Shimanami Kaido Tours

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Shimanami Kaido Tours

The Shimanami Kaido is a chain of islands across the Seto Inland Sea, joined by a series of bridges which carry an expressway and cycle paths. The route joins Imabari in Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku, with Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture on Honshu. From the Ehime side, the islands are Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Innoshima, and Mukaishima.

Each of the islands has its own character and attractions. Shikoku Tours offers accommodation on all of the islands, with transportation options including rental cycles, rental cars and charter buses, as well as discounted tickets for attractions such as boat trips, museums and art galleries. This allows you to plan your own trip according to your budget and interests.

Objectives

There’s a tendency to want to ride the whole Shimanami Kaido from Imabari to Onomichi, just to say that you’ve done it. This is of course a valid and enjoyable objective. However, unless you stay somewhere along the way, you’ll miss most of the secrets of the islands. So we recommend choosing one or two places to stay, and picking the best means of transport to get there and around. And instead of doing the whole route, we suggest that you spend some time exploring an island or three. You won’t be disappointed.

Accommodation

We offer accommodation on each of the islands. This ranges from high-end ryokan and Western-style hotels, through minshuku, to economy hotels, all at the best prices available. The accommodation comes in a variety of styles. You can choose somewhere with a bed or futon as you like. All have some Western-style toilets. Please note that much of the accommodation on the Shimanami Kaido is quite old and characterful. We also offer accommodation of the very latest style. WiFi is available in most but not all places.

Bicycles

There are three main options for cyclists, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.

You can bring your own bicycle.

You can hire one of the bicycles provided on the Shimanami Kaido at low daily rates, picking them up and leaving them along the route as you please. However, the bikes aren’t in the best condition, and none are available for people over 160 cm tall.

You can hire a bicycle from the Imabari Giant Store at a reasonable daily rate. These bikes are beautiful and are available in all sizes. However, they must be returned to the Giant Store in Imabari or Onomichi.

The best option is to use one Shikoku Tours’ fleet of well-maintained Specialized e-bikes. We have a support van too.

Cars

Cars can be hired in Japan, and we can advise you on the procedure.

Please note that if you’re not resident in Japan, you must get an International Driving Permit before you come. The Japan National Tourism Association has this to say on the matter:

If you wish to drive a car while in Japan, you must obtain an International Driving Permit prior to departure. You will also need to be in possession of your national license while driving in Japan. International Driving Permits are generally issued by the national Automobile Association in your country. Some countries, such as Germany & Switzerland, do not have a reciprocal agreement with Japan to honour the permits. Please check with your automobile association when applying.

The Shimanami Kaido is a toll road, with different prices for each class of motor vehicle. Please budget for the tolls and pay them yourself.

Buses

Shikoku Tours can charter buses of any size to meet the requirements of groups.

Media tours

For media organizations wishing to cover the Shimanami Kaido, we offer a package including bicycles, support vehicles, and a plan of shooting locations.