AJT Logo

Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail Walking & Hiking Tour: Spring

Fully Escorted icon
Fully Escorted
Local Cuisine icon
Local Cuisine
Guaranteed Departure icon
Handpicked Hotels
Private Transportation
No Options Sold
Guaranteed Departure
SHARE
View
Saved
Tours
View
Saved
Tours
Reserve
Tours
Search
Tours
×

Japan Deluxe Tours

Visit the must see sites of Japan with group sizes ranging from 12 to 35 people.

These tours are great for first time visitors to Japan looking for comfortable accommodation with all entrance fees and most meals included. Our Japan Deluxe Tours are accomodated with professional tour guides, fluent in both Japanese and English, to ensure an educational and valuable visit. Air-conditoned, private coaches are also included, so you can enjoy a comfortable and hassle-free time in Japan. Our tours range from 7 to 21 days, to various regions of Japan.

Deluxe-Plus Small Group Tours

Experience the culture of Japan at a slower pace with groups of 10 to 18 people.
(Smaller group departure available)

These tours combine enrichment, enjoyment, and education with time to truly absorb and appreciate your surroundings. Our Deluxe-Plus small group tours are created to cater to those who are interested in having a deeper understanding of Japan's culture. You will have the opportunity to participate in culturally rich activities and visit destinations only locals may know. Experience luxurious hotels and travel at a leisurely pace when you book a Deluxe-Plus small group tour.

Budget Group Tours

Our Budget Tours are designed for our guests who are on a limited budget.

Explore the must-see sights and enjoy the hassle-free trip to Japan at an affordable price. Our most cost-effective way to see the highlights of Japan while staying in budget-friendly accommodations. If you would like to have a quick stop to sample the must-see sights of Japan, or plan to explore Japan on your own but would like to take a short trip to learn about Japan before your self-guided journeys. These are the tours for you.

Active Small Group Tours

Travel Japan more flexibly in groups of 6 to 13 people using public transportation.

Explore Japan off the beaten path via Japanese public transportation, walking, hiking, cycling and more. Take more time to enjoy local experiences and picturesque landscape. Our Active Small Group Tours combine the best of cultural destinations with off-the-beaten-path via Japanese public transportation, Discover the country of Japan the way the locals do and see Japan from a different angle. A focus on getting away from the crowds and into the real Japan, see the diversity of Japan’s countryside unfold before your eyes.

Group Tour | Active       Tour Code: GTD365303

Shikoku Pilgrimage Trail Walking & Hiking Tour: Spring

13 days 12 nights

|

from USD $5210.00 (Limit to 13 guests)
US dollar Canada dollar Singapore dollar Euro Pond

Single Supplement:

USD $550.00
A small-group guided walking & hiking tour to Sacred Mount Koya & The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail.

Journey to Shikoku, the fourth largest island in Japan and home to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail. This incredibly deep spiritual route has inspired pilgrims for centuries, with very little being known about its origin, the trail also has a mysterious connection with Kobo Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism. Even today, it is not a rare sight to see pilgrims around the island wearing their distinctive attire and white cloaks. The full pilgrimage route encompasses more than a thousand kilom... View More

Journey to Shikoku, the fourth largest island in Japan and home to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail. This incredibly deep spiritual route has inspired pilgrims for centuries, with very little being known about its origin, the trail also has a mysterious connection with Kobo Daishi, founder of Shingon Buddhism. Even today, it is not a rare sight to see pilgrims around the island wearing their distinctive attire and white cloaks. The full pilgrimage route encompasses more than a thousand kilometers around Shikoku and connects 88 Buddhist temples. Pilgrims traditionally would trek the pilgrimage trail on foot over several weeks going from temple to temple. During spring, the weather is comfortable, allowing guests to easily hike the trails. Join All Japan Tours as we take you through Shikoku, exploring the stunning trails and ancient temples.

For this tour, we have selected the absolute best walking trails that pass through charming landscapes and explore the historic route. We will visit all four of Shikoku’s prefectures – Tokushima in the east, Kagawa in the north, Ehime in the west, and Kochi in the south. Each prefecture has its own special character, food, and scenery that we will be able to enjoy. In addition to exploring the pilgrimage trail, our journey will also take us to the isolated Iya Valley located deep in the heart of Shikoku. Our pilgrimage journey begins with a stay on Wakayama’s ‘Mount Koya’, the hilltop temple complex on Honshu established by Kobo Daishi, as well as an important location for enthusiasts of the pilgrimage route. With public transport being rather limited in the rural areas of Shikoku, we will travel primarily by private vehicle. However, we will still be able to enjoy traveling from temple to temple through countryside and forest along the ancient route. Our accommodations throughout the route will be traditional country inns while we enjoy the regional cuisine prepared from local ingredients from the wondrous island. We will also be able to rejuvenate and soak in natural hot springs, as well as enjoy the superb hospitality, known as ‘omotenashi’ in Japanese, of our lovely hosts.

For those looking to explore Japan's ancient culture, history, and religion while exploring the countryside, this tour is a wonderful choice. During spring, you may have the chance to see different flowers, such as cherry blossoms, along the scenic route. You will explore hidden gems and enjoy the stunning scenery as you hike the trails on the 88 Temple Pilgrimage Route, as many pilgrims have done in the past and still do today.

Note: this is an intense rated hiking trip with some steady steep ascents and hikes over 4 hours.

Activity Level: Intense
Our Intense tours generally have dedicated days of trail walking, with some days of over four hours and with some ascent and/or descent.

Who is an Intense tour designed for?
- We recommend our Intense tours for anyone who does regular walking or hiking, and is comfortable walking a full day with some climbing and descending.
- If you do not exercise regularly, please practice walking for three to four hours, about three to six months prior to the tour in order to get the most out of your trip.

Accommodations
This itinerary contains overnight stays at Western Hotels, Ryokans, Minshukus, and Shukubo Temple Lodgings. Ryokans and Minshukus are traditional accommodations, with a more casual hospitality than you will find at a hotel. At both a Ryokan and a Minshuku, you will stay in a simply furnished room and sleep on a futon, which is laid on a tatami mat. A Shukubo is a lodging at a Buddhist temple, and, similar to a Ryokan, rooms are simply laid with futon bedding.
Some Ryokans may have private bathrooms attached to your room, but others only have public bathrooms used by all the guests. At a Minshuku and Shukubo, however, there are only public bathrooms – meaning either a smaller bathroom used one guest at a time, or larger bathrooms separated by gender (male & female), and designed to be used by multiple guests at once.


Destinations

Mt Koya / Tokushima / Iya Valley / Kochi / Matsuyama / Kagawa

Other Japan Tours you may interested

Other Japan Tours you may interested