Tokushima in 5 days: which order for eastern and western stays?
For Tokushima performances and views and Naruto Strait first, stay three nights in Tokushima before moving to Iya. For the valley first, stay two nights in Iya followed by two in Tokushima. Use a rental car in the west and return buses for Naruto. If visiting the bridge on your final day from Iya, check time to return the car in Tokushima and reach your onward service.
Choose a 5 days / 4 nights itinerary
A: three nights in Tokushima, then one in Iya
See dance performances, mountain views and the strait before a night in the valley. Stay three nights in Tokushima, then move to Iya via Wakimachi. The final day combines a bridge visit with car return, so move or omit the bridge for an early departure.
A: three nights in Tokushima, then one in Iya →5 days / 4 nightsB: western sights first, eastern sights last
Stay two nights in Iya for the valley and vine bridge, then move via Wakimachi to Tokushima for two nights. Return the car before your Naruto bus trip. Day one’s gorge views do not include a sightseeing boat.
B: western sights first, eastern sights last →A: three nights in Tokushima, then one in Iya
See dance performances, mountain views and the strait before a night in the valley. Stay three nights in Tokushima, then move to Iya via Wakimachi. The final day combines a bridge visit with car return, so move or omit the bridge for an early departure.
Day 1: performance and a city stay
Stay three nights near Tokushima Station for performances, views and Naruto Strait. Hire a car on day four, drive via Wakimachi and stay one night in Oboke or Iya. Return the car in Tokushima on the final day. For an early departure, move Kazurabashi to an earlier day or omit it.
- JR Tokushima Station → Your booked Tokushima hotel
From Tokushima Station, go 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
Watch one daytime performance in the second-floor theatre. Shows start at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, last 40 minutes and cost ¥1,300 per adult. For a late arrival, the 20:00 show costs ¥1,600. Do not schedule regular shows on Kaikan closed days or during the 11–15 August suspension.
Kaikan performances and ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Awa Odori Kaikan → Dinner near the station or Kaikan, then the same hotel
After the show, choose an open restaurant near the Kaikan or station for dinner, then return to the same hotel. For an evening show, check restaurant last orders too.
Day 2: Naruto Strait by bus
Look down over Naruto Strait from Uzu no Michi’s walkway. Choose outward and return buses to Naruto Park around the tide times.
- Tokushima hotel and stop 16 outside Tokushima Station → Naruto Park bus stop
From stop 16 outside Tokushima Station, take a Naruto Park-bound bus and get off at the park. Adult fares are ¥870 one way or ¥1,740 return. Choose both buses around your date’s tide chart and Uzu no Michi’s last admission. Allow extra time to walk from your hotel to the stop and wait for the bus.
- Naruto Park bus stop → Uzu no Michi entrance and strait walkway
Walk about 5 minutes from the stop to the entrance and buy a ¥510 adult ticket. Explore the walkway beneath the bridge. Whirlpools may not be visible at some times, so choose buses around the tide chart for your date. Last admission is 16:30 from October to February and 17:30 from March to September.
Directions to the entranceCheck admission and closuresTide chart for your visit date
- Uzu no Michi and Naruto Park stop → Tokushima Station and the same hotel
After the visit, take a Tokushima Station-bound bus from Naruto Park stop and return to the same hotel. For lunch in the park, plan around your return bus. If no shop is open, eat near the station. Choose your return service before sightseeing.
October weekday timetableHoliday timetableCheck admission and closures
Day 3: Bizan, then the same hotel
Walk from your hotel near Tokushima Station to Awa Odori Kaikan, then go to the fifth-floor lower ropeway station.
- Fifth-floor lower station at Awa Odori Kaikan → Bizan summit station
Buy a return ticket at Awa Odori Kaikan’s fifth-floor lower Bizan Ropeway station and ride to the summit. The adult return costs ¥1,500 and the ride takes about 6 minutes. Services usually start at 09:00. Allow extra time for tickets, queues and summit walks. Recheck seasonal finishing times, maintenance and bad-weather suspensions for your date.
Kaikan performances and ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Bizan summit station → Lower station and Tokushima hotel
After the views, take the same ropeway down, eat in the city and spend your third night at the same hotel. If you watched a daytime performance on day one, an additional evening performance today is excluded from the basic budget.
Day 4: west via Wakimachi
Explore Wakimachi, then stay one night in Oboke or Iya. Check the drive to your actual hotel address and arrive before check-in and dinner deadlines. If running late, shorten the Wakimachi walk and continue to the hotel. For an early departure tomorrow, consider omitting Wakimachi and visiting Kazurabashi before your hotel. Choose this only if car collection, bridge hours and hotel check-in and dinner times fit; otherwise omit the bridge.
- Tokushima hotel and booked car collection branch → Island Udatsu ordinary-car parking area
After collecting the car, set your destination to Island Udatsu’s ordinary-car parking area. The official Tokushima-city driving estimate of about 1 hour 5 minutes excludes hotel-to-branch travel, collection formalities and traffic delays. The facility opens 09:00–17:30 and closes from 27 December to 1 January. The ordinary-car parking capacity is 39 spaces; check fees and availability for your date separately.
Island Udatsu location and opening hoursOrdinary-car and tourist-coach parking areas
- Island Udatsu ordinary-car parking area → Wakimachi Udatsu Street
After parking, walk towards the Yoshida Residence connected to the facility and explore the historic street. Choose an open shop for lunch. The basic itinerary is a street walk; the Yoshida Residence interior is optional at ¥510 per adult, with last entry at 16:30.
Island Udatsu location and opening hoursYoshida Residence admission and hours
- Wakimachi Udatsu Street and Island Udatsu car park → Your booked Oboke or Iya hotel
Retrace your route to the car park and drive to your booked western hotel’s actual address. Hotels near Oboke Station and Kazurabashi are in different locations, so there is no single driving time from Wakimachi. Check your route and driving time after choosing the hotel address.
Island Udatsu location and opening hoursOrdinary-car and tourist-coach parking areas
Day 5: bridge visit and Tokushima car return
After crossing Kazurabashi, drive back to Tokushima, return the car and continue to your departure point. Allow time after refuelling and car return to reach your station or airport-bus stop. For a morning departure, move the bridge to an earlier day or omit it.
- Your western hotel → Yumebutai car park and Iya Kazurabashi entrance
Ordinary car parking costs ¥500 per vehicle, separate from bridge admission, and cannot be reserved. After parking, walk through the Yumebutai facility towards Iya Kazurabashi. Check hotel driving time and the walk from the car park to the bridge separately.
- Iya Kazurabashi entrance → Bridge and Yumebutai car park
Buy a ticket and cross the bridge. Admission costs ¥550 for junior high school pupils and older visitors. Hours are 08:00–18:00 from April to June, 07:30–18:30 in July and August, and 08:00–17:00 from September to March. Bad weather may change access. Afterwards, return to your parking area.
Admission and seasonal hoursParking fees and visitor information
- Yumebutai car park → Tokushima car return branch and actual departure boarding point
After the visit, return to Yumebutai car park and drive to your contracted return branch in Tokushima. Refuel and return the car, then go to your departure station or airport-bus stop. Do not schedule a final-day bridge visit for a morning departure.
Visit the bridge from your western hotel, then return to Tokushima. If the journey does not fit your car-return deadline and onward service, move the bridge to the previous day or omit it.
Included items: Daytime performance ¥1,300 + Uzu no Michi ¥510 + Bizan ¥1,500 + Kazurabashi ¥550 + Naruto return buses ¥1,740
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, transport between your hotel and boarding points, and luggage storage cost extra. Car hire, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking are excluded. Add ¥510 for the optional Yoshida Residence interior. Yumebutai parking costs a separate ¥500 per vehicle.
Yumebutai parking costs a separate ¥500 per vehicle. Add ¥510 per adult for the Yoshida Residence interior. If omitting the bridge, subtract ¥550 from the admission subtotal. If you do not use the car park, its ¥500 per-vehicle charge does not apply either. Moving the bridge to another date but visiting once does not change admission.
Official fare tableKaikan performances and ropeway fares and servicesCheck admission and closuresFares and paymentAdmission and seasonal hoursYoshida Residence admission and hoursParking fees and visitor information
B: western sights first, eastern sights last
Stay two nights in Iya for the valley and vine bridge, then move via Wakimachi to Tokushima for two nights. Return the car before your Naruto bus trip. Day one’s gorge views do not include a sightseeing boat.
Day 1: Oboke Gorge and your western hotel
Stay two nights in Oboke or Iya, then two in Tokushima for a more relaxed valley visit. Hire a car in Tokushima on day one, stop at the Oboke visitor information facility on Route 32 and continue to your hotel. You must still meet check-in and dinner deadlines; for a late arrival, go directly to your hotel.
Visit Kazurabashi on day two, then drive via Wakimachi and return the car in Tokushima on day three. Take buses to Naruto on day four and choose either a performance or Bizan on the final day.
Hotels near Oboke Station and Kazurabashi are in different locations, so check driving times using your hotel address. This itinerary uses a rental car. Without one, arrange a different visit order around buses, hotel transfers and JR connections.
- Ikawa-Ikeda IC and Route 32 → Oboke visitor information facility car park
Drive to the Oboke visitor information facility car park, following Route 32 towards Kochi from Ikawa-Ikeda IC. The address is 1553-1 Kamimyo, Yamashirocho, Miyoshi, and ordinary-car parking has 52 spaces. Check the drive from your collection branch or hotel using its actual address. Visitor information and shops open 09:00–17:00 and close on Tuesdays from December to February, or the next day if Tuesday is a public holiday. Rest Area Oboke and Lapis Oboke · 道の駅大歩危
Miyoshi Tourism Association Oboke information and accessOboke facility hours, closures and visitor information
- Oboke visitor information facility → Gorge views, visitor information and the same car park
Look out over Oboke Gorge and the Yoshino River, then consult visitor information for tomorrow’s Kazurabashi approach and local roads. Browse local products in the shop, return to your car and continue to your booked western hotel. The basic itinerary includes only the free information and shop areas and gorge views, excluding the paid Yokai and Stone Museum and sightseeing boats. For the museum, check current admission and last entry locally and decide whether the visit fits your hotel arrival deadline.
Miyoshi Tourism Association Oboke information and accessOboke facility hours, closures and visitor informationOfficial Shikoku roadside station gorge views and facilities
Day 2: Kazurabashi and back to the same hotel
Visit the Kazurabashi footbridge, then return to the same car park.
- Your western hotel → Yumebutai car park and Iya Kazurabashi entrance
Ordinary car parking costs ¥500 per vehicle, separate from bridge admission, and cannot be reserved. After parking, walk through the Yumebutai facility towards Iya Kazurabashi. Check hotel driving time and the walk from the car park to the bridge separately.
- Iya Kazurabashi entrance → Bridge and Yumebutai car park
Buy a ticket and cross the bridge. Admission costs ¥550 for junior high school pupils and older visitors. Hours are 08:00–18:00 from April to June, 07:30–18:30 in July and August, and 08:00–17:00 from September to March. Bad weather may change access. Afterwards, return to your parking area.
Admission and seasonal hoursParking fees and visitor information
- Yumebutai car park → Your western hotel
Retrace your route to Yumebutai car park and drive to your hotel. Allow separately for the hotel drive and car-park-to-bridge walk. The official roughly 5-minute walk is from the bus stop to the bridge.
Day 3: via Wakimachi to a Tokushima hotel
Walk Wakimachi’s streets to see historic houses with udatsu walls. A visit inside the Yoshida Residence is optional.
- Your western hotel → Wakimachi Udatsu Street
After parking, walk towards the Yoshida Residence and explore the historic street. Eat lunch at an open shop. The basic itinerary is a street walk; the Yoshida Residence interior is optional at ¥510 per adult, with last entry at 16:30. Island Udatsu opens 09:00–17:30 and closes from 27 December to 1 January, with 39 ordinary-car spaces. From a western hotel, find the route to Wakimachi using its actual address and check parking fees and availability. The prefectural tourism estimate of about 1 hour 5 minutes from Tokushima city does not apply to this western starting point.
Island Udatsu location and opening hoursYoshida Residence admission and hoursOrdinary-car and tourist-coach parking areas
- Wakimachi Udatsu Street → Tokushima hotel
After the walk, return to your car and drive to the Tokushima return branch. Return it before your booked deadline, then continue to your city hotel for two nights. When choosing the hotel, check whether you can walk from the return branch or need other transport.
Travel via Wakimachi and return the car in Tokushima. Check parking, travel, car return and onward hotel time using actual addresses and booking conditions.
Day 4: Naruto return trip by regular buses
Look down over Naruto Strait from Uzu no Michi’s walkway. Choose outward and return buses to Naruto Park around the tide times.
- Tokushima hotel and Tokushima Station → Naruto Park bus stop
From stop 16 outside Tokushima Station, take a Naruto Park-bound bus and get off at the park. Adult fares are ¥870 one way or ¥1,740 return. Choose both buses around your date’s tide chart and Uzu no Michi’s last admission. Allow extra time to walk from your hotel to the stop and wait for the bus.
- Naruto Park bus stop → Uzu no Michi entrance and viewing facility
Walk about 5 minutes from the stop to Uzu no Michi, buy a ¥510 adult ticket and view the strait. Choose buses after checking your date’s tide chart and seasonal last entry: 17:30 from March to September and 16:30 from October to February.
Check admission and closuresDirections to the entranceTide chart for your visit date
- Uzu no Michi and Naruto Park stop → Tokushima Station and Tokushima hotel
After the visit, take a Tokushima Station-bound bus from Naruto Park stop and return to the same hotel. For lunch in the park, plan around your return bus. If no shop is open, eat near the station. Choose your return service before sightseeing.
Day 5: one city attraction before departure
Choose either an Awa Odori performance or Bizan’s views according to your departure time. Leave time afterwards to return to your hotel and departure boarding point.
- Tokushima hotel → Awa Odori Kaikan theatre or Bizan summit station
If you can arrive for a daytime show at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 or 16:00, choose one performance in the second-floor theatre. Adult admission costs ¥1,300 and shows last 40 minutes. Regular shows are unavailable on Kaikan closed days and during the 11–15 August suspension. For views instead, take the return Bizan Ropeway from the same building’s fifth floor. Adult fare is ¥1,500, the ride takes about 6 minutes and services normally start at 09:00. Choose only one attraction to fit your departure. The subtotal below includes only your chosen attraction.
Kaikan performances and ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Your chosen attraction and Tokushima hotel → Your actual departure boarding point
Work back from departure to allow for performance or ropeway queues, the hotel return and boarding time.
Included items: Kazurabashi ¥550 + Uzu no Michi ¥510 + Naruto return buses ¥1,740 + either a final-day daytime performance ¥1,300 or Bizan ¥1,500
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport or onward travel, transport between your hotel and boarding points, and luggage storage cost extra. Car hire, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking are excluded. Add ¥510 for the optional Yoshida Residence interior. Yumebutai parking costs a separate ¥500 per vehicle.
Yumebutai parking costs a separate ¥500 per vehicle, and the Yoshida Residence interior costs an extra ¥510 per adult. Day one at Oboke uses only free areas, excluding the paid museum and boat. Choose either a performance or Bizan on the final day.
Official fare tableKaikan performances and ropeway fares and servicesCheck admission and closuresFares and paymentAdmission and seasonal hoursYoshida Residence admission and hoursParking fees and visitor informationOboke facility hours, closures and visitor informationOfficial Shikoku roadside station gorge views and facilities
Checks before departure and FAQs
Does the Iya-and-Oboke-first itinerary include a sightseeing boat?
Day one visits Oboke’s information facility and gorge views without a paid boat. To add a boat, check service and timing separately and add ¥1,800 per adult. A boat is included in 4-day itinerary B.
Oboke facility hours, closures and visitor informationOfficial Shikoku roadside station gorge views and facilitiesBoat operator admission and boarding guide
Does the final-day subtotal cover both a performance and Bizan?
For 5-day itinerary B, the ¥4,100 subtotal includes a daytime performance, while ¥4,300 includes the Bizan return ropeway. Choose one to fit your departure, then collect luggage from your hotel and go to your actual boarding point.
Official fare tableKaikan performances and ropeway fares and services
Official sources and check dates
- Kaikan performances and ropeway fares and services ·
- Check admission and closures ·
- Directions to the entrance ·
- Tide chart for your visit date ·
- Admission and seasonal hours ·
- Parking fees and visitor information ·
- Boat operator admission and boarding guide ·
- Island Udatsu location and opening hours ·
- Yoshida Residence admission and hours ·
- Ordinary-car and tourist-coach parking areas ·
- October weekday timetable ·
- Holiday timetable ·
- Fares and payment ·
- Official fare table ·
- Miyoshi Tourism Association Oboke information and access ·
- Oboke facility hours, closures and visitor information ·
- Official Shikoku roadside station gorge views and facilities ·
- JR Shikoku October 2026 pass revision notice ·