
Shikoku has some wonderful accommodation – places that alone are worth travelling to see, with heart-warming hospitality. This tour takes you to three of Shikoku’s prefectures, staying in the most characterful and luxurious kominka and ryokan accommodation. This is one of our more relaxed tours – at two of the places, you stay for two nights, allowing you to settle in and enjoy the feeling of being at home.
The tour visits many of the main attractions of the island, as well as some lesser known treats. You visit castles, gardens, mountain hamlets, and historic towns. You visit shrines and temples, sake breweries and tea houses. There are many opportunities to meet and talk to the people of Shikoku.
You travel in a comfortable minibus. There’s no guide, but your driver speaks English. The private vehicle allows you the flexibility to change the pace and saves you lugging luggage.
Who is this tour for?
This tour is for groups of two to six people. It’s ideal for families. The tour makes a good introduction to Shikoku (and Japan for that matter). Some of the places visited can only be accessed by climbing a lot of steps, so you’ll need to be reasonably fit.
Included
- Private vehicle
- English-speaking driver (see the FAQ tab)
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Basic insurance (see the FAQ tab)
Not included
- Travel to and from Shikoku
- Drinks
- Comprehensive personal insurance (see the FAQ tab)
Not really. Japanese cooking is based on fish stock, and the Japanese love their fish and meat. On this tour, you stay in traditional Japanese accommodation that is proud of its cuisine, especially the fish. For breakfast and dinner, it is possible to ask for ‘largely’ vegetarian food, but no guarantees are offered. You can generally find vegetarian options for lunch, but with limited choice.
No, not exactly as it is. But we can try to find you some alternative, characterful places that accommodate eight people.
The English-speaking driver will drive, help with check-in, and offer advice on the smooth operation of your tour. This allows you the peace of mind that you won’t encounter a situation where you’re alone and helpless. However, the driver doesn’t provide guide services. If you want a guided tour, please let us know and we’ll provide a guide.
Our cancellation policy is as follows;
- Cancelled more than 21 days prior to start: No charge
- Cancelled between 20 and 8 days prior to start: 20% of the total fee
- Cancelled between 7 days and 48 hours prior to start: 30% of the total fee
- Cancelled between 48 and 24 hours prior to start: 40% of the total fee
- Cancelled within 24 hours of start: 50% of the total fee
- Cancelled on the day of start or failure to show: 100% of the total fee
- No refunds will be given after the tour has commenced.
When you book a tour, we ask for a 10% deposit, with the balance to be paid a month before the start of the tour. You can pay by credit card or bank transfer.
When you purchase a tour from Shikoku Tours, we automatically enrol you in basic travel insurance as a legal requirement. The insurance pays out up to 300 million yen per incident. We also have insurance to cover our bicycle operations. Although we enrol you in basic travel insurance, you should still purchase your own general travel insurance in case our coverage is insufficient.