Walking Pilgrimage in Tokushima

Not really. Japanese cooking is based on fish stock, and the Japanese love their fish and meat. On this tour, you stay in traditional Japanese accommodation that is proud of its cuisine, especially the fish. For breakfast and dinner, it is possible to ask for ‘largely’ vegetarian food, but no guarantees are offered. You can generally find vegetarian options for lunch, but with limited choice.

Pilgrim accommodations have historically been run with an eye on keeping a balance between low costs and making sure pilgrims are comfortable and well-fed. You’ll find they feature few frills; you will usually sleep on futons (comfortable mats on the floor) rather than beds, and share washrooms and bathing facilities with other guests. On the other hand, because pilgrims have long been considered to be stand-ins for the Buddhas themselves, inn owners truly go out of their way to provide nourishing local food and a restful atmosphere for weary travelers.

A good backpack:
The presence of a support vehicle on this course means you can travel confidently with a day pack and leave the heavy lifting to us.

Good shoes:
The pilgrimage trail, while ancient, currently follows paved roads for about 80% of its length, and our course is no exception. As such, we recommend shoes with enough support for walking on pavement and enough grip for walking on mountain trails.

Walking sticks:
Pilgrims traditionally carry a wooden staff (available for purchase at temples along the way, along with other pilgrim goods). Some may prefer to supplement or replace this with extendable hiking poles.

Rain gear:
Tokushima receives a moderate amount of rain during the walking season from February to November, with most rain falling in the summer months.

Our cancellation policy is as follows;

• Cancelled more than 21 days prior to start: No charge
• Cancelled between 20 and 8 days prior to start: 20% of the total fee
• Cancelled between 7 days and 48 hours prior to start: 30% of the total fee
• Cancelled between 48 and 24 hours prior to start: 40% of the total fee
• Cancelled within 24 hours of start: 50% of the total fee
• Cancelled on the day of start or failure to show: 100% of the total fee
• No refunds will be given after the tour has commenced.

When you book a tour, we ask for a 10% deposit, with the balance to be paid a month before the start of the tour. You can pay by credit card or bank transfer.