Kochi in 3 days: coast or gorge?
For the Ryoma museum and Katsurahama together, take MY Yu on day two. For Nikobuchi’s water, choose the rental car itinerary to the gorge that day. Both itineraries visit Kochi Castle on the final day. To reach the gorge by bus instead, plan outward and return connections from Ino separately.
Choose a 3 days / 2 nights itinerary
A: city sights, museum and coast
Stay two nights in Kochi to combine exhibitions and a coastal walk on one day. Visit the Ryoma museum and Katsurahama on day two, then the castle on the final day. This leaves day one for a market meal and city walk.
A: city sights, museum and coast →3 days / 2 nightsB: a rental car day at Nikobuchi
For Nikobuchi’s gorge water instead of the coast, stay two nights in Kochi and drive there in a rental car on day two. Walk around the city on day one and visit Kochi Castle on the final day. Calculate car hire separately from admission.
B: a rental car day at Nikobuchi →A: city sights, museum and coast
Stay two nights in Kochi to combine exhibitions and a coastal walk on one day. Visit the Ryoma museum and Katsurahama on day two, then the castle on the final day. This leaves day one for a market meal and city walk.
Day 1: market meal and shopping-street walk
Stay two nights in Kochi: market and shopping streets on day one, museum and coast on day two, and Kochi Castle on the final day. First check that you have time to visit the castle before departure.
- JR Kochi Station → Hirome Market entrance
The tourism association gives a walking estimate of about 15 minutes from JR Kochi Station to Hirome Market. By tram, get off at Ohashidori and walk about 2–3 minutes to the market. The market’s official map also shows approaches from Obiyamachi and Ohashidori.
Market official access and walk from the tram stopKochi Tourism Association: station walk, shared dining and closures
- Hirome Market entrance → Market stalls and shared dining seats
Check menus and prices at the stalls, order your food and eat in the shared seating area. The market building and individual stalls have different opening hours. If arriving late, check your chosen stall’s last orders. If the market or stall is closed, choose another restaurant open in the city.
Market official stalls and menusKochi Tourism Association: station walk, shared dining and closuresMarket opening hours and closures
- Hirome Market → Obiyamachi shopping street
For a walk after your meal, explore Obiyamachi’s shopping street. Use the market’s official access map and your hotel address to plan the journey back.
Day-one food and hotel-to-market transport are excluded from the subtotal. Kochi Castle is scheduled for day three, so spend today on a market meal and shopping-street walk.
Day 2: museum first
Visit the Ryoma museum and Katsurahama, then return to Kochi.
- JR Kochi Station → Kochi Tabihiroba MY Yu boarding point
Board the MY Yu Bus at Kochi Tabihiroba on the south side of JR Kochi Station. Buy the ¥1,500 adult Katsurahama one-day ticket before boarding and check official information for that day’s boarding point and service. Ordinary seats cannot be reserved. If the bus is full, adjust your onward connections, sightseeing and return times.
- Kochi Station MY Yu boarding point → Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop
Take a Katsurahama-bound MY Yu Bus and get off at Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae. Visiting the museum in the morning makes it easier to leave time for the coast afterwards. Choose your service from the official weekday or holiday timetable.
Buses and accessibilityApril 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2Boarding-point changes by date
- Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop → Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum
Walk uphill from the stop to the museum and allow about 90 minutes for the exhibitions. Adult admission costs ¥500 or ¥900, depending on the exhibition that day. The bus journey does not include the walk to the museum, sightseeing or meals.
- Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum and Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop → Katsurahama Park
After the museum visit, return to Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop and take a Katsurahama-bound MY Yu Bus. The museum and beach have separate entrances, so allow time for sightseeing and the walk back to the stop. The coastal park is free to enter, and swimming is prohibited.
April 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2Park visitor information
- Katsurahama bus stop → JR Kochi Station
After the coastal visit, take a Kochi Station-bound MY Yu Bus from Katsurahama stop. Choose the appropriate weekday or holiday return service in the official timetable. The final return on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays arrives at the station’s north-side bus terminal, rather than the south-side boarding point.
April 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2Buses and accessibility
Day 3: castle visit and departure
Visit Kochi Castle’s paid buildings before departure. Allow enough time for sightseeing and city travel before your onward service.
- Kochi-Ekimae tram stop → Kochijo-Mae stop and Kochi Castle Park
From Kochi-Ekimae, take a tram towards Harimayabashi and change there to an Ino-bound tram. Get off at Kochijo-Mae and walk to the castle park. When paying cash, obtain and use the transfer ticket according to the conditions on your first tram and at the designated transfer stops. From Obiyamachi or Ohashidori, you can also consider walking directly to the park.
- Kochi Castle Park → Castle keep and Kaitokukan
Climb the park steps and buy a ticket at the entrance to the keep and Kaitokukan. The paid buildings open 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Admission costs ¥500 for visitors aged 18 and over. They close from 26 December to 1 January. Allow time to walk from the tram stop and climb to the entrance.
Current admission and closuresKochi Castle approaches, steps and slopes
- Kochi Castle → JR Kochi Station
After the castle visit, take a Harimayabashi-bound tram from Kochijo-Mae. At Harimayabashi, change towards Kochi-Ekimae to return to JR Kochi Station. If staying in the city, you can also walk down towards Obiyamachi and Ohashidori.
Included items: Kochi Castle ¥500 + museum ¥500/¥900 + MY Yu Katsurahama ticket ¥1,500
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, transport between your hotel and boarding points, luggage storage, city trams on days without MY Yu use and optional paid facilities cost extra.
The subtotal depends on the museum exhibition. Check ticket and visit-date conditions before applying a MY Yu facility discount. These subtotals use standard prices before discounts.
Current admission and closuresMuseum admission and exhibitionsBuses and accessibility
B: a rental car day at Nikobuchi
For Nikobuchi’s gorge water instead of the coast, stay two nights in Kochi and drive there in a rental car on day two. Walk around the city on day one and visit Kochi Castle on the final day. Calculate car hire separately from admission.
Day 1: market meal and city walk
Stay two nights in Kochi and visit Nikobuchi by rental car on day two. The museum and Katsurahama are excluded. If you cannot hire a car, check bus or sightseeing taxi services, reservations and return connections separately.
- JR Kochi Station → Hirome Market entrance
The tourism association gives a walking estimate of about 15 minutes from JR Kochi Station to Hirome Market. By tram, get off at Ohashidori and walk about 2–3 minutes to the market. The market’s official map also shows approaches from Obiyamachi and Ohashidori.
Market official access and walk from the tram stopKochi Tourism Association: station walk, shared dining and closures
- Hirome Market entrance → Market stalls and shared dining seats
Check menus and prices at the stalls, order your food and eat in the shared seating area. The market building and individual stalls have different opening hours. If arriving late, check your chosen stall’s last orders. If the market or stall is closed, choose another restaurant open in the city.
Market official stalls and menusKochi Tourism Association: station walk, shared dining and closuresMarket opening hours and closures
- Hirome Market → Obiyamachi shopping street
For a walk after your meal, explore Obiyamachi’s shopping street. Use the market’s official access map and your hotel address to plan the journey back.
Day-one food and hotel-to-market transport are excluded from the subtotal. If a final-day castle visit will not fit, check last admission and closed days against your actual arrival at the entrance to see whether day one works instead. If it does not, omit the castle and keep the gorge visit day.
Day 2: drive to Nikobuchi’s entrance
Set aside today for a return journey to Nikobuchi by car.
- Kochi city → Signposted parking spaces at Nikobuchi
The tourism council gives about 70 minutes by car from Kochi city to Nikobuchi. Allow extra time for car collection, parking and the walking path. Set your navigation to Green Park Hodono and follow local Nikobuchi parking signs. Official information lists five marked parking areas and temporary spaces when these fill; do not park along unmarked roadsides. Check the journey from your actual collection branch and parking availability and fees for your date.
Nikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxisCurrent visitor information, crowding and transport links
- Signposted parking spaces at Nikobuchi → The gorge and the same parking area
From your parking space, follow the path down to the gorge. The first section slopes, and the later section has low steps; rain and surface conditions can make walking difficult. Do not enter the water or eat and drink in the gorge. Return to your car along the same path afterwards. The ¥100 per-person request at the entrance is a voluntary environmental conservation contribution.
Current visitor information, crowding and transport links¥100 voluntary contribution informationNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
- Nikobuchi parking area → Kochi city
Eat outside the gorge, then drive back to Kochi city. Return the car according to your booked branch, deadline and refuelling conditions. If access restrictions prevent the visit, omit the gorge. Switching to buses requires separately planned outward and return connections from Ino Station.
Current visitor information, crowding and transport links¥100 voluntary contribution informationNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
Day 3: Kochi Castle and departure
Decide whether to visit the castle before leaving according to your departure time.
- Kochi-Ekimae tram stop → Kochijo-Mae stop and Kochi Castle Park
From Kochi-Ekimae, take a tram towards Harimayabashi and change there to an Ino-bound tram. Get off at Kochijo-Mae and walk to the castle park. When paying cash, obtain and use the transfer ticket according to the conditions on your first tram and at the designated transfer stops. From Obiyamachi or Ohashidori, you can also consider walking directly to the park.
- Kochi Castle Park → Castle keep and Kaitokukan
Climb the park steps and buy a ticket at the entrance to the keep and Kaitokukan. The paid buildings open 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Admission costs ¥500 for visitors aged 18 and over. They close from 26 December to 1 January. Allow time to walk from the tram stop and climb to the entrance.
Current admission and closuresKochi Castle approaches, steps and slopes
- Kochi Castle → JR Kochi Station
After the castle visit, take a Harimayabashi-bound tram from Kochijo-Mae. At Harimayabashi, change towards Kochi-Ekimae to return to JR Kochi Station. If staying in the city, you can also walk down towards Obiyamachi and Ohashidori.
Included items: Kochi Castle ¥500; rental car excluded
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, transport between your hotel and boarding points, luggage storage, city trams on days without MY Yu use and optional paid facilities cost extra. Car hire, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking also cost extra. Nikobuchi’s ¥100 contribution is voluntary and is not included as a required fee.
The ¥500 covers only castle admission. Add the vehicle costs required for the gorge return trip according to your booking conditions; this is not a total trip budget.
Current admission and closures¥100 voluntary contribution information
Checks before departure and FAQs
Does the Nikobuchi car itinerary’s ¥500 include car hire?
The ¥500 covers only Kochi Castle admission. Car hire, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking cost extra, and Nikobuchi’s voluntary ¥100 contribution is not included as a required admission fee. Without a rental car, check services and return buses from Ino separately.
Current admission and closures¥100 voluntary contribution informationNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
Official sources and check dates
- Boarding-point changes by date ·
- Current admission and closures ·
- Check tram routes ·
- Market opening hours and closures ·
- Park visitor information ·
- Museum admission and exhibitions ·
- Buses and accessibility ·
- Nikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis ·
- Current visitor information, crowding and transport links ·
- ¥100 voluntary contribution information ·
- Weekday timetable revised in October ·
- Weekend and public holiday timetable ·
- April 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2 ·
- Tram transfer information ·
- Check JR services ·
- Market official access and walk from the tram stop ·
- Market official stalls and menus ·
- Kochi Tourism Association: station walk, shared dining and closures ·
- Kochi Castle approaches, steps and slopes ·