• Day
• 1

• Western-style Hotel
• Welcome Dinner

Meet your guide and other group members at the hotel in Osaka in the evening. There will be a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

• Day
• 2

•  Shukubo (Temple Lodging)
• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel by train along the scenic Nankai Railway Line to Mount Kōya, a bowl-shaped valley filled with cedars high in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. Mount Kōya is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, founded in the 9th century by the monk Kōbō Daishi, father of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Pilgrims on the Shikoku 88 Temple route traditionally visit Mount Kōya to pray and ask Kōbō Daishi to bless their journey; we will follow the tradition.

We stay in one of the elegant temples and dine on authentic shōjin ryōri Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. We walk through Okunoin Cemetery and see Kōbō Daishi’s mausoleum.

• Day
• 3

• 6 km / 3.7 mi
•  negligible ascent and descent
• Shukubo (Temple Lodging)
• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel by private vehicle this morning to the port Wakayama for the ferry to Tokushima Prefecture, the old Awa province, located in Eastern Shikoku. We will walk through quiet suburban neighbourhoods and visit the first three temples on the pilgrimage route – some of the prettiest on the whole island. The first temple, Ryōzen-ji or Vulture Mountain Temple, was built in the 8th century. Next comes Gokuraku-ji, or Celestial Temple, where Kōbō Daishi completed 37 days of esoteric ritual at the age of 42. The atmospheric Konsen-ji, or Golden Fountain Temple, is home to a blood-red pagoda and bridge. After the walk, we’ll take a private vehicle to our shukubo temple lodging, one of the temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

• Day
• 4

• 11.9 km / 7.4 mi
• 1,230m / 4,035 ft of ascent and 560 m / 1,870 ft of descent
• 5 hours
• Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we will travel by private vehicle to Temple 11 Fujii-dera, Temple of the Wisteria Well, situated at the foot of Mount Shōsan-ji and surrounded by three mountains. We will walk a challenging trail known as henro korogashi through forests and over three peaks, one of the finest walks on the whole pilgrimage. The route takes us to an elevation of 900 metres (almost 3,000 feet), the highest point on the whole of our tour. Completing the three ascents is highly rewarding, and our goal, Shōsan-ji Temple, is a dramatic temple with spectacular valley views. For those preferring a shorter walk, the vehicle will deliver you halfway along the trail to meet the rest of the group.

The accommodation tonight is a small and comfortable Japanese inn nearby serving lovely meals.

• Day
• 5

• 7.1 km / 4.4 mi
• 460 m / 1,510 ft of ascent and 470 m / 1,540 ft of descent
•  2.5 hours 
•  Onsen Ryokan (Hot Spring Inn)
• Breakfast, Dinner

Our private vehicle journeys this morning brings us to Temple 20, Kakurin-ji, or Crane Forest Temple, on the 550-metre summit of Washigao. The temple’s sandō, or main approach, is surrounded by tall pine and hinoki cypress trees. Under an edict of Emperor Kanmu, Kōbō Daishi founded Kakurin-ji Temple in 799. From here we head up to Temple 21, Tairyū-ji, temple of the Mystical Dragon, close to the mountain peak of the same name at 618 metres. Kōbō Daishi practised ascetic training here at the age of 19 and founded the temple in 793. Our walk ends with a cable car ride offering breathtaking views over a cedar forest and out towards the sea. We continue by vehicle to the central mountains. Tonight’s accommodation is in the wonderful hot spring location of Iya Onsen, deep in a hidden valley.

• Day
• 6

• 4 km / 2.5 mi
• 330 m / 1,320 ft of ascent and 330 m / 1,320 ft of descent
• 1.5 hours
• Onsen Ryokan (Hot Spring Inn)
• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we board our private vehicle to visit the valley’s unique kazurabashi vine bridge stretching 45 metres across the Iya River and suspended 15 metres above the flowing water. It is said the bridge was made by refugees of the Heike Clan hiding in the area after their war defeat. We head to Mount Tsurugi, the second-highest peak in Shikoku with a height of 1,955 metres, or nearly 6,500 feet. The peak is a centre of Shugendō, a Japanese folk religion based on mountain worship. We will take a chairlift to the start of a walk which will bring us to within an hour of the summit. From there, wooden boardwalks will lead us to various viewpoints with panoramic views over the surrounding mountains. We will return to our inn at Iya Onsen in the late afternoon for another soak in the thermal waters and our dinner of delightful local cuisine.

• Day
• 7

• Western-style Hotel
• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we travel to Kōchi City in Kōchi Prefecture, formerly known as Tosa Province, the region of Shikoku most distant from Japan’s mainland. It is the largest of Shikoku’s prefectures but has the smallest population. We will visit Katsurahama Rocks, a unique formation beside the sea, then enjoy lunch at Hirome Market in Kochi’s city centre – a wonderful collection of over 60 shops with outstanding local produce. After lunch, we will visit Temple 31, Chikurin-ji, the Bamboo Forest Temple, with its museum of temple treasures. The garden here was designed by the famous master monk of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism called Musō Soseki and is famous throughout Japan for its beauty. We will stay overnight in a comfortable hotel in Kōchi City.

• Day
• 8

•  Western-style Hotel
• Breakfast

This morning, we visit Kōchi Castle and enjoy some free time to stroll around the well-known Sunday market which has 300 years of history and around 300 outdoor stalls. This amazing lively market stretches for over a kilometre (more than half a mile) from the entrance of Kōchi Castle and offers local products at reasonable prices. We will then travel to Ehime Prefecture, previously known as Iyo Province, and stop en route at the historic and beautiful town of Uchiko, which once flourished as a centre for traditional wax and paper. Our accommodation tonight is a hotel in appealing Matsuyama City, not far from Japan’s oldest hot spring, Dōgo Onsen, said to have 3,000 years of history. We are based here for the next three nights. In the evening your tour guide will be on hand to offer suggestions for restaurants for dinner.

• Day
• 9

• 11.7 km / 7.3 mi
• 650 m / 2,130 ft of ascent and 580 m / 1,900 ft of descent
•  4 hours
•  Western-style Hotel
• Breakfast

Our journey today starts with the journey by private vehicle to the Kumakogen Highlands in central Ehime, near the border of Kōchi Prefecture. We start our hike from Temple 44, Daihō-ji, Great Treasure Temple, a fitting halfway point on the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage. We enjoy a beautiful forest hike to Temple 45, Rock Cavern-Housed Temple, a fascinating location on the mountain with hundreds of jizō statues. The temple was one of the main sites where Kōbō Daishi meditated after founding the temple in 805. A unique feature is the ladder up to a secluded cave where the monk would spend countless hours chanting. The coins attached to the cave wall show Kōbō Daishi’s enduring influence. After the walk, we return by private vehicle to Matsuyama City in the late afternoon.

• Day
• 10

•  Western-style Hotel
• Breakfast

A relaxed day to explore Matsuyama City and Dōgo Onsen by public transport. We will take a short ride on the tram/streetcar and enjoy a pleasant walk up to the iconic Matsuyama Castle on the hilltop which dominates the city. In the afternoon, we will take the tram/streetcar again to visit Temple 51 Ishite-ji, Stone Hand Temple, with its unique legend. There are seven fascinating buildings at the temple and many of the temple treasures are designated important cultural assets. Afterwards, we will visit the atmospheric town of Dōgo, visiting Isaniwa Shrine and strolling through the old-fashioned main shopping arcades. In the late afternoon, we will return to our hotel in Matsuyama City.

• Day
• 11

• 13.5 km / 8.4 mi
•  655 m / 2,150 ft of ascent and 335 m / 1,100 ft of descent
•  4.5 hours
•  Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel by private vehicle to Temple 80, Kokubun-ji in Kagawa Prefecture, also known as the old Sanuki Province. The well-preserved structures at the temple and its building exude age and atmosphere. We ascend to Temple 81, Shiromine-ji, or White Peak Temple, situated at the summit of Mount Shiromine. We will then walk down to Temple 82, Negoro-ji, or Fragrant Root Temple, with its beautiful lanterns tucked away deep inside the heart of the complex. We will then head to Kotohira Onsen by private vehicle, a small town in Kagawa famous for Konpirasan, the large Shinto shrine complex dedicated to sailors and seafaring. Our accommodation tonight is a delightful hot spring inn in the town.

• Day
• 12

•  11 km / 6.8 mi
• 538 m / 1,765 ft of ascent and 252 m / 826 ft of descent
• 3 hours
•  Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn)
• Breakfast, Farewell Dinner

After breakfast, we will set out for our final walk on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage from Temple 87, Nagao-ji, or Long Tail Temple. We head to Temple 88, Ōkubo-ji, or Great Hollow Temple, also known as the Completion of the Vow. A wish made here will be fulfilled! This temple is located on a hidden mountain summit and the walk passes through lovely rural scenery. We will share a great sense of achievement together and then travel by private vehicle back to our accommodation for another soak in the onsen and a delightful kaiseki meal to celebrate our final evening.

• Day
• 13

•  Breakfast

The tour ends today after breakfast. Your guide will be on hand to offer assistance and advice for travelling to the airport if you have homeward flights, or on onward travel in Japan if you are extending your stay.