Kochi in three days: coast or gorge?
Use day 2 MY Yu for museum/Katsurahama, or a hire car for Nikobuchi’s colours. Both visit the castle last. For Nikobuchi by bus, arrange Ino outbound/return services separately.
Choose a 2 nights, 3 days itinerary
A: a day for city, another for coast and museum
Spend two Kochi nights to enjoy exhibits and sea walks on one day. Visit Ryoma museum/Katsurahama on day 2 and castle on the final day; day 1 leaves time for market dining and city walks.
A: a day for city, another for coast and museum →2 nights, 3 daysB: one hire-car day for Nikobuchi
Spend two nights in Kochi, with a day-2 hire-car gorge trip for Nikobuchi’s water colours instead of the coast. Walk the city on day 1 and visit the castle last. Calculate car hire separately from facilities.
B: one hire-car day for Nikobuchi →A: a day for city, another for coast and museum
Spend two Kochi nights to enjoy exhibits and sea walks on one day. Visit Ryoma museum/Katsurahama on day 2 and castle on the final day; day 1 leaves time for market dining and city walks.
Day 1: market meal and arcade walk
Spend two nights: market/arcade on day 1, museum/coast on day 2 and castle on the final day. Check first that departure leaves time after the castle.
- JR Kochi Station → Hirome Market entrance
Tourism-association guidance gives about 15 minutes from JR Kochi to Hirome Market. By tram, alight at Ohashidori and walk about 2–3 minutes. The market’s official map shows direct access from Obiyamachi/Ohashidori.
Official market access and stop walksKochi tourism-association station walk, shared dining and closures
- Hirome Market entrance → Market shops and shared dining seats
Read shop menus/prices, order food and eat at shared tables. Whole-market and individual-shop hours differ. For late arrival, check your chosen shop’s last order; on closure days, choose another open city restaurant.
Official market shops and menusKochi tourism-association station walk, shared dining and closuresMarket hours and closures
- Hirome Market → Obiyamachi shopping street
Walk Obiyamachi shopping street if you want more time outside after eating. Choose the return route from the market’s official access map and your accommodation address.
Day-1 food and accommodation↔market transport are excluded. The castle is on day 3; use today for market dining and the arcade.
Day 2: visit the museum first
Visit Ryoma museum and Katsurahama, then return to Kochi.
- JR Kochi Station → Kochi Tabi Hiroba MY Yu stand
Board MY Yu at Kochi Tabi Hiroba south of JR Kochi. Buy the adult JPY 1,500 Katsurahama one-day pass before boarding and check that day’s stand/operation. Ordinary seats are unreserved; if full, adjust visits/return around the next bus.
Bus and accessibility guideDate-specific boarding-stand changes
- Kochi Station MY Yu stand → Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop
Take a Katsurahama-bound MY Yu and alight at Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae. A morning museum visit makes it easier to divide time before continuing to the coast. Choose an actual departure in the official weekday/holiday timetable.
Bus and accessibility guideApril 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2Date-specific boarding-stand changes
- Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop → Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum
Walk uphill from the stop to the museum and allow about 90 minutes visiting. Adult admission is JPY 500 or 900 depending on the exhibition date. Museum walking, visits and meals are outside bus travel time.
- Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum and Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae stop → Katsurahama Park
Return after visiting to Ryoma-Kinenkan-Mae and take MY Yu towards Katsurahama. Museum and beach do not share an entrance; allow museum-to-stop walking separately. The coastal park is free; swimming is prohibited.
- Katsurahama stop → JR Kochi Station
After the coast, take MY Yu from Katsurahama towards Kochi Station. Distinguish weekday/holiday return services in the official timetable. The final Saturday/Sunday/public-holiday return arrives at the northern terminal rather than the southern stand.
April 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2Bus and accessibility guide
Day 3: castle before departure
Visit the castle’s paid buildings before departure, allowing visits and city travel before your service.
- Kochi-Ekimae tram stop → Kochijo-Mae stop and castle park
Take a tram from Kochi-Ekimae towards Harimayabashi, then change there towards Ino. Alight at Kochijo-Mae and walk to the castle park. For cash transfers, follow the first tram’s transfer-ticket rules at designated stops. From Obiyamachi/Ohashidori, also compare walking directly to the park.
- Kochi Castle park → Keep and Kaitokukan
Climb the park steps and buy a ticket at the keep/Kaitokukan entrance. Paid buildings run 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, JPY 500 for ages 18+. Closed 26 December–1 January. Allow the stop-to-entrance walk and stairs too.
Current fees and closuresKochi Castle ascent, steps and slopes
- Kochi Castle → JR Kochi Station
After visiting, take a tram from Kochijo-Mae towards Harimayabashi and change there towards Kochi-Ekimae for JR Kochi. For more city time, you can also descend on foot towards Obiyamachi/Ohashidori.
Included items: The subtotal includes JPY 500 for the castle, JPY 500 or JPY 900 for the museum, depending on the exhibition, and JPY 1,500 for the MY Yu Katsurahama pass.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport/onward travel, accommodation-to-boarding access, luggage storage, city trams outside the MY Yu day and optional paid facilities cost extra.
The subtotal varies by museum exhibition. Apply MY Yu facility discounts only after checking ticket/date conditions. These figures use normal undiscounted admission.
Current fees and closuresMuseum admission and exhibitionsBus and accessibility guide
B: one hire-car day for Nikobuchi
Spend two nights in Kochi, with a day-2 hire-car gorge trip for Nikobuchi’s water colours instead of the coast. Walk the city on day 1 and visit the castle last. Calculate car hire separately from facilities.
Day 1: market meal and city walk
Spend two Kochi nights and hire a car for Nikobuchi on day 2. Museum/Katsurahama are excluded. If a car is unavailable, plan buses or sightseeing-taxi operation/reservations and return separately.
- JR Kochi Station → Hirome Market entrance
Tourism-association guidance gives about 15 minutes from JR Kochi to Hirome Market. By tram, alight at Ohashidori and walk about 2–3 minutes. The market’s official map shows direct access from Obiyamachi/Ohashidori.
Official market access and stop walksKochi tourism-association station walk, shared dining and closures
- Hirome Market entrance → Market shops and shared dining seats
Read shop menus/prices, order food and eat at shared tables. Whole-market and individual-shop hours differ. For late arrival, check your chosen shop’s last order; on closure days, choose another open city restaurant.
Official market shops and menusKochi tourism-association station walk, shared dining and closuresMarket hours and closures
- Hirome Market → Obiyamachi shopping street
Walk Obiyamachi shopping street if you want more time outside after eating. Choose the return route from the market’s official access map and your accommodation address.
Day-1 food and accommodation↔market transport are excluded. If the final-day castle does not fit, compare its admission deadline/closures with actual arrival at the entrance on day 1. If that also fails, omit the castle while retaining gorge day.
Day 2: hire car to Nikobuchi’s entrance
Allow the day for a vehicle return trip to Nikobuchi.
- Kochi City → Signed Nikobuchi parking spaces
Tourism-council guidance gives about 70 minutes by car from Kochi City to Nikobuchi. Collection, parking and path walking take extra time. Set navigation for Green Park Hodono and follow local Nikobuchi parking signs. Five signed parking areas and temporary spaces when full are described; do not use unsigned roadside spaces. Check actual collection-point time, parking vacancies and fees for your date.
Nikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxisCurrent place, crowding and transport links
- Signed Nikobuchi parking spaces → Gorge and the same parking area
Follow the path down from your parking area. Its first part slopes and later low steps may be difficult in rain or poor surfaces. Do not enter the water or eat/drink in the gorge. Return the same way to your car. The JPY 100 per-person request at the entrance is a voluntary environmental contribution.
Current place, crowding and transport linksJPY 100 contribution guidanceNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
- Nikobuchi parking area → Kochi City
Eat outside the gorge, then drive back to Kochi. Return the booked car at its specified office/deadline with required fuel. If access restrictions prevent the visit, omit it. Changing to buses requires separate Ino outbound/return connections.
Current place, crowding and transport linksJPY 100 contribution guidanceNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
Day 3: Kochi Castle before departure
Visit the castle before leaving, deciding whether it fits your departure time.
- Kochi-Ekimae tram stop → Kochijo-Mae stop and castle park
Take a tram from Kochi-Ekimae towards Harimayabashi, then change there towards Ino. Alight at Kochijo-Mae and walk to the castle park. For cash transfers, follow the first tram’s transfer-ticket rules at designated stops. From Obiyamachi/Ohashidori, also compare walking directly to the park.
- Kochi Castle park → Keep and Kaitokukan
Climb the park steps and buy a ticket at the keep/Kaitokukan entrance. Paid buildings run 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, JPY 500 for ages 18+. Closed 26 December–1 January. Allow the stop-to-entrance walk and stairs too.
Current fees and closuresKochi Castle ascent, steps and slopes
- Kochi Castle → JR Kochi Station
After visiting, take a tram from Kochijo-Mae towards Harimayabashi and change there towards Kochi-Ekimae for JR Kochi. For more city time, you can also descend on foot towards Obiyamachi/Ohashidori.
Included items: The subtotal includes JPY 500 for the castle. Car hire is excluded.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport/onward travel, accommodation-to-boarding access, luggage storage, city trams outside the MY Yu day and optional paid facilities cost extra. Hire car, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking are also separate. Nikobuchi’s JPY 100 is voluntary and excluded from mandatory fees.
JPY 500 counts only castle admission. Add vehicle return-trip costs according to booking conditions; this is not a whole-trip budget.
Before-departure/on-the-day checks and FAQs
Does the Nikobuchi vehicle course’s JPY 500 include car hire?
It covers only castle admission. Hire, insurance, fuel, tolls and parking are extra; Nikobuchi’s JPY 100 voluntary request is not mandatory admission. Without a car, check Ino bus operation/return separately.
Current fees and closuresJPY 100 contribution guidanceNikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Date-specific boarding-stand changes ·
- Current fees and closures ·
- Check tram routes ·
- Market hours and closures ·
- Park operation ·
- Museum admission and exhibitions ·
- Bus and accessibility guide ·
- Nikobuchi driving, parking, paths and sightseeing taxis ·
- Current place, crowding and transport links ·
- JPY 100 contribution guidance ·
- October revised weekday timetable ·
- Weekend/public-holiday timetable ·
- April 2026–March 2027 timetable, page 2 ·
- Tram transfer guide ·
- Check JR operation ·
- Official market access and stop walks ·
- Official market shops and menus ·
- Kochi tourism-association station walk, shared dining and closures ·
- Kochi Castle ascent, steps and slopes ·