Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass

The Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass is a rail pass for exclusive use by foreign tourists. It provides five consecutive days of unlimited travel on JR trains connecting Nagoya with Ise, the Kumano Region and Osaka as well as on buses in the Kumano Region.

Purchase the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass

Validity

1. Unlimited use of JR limited express and local trains along the lines shown on the map above, including the non-JR section of the Ise Railway around Suzuka.
2. Unlimited use of the Wakayama Railway between Wakayama and Kishi.
3. Unlimited use of designated buses around Ise and Kumano, including the buses between the inner and outer Ise Shrines, the CAN buses around Ise, buses around Owase and Kumano-shi useful for people hiking the Kumano Kodo, buses between Katsuura and Nachi Shrine, and buses between Shingu and Hongu.
4. Pass holders can make up to six seat reservations on limited express trains for free.
5. The pass is valid on five consecutive days. The validity of the passes is based on calendar days (midnight to midnight) as opposed to 24-hour periods.
6. Only foreign visitors to Japan (on temporary visitor status) can use the pass. It cannot be used by residents of Japan.
7. The pass can be used only by a single person. It cannot be transferred between multiple persons. The pass holder has to carry his/her passport at all times.

Points of sale

The Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass can be purchased online through various websites, at selected travel agents outside of Japan and at major railway stations in the area covered, including Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Shin-Osaka stations, as well as Osaka's Kansai Airport and Nagoya's Central Japan Airport. If purchasing the pass outside of Japan or via the internet, the actual pass has to be picked up at a major station in the area covered before use.

Purchase the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass

Assessment

The Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass is an interesting deal for travelers interested in visiting the Kumano Region from Nagoya, as the cost of regular tickets for a round trip between Nagoya and Shingu by limited express trains alone (around 15,000 yen) is close to the cost of the pass (16,500 yen). The pass does not pay off for just a side trip from Nagoya to Ise, as regular tickets for such a trip cost only around 5000 yen.

Alternative tickets

When accessing the Kumano Region from Osaka, the Kansai Wide Area Pass can be of good value. Unlike the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass, the Kansai Wide Area Pass does not cover buses around Kumano, though.