Shimanami Kaido Cycling 3 Days
Self-Guided TourPrice from
78,500 JPY
Duration
3 Days | 2 Nights
Level
Experience the breath-taking beauty of the Seto Inland Sea as you journey by bicycle on this three-day adventure. Cycle the Shimanami Kaido from Honshu to Shikoku, stay in traditional Japanese hotels, eat exceptional local food from the area. Suitable for cyclists of all levels.
Quality Bikes
Fantastic Accommodation
Self Guided
Fully Supported
Choose Start Date
Exceptional Local Food
ABOUT THIS TOUR
Cycle the Shimanami Kaido – 6 islands and 7 bridges from Honshu to Shikoku. Click here to find out about the Shimanami Kaido. This is a two night, three day self-guided adventure that takes through the stunning landscapes of the Seto Inland Sea, via traditional Japanese hotels serving fantastic local food. This tour is suitable for cyclists of all levels – from those who haven’t ridden a bike for a while to seasoned members of the pelaton. We take care of all bookings, luggage transfer, and provide quality cross bikes and helmets. This is a self-guided tour, but you receive our custom Shimanami Kaido guidebook to direct you to secret spots and the best restaurants. We also provide a phone in case of emergencies and we’re always close by if you need support.
Read MoreStart of the trip
Onomichi
Day 1
Day 1
Day 2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 2
- Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
- Difficulty: 3/5 – suitable for those with a reasonable level of fitness. You do not have to be a cyclist to enjoy this tour. We have e-bikes (subject to availability) if you need a helping hand.
- Group size: We can work with groups of most sizes, from couples to larger groups. (contact us for information about solo travellers)
- Things to see
- Things to eat
- Things to do
- Cycle the world famous Shimanami Kaido.
- Truly experience the Seto Inland Sea with our local knowledge, gathered from years of living in this area.
- Explore temples and shrines, mountains and beaches.
- Leave the tourists behind as you travel closer to Shikoku and really see rural Japan.
- Eat seafood caught from the Seto Inland Sea. This area is famous throughout Japan for its quality of fish. The currents are strong here, which makes the fish really tasty.
- Enjoy products from the islands - from green lemons (trust us, they are better than they sound), to spicy pizza made with locally grown chillies.
- Drink locally produced craft beer, locally distilled sake, or even limoncello made from locally sourced lemons. We point all these places out in our guidebook and leave you to make the decisions!
- This area has it all, from fishing with locals, travelling to rabbit island, sea kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding with a local guide, mountain climbing, or just chilling on the beach.
- We leave you to make the decisions. We'll give you plenty of information so you can have a fantastic trip, but you're in control, you decide where to do, what to do, and what to see.
- Quality Bikes
- Tour Leader & Support
- Fees
- E-Bike Options
- Top Hotels
- Food
- 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 help make arrangements for you and ensure you bike will be ready for you on Day 1 of your tour. There is an additional fee for this.
- 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 will meet you in Onomichi and again in Imabari.
- A support car in case of any problems. Fingers crossed everything is fine, but good for peace of mind in case.
- Luggage transfer while on the tour
- 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!
- Two nights in traditional Japanese hotels. We have hand picked the accommodation using our extensive experience of the area. Sea views, great food, and warm hotel baths - we've got everything to allow you to experience the best that this area has to offer.
- Prices are based on shared rooms. Please enquire for single supplement.
- Exceptional local cuisine.
- Tour price includes dinner on the first and second night and breakfast on the second and third morning. We will order a set menu for you after consulting with you about nutritional requirements. Additional orders or alcoholic drinks are not included in the tour price.
- We provide a broad recommendation of lunch spots.
- Incredible views and lifelong memories.
- We'll give you our water bottle as a reminder of your time cycling through hidden Japan.
- We also have Hidden Japan Travel cycling jerseys available for purchase.
- Did we mention the amazing views?
Adults (12+) – 78,500 yen per person based on shared room.
Children (under 12) – 50,000 yen per person.
- 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 registration form.
- Once you’ve sent this back to us, we’ll arrange for payment of your deposit, which is 10% of the trip price. We accept credit cards and wire transfer.
- Full payment is due 21 days prior to the first day of the trip.
Please click here for our terms and conditions.
Maybe you’re thinking “Is it worth doing a self-guided tour?”. Well, yes!
Not only do we take care of everything – accommodation, luggage transfer, bike rental – but we’re also on hand in case you need support. We’re never too far away! We also provide very detailed maps. These have information about the history of each island and our favourite places to enjoy the local culture, nature, and cuisine. We send you this information as a PDF prior to your tour so you can start planning your adventure from the options we suggest. We hand-pick these locations based on our local knowledge of the area and the needs of our guests. We also choose great hotels – the ones with the most character, the best food, and the most relaxing views. We can provide a phone in case you need to get in touch and electronic maps so you can navigate to your hotels easily. All this means that you can concentrate on having a unique experience that’s facilitated by local knowledge and supported safely if anything goes wrong.
So yes, doing a self-guided tour (with us), is defintely worth it!
ITINERARY
Day 1: Leave Onomichi
35 kms | Some ups and downs | Next to the sea, cafes, beaches | Dinner | JapaneseOn the morning of the first day, we’ll meet you at Onomichi train station. You drop off your luggage and collect your bike, and we’ll give you all the information you need for your journey – maps, information about the route, money for the ferries. We’ll see you to the port from which it’s a short ride to the start of the route. There are 4 islands on this day. Your accommodation for the first night is in a really special Japanese-style hotel on a small island. It’s a sleepy place with narrow streets and traditional houses, where people greet you as you pass…it’s a million miles away from the pace of Tokyo.
Day 2: On the Islands
35 kms | Some ups and downs | Next to the sea, shrines and temples, rabbit island| Breakfast & Dinner| Japanese
Day two starts with a traditional breakfast. After leaving your luggage at reception, you’ve got another 35kms ahead of you. Short enough so that you have enough time to get off your bike and truly experience this landscape, but long enough so that there are plenty of places to explore. We enjoy visiting Kosanji and the surrounding street food stalls…but really, you can’t go wrong whatever you decide to do. After three more islands you’ll arrive at your next hotel. This is again a traditional inn with exceptional food just next to the sea. Sitting on the sea front and breathing in the sea air, before a first-class meal and a relaxing bath, that’s how to truly see Japan.
Day 3: Ride to Imabari
After another traditional breakfast and leaving your bags for us to pick up, it’s back on the bike one last time. On the final day you’ve got two islands to explore and the most picturesque bridge of the lot to look forward to…leave at least an extra 30 minutes for photos! After that, Shikoku awaits. Once you arrive on the island, you will head towards Imabari train station where we’ll be waiting with your luggage and a smile. This is a wonderful springboard into Shikoku proper or an easy place from which to return to Honshu (by train to Okayama or boat to Hiroshima). Either way, we’re sure you’ll have special memories of this hidden part of the Japan, and a better sense of this fantastic country.
AFTER YOUR TOUR, WHY NOT…
MATSUYAMA FOOD AND CULTURE
SOBA MAKING