Cycle the Highlights of Shikoku
Guided TourPrice from
225,000 JPY
Duration
6 Days | 5 Nights
Level
A 6 day 5 night guided and fully supported cycling tour across Japan’s remotest island. Experience outrageous views, fascinating history, and enchanting culture as you cross the Shimanami Kaido, climb into the mountains, journey through cities and small villages, eat outstanding local food, and stay in a mixture of traditional and modern accommodation. This tour takes you on fantastic roads to the best parts of the island – great cycling and great travel!
Cycle 400kms
Meals & Accommodation
Local Guide
Fully Supported
Small Groups
Popular sightseeing
ABOUT THIS TOUR
Explore Shikoku and the best cycling that Japan has to offer. Unbelievable landscapes, epic bridges, challenging climbs, cinematic seascapes, great accommodation, and stunning local cuisine, this seven-day tour takes you through the heart of Shikoku and visits the natural and cultural highlights of the island. It’s perfect for those who love cycling and want to experience the varied beauty of Shikoku, Japan’s best kept secret.
This tour lasts 6 days and 5 nights, with epic cycling and plenty of time to enjoy the villages, towns and cities through which we pass. The tour starts in Onomichi, the start of the world-famous Shimanami Kaido. Cycling over the Shimanami Kaido and staying on one of the islands, we leave Honshu behind. On Day 2, we cycle the rest of the Shimanami Kaido and enter Shikoku, making our way to the traditional and culturally important city of Matsuyama. That evening we stay near Dogo Onsen, with opportunities to visit one of the oldest castles and the oldest hot spring in Japan. See the sites, enjoy hot springs, visit local sake distilleries, and much more.
Read More
Start of the trip
Day 1
Day 2
Matsuyama
Day 3
Nakatsu Gorge
Day 4
Kochi
Day 5
Iya Valley
Day 6
Kotohira
- Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
- Difficulty: 4/5 – Suitable for people who frequently cycle and who don’t hate hills.
- Price: 200,000 JPY (click here to see how much this is in other currencies).
- Group size: 3-6 guests (the tour needs three people to run). Please get in touch if you have a bigger group.
- Things to see
- Things to eat
- Cycle the world famous Shimanami Kaido.
- Cycle the best roads on Shikoku.
- Visit the oldest hot spring in Japan.
- Explore a temple from the ancient pilgrimage of Shikoku.
- Cycle next to wild gorges and crystal rivers.
- Visit the cities of Matsuyama and Kochi, sampling the fascinating culture there.
- Cycle through the celebrated Iya Valley.
- Visit the famous Kompirasan. A shrine built on the side of a mountain with over 1300 steps.
- Exquisite seafood - the seafood in this area is famous throughout Japan. It's among the freshest you can get.
- Eat traditional local cuisine famous throughout Japan - opportunities to eat taimeshi, katsuo no tataki, and Iya soba
- Quality Bikes
- Tour Leader & Support
- Maintenance
- Fees
- E-Bike Options
- Top Hotels
- Life-long Memories
- Cross bike and helmet rental included. We use Giant, Specialised, and Marin bikes.
- If you would prefer to rent a road bike (carbon or aluminium), we can make arrangements for you and ensure you bike will be ready for you on Day 1 of your tour.
- Alternatively, if you bring your own bike, you can send it to us (this can be done at an airport if you are travelling to Japan) and we will bring it to the start of the tour. We can then send it back to you (or send it to your departure airport for you to pick up if you are travelling to Japan).
- A fantastic English speaking tour leader to help you get the most out of your journey. Our local guides are fab.
- A support van with snacks and hydration.
- Luggage transfer while on the tour
- There'll be an experienced mechanic to help with any bike issues you may have. Fingers crossed everything is fine, but good for peace of mind in case.
- All fees associated with the tour. For example, the ferry fees on the Shimanami kaido are covered.
- Change to an e-bike (subject to availability) for an additional fee - a bit of extra help on those mountain roads!
- Six nights at a mixture of business hotels and camping. We have hand picked the accommodation using our extensive experience of the area. Sea views, mountain lodges, hot spring resorts - we've got everything to allow you to experience the best that this area has to offer.
- There are upgrade options - particularly if you do not want to camp.
- Incredible views and lifelong memories
- We'll give you our water bottle and a finisher towel as a reminder of your time cycling through hidden Japan.
- We also have Hidden Japan Travel cycling jerseys available for purchase. Let us know before your tour if you would like on.
From 225,000 JPY per person based on shared twin room.
- There is no fee for single travellers. Single travellers share a room with another group member. If you require a single room, there is a supplement of 50,000 JPY. Please note, it may not always be possible to meet all requests for single rooms.
- We need a minimum of 3 to run the tour. The tour will be cancelled if this threshold is not met.
- The price is based on camping on one night. If you do not want to camp, please let us know and we can organise other accommodation. There may be an additional fee associated with any upgrades.
- After reading the Terms & Conditions, click the Enquire about this Tour button and submit the form.
- We will get back to you to confirm your reservation and send you a reservation form.
- Once you’ve sent this back to us, we’ll arrange for your payment. We accept credit card and wire transfer.
Please click here for our terms and conditions.
Additional Conditions
- be able to cycle 50-80kms per day for 6 consecutive days. The average distance is 63kms a day.
- have travel insurance. We won’t check this but it is a condition of the tour.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Onomichi - Hakatajima (The Shimanami Kaido)
50km | Sea, The Shimanami Kaido | Lunch, Dinner| Range of options
Meet at Onomichi Station in the morning. Onomichi is accessible by bullet train and close to Hiroshima Airport (click here to learn about cheap internal flights if you live outside Japan). Cycle over the world-famous Shimanami Kaido. We’ll cover 5 islands, see spectacular views and explore the culture of the Seto Inland Sea. We’ll camp in our favourite camp site, located right next to the sea in a stunning location. If you’d prefer not to camp, we can arrange a guest house or a hotel for you.
Day 2: Hakatajima - Matsuyama
70 kms | Total 550m ↑ | The Shimanami Kaido, sea, castles | Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner | Business hotel
Finish the Shimanami Kaido by cycling over the last two bridges – including the epic Kurushima Bridge. we then head down the coast to historic Matsuyama, the prefectural capital of Ehime. We cycle through the city, looking at the castle, towards the hotel in the Dogo area. Enjoy the famous Dogo Onsen area in the evening with a local dish, tai meshi and a glass of local sake. Free time after dinner.
Day 3: Matsuyama - Nakatsu Gorge
72 kms | Total 850m ↑| In the mountains | Breakfast, lunch & dinner | Japanese hot spring hotel
Cycle through the city of Matsuyama then climb into the mountains one of our favourite roads. The cycling then follows a picturesque river. Stay in a stunning hotel in a remote gorge.
Day 4: Nakatsu Gorge - Kochi City
55 kms | Total 120m ↑| Mountians & rivers | Breakfast, lunch, & dinner | Business hotel
An optional morning walk in the spectacular Nakatsu Gorge. Then cycle out of the mountains along one of Japan’s most celebrated rivers, with opportunities for impromptu wild swimming to cool off. Reach the city of Kochi and visit a famous street food market.
Day 5: Kochi City - The Iya Valley
80 kms | Total 1000m ↑ | Mountains & gorge | Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner | Japanese hot spring hotel
Cycle out of the city and up into the celebrated Iya Valley. A challenging climb rewards outrageous landscapes. Cycle down the valley surrounded with terraced rice fields and walk across the famous vine bridges of the Heike warriors. Stay in a traditional Japanese inn with a funicular railway to a riverside hot spring.
Day 6: The Iya Valley - Kompira Shrine
50 kms | Total 500m ↑ | River & mountains | Breakfast & Lunch | Final day 
Journey out of the Iya Valley along the beautiful Yoshino River. After a final climb, we arrive at the acclaimed Konpira Shrine, a popular area and our final highlight. After exploring the shrine, we share a drink and reflect on our six-day journey into hidden Japan. There are train stations nearby that connect with the bullet train. Alternatively, Takamatsu Airport is a few kms away (click here to learn about cheap internal flights if you live outside Japan). Let us know if you require airport transfer or would like us to organise accommodation for the final night.
AFTER YOUR TOUR, WHY NOT…
MATSUYAMA FOOD AND CULTURE
SOBA MAKING