Shikoku, Japan

1 itinerary · 0 open departures · 0 missions

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's four main islands, situated south of Honshu and divided into four prefectures: Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, and Kagawa. It is best known as the home of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, an ancient Buddhist circuit spanning roughly 1,200 kilometres that attracts walkers and cyclists from around the world. Beyond the pilgrimage, Shikoku draws visitors with its dramatic Iya Valley gorges, the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait, Matsuyama's historic Dogo Onsen hot springs, and the rugged Pacific coastline of Kochi. Compared to Japan's busier tourist hubs, Shikoku offers a slower, more rural pace with deep cultural traditions and outstanding natural scenery.

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Itineraries

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Save £3,365 (79% off)

£4,270 retail with Exodus → £905 self-launched

Shikoku, Japan · 11 days

Copycat

Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail: Self-Launched

Walk the most sacred and scenic sections of the legendary Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage — independently. This self-launched version follows the same route through Tokushima, Kagawa and Ehime that Exodus charges nearly £4,300 for, but replaces managed logistics with local trains, buses and bookable taxis, and swaps curated accommodation packages for self-booked ryokan, minshuku guesthouses and shukubo temple lodgings. You'll still sleep in traditional Japanese inns, eat authentic shojin-ryori Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, and climb Kobo Daishi's iconic meditation ladder — at a fraction of the cost. Begin with two nights in Kyoto (with a day trip to Nara), traverse four prefectures across Shikoku on foot, and finish with a night in vibrant Osaka. All costs are approximate estimates per person.

hikingculturebackpacker

Travel Crew

~£905

Missions

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