While Tokyo is busy making the final preparations for the Olympics this summer, away from the Japanese capital lies a region where people have been testing their stamina for centuries. The pilgrimage routes of the Kumano Kodō wind through the forested mountains of the Kii Peninsula, taking in both Shinto shrines (such as Kamikura-jinja, pictured opposite) and Buddhist temples in an age-old fusion of religions. A new tailor-made tour from TransIndus takes visitors to the cedar-flanked steps of Daimon-zaka (also pictured here) and on a hike to the remote spa village of Yunomine. Before things get strenuous, though, there are a few days to acclimatise, including a meditative temple stay.