With four nights, should you spend a night in Kotohira?
Choose three nights in Takamatsu followed by one in Kotohira for shopping-street walks and a main-shrine climb the following morning. To enjoy the garden, Seto Inland Sea views and museum without changing accommodation, stay four nights in Takamatsu and visit Ritsurin Garden, Yashima and Naoshima on separate days. Choose the island day around Chichu Art Museum reservations and return boat and bus connections.
Choose a 5 days, 4 nights itinerary
One night in Kotohira
Spend three nights in Takamatsu before moving to Kotohira for one night if you want dinner locally and a main-shrine climb the following day.
One night in Kotohira →5 days, 4 nightsStay in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima and Naoshima
Stay four nights in Takamatsu to visit the garden, Yashima’s views and Naoshima’s museum on separate days without changing accommodation.
Stay in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima and Naoshima →One night in Kotohira
Spend three nights in Takamatsu before moving to Kotohira for one night if you want dinner locally and a main-shrine climb the following day.
Day 1 · Tamamo Park and Takamatsu Port
Fit the park and harbour around your arrival time in Takamatsu. If the entrance hours do not work, move the park visit to another day.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Tamamo Park entrance
Head to Tamamo Park, about a three-minute walk from JR Takamatsu Station. A late arrival outside entrance hours may leave no time to visit the park today.
Current admission and entrance hoursTakamatsu City visitor guide
- Tamamo Park → Takamatsu Port and Takamatsu accommodation
Explore the castle site and moat, then walk around the harbour. Have dinner near the station before going to your booked accommodation.
Current admission and entrance hoursTakamatsu City visitor guide
The park’s entrances close at different times. Check the hours of the gate you plan to use.
Day 2 · Ritsurin Garden
Walk through Ritsurin Garden today. Head to the east gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, which is separate from JR Takamatsu Station. If you are staying in Kawaramachi, leave from nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi Station and check the fare for that section.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and get off at Ritsurin-Koen Station. The adult fare is JPY 250 one way; the stated costs include JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko Station. Choose services for your visit date in the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and garden
The official seven-minute walking time is from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station to the garden. Head to the east gate, buy your ticket and explore. Distinguish this from north-gate access via JR Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station. Adult admission is JPY 500, and October hours are 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, sightseeing and breaks are excluded from the seven-minute walk. Recheck opening notices for other months or storm warnings.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
After visiting, leave through the east gate and retrace your route to Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Allow time to reach the east gate from within the garden, then walk about seven minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Continue to your accommodation or next destination after arriving at Takamatsu-Chikko.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open place near the station for lunch, then return to the same accommodation at your booked address. If you eat in Kawaramachi, recheck the alighting station, section fare and route back to your accommodation.
Ritsurin Garden’s opening and closing times vary by month. Distinguish the stations serving its east and north gates.
Day 3 · Yashimāru
See the Seto Inland Sea and city views from Yashimāru today. Take a train from JR Takamatsu Station to Yashima Station, then connect with the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a regular Kotoku Line train towards Hiketa from JR Takamatsu Station to Yashima Station. Leave the ticket gates and go to the shuttle stop for the Yashima summit outside the station. Check the JR and shuttle timetables for your date together and choose a connection with time to transfer.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima Sanjo stop and Yashimāru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus at Yashima Sanjo. On the official summit map, locate the tourist car park, Yashimaji Temple and Yashimāru at number 11, then follow the path towards Yashimāru’s main entrance. The facility leaflet’s site plan marks the main entrance separately. The official ten-minute walking estimate starts at the tourist car park; allow additional time after getting off to find and follow the route. See the viewing space, then eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibits and meals are excluded from the stated costs.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walking directions from the tourist car parkYashimāru current opening informationOfficial Yashima summit guide mapYashimāru shuttle access and main entrance site plan
- Yashimāru → Yashima Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return from the facility to the summit stop for a shuttle to JR Yashima Station. A late facility closing time does not mean the last shuttle leaves at that time, so choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return on a regular train from JR Yashima Station towards Takamatsu, have dinner and rest at the same accommodation. Return regular trains cost JPY 560 and return shuttles from the JR station cost JPY 680, for JPY 1,240 for transport today. Limited-express trains require an additional charge.
Yashimāru closes Tuesdays, or the following weekday when Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening and evening shuttle service are separate; check both the official facility calendar and bus notices.
Day 4 · Kotohira shrine-approach shopping streets
Move your accommodation from Takamatsu to Kotohira today. Walk the approach’s shopping streets and rest in Kotohira, then visit the main shrine tomorrow morning.
- Takamatsu accommodation and Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Kotohira Station
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station to Kotoden Kotohira Station. Bring your luggage as you are changing accommodation, and plan the route from the station to your booked stay.
Kotohira Line timetableOfficial large-luggage and station storage guide
- Kotohira accommodation → Shrine-approach shopping streets and Kotohira accommodation
Check the walking route from your accommodation address to the shrine-approach shopping streets. Have a meal locally and rest at the same accommodation; climb the main shrine’s steps tomorrow morning.
Relax around the shrine-approach shopping streets today and climb the main shrine’s steps tomorrow.
Day 5 · Kotohiragu main shrine
Visit the main shrine after your night in Kotohira, then return to the station for a Takamatsu-bound train.
- Kotohira accommodation → First steps on the shrine approach
Walk from your Kotohira accommodation towards Omotesando. Do not use the ten-minute estimate from the station to Omotesando as your walking time from accommodation. Do not choose roads reserved for vehicles where pedestrians are prohibited as a shortcut around the shrine approach.
Station-to-approach directions and stepsWalking-route precautions
- First steps on the shrine approach → Kotohiragu main shrine
The main shrine gates open 07:00–17:00. The official guide gives about one hour one way to climb the 785 steps from the first step to the main shrine. Descent and breaks require extra time.
Station-to-approach directions and stepsShrine’s official hours
- Kotohiragu main shrine → Shrine approach, shopping streets and Kotohira accommodation
Descend along the same approach, have a meal in the shopping streets and return to your accommodation. The one-hour climb estimate excludes descent, meals and return travel to your accommodation.
- Kotoden Kotohira Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Kotohira Station. The adult fare is JPY 780 one way; the stated costs include JPY 1,560 return. Choose your return train for the visit date in the official timetable. Airport travel is separate after arrival at Takamatsu-Chikko Station.
Kotohira Line timetableReturn fares from KotohiraCurrent timetable list
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Boarding point for your booked departure
Walk from Takamatsu-Chikko Station to JR Takamatsu Station. Airport limousine buses leave from stop 3 outside the JR station; the adult fare of JPY 1,300 is excluded from the stated costs. Choose a service in the official timetable that works with your flight’s check-in deadline. For another city, check trains from JR Takamatsu Station.
Airport limousine use and monthly timetable changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding stops
The main shrine’s steps take time and effort in both directions. If you leave in the morning on the final day, move the shrine visit to the day before.
Included items: Ritsurin Garden JPY 500 + Tamamo Park JPY 300 + return Kotoden travel to Ritsurin-Koen at JPY 500 and Kotohira at JPY 1,560 + return JR travel between Takamatsu and Yashima at JPY 560 + return shuttle between Yashima Station and the summit at JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport travel, separate transport between accommodation and stations or boarding points, and additional transport cost extra. Garden boat rides and teahouses, Kotohiragu’s additional exhibition buildings and prayer services, and Yashimāru’s paid exhibits and parking are excluded.
For one adult. Kotoden fares assume departure from Takamatsu-Chikko; check the relevant section fare if you start elsewhere. Kotohira travel is split into JPY 780 one way on day four and JPY 780 one way on the final day.
Fees and seasonal opening hoursCurrent admission and entrance hoursTakamatsu-Chikko faresReturn fares from KotohiraJR fare tableCurrent shuttle fares and timetable
Stay in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima and Naoshima
Stay four nights in Takamatsu to visit the garden, Yashima’s views and Naoshima’s museum on separate days without changing accommodation.
Day 1 · Takamatsu Port
Look around the harbour and locate the ferry ticket counter on day one, then rest in Takamatsu. You will not cross to the island today.
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation → Takamatsu Port ticket counter for Miyanoura-bound ferries
Check the route from your accommodation address and walk to the harbour. Official access estimates are about five minutes from JR Takamatsu Station or three minutes from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, not from your accommodation’s door. Locate the ticket counter and boarding direction for your Miyanoura ferry on day four. The high-speed boat has a separate counter about a three-minute walk from the ferry counter.
- Takamatsu Port → A meal near the station and the same Takamatsu accommodation
After the harbour walk, return towards the station and choose an open restaurant for dinner, then go to your booked accommodation. The harbour guide’s walk to the station excludes meals and travel to your accommodation. Tamamo Park is planned for the final day, so do not add paid entry today.
Locate the counter and boarding point for your Miyanoura ferry on day four in advance.
Day 2 · Ritsurin Garden
Walk through Ritsurin Garden today. Head to the east gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, which is separate from JR Takamatsu Station. If you are staying in Kawaramachi, leave from nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi Station and check the fare for that section.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and get off at Ritsurin-Koen Station. The adult fare is JPY 250 one way; the stated costs include JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko Station. Choose services for your visit date in the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and garden
The official seven-minute walking time is from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station to the garden. Head to the east gate, buy your ticket and explore. Distinguish this from north-gate access via JR Ritsurinkoen-Kitaguchi Station. Adult admission is JPY 500, and October hours are 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, sightseeing and breaks are excluded from the seven-minute walk. Recheck opening notices for other months or storm warnings.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
After visiting, leave through the east gate and retrace your route to Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Allow time to reach the east gate from within the garden, then walk about seven minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Continue to your accommodation or next destination after arriving at Takamatsu-Chikko.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open place near the station for lunch, then return to the same accommodation at your booked address. If you eat in Kawaramachi, recheck the alighting station, section fare and route back to your accommodation.
Ritsurin Garden’s opening and closing times vary by month. Distinguish the stations serving its east and north gates.
Day 3 · Yashimāru
See the Seto Inland Sea and city views from Yashimāru today. Take a train from JR Takamatsu Station to Yashima Station, then connect with the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a regular Kotoku Line train towards Hiketa from JR Takamatsu Station to Yashima Station. Leave the ticket gates and go to the shuttle stop for the Yashima summit outside the station. Check the JR and shuttle timetables for your date together and choose a connection with time to transfer.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima Sanjo stop and Yashimāru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus at Yashima Sanjo. On the official summit map, locate the tourist car park, Yashimaji Temple and Yashimāru at number 11, then follow the path towards Yashimāru’s main entrance. The facility leaflet’s site plan marks the main entrance separately. The official ten-minute walking estimate starts at the tourist car park; allow additional time after getting off to find and follow the route. See the viewing space, then eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibits and meals are excluded from the stated costs.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walking directions from the tourist car parkYashimāru current opening informationOfficial Yashima summit guide mapYashimāru shuttle access and main entrance site plan
- Yashimāru → Yashima Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return from the facility to the summit stop for a shuttle to JR Yashima Station. A late facility closing time does not mean the last shuttle leaves at that time, so choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return on a regular train from JR Yashima Station towards Takamatsu, have dinner and rest at the same accommodation. Return regular trains cost JPY 560 and return shuttles from the JR station cost JPY 680, for JPY 1,240 for transport today. Limited-express trains require an additional charge.
Yashimāru closes Tuesdays, or the following weekday when Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening and evening shuttle service are separate; check both the official facility calendar and bus notices.
Day 4 · Naoshima and Chichu Art Museum
Cross to Naoshima today. Go to the Miyanoura ferry ticket counter at Takamatsu Port.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Takamatsu Port ferry and Miyanoura Port
Take a morning ferry from Takamatsu Port to Miyanoura. Ferry tickets go on sale 40 minutes before departure; boarding is first come, first served, without reservations. Arrive with time for ticketing and queues. After disembarking, go to the local bus stop at Miyanoura Port.
- Miyanoura Port → Tsutsujiso local bus stop
Take a Tsutsujiso-bound local bus from Miyanoura Port to its terminus at Tsutsujiso. The adult fare is JPY 100 per ride, payable when you get off; bring change. Even services intended to wait for the boat may depart first depending on conditions, and a full bus means waiting for the next one.
Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding pointsLocal bus
- Tsutsujiso local bus stop → Free shuttle and Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center
At Tsutsujiso, transfer to the free shuttle towards Chichu Art Museum. Use the official timetable to choose a service with time to board after leaving the local bus. The shuttle does not run when the museum is closed, and you cannot board if it is full. Choose a museum entry time with room for transfers.
- Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center → Chichu Art Museum entrance
Follow the walking path from the ticket centre towards Chichu Art Museum. On the official Benesse House area map, G marks the ticket centre and shuttle stop, while the museum is separately marked to the southwest. The ticket centre is not the museum entrance. Allow time for walking and entry queues so you can enter at your reserved time, and account for the walk from the shuttle stop when booking.
Facility and reservationsOfficial ticket calendarOfficial Chichu ticket centre and museum access map
- Chichu Art Museum → Ticket centre shuttle stop and Tsutsujiso
After visiting, walk back to the shuttle stop at the ticket centre for a free shuttle to Tsutsujiso. Allow time to walk from the entrance and wait. Finish your visit around bus connections that get you to the harbour before your return ferry.
- Tsutsujiso → Miyanoura Port local bus stop
From Tsutsujiso, return on a local bus towards Miyanoura Port. Weekend and public-holiday afternoons can be busy enough to prevent boarding, so choose an earlier bus than the last possible ferry connection. Boarding the bus does not guarantee ferry boarding.
- Miyanoura Port bus stop → Takamatsu ferry boarding point
At Miyanoura Port, buy a ticket at the Takamatsu ferry counter and go to the boarding point. The Miyanoura ticket counter opens 05:30–20:25, and ordinary boarding is first come, first served. Check the final return service and operating notices in the official route timetable, allowing time for ticketing and queues.
- Miyanoura Port ferry boarding point → Takamatsu Port and the same accommodation
Return by ferry to Takamatsu, then rest at the same accommodation and have dinner. A high-speed boat uses different fares, counters and boarding points, so a ferry ticket alone does not let you board it.
Reserve museum admission first and choose a time that allows comfortable return shuttle, local bus and ferry connections. Do not choose the final boat on the assumption that you will walk from the museum to the harbour; check shuttle and local bus connections first. Change the island day for maintenance closures, sold-out tickets or cancelled sailings. Do not choose this Chichu Art Museum itinerary during its January 12–March 19, 2027 maintenance closure.
Day 5 · Tamamo Park
Visit Tamamo Park and depart the day after returning from Naoshima. Leave time to reach the station or harbour after sightseeing.
- Takamatsu accommodation → Tamamo Park west gate
From your accommodation address, head to the west gate on the JR Takamatsu/Takamatsu-Chikko station side. The official three-minute walk starts at the JR station, not your accommodation. The city guide identifies the west gate with these two stations and the east gate with the car park and prefectural museum.
Takamatsu City visitor guideCurrent admission and entrance hours
- Tamamo Park west gate → Park visit and west gate
Pay the JPY 300 adult admission to explore the castle site and moat. In October, the west gate opens 06:00–17:30 and the east gate 08:30–17:00. Gate hours differ in other months, and the park closes December 29–31. Use the west gate where you entered to find your way back to your accommodation. Do not plan both sightseeing and lunch before a morning departure.
Takamatsu City visitor guideCurrent admission and entrance hours
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation after sightseeing → Boarding point for your booked departure
For the airport, board an airport limousine bus at stop 3 outside JR Takamatsu Station. The adult fare of JPY 1,300 is excluded from the stated costs. Choose a service in your date’s official timetable that works with your flight’s check-in deadline. JR trains to other cities leave from JR Takamatsu Station. Even if the previous day’s boat was cancelled, do not move the island visit to the day of your flight home.
Airport limousine use and monthly timetable changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding stopsTakamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points
Check each entrance’s closing time. If you leave early, move the park visit to the day before and head to the station.
Included items: Ritsurin Garden JPY 500 + Tamamo Park JPY 300 + return Kotoden travel to Ritsurin-Koen at JPY 500 + return ferry between Takamatsu and Miyanoura at JPY 1,360 + two local bus rides at JPY 200 + online adult Chichu Art Museum admission at JPY 2,500 on weekdays or JPY 2,700 on weekends and public holidays. Also includes return JR travel between Takamatsu and Yashima at JPY 560 and return shuttle between Yashima Station and the summit at JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport travel, separate transport between accommodation and stations or boarding points, and additional transport cost extra. Garden boat rides and teahouses, Yashimāru’s paid exhibits and parking, the high-speed boat fare difference, taxis and other island museums are excluded.
For one adult, with Kotoden fares calculated from Takamatsu-Chikko. Weekday, weekend and public-holiday pricing follows the Chichu Art Museum visit date, not the start of your trip. Recalculate for the items you actually use if you omit the museum or change transport. Subtract JPY 100 if you take the local bus only once; add actual high-speed boat or taxi fares separately. These amounts do not secure a museum reservation or boat and bus seats.
Fees and seasonal opening hoursCurrent admission and entrance hoursTakamatsu-Chikko faresJR fare tableCurrent shuttle fares and timetableTakamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding pointsLocal busFacility and reservations
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Yashima and Naoshima on the same day?
Visit them on separate days. Yashima requires return trains and summit shuttles; Naoshima requires return boats and island buses. Combining them leaves less time for sightseeing and returns. Choose the order after checking Yashimāru’s closing days and Chichu Art Museum’s reservation availability. On Naoshima, choose an entry time that lets you finish sightseeing for your return boat. Keep the island visit off the day of your flight home.
Yashimāru October calendarDate-specific opening calendarOfficial ticket calendar
Are ordinary tickets cheaper for the four-night routes?
Yes, for the journeys shown here alone. Adult fares for pass-eligible trains total JPY 2,620 on the Kotohira overnight route and JPY 1,060 on the Takamatsu-based Naoshima route. ALL SHIKOKU Rail Passes issued from October 1, 2026 cost JPY 12,000 for three days or JPY 20,000 for seven days for adults. The Kotohira overnight route uses trains on days two through five, so one three-day pass cannot cover all sections either. Compare actual fares and consecutive travel days again only if you add JR journeys in other prefectures. Boats, island buses, the Yashima shuttle and admission cost extra.
ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass changes for passes issued from October 1, 2026ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass conditions effective October 1, 2026Takamatsu-Chikko faresReturn fares from KotohiraJR fare table
Official sources and check dates
- Fees and seasonal opening hours ·
- Official access guide ·
- Current admission and entrance hours ·
- Takamatsu City visitor guide ·
- Shrine’s official hours ·
- Station-to-approach directions and steps ·
- Walking-route precautions ·
- Official walking directions from the tourist car park ·
- Yashimāru current opening information ·
- Current shuttle fares and timetable ·
- Facility and reservations ·
- Date-specific opening calendar ·
- Local bus ·
- Free shuttle ·
- Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points ·
- Official ticket calendar ·
- Current timetable list ·
- Kotohira Line timetable ·
- Takamatsu-Chikko fares ·
- Return fares from Kotohira ·
- Official large-luggage and station storage guide ·
- JR fare table ·
- Yashimāru October calendar ·
- Airport limousine fares and city boarding stops ·
- Airport limousine use and monthly timetable changes ·
- ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass changes for passes issued from October 1, 2026 ·
- ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass conditions effective October 1, 2026 ·
- JR Shikoku station and line timetables ·
- Official Yashima summit guide map ·
- Yashimāru shuttle access and main entrance site plan ·
- Official Chichu ticket centre and museum access map ·