Shikoku in 7 days: a rail itinerary from Takamatsu to Matsuyama

Seven days is enough to see the best of Shikoku: Takamatsu and its garden, the Konpira shrine at Kotohira, the vine bridges of the Iya Valley, Kochi's castle and markets, and Matsuyama with Dogo Onsen. Use trains between the cities and a taxi or rental car for the valleys. This route fits inside the Shikoku travel guide, for a wider trip across Japan.

Shikoku is quiet and slow by Japanese standards, and the limited express trains run less often than on the main island, so build slack into every transfer. The reward is space: smaller crowds on the platforms, old onsen and villages that still feel local. The catch is that some legs are long, so this plan keeps the rides sensible and puts the heavy days first.

Fly or take the train to Takamatsu on Day 1, then work west: Kotohira and Oboke on Day 2, the Iya Valley on Day 3, Kochi on Days 4 and 5, then Matsuyama on Days 6 and 7. You finish at Dogo Onsen, with the boat to Hiroshima or a train toward Okayama that afternoon. If you start in Matsuyama instead, everything reverses, but the long Kochi to Matsuyama leg stays.

Trains in Shikoku are limited expresses on the main lines and slower locals elsewhere. The Dosan line links Takamatsu, Kotohira, Oboke and Kochi, and the Yosan line links Takamatsu and Matsuyama along the coast. Kochi and Matsuyama have no direct train, which is why Day 6 is a long travel day. Check the current timetable on JR Shikoku or a route planner for your dates, and write down the last departure of each day, because the services thin out in the evening.

The north is the easiest start, with frequent trains from Okayama and a flat city to walk. From there the rail line climbs into the mountains toward the Iya Valley, so pack light and keep a change of shoes handy.

Morning: ride the Marine Liner across the Seto Ohashi bridge from Okayama. The All Shikoku Rail Pass covers the Shikoku operators listed in the JR Shikoku notice, so check where your pass starts to apply on the approach from Honshu. Drop your bags at the hotel.

Afternoon: walk Ritsurin Garden, one of Japan's best-known landscape gardens, then the seaside castle park at Tamamo. Hours change with the season, so check the official pages before you go.

Evening: try the local Sanuki udon at a counter near the station. Many shops close early, so plan dinner before the evening rush.

Morning: take a JR or Kotoden train to Kotohira. The shrine's official guide says you climb 785 stone steps to the main shrine, the Gohon-gu, and another 583 steps beyond it to the Oku-sha, which makes 1,368 steps from the main approach to the inner shrine. Many visitors stop at the main shrine and turn back, and that is a sensible choice if the day is hot or your shoes are wrong. Leave extra time if you want the inner shrine.

Afternoon: eat udon on the shrine approach, then take a limited express toward Oboke, which follows a gorge. Zentsu-ji, temple 75 of the pilgrimage, is a stop on the way for those who want a first temple.

Evening: check in at a small inn or guesthouse near Oboke. Rooms are few, so book early.

Morning: take a chartered taxi or a rental car from Oboke to the Iya Valley. Bus service is limited, so do not plan the morning around a timetable you have not checked. Cross the Kazurabashi vine bridge, and if time allows add a riverside stop.

Afternoon: head back to Oboke station and take a limited express toward Kochi. If you drive, return the car in Kochi only if the company allows a drop-off there.

Evening: arrive in Kochi in time for dinner at a covered food market.

Kochi is a small city with an original castle and a lively food scene. It is also the base for the Pacific coast, which is a quiet contrast to the inland valleys you have just left.

Morning: visit Kochi Castle. The Kochi prefectural tourism site calls it the only castle in Japan where the original castle tower and main keep remain intact, and lists opening hours of 9:00 to 17:00 with no entry permitted after 16:30. Check the page for closures before you go.

Afternoon: ride the tram or walk to the Hirome market for lunch, then to the harbor promenade. Temple 31, Chikurin-ji, is on a hill outside town, a short bus ride away.

Evening: try seared bonito, the local specialty, at a market counter, and stay in the center.

Morning: take a local bus or drive to Katsurahama, a curved beach with a statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a local hero of the 19th century.

Afternoon: return for a garden or museum, or drive on along the coast if you have a car. Pack for Day 6, which is the longest travel day.

Evening: an early night. The journey to Matsuyama starts in the morning.

Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku and the most relaxed. Its old castle sits on a hill in the middle of town, and the Dogo Onsen bathhouse is a short tram ride away. This last stage is a travel day followed by a slow day.

Morning: leave Kochi early. There is no direct train, so you change on the way, and this is the longest transfer of the trip. Highway buses also run but are slower to plan around, and the rail pass does not cover them. Check both options the evening before and keep a margin in case a connection runs late.

Afternoon: check in, then ride the lift or ropeway to Matsuyama Castle for the view over the city.

Evening: ride the tram to Dogo Onsen and walk the covered shopping street. The tram belongs to Iyotetsu, which the All Shikoku Rail Pass does not cover.

Morning: bathe at the Dogo Onsen Honkan. The Dogo Onsen site lists opening hours that start at 6:00 and notes that ticket sales stop before closing time, so arrive early. The Honkan was designated a National Important Cultural Property in December 1994, and the site says it has stayed open during conservation work. Ishite-ji, temple 51, is close by and worth an hour.

Afternoon: take the Shiokaze limited express toward Okayama, or take a bus to the port and a high-speed boat to Hiroshima. Setonaikai Kisen says its Linear Jet connects Hiroshima or Kure and Matsuyama in as little as 70 minutes. Flights also leave from Matsuyama airport.

Evening: in Hiroshima, see the guide to where to stay in Hiroshima and the Hiroshima and Miyajima day plan.

The pass changed on 1 October 2026. The JR Shikoku notice dated 6 August 2026 says the four-day and five-day passes are discontinued, so only the 3-day and 7-day passes remain, and that passes issued from that date no longer include the Shodoshima ferry and Olive Bus. Regular buses are not covered. Iyotetsu, which runs the trams and trains around Matsuyama, is not among the operators the notice lists, so budget separately for the Dogo Onsen tram.

See the official JR Shikoku notice for the full terms. On this route the rail days are 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, so only the 7-day pass covers the whole plan. A 3-day pass on Days 2 to 4 covers Takamatsu, Kotohira, Oboke and Kochi, and then you buy single tickets for the Day 6 transfer. Add up the single fares for your dates on a route planner before you buy, and compare the total with the pass price, because Shikoku fares are modest and the pass does not always win.

Rail passes are not a saving by default in Shikoku, where the routes are long but the fares are modest. The JR Pass guide explains the national pass, which rarely fits a Shikoku-only trip. If you come from Osaka, the Kansai Area Pass guide covers the other side.

For the cities, no. Trains and trams reach every stop on this route. For the Iya Valley and the Kochi coast, a car saves hours, and a taxi is the alternative. Rent a small car for Days 3 to 5 only, and pick it up and return it in the same place where possible.

Check with the rental company and your home licensing authority whether you need an international driving permit or a Japanese translation of your license, because the rule depends on where the license was issued. Driving is on the left. One-way rentals often carry a drop-off fee, so use the rental company's one-way tool with your exact pick-up and return points before you book. Mountain roads can be narrow, and winter weather can bring ice, so think twice about driving in the coldest months.

The Shikoku pilgrimage, or henro, links 88 temples around the island, and many people spend weeks on it. You cannot do it in seven days, and you should not try. Instead, visit two or three temples that sit on your route: Zentsu-ji (75) near Kotohira, Chikurin-ji (31) in Kochi and Ishite-ji (51) near Dogo Onsen.

Behave as at any active temple. Bow at the gate, keep your voice low near the main hall, and do not photograph pilgrims without asking. If you want a longer walk of this kind, the Kumano Kodo in four days guide covers another pilgrimage route on the main island.

Spring and autumn are the usual choices. April brings cherry blossom, and October and November bring clear days and color. Summer is hot and humid, and typhoon season in late summer can disrupt trains and ferries, so keep your hotel rates flexible. See the best time to visit Japan guide for the month by month view.

Book rooms well ahead for blossom season and Golden Week, and further ahead for the small inns in Iya. Outside those windows, the cities have plenty of business hotels. If rain closes in, swap the Iya Valley morning for Kochi's covered market and a long lunch, and keep the vine bridge for the next clear window. If you are short of time, drop Kochi and spend the extra night in Matsuyama, or end in Takamatsu and add Naoshima instead.