Tokushima in 4 days and 3 nights: keep one base or spend two nights in Iya?
Keep the same Tokushima accommodation for separate Naruto and Wakimachi days. For more time in the valley and boat, compare one Tokushima night then two in Iya. The Iya course uses a hire car, returning it in Tokushima after the final-day bridge. Move the bridge earlier or omit it for early departures.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
A — Eastern sights and old streets without changing accommodation
For both whirlpools and old houses, spend three nights in Tokushima and give Naruto and Wakimachi a day each. Naruto uses buses; Wakimachi uses a hire car. Visit Bizan on the final day.
A — Eastern sights and old streets without changing accommodation →3 nights, 4 daysB — One night in Tokushima, two in Iya
For a gorge boat trip and vine bridge, spend one night in Tokushima followed by two in Iya. Move west via Wakimachi and visit the boat and bridge on separate days. Return the hire car in Tokushima on the final day.
B — One night in Tokushima, two in Iya →A — Eastern sights and old streets without changing accommodation
For both whirlpools and old houses, spend three nights in Tokushima and give Naruto and Wakimachi a day each. Naruto uses buses; Wakimachi uses a hire car. Visit Bizan on the final day.
Day 1 · Performance, then your accommodation
Spend three nights near Tokushima Station: performance first, Naruto Strait second, Wakimachi streets third and Bizan last. Use buses to Naruto and hire a car only for Wakimachi. Check collection/return offices and hours when booking.
- JR Tokushima Station → Your booked Tokushima accommodation
Travel from Tokushima Station to your booked accommodation.
- Accommodation in Tokushima → Awa Odori Kaikan entrance
Walk to Awa Odori Kaikan. The performance hall is on the second floor of the same building.
- Awa Odori Kaikan entrance → Second-floor performance hall
Watch one second-floor daytime show at 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 or 16:00: 40 minutes, JPY 1,300 per adult. For late arrival, consider the 20:00 evening show at JPY 1,600. Regular shows are unavailable on Kaikan closing days and 11–15 August. If arrival fits no session, move the performance to another day.
Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Awa Odori Kaikan → Dinner near the station/Kaikan and the same accommodation
After the show, choose an open restaurant near the Kaikan or station, then return to the same accommodation. If choosing the evening show, check last food-order times too.
Day 2 · Bus to Naruto Park
Look down over the Naruto Strait from Uzu-no-Michi’s walkway. Take return buses to Naruto Park timed around the tidal currents.
- Tokushima accommodation and station-front stand 16 → Naruto Park bus stop
Take a Naruto Park-bound bus from stand 16 in front of Tokushima Station. Adult fare: JPY 870 one way or JPY 1,740 return. Choose both buses around your date’s tidal-current table and Uzu-no-Michi’s last admission. Allow extra time to walk from your accommodation and wait for the bus.
- Naruto Park bus stop → Uzu-no-Michi entrance and strait walkway
Walk about 5 minutes from the stop 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 tidal-current table. Last admission is 16:30 in October–February and 17:30 in March–September.
Directions to the entranceCheck fees and closuresCurrent table for your visiting date
- Uzu-no-Michi and Naruto Park stop → Tokushima Station and the same accommodation
After visiting, take a Tokushima Station-bound bus from Naruto Park and return to the same accommodation. 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 fees and closures
Day 3 · Wakimachi’s old streets
Walk Wakimachi’s streets past old houses with udatsu firebreaks. Visiting inside the Yoshida residence is a separate choice.
- Accommodation in Tokushima → Wakimachi Udatsu streets
Navigate to Airando Udatsu’s passenger-car park in Wakimachi. The prefectural guide’s 1 hour 5 minutes by car from Tokushima City is general road time, excluding accommodation-to-office access, collection formalities and parking. After parking, walk towards the linked Yoshida residence into the old streets. Eat or rest at an open shop, then return to the same car park. The optional residence interior costs JPY 510 per adult, last admission 16:30. Airando Udatsu opens 09:00–17:30 and closes 27 December–1 January; individual shops have their own hours.
Airando Udatsu location and operationYoshida residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking
- Wakimachi Udatsu streets → Accommodation in Tokushima
Walk back to the car park and drive to the Tokushima return office. Refuel, return by your booked time and go to your accommodation. The car park has 39 spaces but may be full. Hire, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking cost extra. Shorten the walk if return time is tight. Without a car, choose the Naruto bus course.
Airando Udatsu location and operationYoshida residence fees and hoursDistinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking
Day 4 · Bizan before departure
Walk from your station-area accommodation to Awa Odori Kaikan, then go to the fifth-floor ropeway base station. See the views from Bizan and return on the same ropeway.
- Awa Odori Kaikan fifth-floor base station → Bizan summit station
Buy a return ticket at the fifth-floor Bizan Ropeway base station in the Kaikan and travel to the summit. Adult return fare: JPY 1,500; ride about 6 minutes; normally operating from 09:00. Allow extra time for tickets, queues and summit walks. Recheck seasonal closing times and maintenance/bad-weather suspensions for your date.
Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Bizan summit station → Base station
After seeing the views, descend on the same ropeway.
- Base station and Tokushima accommodation → Your actual departure boarding point
Beyond the 6-minute ropeway ride, allow time to reach your accommodation and departure boarding point. Shorten the Bizan visit for an early departure.
Included items: The subtotal includes the JPY 1,300 daytime show, JPY 510 for Uzu-no-Michi, JPY 1,500 for Bizan and JPY 1,740 for return buses to Naruto.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport/onward-city travel, accommodation↔boarding-point access and luggage storage cost extra. Hire, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking are excluded. Optional Yoshida residence interior adds JPY 510.
Evening show adds JPY 300; omitting Bizan removes JPY 1,500. Optional Yoshida residence interior adds JPY 510. Hire and Wakimachi parking cost extra.
Official fare tableKaikan performance/ropeway fares and servicesCheck fees and closuresFares and paymentYoshida residence fees and hoursParking fees and use
B — One night in Tokushima, two in Iya
For a gorge boat trip and vine bridge, spend one night in Tokushima followed by two in Iya. Move west via Wakimachi and visit the boat and bridge on separate days. Return the hire car in Tokushima on the final day.
Day 1 · Performance in Tokushima city
Spend the first night near Tokushima Station and the next two at the same Oboke/Iya accommodation. Collect a car in Tokushima on day two and return to the same office on day four. After choosing accommodation, check driving time and leave early enough for check-in and dinner deadlines. On the final day, allow time to catch your departure after returning the car.
- JR Tokushima Station → Your booked Tokushima accommodation
Travel from Tokushima Station to your booked accommodation.
- Accommodation in Tokushima → Awa Odori Kaikan entrance
Walk to Awa Odori Kaikan. The performance hall is on the second floor of the same building.
- Awa Odori Kaikan entrance → Second-floor performance hall
Watch one second-floor daytime show: 11:00, 14:00, 15:00 or 16:00, JPY 1,300 per adult. For late arrival, compare the 20:00 evening show at JPY 1,600. Ordinary sessions are unavailable on closing days and 11–15 August. Exclude paid performances on dates when no show is available.
Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and servicesOfficial fare table
- Awa Odori Kaikan → Dinner near the station/Kaikan and the same accommodation
After the show, choose an open restaurant near the Kaikan or station, then return to the same accommodation. If choosing the evening show, check last food-order times too.
Day 2 · Via Wakimachi’s old streets to your Iya accommodation
Explore Wakimachi’s old houses and lanes before travelling to your Oboke/Iya accommodation. Carry valuables during the walk.
Navigate first to Airando Udatsu and then to your accommodation’s address. Check the full drive from the collection office via Wakimachi, leaving enough time for check-in and dinner deadlines. If running late, skip Wakimachi and drive straight to your accommodation. For an early day-four departure, compare whether the bridge can move to day three.
- Tokushima accommodation and booked hire-car collection office → Airando Udatsu car park
After collecting the car, navigate to Airando Udatsu car park. Official guidance gives about 7 minutes from Wakimachi IC, not the entire journey from your Tokushima collection office. The facility opens 09:00–17:30 and closes 27 December–1 January. After parking, walk towards the Yoshida residence into the old streets. Its 39 passenger-car spaces indicate capacity, not guaranteed availability. Confirm parking fees with the facility.
Airando Udatsu location and operationDistinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking
- Airando Udatsu and Yoshida residence area → Udatsu streets and the same car park
Explore old buildings and lanes, then return to your car park. The default plan excludes the Yoshida residence interior. To add it, check JPY 510 adult admission and the 16:30 last entry, then confirm that you can still reach your western accommodation’s check-in/dinner deadline.
Airando Udatsu location and operationYoshida residence fees and hours
- Airando Udatsu car park → Your booked Oboke/Iya accommodation
After the walk, return to the car park and drive west. Enter your booked accommodation’s actual address in navigation and arrive before check-in/dinner deadlines.
Airando Udatsu location and operationDistinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking
Day 3 · Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat
For lunch at the facility after disembarking, check restaurant hours. Then drive the same car back to your Iya accommodation for a second night.
- Western accommodation → Obokekyo Mannaka car park and ground-floor reception
The facility has parking; confirm fees and availability with the operator. After parking, buy a boat ticket and complete the passenger register at the building’s ground-floor reception. Individuals need no reservation.
Tourism-association parking and accessBoat operator’s fares and boarding guide
- Ground-floor reception and landing stage → Boat and original landing stage
Follow the building’s signs down to the landing stage. Open 09:00–17:00, last departure 16:30. Adult fare: JPY 1,800; return to the same landing stage after about 30 minutes. Allow extra time for tickets and waits. Strong winds or high water may cancel sailings; check that day’s operating notice.
Boat operator’s fares and boarding guide2026 fare-change notice
- Original landing stage and Mannaka car park → The same western accommodation
After disembarking, return to your car park and drive back to the same western accommodation. Check restaurant hours if eating at the facility. Use your booked address to check the route back.
Boat operator’s fares and boarding guideTourism-association parking and access
Day 4 · Via Kazurabashi to Tokushima
Cross Kazurabashi, then return to Tokushima, return the car and depart. Allow time after refuelling/return to reach your station or airport-bus boarding point. For a morning departure, move the bridge to an earlier day or omit it.
- Western accommodation → Yumebutai car park and Iya Kazurabashi entrance
Ordinary-car parking costs JPY 500 per vehicle, separate from bridge admission; reservations are not accepted. Walk through Yumebutai towards Iya Kazurabashi after parking. Check the car-park-to-bridge walk and drive from your accommodation separately.
- Iya Kazurabashi entrance → Bridge and Yumebutai car park
Buy a ticket and cross the bridge. Admission for junior-high pupils and older: JPY 550 each. Open April–June 08:00–18:00, July–August 07:30–18:30, September–March 08:00–17:00; bad weather may alter operations. Return to your car park afterwards.
- Yumebutai car park → Tokushima car-return office and actual departure boarding point
After visiting, return to Yumebutai car park and drive to your contracted Tokushima return office. Refuel and return the car, then travel to your departure station or airport-bus point. Exclude the final-day bridge for a morning departure.
You need enough time after the bridge to drive to Tokushima and return the car. Do not confirm this final-day visit before choosing accommodation, road time, return office and departure service.
Included items: The subtotal includes the JPY 1,300 daytime show, JPY 1,800 Oboke boat ride and JPY 550 Kazurabashi crossing.
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport/onward-city travel, accommodation↔boarding-point access and luggage storage cost extra. Hire, insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and parking are excluded. Yumebutai parking is separately JPY 500 per vehicle. Day-two Wakimachi parking and additional driving costs are also excluded; optional Yoshida residence interior adds JPY 510 per adult.
Yumebutai parking is separately JPY 500 per vehicle. Wakimachi includes only the street walk; optional Yoshida residence interior adds JPY 510. Evening show adds JPY 300.
Official fare tableFees and seasonal hoursBoat operator’s fares and boarding guideYoshida residence fees and hoursParking fees and use
Before departure, on-the-day checks and FAQs
Can I reach Iya without a hire car?
From Tokushima, use JR Shikoku’s time/fare search with Tokushima as departure and Oboke as arrival, checking date-specific trains and transfers. Continue from Oboke by bus or taxi. Do not replace only some driving steps with buses. Choose both Oboke Station→Kazurabashi Yumebutai and return services from operator timetables. A Tokushima return also needs the onward JR connection. For an Iya stay, plan stop-to-accommodation transfers or walking routes too.
Fees and seasonal hoursOperator’s current guideTimetable revised 1 October 2026JR Shikoku time and fare search
Do show, boat and bridge costs include the vehicle?
Course 3-night B’s JPY 3,650 includes daytime show JPY 1,300, boat JPY 1,800 and Kazurabashi JPY 550. The adult boat fare rose to JPY 1,800 in September 2026. Vehicle, parking, accommodation and meals cost extra; Yumebutai parking JPY 500 is per vehicle.
Official fare tableBoat operator’s fares and boarding guide2026 fare-change noticeFees and seasonal hoursParking fees and use
Official sources and check dates
- Kaikan performance/ropeway fares and services ·
- Check fees and closures ·
- Directions to the entrance ·
- Current table for your visiting date ·
- Fees and seasonal hours ·
- Parking fees and use ·
- Boat operator’s fares and boarding guide ·
- 2026 fare-change notice ·
- Airando Udatsu location and operation ·
- Yoshida residence fees and hours ·
- Distinguish passenger-car and tourist-coach parking ·
- Operator’s current guide ·
- Timetable revised 1 October 2026 ·
- October weekday timetable ·
- Holiday timetable ·
- Fares and payment ·
- Tourism-association parking and access ·
- Official fare table ·
- JR Shikoku time and fare search ·