Five days and four nights: spend a night in Kotohira?
Choose three Takamatsu nights then one Kotohira night for approach shops and next-morning worship. Keep four Takamatsu nights for garden, sea views and art without moving bases; visit Ritsurin, Yashima and Naoshima separately. Choose the island date around Chichu and return connections.
Choose a 4 nights, 5 days itinerary
One night in Kotohira
Spend three nights in Takamatsu then one in Kotohira to eat there and climb to the main shrine the next morning.
One night in Kotohira →4 nights, 5 daysStay in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima and Naoshima
Spend four nights in Takamatsu for 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 then one in Kotohira to eat there and climb to the main shrine the next morning.
Day 1 · Tamamo Park and Takamatsu Port
Visit the park and harbour around arrival. If the gate hours do not fit, move the park to another visiting day.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Tamamo Park entrance
Walk about 3 minutes from JR Takamatsu Station to Tamamo Park. A late arrival outside gate hours may prevent a visit today.
Current admission and gate hoursTakamatsu City visiting guide
- Tamamo Park → Takamatsu Port and accommodation
Explore the castle site and moat, then walk by the harbour. Eat near the station and go to your booked accommodation.
Current admission and gate hoursTakamatsu City visiting guide
Park gates close at different times. Check the gate you will use.
Day 2 · Ritsurin Garden
Walk Ritsurin Garden today, using the east gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen.
- Accommodation in Takamatsu → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko, a different station from JR Takamatsu. From Kawaramachi accommodation, you can start at nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi, but check that segment’s fare.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and alight at Ritsurin-Koen. Adult fare: JPY 250 one way; the stated costs include JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko. Choose your travel-date service from the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and garden
The official 7-minute walk is from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station to the garden. Use the east gate, buy admission and explore. Do not confuse it with north-gate access from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi. Adult admission: JPY 500; October hours 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, visiting and rest are excluded from the 7 minutes. Recheck other months and storm-warning notices.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Leave through the east gate and retrace your walk to Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Allow time to reach the gate from within the garden and walk about 7 minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen towards Takamatsu-Chikko, then continue to your accommodation or next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open restaurant near the station for lunch and return to the same booked address. If eating at Kawaramachi, recheck your alighting station, segment fare and accommodation return route.
Garden opening/closing times vary by month. Distinguish east- and north-gate departure stations.
Day 3 · Yashimaru
See Seto Inland Sea and city views at Yashimaru. Take JR from Takamatsu to Yashima, then connect to the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Yashima summit shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a JR Kotoku Line local train towards Hiketa from Takamatsu and alight at Yashima. Leave the gates for the station-front summit shuttle stop. Compare your date’s JR and shuttle timetables and allow transfer time.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima-Sanjo stop and Yashimaru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus at Yashima-Sanjo. Locate the tourist car park, Yashimaji and number 11 Yashimaru on the official summit map, then follow the path to Yashimaru’s main entrance. Its leaflet marks that entrance separately. Beyond the official 10-minute walk from the tourist car park, allow time after alighting to find your route. See the views, eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibits and food are excluded from stated costs.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walk from tourist parking to the facilityYashimaru current operationOfficial Yashima summit mapYashimaru shuttle access and main-entrance plan
- Yashimaru → Yashima-Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return to the summit stop and take a JR Yashima Station-bound shuttle. Late facility hours do not mean a matching last shuttle; choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Take a Takamatsu-bound local train from JR Yashima, then eat and rest at the same accommodation. Return local-train JPY 560 plus station-start shuttle JPY 680 total JPY 1,240. Limited express travel needs an extra charge.
Yashimaru closes Tuesdays or the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening and evening shuttles are separate; check both the facility calendar and bus notices.
Day 4 · Kotohira approach shops
Move accommodation from Takamatsu to Kotohira, walk the approach shops and rest there before tomorrow morning’s shrine climb.
- Takamatsu accommodation and Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Kotohira Station
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Takamatsu-Chikko to Kotoden Kotohira. Bring luggage on this moving day and plan station-to-accommodation access.
Kotohira Line timetableOfficial large-luggage and station-storage guide
- Accommodation in Kotohira → Approach shops and Kotohira accommodation
Check the walk from your accommodation’s address to the approach shops. Eat in town, rest at the same accommodation and climb to the shrine tomorrow morning.
Rest around the approach shops today; climb the main-shrine steps tomorrow.
Day 5 · Kotohira-gu main shrine
After a Kotohira night, visit the shrine, return to the station and take a Takamatsu-bound train.
- Accommodation in Kotohira → First steps of the shrine approach
Walk towards Omotesando from your accommodation. The station’s 10-minute walk is not a hotel-start estimate. Do not choose pedestrian-prohibited vehicle roads as alternative shrine approaches.
Station-to-approach and steps guideWalking-route precautions
- First steps of the shrine approach → Kotohira-gu main shrine
Main-shrine gate 07:00–17:00. The official roughly 1-hour ascent covers 785 steps from the first step; descent and rests need extra time.
- Kotohira-gu main shrine → Approach, shops and Kotohira accommodation
Descend the same approach, eat in the shopping street and return to your accommodation. The 1-hour ascent excludes descent, meals and accommodation return.
- Kotoden Kotohira Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return from Kotoden Kotohira on a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train. Adult fare: JPY 780 one way; JPY 1,560 return is included. Choose your date’s return from the official timetable. Airport access after Takamatsu-Chikko costs extra.
Kotohira Line timetableKotohira return faresCurrent timetable list
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Your booked departure boarding point
Move from Takamatsu-Chikko to JR Takamatsu. Airport buses leave JR station stand 3; adult JPY 1,300 is excluded. Choose a timetable service matching flight check-in deadlines. For another city, check JR trains from JR Takamatsu.
Airport limousine use and monthly changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding points
Both ascent and descent need stamina and time. For a final morning departure, move the shrine visit to an earlier day.
Included items: The subtotal includes JPY 500 for Ritsurin Garden, JPY 300 for Tamamo Park, return Kotoden trains to Ritsurin-Koen at JPY 500 and Kotohira at JPY 1,560, return JR trains between Takamatsu and Yashima at JPY 560 and return summit shuttles at JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport transfers, separately used accommodation-to-station/boarding-point transport and extra travel cost more. Garden boats/tea houses, Kotohira-gu subsidiary halls/prayers and Yashimaru paid exhibits/parking are excluded.
For one adult, with Kotoden starting at Takamatsu-Chikko; check other starting fares separately. Kotohira travel is split between JPY 780 one way on day four and JPY 780 on the final day.
Fees and seasonal hoursCurrent admission and gate hoursTakamatsu-Chikko faresKotohira return faresJR fare tableCurrent shuttle fares and timetable
Stay in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima and Naoshima
Spend four nights in Takamatsu for the garden, Yashima’s views and Naoshima’s museum on separate days without changing accommodation.
Day 1 · Takamatsu Port
Explore the harbour and ferry ticket office, then rest in Takamatsu. Do not cross to the island today.
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation → Miyanoura-bound ferry ticket office at Takamatsu Port
Check the walk from your accommodation to the port. Official access is about 5 minutes from JR Takamatsu or 3 from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko, not from your hotel. Locate day-four Miyanoura ferry tickets/boarding. The high-speed counter is separate, about 3 minutes from the ferry counter.
- Takamatsu Port → Meal near the station and the same accommodation
Walk the harbour, then return towards the station and choose an open restaurant. After dinner, go to your booked accommodation. Official port-to-station walks exclude meals/hotel access. Tamamo Park is visited on the final day, with no extra paid visit today.
Locate the day-four Miyanoura ferry counter and boarding point beforehand.
Day 2 · Ritsurin Garden
Walk Ritsurin Garden today, using the east gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen.
- Accommodation in Takamatsu → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko, a different station from JR Takamatsu. From Kawaramachi accommodation, you can start at nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi, but check that segment’s fare.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Take a train towards Kotohira and alight at Ritsurin-Koen. Adult fare: JPY 250 one way; the stated costs include JPY 500 return from Takamatsu-Chikko. Choose your travel-date service from the official timetable.
Kotohira Line timetableCurrent timetable listTakamatsu-Chikko fares
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden east gate and garden
The official 7-minute walk is from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station to the garden. Use the east gate, buy admission and explore. Do not confuse it with north-gate access from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi. Adult admission: JPY 500; October hours 06:00–17:30. Ticketing, visiting and rest are excluded from the 7 minutes. Recheck other months and storm-warning notices.
- Ritsurin Garden and east gate → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Leave through the east gate and retrace your walk to Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Allow time to reach the gate from within the garden and walk about 7 minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Return from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen towards Takamatsu-Chikko, then continue to your accommodation or next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The same Takamatsu accommodation
Choose an open restaurant near the station for lunch and return to the same booked address. If eating at Kawaramachi, recheck your alighting station, segment fare and accommodation return route.
Garden opening/closing times vary by month. Distinguish east- and north-gate departure stations.
Day 3 · Yashimaru
See Seto Inland Sea and city views at Yashimaru. Take JR from Takamatsu to Yashima, then connect to the summit shuttle.
- Takamatsu accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Yashima summit shuttle stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a JR Kotoku Line local train towards Hiketa from Takamatsu and alight at Yashima. Leave the gates for the station-front summit shuttle stop. Compare your date’s JR and shuttle timetables and allow transfer time.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima-Sanjo stop and Yashimaru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus at Yashima-Sanjo. Locate the tourist car park, Yashimaji and number 11 Yashimaru on the official summit map, then follow the path to Yashimaru’s main entrance. Its leaflet marks that entrance separately. Beyond the official 10-minute walk from the tourist car park, allow time after alighting to find your route. See the views, eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibits and food are excluded from stated costs.
Current shuttle fares and timetableOfficial walk from tourist parking to the facilityYashimaru current operationOfficial Yashima summit mapYashimaru shuttle access and main-entrance plan
- Yashimaru → Yashima-Sanjo stop and JR Yashima Station
Return to the summit stop and take a JR Yashima Station-bound shuttle. Late facility hours do not mean a matching last shuttle; choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the same accommodation
Take a Takamatsu-bound local train from JR Yashima, then eat and rest at the same accommodation. Return local-train JPY 560 plus station-start shuttle JPY 680 total JPY 1,240. Limited express travel needs an extra charge.
Yashimaru closes Tuesdays or the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening and evening shuttles are separate; check both the facility calendar and bus notices.
Day 4 · Naoshima and Chichu Art Museum
Cross to Naoshima today. Go to Takamatsu Port’s Miyanoura ferry ticket office.
- Accommodation in Takamatsu → Takamatsu Port ferry and Miyanoura Port
Take a morning ferry to Miyanoura. Tickets go on sale 40 minutes before departure; boarding is first come, first served without reservations. Reach the port with ticketing/queue time. After disembarking, go to Miyanoura’s town-bus stop.
- Miyanoura Port → Tsutsuji-so town-bus stop
Take a Tsutsuji-so-bound town bus from Miyanoura to its terminus. Adults pay JPY 100 per ride when alighting; prepare change. A service intended to wait for the ferry may leave earlier depending on conditions; a full bus means waiting for the next one.
Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding pointsTown bus
- Tsutsuji-so town-bus stop → Free shuttle and Chichu ticket centre
Change at Tsutsuji-so to a free Chichu-bound shuttle. Choose a timetable service allowing transfer time after the town bus. Shuttles do not run on museum closing days; full services cannot take more passengers. Choose museum entry with transfer margin.
- Chichu Art Museum ticket centre → Chichu Art Museum entrance
Follow the footpath from the ticket centre to Chichu. On the official Benesse House-area map, G marks the ticket centre/shuttle stop; the museum is separately southwest of it. The centre is not the entrance. Allow the walk and entry wait to reach your booked slot, including this walk when reserving.
Facility and reservationsOfficial admission calendarOfficial Chichu ticket-centre/museum access map
- Chichu Art Museum → Ticket-centre shuttle stop and Tsutsuji-so
After visiting, walk back to the centre’s shuttle stop and take a free Tsutsuji-so-bound shuttle. Allow the entrance-to-stop walk and wait. Finish viewing around bus connections reaching the port before the return ferry.
- Tsutsuji-so → Miyanoura Port town-bus stop
Return from Tsutsuji-so on a Miyanoura-bound town bus. Weekend/public-holiday afternoons can be too crowded to board; choose earlier than the last connection to your ferry. Boarding the bus does not guarantee ferry boarding.
- Miyanoura Port bus stop → Takamatsu-bound ferry boarding point
At Miyanoura, buy tickets at the Takamatsu-bound ferry office and reach the boarding point. Miyanoura ticket-office hours: 05:30–20:25; ordinary boarding is first come, first served. Check the official route’s last return and operating notices, allowing ticketing/queues.
- Miyanoura ferry boarding point → Takamatsu Port and the same accommodation
Return by ferry and rest/eat at the same accommodation. High-speed boats use different fares, counters and boarding points; a ferry ticket alone cannot be used for them.
Reserve museum entry first and choose a slot with enough time for the return shuttle, town bus and ferry. Do not choose the last boat assuming you will walk from the museum to the port; check both bus connections first. Change the island date for maintenance, sold-out entry or cancelled boats. Exclude this Chichu course during the 12 January–19 March 2027 maintenance closure.
Day 5 · Tamamo Park
Visit Tamamo Park the day after returning from Naoshima. Leave time after the park to reach the station or port.
- Accommodation in Takamatsu → Tamamo Park west gate
Navigate from your accommodation to the west gate near JR Takamatsu/Takamatsu-Chikko. The official 3 minutes is from the JR station, not your accommodation. City guidance places the west gate by these stations and the east gate by parking/the prefectural museum.
Takamatsu City visiting guideCurrent admission and gate hours
- Tamamo Park west gate → Park visit and west gate
Pay JPY 300 adult admission and explore the castle site and moat. October gates: west 06:00–17:30, east 08:30–17:00. Other months differ by gate; closed 29–31 December. Use the west gate you entered to plan your accommodation return. Do not include both sightseeing and lunch before a morning departure.
Takamatsu City visiting guideCurrent admission and gate hours
- Your booked Takamatsu accommodation after visiting → Your booked departure boarding point
For the airport, take the limousine from JR Takamatsu stand 3; adult JPY 1,300 is excluded. Choose a travel-date official service matching flight check-in deadlines. Intercity JR trains leave JR Takamatsu. Do not move an island trip to your return-flight day after an earlier boat cancellation.
Airport limousine use and monthly changesAirport limousine fares and city boarding pointsTakamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points
Check closing times by gate. For early departure, visit the park earlier and go to the station.
Included items: The subtotal includes JPY 500 for Ritsurin, JPY 300 for Tamamo, JPY 500 for return Kotoden trains to Ritsurin-Koen, JPY 1,360 for return ferries between Takamatsu and Miyanoura and JPY 200 for two town-bus rides. It also includes Chichu online adult admission at JPY 2,500 on weekdays or JPY 2,700 on weekends and public holidays, return JR trains between Takamatsu and Yashima at JPY 560 and return summit shuttles at JPY 680.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport transfers, separately used accommodation-to-station/boarding-point transport and extra travel cost more. Garden boats/tea houses, Yashimaru paid exhibits/parking, high-speed-boat fare differences, taxis and other island museums are excluded.
For one adult, with Kotoden starting at Takamatsu-Chikko. Chichu’s weekday/weekend/public-holiday price depends on the museum visiting day, not trip start. Recalculate actual items if omitting the museum or changing transport. One town-bus ride instead of two removes JPY 100; add actual high-speed/taxi fares separately. The amount does not secure museum bookings or boat/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 reservations
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Yashima and Naoshima on the same day?
Use separate days. Yashima needs trains/shuttles; Naoshima needs boats/buses. Combining them reduces visit/return margins. Order dates around Yashimaru closures and Chichu availability and choose museum entry permitting a timely boat return. Prefer no island trip on your return-flight day.
Yashimaru October calendarDate-specific opening calendarOfficial admission calendar
Are ordinary tickets cheaper for the five-day travel?
Yes, for these journeys alone. Adult pass-eligible train totals: Kotohira-night course JPY 2,620; Takamatsu/Naoshima JPY 1,060. All Shikoku adult passes issued from 1 October 2026 cost JPY 12,000 for 3 days or JPY 20,000 for 7. Kotohira-night train rides span days two–five, so one 3-day pass cannot cover all. Recompare actual fares/consecutive dates when adding other-prefecture JR. Boats, island buses, summit shuttles and admission are separate.
All Shikoku Pass revision for issues from 1 October 2026All Shikoku Pass terms effective 1 October 2026Takamatsu-Chikko faresKotohira return faresJR fare table
Official sources and check dates
- Fees and seasonal hours ·
- Official access guide ·
- Current admission and gate hours ·
- Takamatsu City visiting guide ·
- Official shrine hours ·
- Station-to-approach and steps guide ·
- Walking-route precautions ·
- Official walk from tourist parking to the facility ·
- Yashimaru current operation ·
- Current shuttle fares and timetable ·
- Facility and reservations ·
- 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 guide ·
- JR fare table ·
- Yashimaru October calendar ·
- Airport limousine fares and city boarding points ·
- Airport limousine use and monthly changes ·
- All Shikoku Pass revision for issues from 1 October 2026 ·
- All Shikoku Pass terms effective 1 October 2026 ·
- JR Shikoku station/line timetables ·
- Official Yashima summit map ·
- Yashimaru shuttle access and main-entrance plan ·
- Official Chichu ticket-centre/museum access map ·