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Spend 6 days cycling in search of authentic Japan in Shikoku, the country's smallest major island. Start off by traversing the scenic expressway of Shimanami Kaido and cross tens of miles each day witnessing the clash of nature, tradition, and modernity in Japanese cities, villages, sacred places, and unspoiled wilderness. Join a tour laced with traditional cuisine, quality lodging, and, of course, great cycling under the supervision of your expert local guide.
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Meet your guide at Onomichi Station in the morning. Your guided adventure starts with cycling over the world-famous Shimanami Kaido—a 37-mile expressway open for bikes connecting the biggest Japanese island of Honshu to the smallest of the main four islands—Shikoku. You’ll cover 5 islands and bridges, relish the scenic landscapes, and experience the culture of the Seto Inland Sea. Lodging on Day 1 is a Japanese hotel in a stunning location nestled by the shoreline.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Cycling: 70 km / 43 miles
Elevation: 600 m / 1,970 ft
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Finish the Shimanami Kaido route by cycling over the last two bridges. Your group will then head down the coast to the historic city of Matsuyama, the capital of the prefecture of Ehime. Cycle through the city, you’ll be able to view an impressive 17th-century Japanese castle. Continue cycling towards your hotel in the Dogo area. Wander about the Dogo Onsen area famous for its traditional hot springs. Try a local rice dish tai meshi for dinner and finish the meal with a glass of local sake. After dinner, you’ll have ample time to explore some of the city on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Cycling: 63 km / 39 miles
Elevation: 590 m / 1,935 ft -
Your cycling on Day 3 starts along the streets of Matsuyama, before heading out of the city and climbing up the mountains following stunning roads surrounded by unspoiled nature. Follow your guide and cycle along a meandering river before you reach a remote gorge—inside of which is a hot spring hotel where you will stay for the night!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Cycling: 66 km / 41 miles
Elevation: 810 m / 2,660 ft
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Start your day with an optional morning walk inside the spectacular Nakatsu Gorge. Later, your group will cycle out of the mountains following one of Japan’s most celebrated rivers. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can go for impromptu wild swimming to cool off! Reach the city of Kochi and visit a famous street food market offering fresh seafood before heading to your accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Cycling: 56 km / 35 miles
Elevation: 210 m / 690 ft
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Leave the city and make your way into the forested Iya Valley. You will first have to face a challenging climb and later get rewarded with views of beautiful landscapes with gorges, crystal-clear rivers, and traditional thatch-roofed houses. Cycling down the valley, you’ll be surrounded by terraced rice fields. Stop pedaling and walk across the famous vine bridges before heading. Continue cycling through the valley and reach your accommodation—a traditional Japanese inn with a funicular railway connecting it with a riverside hot spring.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Cycling: 84 km / 52 miles
Elevation: 1,515 m / 4,970 ft
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Day 6 begins with cycling out of the Iya Valley following the beautiful Yoshino River. After a final climb, you will arrive at the celebrated Konpira Shrine. After exploring the shrine, celebrate your achievements with your guide and fellow travelers. You will later board a train to your airport and say goodbye to Japan or continue touring on your own.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Cycling: 58 km / 36 miles
Elevation: 715 m / 2,345 ft
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Included:
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- An experienced English-speaking cycling guide with extensive local knowledge of the area
- 6-day guided cycling tour in Shikoku, Japan
- Support van with snacks and hydration
- Luggage transfers
- Accommodation for 5 nights in quality Japanese inns and hotels*
- All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 6 (excluding dinner on Day 2), detailed in the itinerary
- Helmet
- Cross/hybrid bike rental (Giant, Specialized, and Marin bikes)
- Bike maintenance if needed
- Transportation during the adventure
Add-ons (available to add at checkout):
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- Single occupancy room
- Bike rental upgrade (aluminium road bike, carbon road bike, or e-bike)
Not included:
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- Flights to Japan & airport transfers
- Accommodations prior to and after the tour
- Dinner on Day 2
- Mandatory insurance — available to add at checkout
- Guide gratuities — optional
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For this cycling tour in Shikoku, Japan, you need to have a very good level of fitness. You can expect 50-85 km (30-50 miles) of cycling per day, often in steep terrain, for 6 consecutive days.
This is a trip meant for frequent cyclists who don’t hate hills—you can find day-by-day distances and elevation gains in the itinerary, but the most you’ll climb within a day is 1,500 m (4,920 ft). There are a few climbs with the steepest gradient being 13%. The average gradient of the climbs is 5-7%.
For more bike adventures in Japan, click here!
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You will spend 5 nights in a mixture of Japanese inns and business hotels. Your guiding company has handpicked the accommodation using their extensive knowledge of the area. Sea views, mountain inns, hot springs (onsen) resorts—they’ve got everything covered, allowing you to experience the best that this area has to offer!
The price of the tour is based on a shared twin room. However, if you’d like to have a room to yourself, you can add the single supplement to your booking upon checkout! Please note that it may not always be possible to meet all requests for single rooms.
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Here’s what you’ll need for your daily outings:
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- Comfortable riding or athletic clothing, preferably moisture wicking or synthetic material
- Sneakers or sport shoes
- Breathable outside layer or jacket
- Sunglasses
- Plenty of water, water bottle or hydration bladder
- Daypack with snacks
- Biking gloves are optional but recommended
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season—layers are best. Make sure to also bring some comfy clothes for evenings and free time.
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This guided cycling tour in Shikoku, Japan covers the cost of rental cross/hybrid bikes and helmets—your guide uses Giant, Specialized, and Marin bikes.
If you’d prefer to rent an e-bike or a road bike (carbon or aluminum) at an additional cost, you can add it to your trip at checkout.
Alternatively, if you bring your own bike, you can send it to the guided (this can be done at an airport if you are travelling to Japan) and they will bring it to the start of the tour. They 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). Let us know upon checkout!
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Group sizes and prices:
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- The usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
- It takes a minimum of 4 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 12 participants.
- Solo travellers are welcome! There’s no extra fee for solo travellers, as they’ll share a room with another member of the group.
- Single occupancy room is also available and can be added to your booking at checkout. Please note, it may not always be possible to meet all requests for single rooms.
Cycling in Shikoku can be arranged for bigger groups. Contact us prior to booking.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
If your group has riders under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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Onomichi, the starting point of the tour, is 30 minutes from Fukuyama, 90 minutes from Hiroshima, and 70 minutes from Okayama. To get to Onomichi, most people fly into Tokyo International Airport (HND) or Narita International Airport (NRT).
From there, you can either take a shuttle or a train to Onomichi, or take a flight to the Hiroshima Airport. From there, you can hop on a bus in the direction of Fukuyama and transfer to the “Flower Liner” bus at the Takasaka bus stop to reach Onomichi Station.
You will meet your guide at Onomichi Station in the morning of Day 1, meaning that you have to fly in at least a day earlier (and arrange accommodation accordingly).
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Insurance is mandatory for this tour. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
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