How to See All of the Dewa Sanzan in One Trip in 2026
Visiting all three mountains of the Dewa Sanzan in a single trip can be challenging due to limited public transportation and the physical endurance required to complete the entire pilgrimage. At the same time, this very difficulty is what offers visitors an authentic taste of the centuries-old experience of walking as a true Dewa pilgrim.
The service bus to and from Mount Yudono that had been discontinued during the COVID pandemic is expected to resume in June 2026. However, the service dates will not be set until April 2026. For this reason, in this article we only list options which do not require riding the bus to Mount Yudono.
If you are unable to walk long distances but still wish to visit all three of the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains (Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono), we have prepared a second route option, introduced below.
The recommended season to complete the pilgrimage is during the official hiking season of Mount Gassan, the highest of the three mountains, which runs from July 1 to September 15. Visitors who sign up for a guided tour or a self-guided tour can extend this period through October 15.
Option A, via Tsuruoka: Hike all pilgrimage trails and minimize transfers (4 days, 3 nights)
- Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
- Difficulty: 4/5, suitable for medium to advanced hikers
- Total distance: 34 km (21 miles) on foot
- Highlights:
- Mt. Haguro 2,446 stone steps
- Mt. Gassan
- Mt. Yudono
- Rokujūrigoe Kaidō: Dainichibō Temple, Chūrenji Temple, Honmyōji Temple
- Starting point: Tsuruoka Station Bus Stop or S-MALL Bus Terminal (recommended) in Tsuruoka
- Ending point: Same as starting point
Day 1 : Mt. Haguro
- Arrive in Tsuruoka and depart either from Tsuruoka Station Bus Stop No. 1 or the S-MALL Bus Terminal. The bus terminal is recommended, as it features has indoor seating, air conditioning in summer, and heating in winter.
- Board a Haguro–Gassan Line bus and alight at Haguro Zuishinmon.
- If you are staying at a shukubō on Mount Haguro other than Saikan, drop off your luggage and check in before starting your climb.
- Begin your hike up the 2,446 stone steps of Mount Haguro. The climb takes 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on pace.
- Have lunch at one of the yatai food stalls at the summit. The yatai are closed in winter.
Explore Dewa Sanzan Shrine and other facilities at the summit:
- Visit the Sanshūden rest area.
- View inside the Senbutsudō Buddhist statue hall.
- Visit the Dewa Sanzan Historical Museum, etc.
- Return to down the mountain to Haguro Zuishinmon either by bus (¥640/person) or on foot (45 min.). Stay in a shukubō pilgrim lodge, ryokan, or hotel at the base of Mount Haguro. Overnight stays are also available at the Saikan pilgrim lodge at the top of Mount Haguro are also available and can be booked through travel agencies. If you are staying at Saikan, do not descend back to Haguro Zuishinmon until the following morning.
Luggage storage service in front of Tsuruoka Station
Store your luggage in one of the coin lockers in FOODEVER, the building in front of Tsuruoka Station. English-speaking staff are available from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 7 days a week. They can help you store your luggage and plan your trip.
Day 2 : Mt. Gassan and Mt. Yudono
- By 8:05 AM: Board the bus bound for Gassan Hachigōme from Haguro Sanchō, the bus stop at the top of Mount Haguro (¥1,590/person from Haguro Sanchō). You can board at the Haguro Zuishinmon bus stop instead, but this will add about 30 minutes to your travel time.
- This Haguro–Gassan bus operates only on limited days. To check dates of operation, see the Shōnai Kōtsū bus company website here.
- If you plan on visiting Mount Gassan on a weekday or any other day that the bus is not running, please ask your Mount Haguro accommodation to assist you in arranging a Gassan Shukubō Taxi (from ¥2,500/person for two travelers) as described here.
- Alight at Gassan Hachigōme and begin your ascent of Mount Gassan. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the summit.
- Have lunch at Gassan Chōjō-goya, the lodge at the summit.
- After lunch, start your descent toward Mount Yudono. This section takes at least 4 hours and can take up to 5.5 hours depending on fitness level and hiking skill.
- Use caution at the Gakkō-zaka section, where you will need to climb down a series of metal ladders.
- Pay your respects at Yudonosan Shrine.
- Check in at Yudonosan Sanrōjo pilgrim lodge (reservations required, ¥12,000/night/person). From the inner sanctum of Yudonosan Shrine, it takes 45 about minutes on foot or 10 minutes by Yudonosan Sanpai Shuttle Bus (¥200/person) to get there.
For detailed guidance on reaching Mount Yudono, please refer to the dedicated Mount Yudono access page.
About the Mount Gassan via ferrata
The Gakkō-zaka section consists of three passages with metal ladders and chains anchored into the rocky cliff. It is very steep, descending over 200 meters at a time and can become slippery when wet. Please exercise extra caution during this descent.
After this section, the trail continues through a river-wet passage leading to Yudonosan Shrine. This is the most hazardous part of the hike, so don’t rush—the shrine is not far from the end of this passage.
Day 3: The Rokujūrigoe Kaidō pilgrimage route, Stage 1
- By 10 AM: Start walking along the the Rokujūrigoe Kaidō pilgrimage route towards Tamugimata Village (details here).
- Eat a pre-packed lunch along the way.
- Stay at Minshuku Nanakamado inn.
Do not hike past this point after 2 PM, as you run the risk of night falling before you make it to the next good stopping point.
Day 4: The Rokujūrigoe Kaidō pilgrimage route, Stage 2
- By 8 AM: Pack your lunch and start walking along the Rokujūrigoe Kaidō pilgrimage route in the direction of Honmyōji Temple (details here).
- Along the way, visit Dainichibō Temple (¥800/person) and see the sokushinbutsu mummy there.
- Continue walking the route until you reach Chūrenji Temple. Please note that, due to the monk’s health condition, Chūrenji Temple is not open on a regular basis. You can only enter if you have booked a self-guided tour or called in advance to arrange access (phone number: +81-235-54-6536).
- Continue walking until you reach Honmyōji Temple. Visit the sokushinbutsu mummy by ringing the doorbell of the temple house and paying ¥500 to directly to the monk or groundskeeper.
- Continue walking until you reach the Shimomuraguchi bus stop. By 3:20 PM on weekdays (or 6:00 PM on weekends and public holidays), board a bus bound for Tsuruoka Station/S-Mall Bus Terminal (¥770/person).
Option B, ending in Shizu Onsen: Light version of Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage (3 days, 3 nights)
- Duration: 3 days, 3 nights
- Difficulty: 2/5, suitable for intermediate and beginner hikers
- Total distance: 9 km (5.6 miles) on foot
- Highlights:
- Mt. Haguro 2,446 stone steps
- Mt. Gassan
- Mt. Yudono
- Shizu Onsen
- Starting point: Tsuruoka Station Bus Stop or S-MALL Bus Terminal (recommended) in Tsuruoka
- Ending point: Shizu Onsen
Day 1: Mt. Yudono
- Arrive in Tsuruoka and depart either from Tsuruoka Station Bus Stop No. 1 or the S-MALL Bus Terminal. The bus terminal is recommended, as it features has indoor seating, air conditioning in summer, and heating in winter.
- Take the special taxi service to reach Mount Yudono (reservations required).
- Visit Yudonosan Shrine (¥500/person). Estimated visit time is 2 hours.
- From Mount Yudono, use the taxi to get to your Mount Haguro shukubō pilgrim lodge in the Haguro-machi Tōge Shukubō-gai (羽黒町手向宿坊街) pilgrim lodge district.
- Stay overnight at shukubō (book here).
Day 2: Mt. Haguro
- 7 AM (time may vary by shukubō): Take part in the morning prayer at your shukubō.
- 8 AM: Breakfast.
- 9 AM: Visit Koganedō Hall of Shōzen’in Temple. To visit this hall, ring the temple doorbell and pay ¥500 per person.
- 10 AM: Start hike up the the 2,446 stone steps of Mount Haguro.
- 12:30 PM: Lunch of Dewa Sanzan shōjin ryōri at Saikan (reservations required, book here).
- 2 PM: Arrive at the summit of Mount Haguro. Observe one of the daily prayer rituals at Dewa Sanzan Shrine.
- 3 PM: Visit the Dewa Sanzan Museum.
- 5 PM: Stay overnight at a shukubō pilgrim lodge (Book a room here).
Day 3: Mt. Gassan and Shizu Onsen
- By 8:05 AM: Board the bus bound for Gassan Hachigōme from Haguro Sancho, the bus stop at the top of Mount Haguro (¥1,590/person from Haguro Sanchō). You can board at the Haguro Zuishinmon bus stop instead, but this will add about 30 minutes to your travel time.
- This Haguro–Gassan bus operates only on limited days. To check dates of operation, see the Shōnai Kōtsū bus company website here.
- If you plan on visiting Mount Gassan on a weekday or any other day that the bus is not running, please ask your Mount Haguro accommodation to assist you in arranging a Gassan Shukubō Taxi (from ¥2,500/person for 2 travelers) as described here.
- Alight at Gassan Hachigōme and begin your ascent of Mount Gassan. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the summit.
- Have lunch at Gassan Chōjō Goya, the lodge at the summit.
- After lunch, start your descent towards Shizu Onsen. Halfway to your destination, there is a chair lift that you can use for the rest of the descent, the Gassan Pair Lift.
- Have your ryokan pick you up from the lift station. Our recommendation for a Shizu Onsen ryokan is Shizu Onsen Tsutaya.
About Nishikawa Town
Nishikawa (西川町) is located in central Yamagata Prefecture, about 32 kilometers west of Yamagata City. It is located at the foot of Mount Gassan, one of the three sacred peaks of the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains. Much of the town’s property lies within Bandai-Asahi National Park and is occupied by dense forests and clear mountain rivers, characterized by four distinct seasons. Shizu Onsen is located in Nishikawa.
In 2024, Nishikawa was named one of the Best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), highlighting the value of the town’s culture and nature on the global stage.
Thank you for reading this 2026 guide to the Dewa Sanzan. Due to the mountainous terrain, public transportation remains limited. We recommend planning transfers in advance.
