Despite the fact that Shikoku features some of Japan’s most breathtaking natural scenery, exciting cities filled with interesting museums, great restaurants and medieval castles as well as a proliferation of important historic temples, it doesn’t find its way on many foreign travelers’ itineraries. This also means that during a trip to Shikoku, you will have some of the coolest attractions Japan has to offer completely to yourself.
If you’re a first-time visitor to the country, I recommend combining a week or two in Southern Honshu, where you can visit the more famous sights in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima with a trip to Shikoku, where you can get off the tourist trail and experience a more relaxed vibe and somewhat more authentic atmosphere.
As a primer to the region, I recommend spending at least a week on Shikoku, in which time you’ll be able to get a taste of what the island has to offer. Here’s my suggested one-week itinerary for a well-rounded introduction to Shikoku.
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How to get around on Shikoku
By far the best way to get around Japan is by using the country’s impeccable train system, which is fast, comfortable and efficient. A regional JR-Railway pass allows for unlimited use of Shikoku’s JR railways for 3 (9,000¥/68$), 4 (10,000¥/75$), 5 (11,000¥/82$) or 7 days (13,000¥/96$), which is altogether a fantastic deal. You can order your regional JR-Pass or general JR-Pass online on this site.
Have a look at my complete guide to the JR-Pass here
Public transport in the more remote areas of the island like the Iya Valley is a bit infrequent, so if you’re short on time but still want to explore these, renting a car for a couple of days would be a good idea. You can do that in any of the bigger cities on the Shikoku (like Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi or Tokushima). Have a look here:
The perfect one week Shikoku Itinerary
Day 1: Takamatsu
Start in Takamatsu, a pleasant city in the northeastern part of Shikoku, where you can visit Ritsurin Kōen, a wonderful historical garden designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese Government. More beautiful gardens can be found on the grounds of Takamatsu Castle, while art aficionados will like the expositions of the city’s Modern Art Museum. Takamatsu is also a good place to taste the famous regional Sanuki Udon Noodles.
See also: Ritsurin Kōen and other great things to see in Takamatsu, Japan
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Setouchi Mangetsuso or Guest House Wakabaya
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: Sunny Day Hostel
- Luxury Accommodation Tip: Royal Park Hotel Takamatsu
Day 2: Kotohira
Kotohira is a charming small town located in beautiful natural surroundings that sports Shikoku’s largest shrine. A visit to Konpira-San requires climbing 1368 steps, but once you’ve reached the shrine you won’t regret the effort. Further points of interest are an old sake factory that’s been turned into a museum, as well as Japan’s oldest Kabuki Theatre.
See also: Konpira Shrine and other things to see in Kotohira, Japan
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Guesthouse Kotohira
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: Toramaru Ryokan
- Luxury Accommodation Tip: Kotohira Onsen Kotosankaku
Day 3-4: Iya Valley
A beautiful slice of nature, the Iya Valley is most famous for its historic vine bridges, but there is plenty more to discover for travelers who are willing to spend a couple of days here. In fact, the area is wacky Japan at its best, featuring a village populated by life-sized dolls, a bug-shaped monorail whizzing you through the mountains and a museum dedicated to the Yōkai, demon-creatures of Japanese Mythology.
See also: The ultimate Guide to the Iya Valley, Japan
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Heso Camp or 4S STAY Awaikeda Ekimae
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: Hotel Kazurabashi
- Luxury Accommodation Tip: Hotel Iya Onsen
Day 5: Kōchi
Of the cities my wife and I visited on Shikoku, Kōchi was our favourite, as it has a relaxed vibe and a nice location close to the sea. There are also plenty of historical and natural sights, giving you reason to stick around for a while. Check out the well-preserved castle, get familiar with Japanese History in the Sakamoto Ryoma Museum, or just spend some time strolling around the wonderful Botanical Gardens.
There’s a great food court giving you a chance to sample local specialities and if you’re here on a Sunday, you should check out the famous week-market.
See also: 10 amazing things to do in Kōchi, Japan – A guide to Shikoku’s most beautiful city
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Katsuo Guesthouse or Kōchi Youth Hostel (Tel. +81 88-823-0858)
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: Dormy Inn Kochi
- Luxury Accommodation Tip: まちの別邸 緝 Shu or Jyoseikan Ryokan
Day 6: Uchiko
Uchiko is small-town Japan at its prettiest – the historic centre of this charming traditional village is filled with attractive wooden houses and another beautiful Kabuki Theatre (in case you missed the one in Kotohira, or – like us – just can’t get enough of traditional Japanese architecture;-).
See also: What to know about visiting the pretty historical village of Uchiko, Japan
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Hostel & Tatami Bar Uchikobare
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: One of the Inns of Uchiko
Day 7: Matsuyama
Matsuyama is Shikoku’s biggest city, but still exudes a pleasant small-town feel when compared to Japan’s larger metropolises. Still, there’s no shortage of things to see. You could zip up to the city’s well-preserved castle by rope-way, soak yourself in Japan’s oldest public bath-house (which incidentally inspired the one from the Studio Ghibli Movie Spirited Away) or enjoy the views of the city from a Ferris wheel located atop a skyscraper.
See also: Visiting the bathhouse from Spirited Away and other great things to do in Matsuyama, Japan
- Budget Accommodation Tip: Cinnamon Guest House
- Midrange Accommodation Tip: Hotel Patio Dogo
- Luxury Accommodation Tip: Chaharu Ryokan
If you have more time
If you have more time to spend, there are plenty of other cities to see on the island, like Tokushima and Naruto. You could also spend some time in the seldom-visited southwestern part of the island and check out the two southern capes.
Otherwise, you could stay longer in Takamatsu, which is also a good base for day-trips to some islands of the Sento Inland Sea, the most famous being Naoshima, rightfully referred to as the “Art Island”.
In general, more time allows for a slower approach, letting you familiarize yourself better with the destinations. Especially Kōchi is a pleasant place to spend a couple of days, while the Iya Valley rewards slow travel as it’s chock-full of sights and opportunities for great hikes.
If you have less time
If you have less than a week on Shikoku, I recommend that you concentrate on a part of the island rather than its entirety, as you won’t want to spend most of your precious time traveling between cities.
In case you have only three days, you could for instance check out either Takamatsu and Kotohira; the Iya Valley or Matsuyama and Uchiko. Thus, you could get a first taste of what Shikoku has to offer and ideally return for a longer trip in the future.
Accommodation on Shikoku
You can browse for more than the suggested hotels and guest houses in the map below:
See also
More information about traveling to Shikoku, including the various ways to get there as well as info on daily budgeting, can be found in my Shikoku Travel Guide.
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We are a group of 20 senior citizens planning for a 10 to 15 days’trip to cover the following places
1. My. Fujii
2. Shikoku
3. Okinawa
Please suggest
1. shall we cover this places in one tour or in separate tour.
2. GOOD Season but non too peak season
3. 2-3 star accommodations of twin share
We need a customised tour with English speaking tour guide. Please recommend itinerary and budget accordingly.
Regards,
Guan CK
guanck@gmail.com
Hello Guan,
check your e-Mail, I’ve sent you some recommendations!
Regards,
Reinhard
Hello,
Thank you for this post!
Just wondering, for this itinerary, since you’re doing one new location every day, wouldn’t you essentially be travelling constantly and requiring many different bookings for hotels/inns? If that is the case, wouldn’t it be very hectic?
Hello Khai,
you’re absolutely right, there is quite a bit of traveling involved in this itinerary. Personally, I also like to travel a little more slowly but in case your time is limited and you still want to see the absolute highlights of the island, this would be the way to go. Japan’s efficient train system means that travel is swift and dependable and you’ll still have a lot of time on your hands to explore after arriving at your destination for the night.
My wife and I spent 8 days on Shikoku. We spent three nights in the Iya Valley, which was nice but not absolutely essential (If you’re short on time, two nights should suffice) and we visited Uchiko en route to Matsuyama, but liked the village atmosphere so much that I decided to add it as an overnight stop.
If you have more time on your hands, you could extend your stay in Kochi, the Iya Valley or Takamatsu (which is also a good base to explore the islands of the Sento Inland Sea). Just take the itinerary as a basic framework and modify it to your own needs and likings.
Happy travels!
Reinhard
Me & my wife are planning to visit Shikoku for 3 to 5 days in late January 2023. We want to see the Sunday market in Kochi city and stay in a ryoken in Iya valley . We love nature & would
also like hiking.
Can you suggest itinerary. We will be coming from Awaji Island.
Hello John,
With 5 days and coming from Awaji Island, I would suggest the following itinerary:
Day 1: Tokushima
Day 2: Transfer to Iya Valley
Day 3: Iya Valley
Day 4: Transfer to Kochi
Day 5: Kochi (fly out from Kochi Ryoma Airport)
Obviously, Day 4 or 5 would have to be a Sunday for you to be able to visit the market. Apart from that, Kochi is a pleasant city that warrants some exploring, so two days should give you some time for that.
We were in the Iya Valley in the Summer, so I don’t know the hiking conditions in the winter. Staying at a Ryokan with an Onsen (like Hotel Iya Onsen) would definitely give you a chance to warm up after a hike in cold weather. If there’s snow, sitting in an outdoor onsen is probably magical.
If you only have three days, I’d suggest doing two (i.e. Friday and Saturday) in the Iya Valley and exploring Kochi and the Sunday Market on the third day.
Hope this helps – Have fun in beautiful Shikoku!
All the Best
Reinhard
Hi
thank you for your site..very informative.
we are planning to visit Shikoku in early April 2023 for 4 nights…we are keen to walk some of the pilgrimage walk….we only have 3 days and not sure where to start ? any tips
Hi,
it depends a little on where you’re entering the island from. If you want to walk a part of the Henro, the area around Matsuyma and Takamatsu has the highest concentration of Temples, so you’d be able to visit at least a few of the 88.
For three days, I would recommend visiting Takamatsu with the beautiful Ritsurin Garden, walking part of the Henro in the surrounding area, and perhaps also dropping by the amazing Konpira-San Shrine in Kotohira. That should give you a good taste of the island’s nature and historical culture.
Hope this helps!
Reinhard