12 Days In Shikoku Going Off-The-Beaten-Path - A Japan Travel Itinerary
Shikoku is easily the least-known of the main islands of Japan but that is precisely the allure - authentic Japanese culture, freedom to roam at your own speed, get away hoards of tourists, and beautifully raw experiences at every level.
When planning this trip, I quickly realized that there isn't a lot of information out there in terms of how to plan a road trip in Shikoku. With this Shikoku itinerary, you'll get a proper look not only the logistics side of things but also what makes the region special, unique activities, and how it is secretly one of the go-to places if you want to see the real Japan.
If you are looking to go off-the-beaten-path, 12 days in Shikoku will truly blow you away.
📩 SAVE THIS VIDEO FOR YOUR FUTURE TRIP!
👀 MUST-READ JAPAN GUIDES
12 Day Shikoku Itinerary - goingawesomeplaces.com/12-day-shikoku-itinerary-japan/
Ultimate Tokyo Food Guide - goaw.pl/tokyo-food-guide
What To Buy In Japan - goaw.pl/what-to-buy-in-japan
🎥 WATCH MORE JAPAN VIDEOS
The Best of Far East Hokkaido - kzhead.info/sun/nNeolqymlninf5s/bejne.html
Best Michelin Star Ramen in Tokyo - kzhead.info/sun/mbiOmZeLgGtoko0/bejne.html
9 Must-Eat Restaurants in Tokyo - kzhead.info/sun/hKZxncVwZIWmhqM/bejne.html
🔪 EXPERIENCES YOU NEED TO BOOK AHEAD OF TIME
Kurogane Knife-Making Workshop - goaw.pl/kurogane-knife-making-workshop
Indigo Dyeing - goaw.pl/shikoku-indigo-dying
Nakatsu Gorge Canyoning - goaw.pl/nakatsu-gorge-canyoning
Jeans Making - goaw.pl/betty-smith-jeans-making
🏨 FEATURED STAYS IN SHIKOKU
Tokushima - goaw.pl/daiwa-roynet-tokushima
Iya Valley - goaw.pl/kouya-iyavalley-farmstay
Shimanto - goaw.pl/hotel-sunriver-shimanto
Kochi - goaw.pl/comfort-hotel-kochi
Nakatsu Gorge - goaw.pl/seiran-no-sato
Matsuyama - goaw.pl/yamatoya-honten
Takamatsu - goaw.pl/hotel-wing-takamatsu
Naoshima - goaw.pl/sparkys-house
Okayama - goaw.pl/hotel-abest-grande
🚗 CAR RENTAL
Times Car Rental - goaw.pl/klook-japan-car-rental
🟢 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Where is Shikoku?
1:21 - Day 1 Tokushima
4:42 - Day 2 Iya Valley
8:10 - Day 3 Iya Valley
11:28 - Day 4 Kochi
13:38 - Day 5 Shimanto
15:54 - Day 6 Nakatsu Gorge
18:13 - Day 7 Matsuyama
21:08 - Day 8 Ozu and Uchiko
23:43 - Day 9 Kotohira and Takamatsu
25:22 - Day 10 Naoshima
26:40 - Day 11 Naoshima
28:54 - Day 12 Okayama
30:54 - Outro
💡 FAQ
Q: When did you visit Shikoku, Japan?
A: Mid-October.
Q: Can you get by with English?
A: Yes but especially in this part of Japan, most people don't speak English so you will find yourself more reliant on Google Translate.
Q: Is it easy to drive in Shikoku?
A: Yes, once you get used to driving on the left side of the road, you'll find it easy to drive because it's never busy anywhere. The most challenging part is driving in its valleys where roads often narrow to one lane both ways.
Q: How much did the trip cost?
A: I spent a total of $2,497 USD (not including flights).
Q: Were you able to book everything on your own?
A: You can book most things on your own except Kouya, Seirannosato and the rest I booked through Agoda.
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📸 WHAT GEAR DO I USE?
▶ Jacket - goaw.pl/tsurugi-lite
▶ Mid-Layer - goaw.pl/arcteryx-mens-atom-hoody
▶ Hat - goaw.pl/ciele-gocap
▶ Backpack - goaw.pl/shimoda-x50
▶ Hiking Poles - goaw.pl/bd-carbon-z-poles
▶ Day Sling - goaw.pl/pd-everyday-sling
▶ Camera Body - goaw.pl/om-1
▶ Best Video Lens - goaw.pl/om-8-25
▶ Super Telephoto - goaw.pl/om-150-400
▶ Drone - goaw.pl/dji-mini-3-pro
▶ 360 Cam - goaw.pl/insta360-x3
▶ GoPro - goaw.pl/gopro-hero10
▶ Lav Mic - goaw.pl/dji-mic
▶ Primary tripod - goaw.pl/pd-travel-tripod
▶ Shoes - amzn.to/3SpBVUW
▶ Sunglasses - goaw.pl/maui-jim
▶ Suitcase - goaw.pl/db-ramverk-luggage
Produced, filmed & edited by Will Tang
▶ MUSIC BY Epidemic Sound - goaw.pl/3U8HxnM
🛫 TRAVEL MORE
▶ Insurance: goingawesomeplaces.com/insured-nomads-landing
▶ Airport Parking: goingawesomeplaces.com/airport-parking-reservations
▶ Hotels: goingawesomeplaces.com/agoda
▶ Flights: goingawesomeplaces.com/skyscanner
▶ Better than Airbnb: goingawesomeplaces.com/vrbo-homepage
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#12daysinJapan #Shikoku #Japantravelguide
Our Shikoku itinerary is now available: goingawesomeplaces.com/12-day-shikoku-itinerary-japan/ If you enjoyed the video, support the channel by giving us a LIKE and leave a COMMENT down below! Before you go, also make sure you're subscribed >> goaw.pl/awesometube
The quality of the video is amazing.
Thank you! You don't know how much that means!
One of the best videos of Japan ever!
Aww thanks so much!!
I've travelled Shikoku back in 2020 (I could coz I was a resident) and it's great. More challenging if you do it on public transportation only though:,) I also very much recommend to not just eat Shodoshima cows but visit Shodoshima...beautiful island with a lot to see! Seto inland sea area is honestly my favourite in the whole Japan.
I was so impressed with the people I ran across that were doing it without a car! Yes, Shodoshima was on my shortlist but unfortunately ran out of time. The Seto Inland Sea is quite spectacular and I will have to come back!
How I love Japan, please do make more Japan content, loved this. Not many people give shikoku any attention. Again its amazing!
Working on it!! Glad you enjoyed this one :)
The knife-making workshop looks amazing!
Definitely the top highlight of my time in Shikoku. Totally worth the detour!
Oh man, all my good old days walking memories is back. Shikoku Ohenro, Shodoshima Ohenro, Shimanami Kaido walking, hammocking and camping.
That would be my dream of doing Shikoku that way. Kudos to you for what sounds like quite the epic time in Shikoku!
Appreciate the effort you put into the video , veeery informative and tempting to do
Thank you! That means so much.
Great work! :)
Thanks!!
Thank you so much fo this amazing video!
You're welcome! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Definitely hoping to elevate Shikoku as a destination to visit in Japan as it's still relatively unknown!
Incredible itinerary! And great video editing to keep it succinct and enticing. 👍🏻🙌🏻
Thank you! That means a lot!!
Just in time start your exact trip thursday
Amazing!! Have a great trip!!
This video is very well made and so fun to watch! Do many people speek english in the more rural areas? Is it a must to know some Japanese? My Japanese skills are (to say the least) very limited :D
Thank you Emma!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. So I don’t speak any Japanese at all other than the basic hello and thank you. Shikoku has even less English than other parts of Japan but I found that I could get by thanks to Google Translate. The good thing is that they’re super friendly here like the rest of the country. With good pre-planning through out itinerary you should be in great shape: goingawesomeplaces.com/12-day-shikoku-itinerary-japan/
I spent a few days in Iya Valley in 2017. It was the highlight of my trip, and that whole trip was one big highlight.
That’s awesome! And I bet it hasn’t changed a whole lot from 2017 either right? I found so many parallels with how the Heike clan came to Iya Valley as an escape and centuries later, you can still say the same thing about the region.
Thanks for sharing more off-the-beaten track options - so many of those spots look absolutely stunning 😍 so many more ideas for when I next visit Japan 🤗
I’ve definitely found that it’s nice to be able to mix these off-the-beaten-path places with the big cities but admittedly, even I will say that I love being in these parts of Japan where you can barely see tourists around. Hope you get to go in the future!
Love it
Thanks Alice!!
Great Video Will. Been following you since 200-300 subs. You have seen more of Japan in a couple of trips than I have 11 times. Because for me going back is never a vacation....lol Cheers from Canada's NWT. You need to get up here to see the Northern Lights.
Aww that means so much! With KZhead I feel like it’s even harder to get to know your audience so it’s really great to hear from you, especially an OG subscriber. YES, I want to make NWT happen!!
Thanks for the itinerary! I'm going in 1 month and I'm basically following your itinerary but condensing it into 8 days and skipping where I need to!
Awesome!! I’m so glad! You’re going to have a great time in Shikoku! If you want more details make sure to read our article: goingawesomeplaces.com/12-day-shikoku-itinerary-japan/
Looks amazing. Was there any difficulties driving? Would you say you'd need to be familar with driving in a foreign country to do it? I look forward to the itinerary :)
Comparing to some of my other driving experiences, I’d say this was definitely not too hard. The main challenge is driving in the mountain/valley areas where it narrows down to one lane shared with both side of traffic so you just have be careful and be courteous. The other thing is driving on the left side of the road. It might take a bit of time to get used to if it’s your first time. Lastly when renting here, make sure you get your IDP (International Driver’s Permit) as it’s a requirement to rent in Japan. Hope that helps. Itinerary is coming out soon!!
R You missed Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu - best garden in Japan
I’m sad that I missed the garden! It was on my list but ended up having to skip it to make the ferry to Naoshima. I was also hoping to maybe squeeze it in if I got into Takamatsu a bit earlier after Kotohira but all of those steps took longer than I thought 😂
Hi, I'm planning to do shimanamai kaido cycling route this may and wondering what to do in Shikoku after arriving in imabari. This video really helps giving me some itinerary inspiration since video about shikoku is really not much here on youtube. I was initially only planning to stay for 2 days in Shikoku, but after watching this video, I think I'd be a waste and definitely will increase it on my itinerary there. Thank you
Hey! I'm so glad this helped! I can totally relate because there wasn't any information online (whether on KZhead or on Google) about how to plan a trip to Shikoku so I was determined to capture it all in a way that would make logistical sense. I know this won't be exactly how you'd be doing it but hopefully it gives you an idea of what's possible. Shikoku is definitely worth exploring!
Hey Will, when do you think the 12 Day Shikoku Itinerary is coming out?
Hey Eric! I’m working on it as we speak. It will definitely be out in March so stay tuned!
May I know if it is easy to find gas station along the way?
Great question. I didn’t have any issues with gas stations. It was easy in the big cities and also in the more remote areas. I took a more conservative approach to filling up to make sure I never got in any trouble.
Were there a lot of tourists in that island ? Or is it more locals ?
That was the beauty of it, there was never any one point where I felt conscious of tourists around me. In the case of Iya Valley I pretty much had it all to myself. The only exception was probably Naoshima. That was the only place where it felt like tourists outnumbered locals.
Great. Thank you! I loved your video.
@MiroslavaSommelier 💕💕