* An optional additional walk along paved roads to Temple 7 Juraku-ji can extend the day by 3km and around 45 minutes.
Abundant nature, varied temples, one of Japan's most venerable hot-spring towns and delicious traditional cuisine walking on sections of the ancient 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Ehime Prefecture in north-west Shikoku. Start from Kyoto or Osaka, spend 3 nights on Shikoku with 4 days of hiking, and return to Kyoto or Osaka.
Shikoku is Japan's fourth-largest island, home to some of the country's most spectacular and undeveloped scenery. The island is also the setting for an ancient walking trail, the challenging Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage. The trail connects 88 Buddhist temples and the full walk covers more than a thousand kilometres. Pilgrims, known as O-henro, cover the journey over many weeks, staying at Shukubo temples which provide overnight lodging. This tour takes in some of the most beautiful hikes and breathtaking scenery on the trail, as well as emotive temples and overnight stays in both Shukubo and Onsen bath Ryokan which offer delicious traditional Japanese meals, exceptional service and warm hospitality.
We also offer 4-day, 5-day, 8-day and 10-day versions of this trip. And please ask for information about tour extensions to the mountain-top temple town of Mount Koya with its monastery lodgings, or the peaceful, agricultural community of Asuka with charming guesthouse or homestay accommodation.
| Price : |
Adult (age 12+) AUD 1,875 |
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| Duration : | 5 nights 6 Days |
| Tour Start : | Kyoto or Osaka |
| Tour End : | Kyoto or Osaka |
| Walking days : | 5 days (2-8 hours) |
| Departure Date : | Any day (recommended from March until early December) |
| Route : |
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| Includes : |
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| Exclusions : |
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| Download : | PDF Itinerary |
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Day 1
(Meals : Dinner) |
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Tokushima (Temples 1 to 3) Walking distance : 5.8km Elevation gain : Negligible ascent and descent Time required : About 2 hours * An optional additional walk along paved roads to Temple 7 Juraku-ji can extend the day by 3km and around 45 minutes. Hotel : Naruto |
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Day 2
(Meals : Breakfast / Dinner) |
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Tokushima (Temples 11 to 12) Walking distance : 17km Elevation gain : 1,185m ascent and 995m descent Time required : About 6-7 hours * You can reduce the walk to 4-5 hours (10.4km) and avoid the first half of the strenuous ascent up Mt. Shosan-ji. Simply pay locally to extend the taxi ride on the day - no need to decide in advance. Hotel : Tokushima |
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Day 3
(Meals : Breakfast / Dinner) |
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Tokushima (Temple 13 to 17) Walking distance : 11.5km Elevation gain : 335m ascent and 505m descent Time required : About 3.5 hours * The more challenging option begins with the 3.5 hour moderate rural trail and then adds the more urban cultural temple walk of 9.2km along mostly flat paved roads. Hotel : Tokushima |
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Day 4
(Meals : Breakfast) |
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Tokushima (Temples 20 to 21) Walking distance : 11.4km Elevation gain : 900m of ascent and 490m descent Time required : About 5 hours * The walk can be shortened to about 3 hours (8.2km). Simply pay locally to extend the taxi ride on the day - no need to decide in advance. Hotel : Tokushima |
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Day 5
(Meals : Breakfast / Dinner) |
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Kagawa (Temples 82 to 80) Walking distance : 13.5km Elevation gain : 335m of ascent and 655m of descent Time required : About 5 hours * The walk can be shortened by 1.5 hours (5.4km) by omitting the round-trip section to Temple 81 Shiromine-ji. Hotel : Kotohira Spa |
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Day 6
(Meals : Breakfast) |
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Tour ends Hotel : N/A |
Most of our accommodation is Japanese style guest house and they are share bathroom.
※ Example images, actual hotels may vary.
| Day | City | Hotel Name | Hotel Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naruto | Anraku-ji or similar | Shukubo (Pilgrims Lodging) or Ryokan (Travellers Inn) |
| 2 | Tokushima | - | Minshuku (Family-run guesthouse) or Hot-spring Ryokan (Travellers Inn) |
| 3 | Tokushima | - | Hot-spring Ryokan (Travellers Inn) or Hotel |
| 4 | Tokushima | - | Ryokan (Travellers Inn) or Hotel |
| 5 | Kotohira Spa | Kotobuki Ryokan or similar | Ryokan (Travellers Inn) |
| Tour Operator : | Oxalis Holidays Limited |
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| Hotels : | 5 nights Japanese-style Rooms |
| Meal : | 5 Breakfasts, 4 Dinners |
| Participants : | Minimum 1 |
| Single Room Supplement : |
AUD 540 |
| Type and level of walking : | Strenuous - Our Strenuous tours generally have multiple dedicated days of trail walking, with some days of up to six hours or more and significant ascent and/or descent. |
| Walking Season : | Recommended from March until early December |
| Departures : | Any day Accommodations are busy and may charge extra during the following Japanese holiday periods: New Year (29 December to 04 January), Golden Week (29 April - 05 May), and O-bon (09 - 17 August). Please enquire for availability and pricing if your trip falls within those dates. |
| International Flight : | We offer the option of purchasing air inclusive tour packages, or land only tour packages, giving our customers the freedom to source their own flights. However, we are always more than happy to arrange your flights. |
