Shimanami Kaido, 1Day Relaxed Island Hopping Cycling Tour

The day will start in the beautiful Onomichi, where you meet your guide at JR Onomichi station, have introductions and a debrief on your day ahead. Then you will collect your bikes and head to a ferry port.

After a short ferry trip to Mukaishima, here you will hop on your bikes and join the Shimanami Kaido and a short ride out of town will bring you to the coast, where you will see the beautiful Seto Inland Sea for the first time. Following the coast around, you will soon see the Innoshima Bridge emerge from the horizon—a sweeping span of steel gracefully arcing across the shimmering blue waters below. A striking gateway to the next leg of your journey.

On Innoshima, the second island from Onomichi “breath-in” island life as you cycle past farms and flower fields and rural towns. You'll do a short cycle/walk up Mount Shirataki to see the “700 Buddhas”, then a slow ride to just enjoy rural life before crossing the stunning Ikuchi bridge onto Ikuchijima.

Ikuchijima, the “Art Island” and known as the birthplace of lemons in Japan. Here you ride along the island’s scenic northern coast passing Citrus orchards and fishing villages, we will enjoy an ice cream at “Dolce” (I recommend the Lemon and the Salt!), before arriving at the charming town of Setoda.

Setoda town is your main destination where you'll have your own free time to enjoy at your own pace. The guide will give you information on restaurants, cafes and sightseeing spots as well as the guide's contact in case of emergency. Enjoy a nice lunch, explore fascinatin temples, walk through hidden caves, and visit the “Hill of Hope”, a dazzling marble sculpture garden. If you want to cycle a little more, also included in your tour is an extra 18 km round trip. This is a free option, so check with your legs and meet your guide after lunch if you want to keep pedalling. If you decide to stay in Setoda town, you will have extra 1.5 hours of free time. There are so many more things to do such as walking the old shopping street or soothing your muscles in an onsen(bring spare clothes if you want to change).

If you want to cycle a little more, let's ride to the beautiful Sunset Beach, where you can capture stunning coastal photos. Then through citrus fields, across the Tatara Bridge, the second-longest bridge on the Shimanami Kaido (1,480m), and cross onto Omishima Island.

Finally, we will meet back at the bikes, drop them off and head to the Setoda port to catch the ferry (45 minutes) back to Onomichi. Once there we will walk to JR Onomichi station around 18:00pm. This tour is the perfect mix of adventure, culture, nature, art and relaxation—ideal for adults and riders of all levels, and a truly special and unique way to absorb a quieter side of Japan that you will simply remember forever.