Model Course
Shimanami Kaido Sample Itineraries
Practical 2-day and 3-day plans you can follow even on your first Shimanami Kaido trip. They combine cycling and sightseeing, starting from Onomichi.
2 days / 1 night
Onomichi sightseeing + ride to Ikuchijima
For a weekend trip
3 days / 2 nights
Ride the whole way from Onomichi to Imabari
For longer holidays
Before you use these plans
- Times are only a guide. They will vary with your fitness, the weather and crowds.
- Book rental bikes in advance in peak season.
- Check ferry timetables in advance (they vary by season and day of the week).
- We recommend booking accommodation early (especially over spring and autumn holidays).
Gear to get before your trip
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2-day Shimanami Kaido itinerary
A weekend course enjoying Onomichi to Ikuchijima. On day 2 you can return by ferry from Omishima, so you can finish without overdoing it. E-bike recommended.
Leave your bags at your hotel or in a coin locker.
Ropeway to the top, then walk down the Path of Literature. About 1.5 hours.
Onomichi ramen for lunch. There are several famous shops.
Wander the hillside lanes. You may meet a cat.
Renting the day before makes the next morning smoother.
Take the ferry with your bike. About 5 minutes, around 100 yen. Ride a little on Mukaishima.
Stay at a hotel or ryokan in Onomichi. The Onomichi Channel at night is worth seeing too.
Ferry to Mukaishima. Start early to keep energy in reserve.
On to Innoshima. If you have time, stop at Innoshima Suigun Castle (30 minutes there and back).
Arrive on Ikuchijima (Setoda area).
Photos on the marble hill. About 1.5 hours.
Enjoy Setoda food such as lemon sweets or a seafood bowl.
Rest with a view toward the Tatara Bridge.
Photo at the “Sanctuary for Cyclists” monument.
Refuel and rest. Citrus soft-serve is recommended.
Take a ferry toward Imabari or Onomichi. *Check the timetable in advance.
3-day itinerary (the whole way from Onomichi to Imabari)
A course riding the whole route from Onomichi to Imabari. Stay on Omishima on night 2 and finish in Imabari on day 3. The sense of achievement is special, and you get the most out of the Shimanami Kaido.
Fill up on Onomichi ramen or seafood as soon as you arrive.
Up by ropeway, down the Path of Literature.
Walk the hillside lanes and see the pagoda.
See the 900-year-old camphor tree.
The waterfront at dusk is very photogenic.
Enjoy the evening at an izakaya or seafood restaurant in Onomichi.
Ferry to Mukaishima, then head south following the blue line.
If you have energy to spare, enjoy the stone Buddhas and the view.
Learn about the history of the sea clans. About 30–40 minutes.
Setoda lemon food or seafood.
The white marble hill, a top photo spot.
Souvenir photo and refuel.
An ancient shrine holding national-treasure armor.
Stay on Omishima or Hakatajima. Have fresh seafood for dinner.
Cross the Omishima Bridge to Hakatajima.
Cherry blossoms in spring and a view from the summit. (Optional)
Pass through Oshima’s roadside stations and villages.
A stunning view down on the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge. Very steep climb. (Optional, depending on your legs)
Sea bream rice for lunch. Last refuel at the foot of the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge.
The biggest bridge on the Shimanami Kaido. Cross about 4 km of bridges to the finish!
Return your rental bike and enjoy the sense of achievement.
See one of Japan’s three great sea castles. Ideal after the finish.
Go home by JR limited express or highway bus. Well done!
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