Shimanami Kaido Setouchi Tour

Today is the first day of our journey across the Setouchi Sea, the brilliant blue body of water peppered with islands that stretches between Shikoku and Honshu. Welcome to the Shimanami Kaido! You’ll feel like you’re flying across the sea on these roads that are designed specifically for cyclists traversing these gorgeous islands and bridges. We’ll spend the day dipping in and out of seaside towns and coastal roads. Be sure to stop for the best views each island has to offer along the way. We will make our way onto the southern side of Innoshima where our hotel is perched atop the hill overlooking the scattered islands in the sea below.

Taking off from Innoshima we will hop on the morning ferry to explore a chain of islands off the beaten path of the Shimanami Kaido. These more remote islands are home to Mt Sekizen Park central to Iwagi Island with a park of 3,000 cherry blossom trees, a real sight in both spring blossom and fall colors. We will take a lap around the island to take in the flowers/leaves, and for those looking to add a bit of climbing to the day we can climb to the top of the mountain. A day of small island life and scenery before heading back to Innoshima for the evening.

The road continues on through the increasingly wild islands of Omishima, Hakata, and finally Oshima. Complete the Kaido by tracing the remaining islands and bridges that take us to the final island of Shikoku. Along the way, we will stop at the Oyamazumi Shrine, home to one of Japan’s oldest trees at over 2,600 years old. Our ryokan this evening is just past the final suspension bridge, the largest in the world! Take a break to enjoy the hillside with magnificent views of the bridge and inland sea. On a lucky day, you can see the incredible whirlpools in the waters below. Finally, roll into our ryokan for the evening, for a soak in the hot-spring and a beautiful kaiseki spread for dinner.

After catching sunrise from your room over the water we will fly down to the port and hop the 15min ride over to start our longest day of riding as we do a full lap of the Tobishima Kaido. At 80km and 400m of climbing it is our biggest day, but plenty of cruisy kilometers by the ocean await with nearly all of the climbing coming up to the 3 bridges connecting the islands. This area is known for its orange and lemon produce, and much of the area is covered in citrus dotting the hillsides.

Options today as well to shorten the route by skipping the outermost island to reduce the ride by 18km for those looking for a shorter day in the saddle. We will then head back over the strait and back up to soak in the onsen by the sea.

Today we will bid farewell to the Tobishima Kaido and head back to the main island chain of the Shimanami Kaido. Not to repeat, but instead to head further off the beaten path to the quieter western side of Omishima Island where the Oyamazumi Shrine awaits. A beautiful shinto shrine, this area is also home to the ancient camphor tree that is thought to have been planted over 2,600 years ago.

From here, we will trace the sea and hop back to Ikuchi Island for a stop in the town of Setoda. A quiet seaside village that is seeing a wave of revitalization and is home to the wildly wonderful Sankoji Temple Complex. Opt for an afternoon loop around the quiet Takaneshima Island or head in early to hit the baths and take a stroll by the bay to catch the sunset.

On our final day, we will head out one last time by bike to finish riding the western side of the Kaido and return to our start at Onomichi City. Once in town, we will enjoy lunch & coffee and recount the highlights of the week before we say farewell at Onomichi station. Until the next time! Mata Ne~

Tour is planned to end at 2pm at Onomichi Station. Option to shuttle to Shin-Onomichi Station as well shortly after drop off at Onomichi Station.