With three nights, should you give Naoshima a full day?
For both a shrine visit and sea views, stay three nights in Takamatsu and visit Kotohira and Yashima on separate days. For art and architecture, choose the itinerary with a full day at Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima. Coordinate outbound and return boats and island buses with your museum reservation, and allow time to walk from the shuttle stop to the entrance.
Choose an itinerary for 4 days, 3 nights
Separate Day Trips to Kotohira and Yashima
Stay three nights in Takamatsu for a main-shrine visit and Seto Inland Sea views, giving Kotohira and Yashima separate days. Kotohira requires a stair climb and descent; Yashima requires a connection to the summit shuttle.
Separate Day Trips to Kotohira and Yashima →4 days, 3 nightsGive Naoshima a Full Day
Stay three nights in Takamatsu and give Naoshima a full day for Monet’s paintings and Tadao Ando’s architecture. Choose your island date around the Chichu Art Museum reservation and boat and bus connections after your visit.
Give Naoshima a Full Day →Separate Day Trips to Kotohira and Yashima
Stay three nights in Takamatsu for a main-shrine visit and Seto Inland Sea views, giving Kotohira and Yashima separate days. Kotohira requires a stair climb and descent; Yashima requires a connection to the summit shuttle.
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 · 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.
- Takamatsu Accommodation and Takamatsu-Chikko Station → Kotoden Kotohira Station
Take a Kotohira-bound train from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station and get off at Kotoden Kotohira. It is a different station from JR Kotohira. Choose outbound and return services from the official timetable for your date.
- 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 → Takamatsu-Chikko Station and Your Accommodation
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 · Yashimaru
Enjoy Seto Inland Sea and city views from Yashimaru. Take a train from JR Takamatsu Station to Yashima Station, then connect to the summit shuttle.
- 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 4 · Tamamo Park
After Kotohira and Yashima, visit Tamamo Park on the final day. Plan your time in the park around your departure.
- 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 + Kotohira round trip ¥1,560 + 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, Kotohiragu’s auxiliary museums and prayer services, Yashimaru paid exhibits, and parking 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 FaresJR Fare TableCurrent Shuttle Fares and Timetable
Give Naoshima a Full Day
Stay three nights in Takamatsu and give Naoshima a full day for Monet’s paintings and Tadao Ando’s architecture. Choose your island date around the Chichu Art Museum reservation and boat and bus connections after your visit.
Day 1 · Takamatsu Port
Explore the harbor and ferry ticket office on the first day, then rest in Takamatsu. You do not cross to the island today.
- Your Booked Takamatsu Accommodation → Miyanoura-Bound Ferry Ticket Office at Takamatsu Port
Check the route from your accommodation to the port and walk there. Official harbor access is about five minutes from JR Takamatsu Station or about three minutes from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station, rather than from your accommodation’s door. Find the ticket office and boarding direction for tomorrow’s Miyanoura ferry. The high-speed boat office is separate, about a three-minute walk from the ferry office.
- Takamatsu Port → Dinner near the Station and the Same Accommodation
After walking around the harbor, return toward the station and choose an open business for dinner. Then go to your booked accommodation. The harbor guide’s walking time to the station excludes meals and travel to your accommodation. Visit Tamamo Park on the final day; do not add a paid visit today.
Find the ticket office and boarding point for tomorrow’s Miyanoura ferry in advance.
Day 2 · Naoshima and Chichu Art Museum
Cross to Naoshima today. Go to the Miyanoura-bound ferry ticket office at Takamatsu Port.
- Takamatsu Accommodation → Ferry from Takamatsu Port to Miyanoura Port
Take a morning Miyanoura-bound ferry from Takamatsu Port. Ferry tickets go on sale 40 minutes before departure; boarding is first come, first served without reservations. Reach the port with time for ticketing and waiting. After disembarking, go to the town-bus stop at Miyanoura Port.
- Miyanoura Port → Tsutsujiso Town-Bus Stop
Take a Tsutsujiso-bound town bus from Miyanoura Port and get off at its terminus, Tsutsujiso. Adult fares are ¥100 per ride, paid when getting off; prepare exact change. A service that waits for boat arrivals may leave early depending on circumstances, and a full bus means waiting for the next service.
Takamatsu–Miyanoura Timetable, Fares, and Boarding PointsTown Bus
- Tsutsujiso Town-Bus Stop → Free Shuttle to Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center
Change at Tsutsujiso to the free shuttle toward Chichu Art Museum. Choose a departure from the official timetable that leaves time after getting off the town bus. The shuttle does not run on museum closing days, and you cannot board when it is full. Choose an admission time with enough transfer margin.
- Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center → Chichu Art Museum Entrance
Follow the walking path from the ticket center toward Chichu Art Museum. On the official map around Benesse House, G marks the ticket center and shuttle stop; the museum is separately marked to the southwest. The ticket center is not the museum entrance. Leave time for walking and entry queues so you can enter at your reserved time. When booking, allow for the walk after getting off the shuttle.
Facility and ReservationsOfficial Ticket CalendarOfficial Chichu Ticket Center and Museum Access Map
- Chichu Art Museum → Ticket Center Shuttle Stop and Tsutsujiso
After visiting, return to the ticket center’s shuttle stop and take the free shuttle to Tsutsujiso. Leave time to walk from the entrance to the stop and wait. Finish your museum visit around a bus connection that gets you to the port before your return ferry.
- Tsutsujiso → Miyanoura Port Town-Bus Stop
Take a Miyanoura Port-bound town bus back from Tsutsujiso. On weekend and public-holiday afternoons, crowding may prevent boarding, so choose a bus earlier than the last connection to your boat. Boarding a bus does not guarantee ferry boarding.
- Miyanoura Port Bus Stop → Takamatsu-Bound Ferry Boarding Point
At Miyanoura Port, buy a ticket at the Takamatsu-bound ferry office and go to the boarding point. The Miyanoura ticket office opens 5:30 a.m.–8:25 p.m.; regular boarding is first come, first served. Check the last return service and operating notices in the official route timetable, allowing time for ticketing and waiting.
- Miyanoura Port Ferry Boarding Point → Takamatsu Port and the Same Accommodation
Return by Takamatsu-bound ferry, then rest at the same accommodation and have dinner. High-speed boats use different fares, ticket offices, and boarding points; a ferry ticket alone does not cover that change.
Reserve museum admission first, choosing a time that leaves room for the return shuttle, town bus, and ferry. Do not select the last boat assuming you can walk from the museum to the port; check shuttle and town-bus connections first. Change the island date for maintenance closures, sold-out tickets, or canceled sailings. Do not choose this Chichu itinerary during its January 12–March 19, 2027 maintenance closure.
Day 3 · Ritsurin Garden
Walk through Ritsurin Garden today. Use the East Gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen 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, continue to your accommodation or next destination.
- Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station → The Same Takamatsu Accommodation
Choose an open restaurant near the station for lunch, then return to the same accommodation at your booked address. If eating in Kawaramachi, check the changed exit station, section fare, and return route to your accommodation.
Ritsurin Garden’s opening and closing times change by month. Distinguish the stations serving the East and North Gates.
Day 4 · Tamamo Park
After Naoshima’s museum and Ritsurin Garden, walk through Tamamo Park by the harbor on the final day. Then 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 + Takamatsu–Miyanoura ferry round trip ¥1,360 + two town-bus rides ¥200 + online adult Chichu admission of ¥2,500 on weekdays or ¥2,700 on weekends and public holidays.
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, high-speed boat fare differences, taxis, and other island museums are excluded.
For one adult, with Kotoden calculated from Takamatsu-Chikko. Weekday, weekend, and public-holiday admission depends on your Chichu visit date, rather than the start of your trip. If you omit the museum or change transportation, recalculate using the items you actually use. Subtract ¥100 if taking the town bus only once; add actual high-speed boat or taxi fares separately. These amounts do not secure museum reservations or boat and bus seats.
Fees and Seasonal HoursCurrent Admission and Gate-Specific HoursTakamatsu-Chikko FaresTakamatsu–Miyanoura Timetable, Fares, and Boarding PointsTown BusFacility and Reservations
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Chichu museum reservation also reserve a boat seat?
Museum admission and boat boarding are separate. Shikoku Kisen boards ordinary passengers first come, first served without reservations, so check service status and available space on the day. If the museum’s online admission tickets are sold out, on-site tickets are not sold either.
Takamatsu–Miyanoura Timetable, Fares, and Boarding PointsFacility and Reservations
What does the ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass cover in the three-night itineraries?
In the Kotohira and Yashima itinerary, eligible Kotoden and ordinary JR trains are covered, but the Yashima summit shuttle is separate. In the Naoshima itinerary, Kotoden travel to and from Ritsurin Garden is eligible; the island boat, town bus, free shuttle, and museum admission are not covered by the rail pass. The free shuttle is free without a pass too; check its nonservice days and capacity separately. Also check the foreign-passport and Temporary Visitor requirements and consecutive travel days.
ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass Revision for Tickets Issued from October 1, 2026ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass Terms Effective October 1, 2026Takamatsu-Chikko FaresKotohira Return FaresJR Fare TableFree Shuttle
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 ·
- Facility and Reservations ·
- Date-Specific Opening Calendar ·
- Town Bus ·
- Free Shuttle ·
- Takamatsu–Miyanoura Timetable, Fares, and Boarding Points ·
- Official Ticket Calendar ·
- 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 ·
- ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass Revision for Tickets Issued from October 1, 2026 ·
- ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass Terms Effective October 1, 2026 ·
- JR Shikoku Station and Line Timetables ·
- Official Yashima Summit Map ·
- Yashimaru Shuttle Access and Main Entrance Layout ·
- Official Chichu Ticket Center and Museum Access Map ·