With two nights, should you visit Kotohira or Yashima?
Choose Kotohira if you want to visit the main shrine and walk the shopping street on day two. Choose Yashimāru for elevated views of the Seto Inland Sea and the city. Kotohira uses Kotoden trains round trip; Yashimāru requires a summit shuttle from JR Yashima Station. Stay two nights in Takamatsu and divide the garden and castle grounds between the other days.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights
Garden Walks and a Kotohira Day Trip
Stay two nights in Takamatsu, with a Kotohira round trip on the middle day, to combine garden walks and a visit to the main shrine.
Garden Walks and a Kotohira Day Trip →3 days, 2 nightsYashima Views and Takamatsu
Stay two nights in Takamatsu and dedicate the middle day to Yashima for hilltop views alongside the garden and castle site.
Yashima Views and Takamatsu →Garden Walks and a Kotohira Day Trip
Stay two nights in Takamatsu, with a Kotohira round trip on the middle day, to combine garden walks and a visit to the main shrine.
Day 1 · Tamamo Park and Takamatsu Port
Plan the park and harbor around your arrival time in Takamatsu. If you cannot reach the park during gate hours, move the visit to another day.
- Takamatsu Accommodation or JR Takamatsu Station → Tamamo Park Entrance
Go to Tamamo Park, about a three-minute walk from JR Takamatsu Station. If you arrive after gate hours, a park visit will not fit today.
Current Admission and Gate-Specific HoursTakamatsu City Visitor Guide
- Tamamo Park → Takamatsu Port and Your Accommodation
Explore the castle site and moat, then walk around the harbor. Have dinner near the station and go to your booked accommodation.
Current Admission and Gate-Specific HoursTakamatsu City Visitor Guide
Closing times vary by gate. Check the hours for the entrance you plan to use.
Day 2 · Kotohiragu Main Shrine
Visit Kotohiragu’s main shrine, walk the shopping street, and return to Takamatsu. Allow time for the climb and descent, meals, and rests.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Kotohira Station
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko and get off at the terminus, Kotoden Kotohira Station. Distinguish it from JR Kotohira Station. Choose outbound and return trains from Kotoden’s official timetable for your date.
Kotohira Line TimetableCurrent Timetable ListStation-to-Approach Walk and Stairs
- Kotoden Kotohira Station → Shrine Approach Entrance
Walk about ten minutes from Kotoden Kotohira Station to Omotesando. This excludes the stair climb to the main shrine.
- First Step of the Shrine Approach → Kotohiragu Main Shrine and Approach Shops
The official guide gives about one hour one way to climb the 785 steps from the first step to the main shrine. Allow time for the descent and rests too. After visiting the main shrine, have lunch and a break in the shopping street before returning to the station.
Station-to-Approach Walk and StairsWalking-Route CautionsShrine’s Official Hours
- Kotoden Kotohira Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Take a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train back from Kotoden Kotohira Station. Have dinner in Takamatsu and rest at the same accommodation.
Allow time for the main shrine’s climb, descent, and rests together.
Day 3 · Ritsurin Garden
After yesterday’s Kotohira trip, walk through Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu on the final day and return to Takamatsu-Chikko Station.
- Takamatsu Accommodation → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Go to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, which is separate from JR Takamatsu Station. If staying in Kawaramachi, you can start at nearby Kotoden Kawaramachi Station, but check the fare for that section.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
Take a train toward Kotohira and get off at Ritsurin-Koen. The adult fare is ¥250 one way; the listed cost includes ¥500 round trip from Takamatsu-Chikko. Choose services for your date from the official timetable.
Kotohira Line TimetableCurrent Timetable ListTakamatsu-Chikko Fares
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden East Gate and Garden
The official approximately seven-minute walk starts at Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Go to the East Gate, buy your ticket, and explore the garden. Distinguish this from the North Gate approach from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi Station. Adult admission is ¥500; October hours are 6:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. The seven minutes exclude ticketing, sightseeing, and rests. Check operating notices again for other months or storm warnings.
- Ritsurin Garden and East Gate → Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station
After your visit, exit at the East Gate and retrace your walk to Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. Leave time to reach the East Gate from inside the garden and walk about seven minutes to the station.
- Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station → Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station
Take a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train back from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station. After arriving at Takamatsu-Chikko, continue toward your next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Boarding Point for Your Booked Departure
If you need to stop at your accommodation, add travel time before departure. For the airport, go to JR Takamatsu Station and take a Takamatsu Airport limousine bus from bus stop 3. The adult ¥1,300 fare is excluded from the listed cost. Choose a service from the official airport-bus timetable whose operating date and scheduled arrival fit your flight’s check-in deadline. For another city, board JR trains at JR Takamatsu Station or Kotoden trains at Takamatsu-Chikko.
Airport Limousine Use and Monthly ChangesAirport Limousine Fares and City Stops
Ritsurin Garden’s opening and closing times change by month. Distinguish the stations serving the East and North Gates.
Included Items: Ritsurin Garden ¥500 + Tamamo Park ¥300 + Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen round trip ¥500 + Kotohira round trip ¥1,560. Train fares assume departure from Takamatsu-Chikko.
Additional Costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport transportation, separately used transportation between your accommodation, stations, and boarding points, and additional travel cost extra. Garden boats and tea houses, Kotohiragu’s auxiliary museums, and prayer services are excluded.
These costs are for one adult. Kotoden fares assume departure from Takamatsu-Chikko; check the fare for your section if starting elsewhere.
Fees and Seasonal HoursCurrent Admission and Gate-Specific HoursTakamatsu-Chikko FaresKotohira Return Fares
Yashima Views and Takamatsu
Stay two nights in Takamatsu and dedicate the middle day to Yashima for hilltop views alongside the garden and castle site.
Day 1 · Ritsurin Garden
First check whether your arrival leaves enough time before that day’s garden closing. If you arrive late, move the garden visit to another day and adjust its transportation too.
- Your Booked Takamatsu Accommodation → Takamatsu-Chikko and Ritsurin-Koen Stations
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station and get off at Ritsurin-Koen. Walk toward the East Gate. If a late arrival leaves too little garden time, swap the visit with another day.
- Ritsurin-Koen Station → Ritsurin Garden East Gate
Walk about seven minutes to the East Gate and explore the garden. Allow separate time for buying tickets, sightseeing, and rests. Check your arrival time against that month’s closing time to decide whether you have enough time.
Fees and Seasonal HoursOfficial Access GuideKotohira Line Timetable
- Ritsurin Garden and Ritsurin-Koen Station → Takamatsu Accommodation
From the same station, take a Takamatsu-Chikko-bound train back. You can get off at Kawaramachi for a meal, but recheck the fare for that section. Then return to your Takamatsu accommodation.
Ritsurin Garden’s opening and closing times change by month. Distinguish the stations serving the East and North Gates.
Day 2 · Yashimaru
Go from your Takamatsu accommodation to JR Takamatsu Station.
- Takamatsu Accommodation and JR Takamatsu Station → Shuttle Stop outside JR Yashima Station
Take a JR Kotoku Line local train toward Hiketa from Takamatsu Station and get off at Yashima. Exit the ticket gates and go to the Yashima summit shuttle stop outside the station. Check JR and shuttle timetables together for your date and choose services with enough transfer time.
- Outside JR Yashima Station → Yashima-Sanjo Stop and Yashimaru
Take the summit shuttle to its terminus at Yashima-Sanjo. Find the sightseeing parking lot, Yashima-ji, and number 11, Yashimaru, on the official summit map, then follow the walking path toward Yashimaru’s main entrance. The facility leaflet’s layout identifies the main entrance separately. The official approximately ten-minute walk starts at the sightseeing parking lot; allow time after getting off to check the path and walk. After the viewing space, eat and rest on the summit. Paid exhibits and meals are excluded from the listed cost.
Current Shuttle Fares and TimetableOfficial Walk from Sightseeing Parking to the FacilityCurrent Yashimaru OperationsOfficial Yashima Summit MapYashimaru Shuttle Access and Main Entrance Layout
- Yashimaru → Yashima-Sanjo Stop and JR Yashima Station
Return from the facility to the summit stop and take a shuttle to JR Yashima Station. Even if the facility stays open late, its closing time does not determine the last shuttle departure. Choose your return bus first.
- JR Yashima Station → JR Takamatsu Station and the Same Accommodation
Take a local train toward Takamatsu, have dinner, and rest at the same accommodation. The JR local-train round trip costs ¥560 and the shuttle round trip from JR Yashima Station ¥680, for ¥1,240 in transportation today. A limited express requires an additional charge.
Yashimaru closes Tuesdays, or the following weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening and evening shuttle service are separate; check the official facility calendar and bus notices together.
Day 3 · Tamamo Park
Finish your trip at Tamamo Park the day after Yashima’s views. After visiting, continue to Takamatsu Station or the port.
- Takamatsu Accommodation → Tamamo Park West Gate
From your accommodation’s address, head to the West Gate near JR Takamatsu Station and Takamatsu-Chikko Station. The official approximately three-minute walk starts at JR Takamatsu Station, rather than your accommodation. The city guide distinguishes the West Gate near these stations from the East Gate near the parking lot and prefectural museum.
Takamatsu City Visitor GuideCurrent Admission and Gate-Specific Hours
- Tamamo Park West Gate → Park Visit and West Gate
Pay adult admission of ¥300 and explore the castle site and moat. In October, the West Gate opens 6:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and the East Gate 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Gate hours vary in other months; the park closes December 29–31. For the return to your accommodation, use the West Gate where you entered as your route reference. Do not try to include both sightseeing and lunch before a morning departure.
Takamatsu City Visitor GuideCurrent Admission and Gate-Specific Hours
- Your Booked Takamatsu Accommodation after Sightseeing → Boarding Point for Your Booked Departure
For the airport, take a Takamatsu Airport limousine bus from JR Takamatsu Station bus stop 3. The adult ¥1,300 fare is excluded from the listed cost. Choose a service from the official airport-bus timetable whose operating date and scheduled arrival fit your flight’s check-in deadline. For another city, board JR trains at JR Takamatsu Station or Kotoden trains at Takamatsu-Chikko.
Airport Limousine Use and Monthly ChangesAirport Limousine Fares and City Stops
Check each gate’s closing time. For an early departure, move the park visit to an earlier day and go to the station.
Included Items: Ritsurin Garden ¥500 + Tamamo Park ¥300 + Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen round trip ¥500 + JR Takamatsu–Yashima round trip ¥560 + Yashima Station–summit shuttle round trip ¥680.
Additional Costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, airport transportation, separately used transportation between your accommodation, stations, and boarding points, and additional travel cost extra. Garden boats and tea houses, Yashimaru paid exhibits, and parking are excluded.
These costs are for one adult. Kotoden fares assume departure from Takamatsu-Chikko; check your section’s fare if starting elsewhere. Admission and transportation by day are ¥1,000 for the first day’s garden and Kotoden round trip, ¥1,240 for the second day’s Yashima JR and shuttle round trips, and ¥300 for Tamamo Park on the final day, totaling ¥2,540.
Fees and Seasonal HoursCurrent Admission and Gate-Specific HoursTakamatsu-Chikko FaresJR Fare TableCurrent Shuttle Fares and Timetable
Frequently Asked Questions
If Yashimāru opens late, do buses run late too?
The facility’s evening opening and the shuttle timetable are separate. This itinerary returns from the summit in the afternoon. If you want to stay into the evening, check a separate way back for your visit date.
Current Yashimaru OperationsCurrent Shuttle Fares and Timetable
Official Sources and Verification Dates
- Fees and Seasonal Hours ·
- Official Access Guide ·
- Current Admission and Gate-Specific Hours ·
- Takamatsu City Visitor Guide ·
- Shrine’s Official Hours ·
- Station-to-Approach Walk and Stairs ·
- Walking-Route Cautions ·
- Official Walk from Sightseeing Parking to the Facility ·
- Current Yashimaru Operations ·
- Current Shuttle Fares and Timetable ·
- Current Timetable List ·
- Kotohira Line Timetable ·
- Takamatsu-Chikko Fares ·
- Kotohira Return Fares ·
- JR Fare Table ·
- Airport Limousine Fares and City Stops ·
- Airport Limousine Use and Monthly Changes ·
- JR Shikoku Station and Line Timetables ·
- Official Yashima Summit Map ·
- Yashimaru Shuttle Access and Main Entrance Layout ·