Japan's hidden island: Temples & festivals in Shikoku
12 days from £4,615pp
Where is this? Takamatsu
Tour highlights
- White-water rafting in the spectacular Oboke Gorge.
- The hot spring baths of Matsuyama.
- Driving through rural scenery.
- The art museums on Naoshima Island.
Itinerary idea in detail
Includes international flights from a choice of UK airports, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Tokyo.
Arriving in Tokyo, you continue on a connecting flight to Osaka Airport. Here, you will be met by an airport representative who will give you your trip documents and ensure a smooth arrival. You will then take a shared transfer from the airport to your hotel, which is not far away.
Travel by bus to Tokushima via Awaji-jima Island and across the world's longest suspension bridge that links the main island of Honshu to Shikoku.
Explore Tokushima town. We recommend incorporating a visit to Tokushima's most famous export to the rest of the country, the Bunraku puppet theatre, to see a performance.
Take a scenic coastal train ride to Takamatsu, home to one of Japan's most beautiful gardens the Ritsurin-Koen and regarded as one of the top three.
Today, take a short ferry ride to visit nearby Naoshima Island and its world-class art museums. If time allows, there are other modern art installations of the surrounding smaller islands.
Pick up your hire car and drive from Takamatsu to the rural and remote Iya Valley. In the afternoon, explore the area by car and on foot, helped by the advanced GPS system provided with all rental cars. Depending on the season, you can enjoy some breathtaking mountainous scenery, complete with beautiful waterfalls.
Start this morning with some light activity — white-water rafting in the Oboke Gorge. The course is suitable for beginners and children.
Drive to the small town of Kannonji and drop the car off here. Then, take the train west to Matsuyama, Shikoku's principal city and oldest hot spring resort in Japan. The west of Shikoku has a different feel than the east.
Explore the castle and gardens or relax and rewind in the hot springs of your hotel.
Travel by train across to Okayama, stopping to see other top-rated gardens, including the Korakuen Garden, before continuing east to Tokyo. The evening is at leisure to catch up on any last-minute sightseeing or enjoy your final evening in Japan wining and dining.
You will be taken to the airport by shared transfer. Your return flight will arrive the same day.
Accommodation options
While the itinerary price reflects the suggested accommodation, Audley trips are 100% tailor-made, and a specialist can help you select the option best suited to your tastes and budget.
What our clients say about us
Excellent · 4.8 | 5007 reviews on Trustpilot
Tamatha set our family up with the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Their ability to plan, visualise and reshape the days until it felt like ours made all the difference.
Mason
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