Explore the route we will be taking as we pedal across Kyushu, Chugoku and Shikoku. Starting in Fukuoka, we’ll navigate through some of Japan’s lesser known areas, before ending our ride in front of the spectacular Himeji Castle, the Western gateway to the famous Kansai region
Day 1 – Fukuoka (Hakata Station) to Hita (Hita Station)
71km – From the 2.5 million 6th largest city of Japan, through the plains of Fukuoka prefecture and along the Chikugo River into the Western Oita town of Hita. This leg gets the show on the road and ends in a quaint Onsen town that is well off the beaten track.
Day 2 – Hita (Hita Station) to Beppu (Beppu Station)
74km – From Western Oita through the Kirishima Mountains, the scenic town of Yufuin and into the Seven Hells of Beppu. This mountain stage will push the limits of the human body, but end in relaxation at one of the most famous and largest Onsen towns in all of Japan.
Day 03 – Beppu (Beppu Station) to Kitakyushu (Kokura Station)
107km – The longest stage of the trip, after cutting through the North-Eastern mountains of Oita, it’s back into Fukuoka prefecture and along the coast into the town of Kitakyushu, the gateway to Kyushu. After over 250km in 3 days, a well deserved rest day will follow.
— Rest Day —
Day 04 – Kitakyushu (Kokura Station) to Ube (Kotoshiba Station)
60km – Say goodbye to Kyushu as we cross the Kanmon Straight into Western Honshu, a region better known as Chugoku. The first leg on Japan’s largest island will take us to the industrial city of Ube, overlooking the beautiful Seto Inland Sea.
Day 05 – Ube (Kotoshiba Station) to Hikari (Hikari Station)
88km – Continuing through Yamaguchi prefecture, this leg will traverse forests and follow the valleys of the Yaji river before a final stretch along the southern Chugoku coast into the fishing town of Hikari
Day 06 – Hikari (Hikari Station) to Iwakuni (Iwakuni Station)
85km – Following the scenic Route 188 along the Seto Inland Sea coast, we’ll take two detours, first around the Yanai peninsular and then onto the island of Suooshima. It’s then back onto the main route to finish in the castle town of Iwakuni, our last stop before crossing into Hiroshima prefecture.
Day 07 – Iwakuni (Iwakuni Station) to Kure (Kure Station)
68km – After a ride up the Iwakuni ropeway to the mountain castle, we’ll set off on a coastal route that takes us through the sprawling historic city of Hiroshima and finishes in Japan’s Shipyard town, Kure. A detour to the Island of Itsukushima will show off the beauty of the famous Torii gate, and we’ll also sample the world renowned Hiroshima Okonomiyaki.
Day 08 – Kure (Kure Station) to Onomichi (Onomichi Station)
83km – A full day along the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture, we’ll see stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea as we cut through valleys and plains with an abundance of mountains in the backdrop. Our second rest day will give us some energy before the final mammoth phase begins.
— Rest Day —
Day 09 – Onomichi (Onomichi Station) to Imabari (Imabari Station)
70km – The inspiration for it all: The Shimanami Kaido. Japan’s most unique cycling route, a hop across the islands of Mukaishima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima and Oushima, ending on Japan’s lesser known 4th largest island of Shikoku. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and the slower pace of island lifestyle as we traverse Japan’s most beautiful cycling day out.
Day 10 – Imabari (Imabari Station) to Matsuyama (Dogo Onsen Station)
55km – The shortest leg of the journey and the perfect way for the legs to recover before the final push begins. A gentle ride along the Western coast of Ehime, before cutting through Shikoku’s largest city of Matsuyama and soaking in the waters of Dogo, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan. We’ll be exploring one of Japan’s lesser known regions and showing life off the Golden Route.
Day 11 – Matsuyama (Dogo Onsen Station) to Shikokuchuo (Iyo-Mishima Station)
90km – This tough leg from the historic Dogo Onsen to the Northern Coast of Ehime Prefecture will cross through two mountainous stretches. The first tracks along the Nakayama river, and the second brings with it stunning views over the Seto Inland Sea and the sparsely populated Oshima Island. With even bigger mountains framing this section, the true splendour of Shikoku will be on full view.
Day 12 – Shikokuchuo (Iyo-Mishima Station) to Takamatsu (Takamatsu Station)
80km – Upon leaving Ehime Prefecture, we’ll ride into the fertile fields of Kagawa and dissect our way through some of its largest mountains before reaching the sprawling city of Takamatsu. The most important city in the region, it serves as the gateway to Honshu and has the largest port on Shikoku. A stop at Konpira-San on the way will give us one last elevated view of the island before heading back into the Chugoku region.
Day 13 – Takamatsu (Takamatsu Station) to Okayama (Okayama Korakuen)
38km – Leaving the island of Shikoku behind, we’ll cross the Seto Ohashi Bridge back to Honshu and ride through Japan’s Venice, the city of Kurashiki. After this, we’ll push into Okayama, our last city in the Chugoku region. Our day will be book-ended by visits to two famous gardens: Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, and Korakuen Garden in Okayama.
Day 14 – Okayama (Okayama Korakuen) to Himeji (Himeji Castle)
89km – This is it, the end is in sight. The final stage will take us over the mountains that separate the Chugoku region from the Western Plains of Kansai, into Hyogo, the home of the famous Kobe Beef. We’ll navigate river valleys before climbing the mountains and then making the final push into Himeji. As we pull up to the most famous castle in Japan, we should be able to view the best Sakura scene in the World. At last we’ll be able to rest, and we may even celebrate it all with a Wagyu dinner!
