Five days: spend a night in Kotohira?
Choose three Takamatsu nights then one in Kotohira for approach-shop walks before morning main-shrine worship. To keep the same accommodation for gardens, sea views and art, stay four nights in Takamatsu and visit Ritsurin, Yashima and Naoshima on separate days. Choose the island day around Chichu admission and return boat and bus connections.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days / 4 nights
One night in Kotohira
For dinner in Kotohira before climbing to the main shrine tomorrow, stay three nights in Takamatsu then move to Kotohira for one night.
One night in Kotohira →5 days / 4 nightsGardens, Yashima and Naoshima from the same Takamatsu accommodation
Stay four nights in Takamatsu to see the garden, Yashima views and Naoshima museum on separate days without changing accommodation.
Gardens, Yashima and Naoshima from the same Takamatsu accommodation →One night in Kotohira
For dinner in Kotohira before climbing to the main shrine tomorrow, stay three nights in Takamatsu then move to Kotohira for one night.
Day one: Tamamo Park and Takamatsu Port
Visit the park and harbour according to your Takamatsu arrival time. If you cannot reach the gate during opening hours, move the park visit to another day.
- Takamatsu accommodation or JR Takamatsu Station → Tamamo Park entrance
Go to Tamamo Park, about three minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station. A late arrival outside gate hours leaves no time for today's park visit.
Current admission and gate hoursTakamatsu City visitor guidance
- Tamamo Park → Takamatsu Port and accommodation
Explore the castle site and moat, then walk around the harbour. Eat near the station and continue to your booked accommodation.
Current admission and gate hoursTakamatsu City visitor guidance
Park gates close at different times. Check the hours for your chosen entrance.
Day two: Ritsurin Garden
Walk Ritsurin Garden today. Go from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station to the east gate.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, which is separate from JR Takamatsu Station. From Kawaramachi accommodation, use nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi Station and check that section's fare.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and get off at Ritsurinkoen Station. Adult fares are JPY 250 one way; the subtotal includes JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko. Choose services for your date from the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and gardens
The official seven-minute walk runs from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station to the park. Go to the east gate, buy admission and explore. This differs from JR Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station's north-gate approach. Adult admission is JPY 500; October hours are 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, viewing and rests are extra to the seven-minute walk. For other months or storm warnings, check operating notices again.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station
Leave through the east gate and retrace your walk to Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station. Allow time within the garden to reach the gate, then about seven minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen. Afterwards, continue to accommodation or your next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open place near the station for lunch, then return to your accommodation address. For a Kawaramachi meal, recheck the alighting station, section fare and accommodation return route.
Ritsurin Garden's opening and closing times vary monthly. Distinguish the stations serving the east and north gates.
Day three: Yashimāru
See Seto Inland Sea and city views from Yashimāru. Take JR from Takamatsu to Yashima, then connect to the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation or JR Takamatsu Station → Shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a regular Kotoku Line train towards Hiketa from JR Takamatsu and get off at Yashima. Leave the ticket gates for the Yashima summit shuttle stop outside. Compare your date's JR and shuttle timetables and choose a connection with enough transfer time.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima Sanjo stop and Yashimāru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus, Yashima Sanjo. On the official summit map, identify the tourist car park, Yashimaji Temple and number 11 Yashimāru, then follow the walking path to its main entrance. The facility leaflet marks this entrance separately. The official ten-minute walk starts at the tourist car park; allow separate time after alighting to find and follow the route. Explore the views, then eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibitions and meals are excluded from the subtotal.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walk from tourist car park to facilityCurrent Yashimāru opening informationOfficial Yashima summit mapYashimāru shuttle access and main-entrance plan
- Yashimāru → Yashima Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return to the summit stop and take a shuttle to JR Yashima. Late facility opening does not mean the last shuttle leaves at the same time; choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return on a regular Takamatsu-bound train from JR Yashima, then eat and rest at the same accommodation. Return fares of JPY 560 for regular trains and JPY 680 for the shuttle from JR Yashima total JPY 1,240 for today's transport. Limited express services need a supplement.
Yashimāru closes Tuesdays, or the next weekday if a public holiday. Evening facility opening and evening shuttles are separate; check the facility calendar and bus notices together.
Day four: Kotohira shrine-approach shops
Move accommodation from Takamatsu to Kotohira. Walk along the approach shopping street and rest locally, visiting the main shrine tomorrow morning.
- Takamatsu accommodation and Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Kotohira Station
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko and get off at Kotoden Kotohira. Bring luggage for the accommodation move and plan the route from the station to your booked address.
Kotohira Line timetableOfficial large-luggage and station-storage guidance
- Kotohira accommodation → Shrine-approach shops and Kotohira accommodation
Find and walk the route from your accommodation address to the approach shops. Eat locally and rest at the same accommodation; climb the main-shrine steps tomorrow morning.
Rest around the approach shops today and climb the main-shrine steps tomorrow.
Day five: Kotohiragu main shrine
Visit the main shrine after a night in Kotohira. Return to the station afterwards and take a Takamatsu-bound train.
- Kotohira accommodation → First step of the shrine approach
Walk from your Kotohira accommodation towards Omotesando. The ten-minute station-to-approach estimate does not start at accommodation. Do not use vehicle-only roads that prohibit pedestrians as an alternative shrine approach.
Station-to-approach and stair guidanceWalking-route precautions
- First step of the shrine approach → Kotohiragu main shrine
Main-shrine gates open 07:00–17:00. Official guidance gives about an hour one way to climb 785 steps from the first step; descent and rests are extra.
- Kotohiragu main shrine → Shrine approach, shops and Kotohira accommodation
Descend by the same approach, eat in the shopping street and return to accommodation. The hour-long ascent estimate excludes descent, meals and return accommodation travel.
- Kotoden Kotohira Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Kotohira Station. Adult fares are JPY 780 one way; JPY 1,560 return is included in the subtotal. Choose your return service from the official timetable. Airport travel after reaching Takamatsu-Chikko is separate.
Kotohira Line timetableKotohira return faresCurrent timetable list
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Your booked departure boarding point
Walk from Takamatsu-Chikko to JR Takamatsu Station. The airport limousine leaves from JR station bus stand 3; its adult JPY 1,300 fare is excluded. Choose a service meeting flight check-in deadlines from the official timetable. For another city, check trains at JR Takamatsu Station.
Airport limousine use and monthly changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding points
Climbing and descending the main-shrine steps both need time and energy. For a final-day morning departure, move worship to an earlier day.
Included items: Ritsurin Garden JPY 500; Tamamo Park JPY 300; return Kotoden Ritsurinkoen JPY 500 and Kotohira JPY 1,560; return JR Takamatsu–Yashima JPY 560 and Yashima Station–summit shuttle JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport travel, separate travel between accommodation and stations or boarding points and extra journeys cost more. Garden boats and teahouses, shrine annex admission and prayer services and Yashimāru paid exhibitions and parking are excluded.
The subtotal is per adult, with Kotoden calculated from Takamatsu-Chikko; check the section fare from other stations. Kotohira travel is split into JPY 780 outward on day four and JPY 780 return on the final day.
Fees and seasonal hoursCurrent admission and gate hoursTakamatsu-Chikko faresKotohira return faresJR fare tableCurrent shuttle fares and timetable
Gardens, Yashima and Naoshima from the same Takamatsu accommodation
Stay four nights in Takamatsu to see the garden, Yashima views and Naoshima museum on separate days without changing accommodation.
Day one: Takamatsu Port
Explore the harbour and ferry ticket office, then rest in Takamatsu. You do not cross to the island today.
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation → Takamatsu Port Miyanoura ferry ticket office
Find and walk the route from your accommodation address to the harbour. Official access is about five minutes from JR Takamatsu Station or three from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko, not from your accommodation door. Identify the day-four Miyanoura ferry ticket office and boarding direction. The high-speed boat office is separate, about three minutes' walk from the ferry office.
- Takamatsu Port → Meal near the station and the same Takamatsu accommodation
After the harbour walk, retrace your route towards the station and choose an open place for dinner. Continue to your booked accommodation. Official harbour-to-station walking times exclude meals and accommodation travel. Tamamo Park is scheduled for the final day, so do not add paid admission today.
Locate the day-four Miyanoura ferry ticket office and boarding point in advance.
Day two: Ritsurin Garden
Walk Ritsurin Garden today. Go from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station to the east gate.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, which is separate from JR Takamatsu Station. From Kawaramachi accommodation, use nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi Station and check that section's fare.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and get off at Ritsurinkoen Station. Adult fares are JPY 250 one way; the subtotal includes JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko. Choose services for your date from the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and gardens
The official seven-minute walk runs from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station to the park. Go to the east gate, buy admission and explore. This differs from JR Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station's north-gate approach. Adult admission is JPY 500; October hours are 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, viewing and rests are extra to the seven-minute walk. For other months or storm warnings, check operating notices again.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station
Leave through the east gate and retrace your walk to Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station. Allow time within the garden to reach the gate, then about seven minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurinkoen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Ritsurinkoen. Afterwards, continue to accommodation or your next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open place near the station for lunch, then return to your accommodation address. For a Kawaramachi meal, recheck the alighting station, section fare and accommodation return route.
Ritsurin Garden's opening and closing times vary monthly. Distinguish the stations serving the east and north gates.
Day three: Yashimāru
See Seto Inland Sea and city views from Yashimāru. Take JR from Takamatsu to Yashima, then connect to the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation or JR Takamatsu Station → Shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a regular Kotoku Line train towards Hiketa from JR Takamatsu and get off at Yashima. Leave the ticket gates for the Yashima summit shuttle stop outside. Compare your date's JR and shuttle timetables and choose a connection with enough transfer time.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima Sanjo stop and Yashimāru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus, Yashima Sanjo. On the official summit map, identify the tourist car park, Yashimaji Temple and number 11 Yashimāru, then follow the walking path to its main entrance. The facility leaflet marks this entrance separately. The official ten-minute walk starts at the tourist car park; allow separate time after alighting to find and follow the route. Explore the views, then eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibitions and meals are excluded from the subtotal.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walk from tourist car park to facilityCurrent Yashimāru opening informationOfficial Yashima summit mapYashimāru shuttle access and main-entrance plan
- Yashimāru → Yashima Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return to the summit stop and take a shuttle to JR Yashima. Late facility opening does not mean the last shuttle leaves at the same time; choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return on a regular Takamatsu-bound train from JR Yashima, then eat and rest at the same accommodation. Return fares of JPY 560 for regular trains and JPY 680 for the shuttle from JR Yashima total JPY 1,240 for today's transport. Limited express services need a supplement.
Yashimāru closes Tuesdays, or the next weekday if a public holiday. Evening facility opening and evening shuttles are separate; check the facility calendar and bus notices together.
Day four: Naoshima and Chichu Art Museum
Cross to Naoshima today. Go to the Miyanoura ferry ticket office at Takamatsu Port.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Takamatsu Port ferry and Miyanoura Port
Take a morning Miyanoura ferry from Takamatsu Port. Tickets go on sale 40 minutes before departure; boarding is first come, first served without reservations. Reach the port with time for tickets and waiting. After alighting, go to the Miyanoura Port town-bus stop.
- Miyanoura Port → Tsutsujiso town-bus stop
Take a Tsutsujiso-bound town bus from Miyanoura Port to the terminus. Adult fares are JPY 100 per ride, paid when alighting; bring change. Even services intended to wait for ferries may leave first in some circumstances, and full buses mean waiting for the next service.
Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding pointsTown bus
- Tsutsujiso town-bus stop → Free shuttle and Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center
Change at Tsutsujiso to the free Chichu Art Museum shuttle. Choose an official scheduled service leaving time after the town bus. Shuttles do not run on museum closure days and cannot take extra passengers when full; choose an admission slot with transfer time to spare.
- Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center → Chichu Art Museum entrance
Follow the walking path from the Ticket Center towards Chichu Art Museum. On the official Benesse House area map, G marks the Ticket Center and shuttle stop, with the museum separately southwest of it. The Ticket Center is not the museum entrance. Allow walking and entrance-queue time to enter at your booked slot; consider this walk when booking.
Facility and bookingOfficial admission calendarOfficial Chichu Ticket Center and museum access map
- Chichu Art Museum → Ticket Center shuttle stop and Tsutsujiso
After viewing, return to the Ticket Center shuttle stop and take the free Tsutsujiso shuttle. Allow time to walk from the entrance and wait. Finish viewing in time for bus connections reaching the port before your return ferry.
- Tsutsujiso → Miyanoura Port town-bus stop
Take a Miyanoura Port-bound town bus from Tsutsujiso. Weekend and public-holiday afternoon buses can be too crowded to board; choose an earlier service than the final ferry connection. Boarding a bus does not guarantee ferry boarding.
- Miyanoura Port bus stop → Takamatsu ferry boarding point
At Miyanoura Port, buy a Takamatsu ferry ticket and go to the boarding point. The ticket office opens 05:30–20:25, and regular boarding is first come, first served. Check the final return service and notices in the official sailing timetable, allowing ticketing and waiting time.
- Miyanoura Port ferry boarding point → Takamatsu Port and the same accommodation
Return by Takamatsu ferry, then rest and eat at the same accommodation. Switching to a high-speed boat changes the fare, ticket office and boarding point; a ferry ticket alone will not let you board it.
Book museum admission first, choosing a slot with time for the return shuttle, town bus and ferry. Do not choose the last boat assuming you can walk back from the museum to the port; check shuttle and bus connections first. Change the island day for maintenance closures, sold-out admission or cancelled sailings. Do not choose this Chichu itinerary during its 12 January–19 March 2027 maintenance closure.
Day five: Tamamo Park
Visit Tamamo Park the day after returning from Naoshima. Leave time afterwards to reach the station or harbour.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Tamamo Park west gate
From your accommodation address, go to the west gate near JR Takamatsu and Takamatsu-Chikko stations. The official three-minute walk starts at JR station, not accommodation. City guidance places the west gate by these stations and the east gate by the car park and prefectural museum.
Takamatsu City visitor guidanceCurrent admission and gate hours
- Tamamo Park west gate → Park visit and west gate
Pay adult admission of JPY 300 and explore the castle site and moat. October west-gate hours are 06:00–17:30; east-gate hours are 08:30–17:00. Hours vary in other months, and the park closes 29–31 December. Use the west gate you entered to find your way back to accommodation. For a morning departure, do not try to fit both sightseeing and lunch.
Takamatsu City visitor guidanceCurrent admission and gate hours
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation after sightseeing → Your booked departure boarding point
For the airport, take the limousine from JR Takamatsu Station bus stand 3. Adult fares of JPY 1,300 are excluded. Choose your date's service from the official timetable to meet flight check-in deadlines. JR trains to other cities leave from JR Takamatsu Station. Do not move the island visit to your flight-home day even if earlier sailings were cancelled.
Airport limousine use and monthly changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding pointsTakamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points
Check each gate's closing time. For an early departure, move the park to an earlier day and go to the station.
Included items: Ritsurin Garden JPY 500; Tamamo Park JPY 300; return Kotoden Ritsurinkoen JPY 500; return Takamatsu–Miyanoura ferry JPY 1,360; two town-bus rides JPY 200; Chichu online adult admission JPY 2,500 weekdays or JPY 2,700 weekends and public holidays. Also return JR Takamatsu–Yashima JPY 560 and Yashima Station–summit shuttle JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport travel, separate travel between accommodation and stations or boarding points and extra journeys cost more. Garden boats and teahouses, Yashimāru paid exhibitions and parking, high-speed boat fare differences, taxis and other island museums are excluded.
The subtotal is per adult, with Kotoden calculated from Takamatsu-Chikko. Weekday, weekend and public-holiday prices follow the museum visiting date, not the trip's starting date. Recalculate actual items if omitting the museum or changing transport. Subtract JPY 100 for only one town-bus ride; add actual high-speed boat or taxi fares separately. This amount does not secure museum reservations or boat and bus seats.
Fees and seasonal hoursCurrent admission and gate hoursTakamatsu-Chikko faresJR fare tableCurrent shuttle fares and timetableTakamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding pointsTown busFacility and booking
Frequently asked questions
Can I put Yashima and Naoshima on the same day?
Visit them on separate days. Yashima uses return trains and summit shuttles; Naoshima uses return boats and island buses. Combining them reduces viewing and return-connection time. Order them around Yashimāru closures and Chichu bookable dates; choose museum admission leaving time for the return boat. Keep the island off your flight-home day.
Yashimāru October calendarDate-specific opening calendarOfficial admission calendar
Are ordinary tickets cheaper for the five-day journeys?
For these journeys alone, yes. Eligible adult rail fares total JPY 2,620 for the Kotohira-stay course or JPY 1,060 for Takamatsu and Naoshima. All Shikoku passes issued from 1 October 2026 cost JPY 12,000 for three days or JPY 20,000 for seven. The Kotohira-stay course uses trains on days two through five, so one three-day pass cannot cover everything. Recompare actual fares and consecutive validity if adding inter-prefectural JR travel. Boats, island buses, Yashima shuttles and admission are extra.
All Shikoku Rail Pass revision for passes issued from 1 October 2026All Shikoku Rail Pass terms effective 1 October 2026Takamatsu-Chikko faresKotohira return faresJR fare table
Official sources and check dates
- Fees and seasonal hours ·
- Official access information ·
- Current admission and gate hours ·
- Takamatsu City visitor guidance ·
- Official shrine hours ·
- Station-to-approach and stair guidance ·
- Walking-route precautions ·
- Official walk from tourist car park to facility ·
- Current Yashimāru opening information ·
- Current shuttle fares and timetable ·
- Facility and booking ·
- Date-specific opening calendar ·
- Town bus ·
- Free shuttle ·
- Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points ·
- Official admission calendar ·
- Current timetable list ·
- Kotohira Line timetable ·
- Takamatsu-Chikko fares ·
- Kotohira return fares ·
- Official large-luggage and station-storage guidance ·
- JR fare table ·
- Yashimāru October calendar ·
- Airport limousine fares and city boarding points ·
- Airport limousine use and monthly changes ·
- All Shikoku Rail Pass revision for passes issued from 1 October 2026 ·
- All Shikoku Rail Pass terms effective 1 October 2026 ·
- JR Shikoku station/line timetables ·
- Official Yashima summit map ·
- Yashimāru shuttle access and main-entrance plan ·
- Official Chichu Ticket Center and museum access map ·