Four days in Tokushima: the same hotel or two nights in Iya?
For Naruto Strait and Wakimachi’s historic streets, make separate day trips from the same Tokushima hotel. For more time in the valley and on the cruise, compare one Tokushima night followed by two Iya nights. The Iya route uses a rental car and returns it in Tokushima after the final-day bridge visit. For an early departure, move the bridge earlier or omit it.
Choose a 4 days, 3 nights itinerary
A: eastern sights and historic streets without changing hotels
For both whirlpools and historic homes, stay three nights in Tokushima and spend a day each in Naruto and Wakimachi. Naruto uses buses and Wakimachi a rental car; visit Bizan on the final day.
A: eastern sights and historic streets without changing hotels →4 days, 3 nightsB: one night in Tokushima and two in Iya
For a gorge cruise and vine bridge crossing, spend one night in Tokushima followed by two in Iya. Move west via Wakimachi and visit the cruise and bridge on separate days. Return the rental car in Tokushima on the final day.
B: one night in Tokushima and two in Iya →A: eastern sights and historic streets without changing hotels
For both whirlpools and historic homes, stay three nights in Tokushima and spend a day each in Naruto and Wakimachi. Naruto uses buses and Wakimachi a rental car; visit Bizan on the final day.
Day 1: a show, then your hotel
Stay three nights near Tokushima Station: a show on day one, Naruto Strait on day two, Wakimachi’s historic streets on day three and Bizan on the final day. Visit Naruto by bus and rent a car only for Wakimachi. Check pickup and return locations and hours when booking.
- JR Tokushima Station → Your booked Tokushima hotel
Travel from Tokushima Station to your booked hotel.
- Tokushima hotel → Awa Odori Kaikan entrance
Walk to Awa Odori Kaikan. The theatre is on the second floor of the same building.
- Awa Odori Kaikan entrance → Second-floor theatre
See one daytime show in the second-floor theatre. Shows start at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, last 40 minutes and cost JPY 1,300 per adult. For a late arrival, consider the 20:00 evening show at JPY 1,600. Regular shows are unavailable on Kaikan closure days and during August 11–15. If your arrival fits none of the shows, move the performance to another day.
Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operationsOfficial price list
- Awa Odori Kaikan → Dinner near the station or Kaikan, then the same hotel
After the show, choose an open restaurant near Kaikan or the station for dinner, then return to the same hotel. For an evening show, check restaurant last-order times.
Day 2: a bus trip to Naruto Park
View Naruto Strait from Uzunomichi’s walkway. Take a return bus trip to Naruto Park around the tidal times.
- Tokushima hotel and bay 16 outside Tokushima Station → Naruto Park stop
Take a Naruto Park-bound bus from bay 16 outside Tokushima Station and get off at the park. Adult fares are JPY 870 one way or JPY 1,740 return. Choose both buses around your date’s tide table and Uzunomichi’s admission deadline. Allow extra time for the walk from your hotel to the bay and bus waits.
October weekday timetableHoliday timetableFares and payment guidance
- Naruto Park stop → Uzunomichi entrance and strait walkway
Walk about five minutes from the stop to the entrance and buy the JPY 510 adult ticket. Explore the walkway beneath the bridge. Whirlpools may be absent at some times, so choose buses around your date’s tide table. Last admission is 16:30 from October through February and 17:30 from March through September.
Directions to the entranceCheck admission and closuresTide table for your visit date
- Uzunomichi and Naruto Park stop → Tokushima Station and the same hotel
After visiting, take a Tokushima Station-bound bus from Naruto Park and return to the same hotel. If eating lunch in the park, fit it around your return bus; if no shops are open, eat near the station. Choose the return service before sightseeing.
October weekday timetableHoliday timetableCheck admission and closures
Day 3: Wakimachi’s historic streets
Walk Wakimachi’s streets and look at historic homes with udatsu walls. Decide separately whether to visit inside the Yoshida Residence.
- Tokushima hotel → Wakimachi Udatsu Townscape
Set your navigation destination to Ai Land Udatsu’s passenger-car parking in Wakimachi. The prefectural tourism guide’s one-hour-five-minute drive from Tokushima city is general road guidance, excluding travel from your hotel to the rental location, pickup procedures and parking. After parking, walk towards the Yoshida Residence connected to Ai Land Udatsu to enter the old streets. After the walk, eat lunch or rest in an open shop, then return to the same parking lot. The Yoshida Residence interior is optional: JPY 510 per adult, last admission 16:30. Ai Land Udatsu opens 09:00–17:30 and closes December 27–January 1; individual shops have different hours.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsYoshida Residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking
- Wakimachi Udatsu Townscape → Tokushima hotel
Retrace your steps to the parking lot and drive to the Tokushima return location. Refuel and return the car by your booked time, then head to the hotel. Ai Land Udatsu has 39 spaces but can be full. Rental, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking cost extra. Shorten the walk if the return deadline is tight. Without a car, choose the Naruto bus itinerary.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsYoshida Residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking
Day 4: Bizan before departure
Leave your hotel near Tokushima Station and walk to Awa Odori Kaikan. Go to the fifth-floor ropeway base station, ride up for Bizan’s views, then take the same ropeway down.
- Fifth-floor base station at Awa Odori Kaikan → Bizan summit station
Buy a return ticket at Kaikan’s fifth-floor Bizan Ropeway base station and ride to the summit. Adult return admission is JPY 1,500; the ride takes about six minutes and usually starts operating at 09:00. Allow extra time for tickets, queues and a summit walk. Recheck seasonal closing times and maintenance or bad-weather suspensions for your date.
Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operationsOfficial price list
- Bizan summit station → Base station
After enjoying the views, take the same ropeway down.
- Base station and Tokushima hotel → Your actual departure boarding point
Beyond the roughly six-minute ropeway ride, allow time to reach your hotel and departure boarding point. Shorten the Bizan visit for an early departure.
Included costs: Daytime show JPY 1,300 + Uzunomichi JPY 510 + Bizan JPY 1,500 + Naruto return bus JPY 1,740
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, hotel–boarding-point journeys and luggage storage cost extra. Rental, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking are excluded. Adding the Yoshida Residence interior costs JPY 510.
The evening show adds JPY 300; omitting Bizan deducts JPY 1,500. The optional Yoshida Residence interior adds JPY 510. Car rental and Wakimachi parking cost extra.
Official price listKaikan show and ropeway fees and operationsCheck admission and closuresFares and payment guidanceYoshida Residence fees and hoursParking fees and guidance
B: one night in Tokushima and two in Iya
For a gorge cruise and vine bridge crossing, spend one night in Tokushima followed by two in Iya. Move west via Wakimachi and visit the cruise and bridge on separate days. Return the rental car in Tokushima on the final day.
Day 1: a performance in central Tokushima
Spend the first night near Tokushima Station, then two nights at the same Oboke or Iya hotel. Rent a car in Tokushima on day two and return it at the same location on day four. After choosing your hotel, check driving time and leave in time for check-in and dinner deadlines. On the final day, allow time to catch your departure service after returning the car.
- JR Tokushima Station → Your booked Tokushima hotel
Travel from Tokushima Station to your booked hotel.
- Tokushima hotel → Awa Odori Kaikan entrance
Walk to Awa Odori Kaikan. The theatre is on the second floor of the same building.
- Awa Odori Kaikan entrance → Second-floor theatre
See one daytime show in the second-floor theatre. Regular daytime shows start at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00 and cost JPY 1,300 per adult. For a late arrival, consider the 20:00 evening show at JPY 1,600. Regular shows are unavailable on closure days and during August 11–15. Do not include a paid performance on dates when you cannot see it.
Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operationsOfficial price list
- Awa Odori Kaikan → Dinner near the station or Kaikan, then the same hotel
After the show, choose an open restaurant near Kaikan or the station for dinner, then return to the same hotel. For an evening show, check restaurant last-order times.
Day 2: Wakimachi’s historic streets, then your Iya hotel
Explore Wakimachi’s historic homes and lanes, then travel to your Oboke or Iya hotel. Carry valuables during the walk.
Set navigation first to Ai Land Udatsu, then to your hotel address after the walk. Check the journey from the rental location via Wakimachi to your hotel and leave in time for check-in and dinner. If delayed, skip Wakimachi and go directly to the hotel. For an early day-four departure, compare whether you can move Kazurabashi to day three.
- Tokushima hotel and booked car pickup location → Ai Land Udatsu parking
Collect your car at the booked location and set the destination to Ai Land Udatsu parking. The official seven-minute drive from Wakimachi IC is not the full journey from your Tokushima pickup location. The facility opens 09:00–17:30 and closes December 27–January 1. Park, then walk towards the Yoshida Residence to enter Udatsu Townscape. The 39 passenger-car spaces describe capacity, without guaranteeing availability. Ask the facility about parking fees.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsDistinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking
- Ai Land Udatsu and Yoshida Residence area → Udatsu Townscape and the same parking lot
Walk past the historic buildings and along the lanes of Udatsu Townscape, then return to the parking lot. The Yoshida Residence interior is excluded from the basic route. To add it, check the JPY 510 adult fee and 16:30 last admission, then first calculate whether you can still reach your western hotel before check-in and dinner deadlines.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsYoshida Residence fees and hours
- Ai Land Udatsu parking → Your booked Oboke or Iya hotel
After the walk, return to the parking lot and drive to your western hotel. Enter your booked hotel’s actual address in navigation and arrive before its check-in and dinner deadlines.
Ai Land Udatsu location and operationsDistinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking
Day 3: Oboke Gorge Pleasure Cruise
For lunch at the facility after disembarking, check restaurant hours. Then take the same car back to your Iya hotel for the second night.
- Western hotel → Obokekyo Mannaka parking and first-floor reception
Parking is available, but ask the operator about fees and availability that day. After parking, buy a ticket and complete the passenger register at the building’s first-floor reception. Individual visitors do not need reservations.
Tourism association parking and accessCruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance
- First-floor reception and landing → Cruise and departure landing
Follow signs inside the building down to the landing. Open 09:00–17:00, with the final departure at 16:30. Adult fare is JPY 1,800; the cruise returns to the same landing after about 30 minutes. Allow extra ticketing and waiting time. Strong winds or high water can cancel sailings, so check the day’s service notice.
Cruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance2026 fare-change notice
- Departure landing and Mannaka parking → The same western hotel
After disembarking, return to your parking lot and drive the same car back to your western hotel. Check restaurant hours for lunch at the facility. Find the route to your hotel using its booked address.
Cruise operator’s fares and boarding guidanceTourism association parking and access
Day 4: Kazurabashi, then back to Tokushima
Cross Kazurabashi, then return to Tokushima to drop off the car and leave. Allow time after refuelling and returning the car to reach your departure station or airport-bus boarding point. For a morning departure, move the bridge to an earlier day or omit it.
- Western hotel → Yumebutai parking and Iya Vine Bridge entrance
Ordinary-car parking costs JPY 500 per vehicle, separately from bridge admission, and cannot be reserved. After parking, walk through the Yumebutai facility towards Iya Vine Bridge. Check walking time from the lot and driving time from your hotel separately.
- Iya Vine Bridge entrance → Bridge and Yumebutai parking
Buy a ticket and cross the bridge. Admission is JPY 550 per person for junior high school students and older. Open 08:00–18:00 April–June, 07:30–18:30 July–August and 08:00–17:00 September–March. Bad weather can change operations. Afterwards, return to your parking lot.
- Yumebutai parking → Tokushima car return location and actual departure boarding point
Return to Yumebutai parking and drive to your contracted car return location in Tokushima. After refuelling and returning the car, travel to your departure station or airport-bus boarding point. Do not put the bridge on the final day for a morning departure.
You need enough time after the bridge to return to Tokushima and drop off the car. Do not confirm the final-day visit until your hotel address, road travel time, return location and departure service are settled.
Included costs: Daytime show JPY 1,300 + Oboke cruise JPY 1,800 + Kazurabashi JPY 550
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, hotel–boarding-point journeys and luggage storage cost extra. Rental, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking are excluded. Yumebutai parking is a separate JPY 500 per vehicle. Day-two Wakimachi parking and additional driving costs are also excluded; add JPY 510 per adult for the optional Yoshida Residence interior.
Yumebutai parking is a separate JPY 500 per vehicle. Wakimachi includes only the street walk; add JPY 510 for the Yoshida Residence interior. The evening show adds JPY 300.
Official price listAdmission and seasonal hoursCruise operator’s fares and boarding guidanceYoshida Residence fees and hoursParking fees and guidance
Before departure, on-the-day checks and FAQ
Can I reach Iya without a rental car?
From Tokushima, first enter Tokushima as departure and Oboke as destination in JR Shikoku’s time and fare search, then check your date’s trains and transfers. Continue from Oboke by bus or taxi. Avoid replacing just some driving legs of the rental-car routes above with buses. Choose both Oboke Station–Kazurabashi Yumebutai services in the operator’s timetable. For a Tokushima return, the JR connection after your return bus must also work. For an Iya stay, arrange hotel transfers or the walk from the stop.
Admission and seasonal hoursOperator’s current guidanceTimetable revised October 1, 2026JR Shikoku time and fare search
Do performance, cruise and bridge costs include the car?
Four-day B’s JPY 3,650 includes the JPY 1,300 daytime show, JPY 1,800 cruise and JPY 550 Kazurabashi admission. The adult cruise fare rose to JPY 1,800 in September 2026. Car costs, parking, accommodation and meals are separate; Yumebutai’s JPY 500 parking is per vehicle.
Official price listCruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance2026 fare-change noticeAdmission and seasonal hoursParking fees and guidance
Official sources and check dates
- Kaikan show and ropeway fees and operations ·
- Check admission and closures ·
- Directions to the entrance ·
- Tide table for your visit date ·
- Admission and seasonal hours ·
- Parking fees and guidance ·
- Cruise operator’s fares and boarding guidance ·
- 2026 fare-change notice ·
- Ai Land Udatsu location and operations ·
- Yoshida Residence fees and hours ·
- Distinguish passenger-car and tour-bus parking ·
- Operator’s current guidance ·
- Timetable revised October 1, 2026 ·
- October weekday timetable ·
- Holiday timetable ·
- Fares and payment guidance ·
- Tourism association parking and access ·
- Official price list ·
- JR Shikoku time and fare search ·