-Tanabe Station
Tanabe Station bus stop
To return to Osaka, take the Osaka route Meiko Bus or the Kuroshio limited express train on the JR Kinokuni Line.
Tanabe Station
Take the bus or train for Osaka
- 3 hr. and 5 min. by bus (get off at JR Express Bus Terminal, Osaka Station)
- 2 hr. and 10 min. by train (take limited express and get off at Shin-Osaka Station)