Cycling Around Shikoku
26 March – 3 April 2026 · 9 Days · ~350 km
Six days of cycling, island-hopping across the Shimanami Kaido and cruising through castle towns / rural fishing villages. A couple days in Takamatsu and Naoshima to cap things off.
Late March to early April is ideal — cherry blossom season means stunning scenery and mild cycling weather (10–18°C). Autumn (late October–November) is the other prime window. Summer is brutally humid; winter is quiet but cold and many rural accommodations close. Golden Week (late April–early May) is best avoided — everything is booked and crowded.
I booked everything less than a month out and was mostly fine, though two months would have been more comfortable. The biggest miss was not booking popular museum tickets at Naoshima in advance — some were sold out by the time I looked. Hotels in Takamatsu were also slim pickings that close to the date. For bike rentals, one month out worked, but booking earlier gives you more pickup/dropoff flexibility.
Flew into Hiroshima (closest airport to Onomichi/Shimanami Kaido start), out of Takamatsu. This avoids backtracking and works well with the west-to-east route.
I booked hotels about three weeks out. Here’s how they shook out:
Booked about a month out through Giant. Two separate rentals:
If you book further in advance, you can likely arrange pickup in Onomichi and dropoff in Imabari as a single rental — saves the ferry and handoff hassle.