I cycled the Shimanami Kaido in 2024. Here are my best tips!

Amateur cyclist, I decided to fly to Japan to cycle the famous Shimanami Kaido. And if you love cycling and discovering new places: you should too 🙂 . I started my journey with train from OSAKA, with a bike I rented from Osaka.

WHY THIS POST?

Despite hours of research on the Internet, I struggled to find all the info I needed.

• The English version of the Japanese official websites is known for being far less complete and of way less good quality than the original Japanese language websites.
• Many changes have happened since the Pandemic , and between Reddit, and other blogs, sources and information might be contradictory.
• based on the infos I found, I've made mistakes then you don't have to. here is what I've learned.
• Ps: Please note i am not paid or sponsored by any of the hotel or brand I will mention here.

WHAT THE HECK IS THE SHIMANAMI KAIDO (SK) ?

The Shimanami Kaido (SK) is a famous scenic cycling route that spans two prefectures in Japan: Hiroshima Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture. The route connects the cities of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture, crossing several islands in the Seto Inland Sea. ( thank you ChatGPT ).

In others words (of mine) , you will be cycling at least 70 KM on a specific segregate cycling lane, in Japan countryside, crossing 6 amazing bridges, a marvel of human engineering, and connecting a few islands, for a fantastic scenic ride. I thought it would be overrated, and exaggerated by the internet: IT is not and any hobbyist cyclist should put the SK on his traveling list. IT WAS FABULOUS.

A pretty good source: here

And a good review of the SK and what to do there : here

DO I NEED TO BE A PRO CYCLIST TO CYCLE THE SK ?

Absolutely not. The journey while pretty long ( minimum 70KM ), is pretty accessible, with some climbs (steep), but mostly flat road , with extraordinary scenic views. If you divide the journey into 2 days, I believe everyone can do it and enjoy the experience. However, it will be even more enjoyable if you have a good bike, travel light , and wear cycling gears. Dont forget to fuel yourself and drink lots of water/iso drink. Some people were cycling it with an e-bike. It is still beautiful. I recommend a bit of cycling training prior to your journey, some comfortable cycling short with pads to avoid bum soreness and chaffing, and a good night of sleep before your journey! 🙂

HOW TO REACH THE SHIMANAMI KAIDO?

I will talk about the train and ferry options only here, assuming you will start cycling as soon as you reach the 2 stations i ll mention further. BUS and car options: I cant help , i have not tried/ or searched.

TRAIN : With train, You can reach either Imabari Station in IMABARI or ONOMICHI Station in Onomichi, from any city of Japan, regardless if you stay in the Kansai region or not, the journey might be long. I stayed in Osaka and the journey take 3h30 to Imabari and 1h15 to Onomichi ( One part is done with the Shinkansen, the high speed train, and the other part of the journey with a local train ) . Train quality in japan and punctuality are outstanding. You can buy your ticket from any station and it does not require much reservation.

tips :

• If you are bringing your own bike with you or if you are renting a bike from a reliable center in a major city (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, have excellent bike rental service center, with way better bikes than the one offered at the center of the SK !) , you will need to pack your bike in A RINGKO BAG before embarking in a train, usually by simply disassemble the front tyre. You can buy a Ringko bag at any bicycle shop (widely used in japan ), which costs around 25 USD , or you can get one ( rent )from the place you rent your bike . I

How to pack your bike quickly : Check this excellent article / Video of Fairmean , which bags are very famous. Systems slightly differs depending on brand (Tioga, Fairmean, Ostrich, etc.. ) but the principles are the same.

• If you take the shinkansen, you can usually purchase either a reserved ticket ( reserved seat ) or a non-reserved ticket (slightly cheaper). Once a bike is not considered as an over-sized luggage, I would highly recommend you to rent a reserved seat with the extra space behind the seat to store your bike. Aside japanese holidays (golden week,etc..), these can be easily done the day before your trip. The machines are major station works perfectly and are in English. But you can also just go to the SHINKANSEN/JR Ticket counter of any station and they will happily help you purchase your ticket .
• Avoid disassembling your bike tire just at front of the guichet ticket. These are usually very busy areas , with people rushing to purchase/take their train. Do it few meters away from the entry of the station, and enter the station with your bike already in your Ringko bag .

FERRY There is a ferry option too, which take 10hours from OSAKA for instance, called the ORANGE FERRY , it is cheaper, provide a room to sleep,and allows you bring your bike in without having to dismantle the bike or use Ringko bag. Garreth , owner of ROAD BIKE JAPAN RENTAL, has made an excellent article about this:
Advantge of the ferry : – No need to dissassemble the bike ( does it bother anyone to remove the front tyre?)

• You can arrive rested for your ride , since you can sleep all the way long ( but with an extra 25 KM to cycle form Imabari port to Imabary starting point of the SK ) – If you are scared of train / train-ophobic ? haha. Departure from OSAKA port to Imabari Port : 10 PM Departure from Imabari Port to Osaka : 10 PM

I would personally choose the train : faster, reliable and easy ! Worth the 5 min to dissamble front tire and put the bike in Ringko bag.

SHOULD YOU STAY ONE DAY OR TWO DAYS OR MORE TO CYCLE THE SK?

• ONE DAY : You can totally arrive the morning, get on your bike, cycle the 70 km of the SK and leave the same day back to your city . IT is doable . And it will be my choice during my next visit . This option IS NOT recommended for non-regular cyclists. There are some climbs, and the weather can make really challenging. But if you are a regular cyclist ( cycle few times a week ) or used to long distance, this should not be a problem for you. However, while you will enjoy the beautiful scenic ride, you will actually be rushing for 4 to 6 hours, with some pit stops, missing the fun of really enjoying the SK and what the different island have to offers. I would do that for a second visit for instance. So NOT RECOMMENDED for first timer cycling the SK, and doable for any regular cyclist without much challenge.
• TWO DAYS : Seem to be the most recommended choice 35-40km/day, a stop at one of the hostel or or cycling friendly hotel like WAKKA on Omishima Island usually (half point of the SK) , and continue the ride to your destination the day after ( 35-40km) . This will really allow you to enjoy what the SK has to offer, fantastic ride, chill pit stop with scenic view, visiting some of the well-indicated attractions of each island if you are curious ( i was not much ), or simply enjoying a good sunset and a night of sleep far away from bustling noisy japanese cities, in the nature.
• MORE THAN TWO DAYS Not necessary, but some people really can add up to 100km on their journey by cycling around each island and stopping at each spot of interest of the map (available on the road). You can really take it easy if you want.

tips : I would recommend a 2 days 1 night cycling trip, especially for first timers.

WHERE TO STAY IF I WANT TO SPEND A NIGHT ON THE SK ?

Worry not, you will find many hostel and cycling-friendly hotel. I found them surprisingly pricy ( they know, we cyclist can spend money on our bikes, they assume we will spend money while…biking ? haha) . Some offers luxury glamping, some offers shared space dormitory, some rooms or even ryokan ! (japanese traditional house stay) . It is really up to you and your budget. They are option on each of the 5 islands but usually people stop at the mid point , on Omishima Island. Last but not least, most of the place are cycling friendly, some hotel even provide garage, fixing station with material to fix any issue on your bicycle etc…

Tips:

1. Beds are limited , often fully booked if you do last minute decision, I highly recommend you to book your stay in advance ! The sooner the better (and the cheaper!).

• 2) Be sure your hotel is on Omishima Island (mid point of the SK)
• 3) During Checkin , ask your hotel to book a dinner for you at a nearby restaurant, google-timetable for these restaurants on islands are non-reliable. And many places close early (If no customer).
• 4) I stayed at WAKKA and it was great. : they have dormitories(capsule), luxury " glamping", and rooms . Very cycling friendly with extra services like luggage drop, luggage pick up, bike rental, taxi services, pick up, urgency bike fix service, etc… There are other great options , according to your taste , as usual feel free to compare.

HOW ABOUT MY LUGGAGE :

DO NOT cycle with your backpack on your back. Spare yourself such experience. Here are a few options.

• OPTION 1 : Bikepacking. Leave your luggage at your hotel / or send it to your next hotel and just pack for 48h, very easy if you used to do so, just fill up a frame bag or back tail bag , with whatever you need for 48h. No need more details here if you used to bickpack, you know exactly what to take. Simply,change yourself at the station with your cycling gear, attach your bags on the rented bike/transported bike and RIDE ON ! There are toilet/Multi room function at Imabari cyclist center and at Onomichi station.

Thats s what i did .

tips :

1. these bike-bags (frame bag, tail bag, handlebar bag) can berentedt at many bike centers in major cities ( check Road Bike Rental Japan Osaka /Kyoto)
2. Travel light, you will find all the food and drink you need on the SK ( many vendor machine, shops, etc…)
3. Check in advance if your booked hotel for the night in Omishima provides pijama, hygiene products, etc.. they usually do, and therefore no need to take those!
4. I did that, coming from Osaka with my rented bike, with the train. all good. light and ready to ride. You can change your gears at IMABARI CYCLING STATION ( at the exist of IMABARI STATION ) or at ONIMISHI

• OPTION 2: SEND YOUR LUGGAGE: If you have no choice but to travelg with your big luggag , note that you can send your luggage from Onimichi or Imabari to your hotel (before starting the ride) with either a taxi service / Pick service as the one provided by WAKKA Hotel ( extra charge of course) or with same-day delivery service for luggage is available through Sagawa Express between selected hotels in Imabari and Onomichi. I have not tried this last option but it exist and japanese people use it often.
• OPTION 3: LOCKER SYSTEM : Onomichi has a locker system where you can keep you luggage. This option is ideal if you intend to start your journey on the SK from Onomichi station and then , once reach Imabari (the end of SK in your case ), take the bus back or taxi back to Onomichi ( if you drop your rented bike in Imabari or some taxi can take your bike too, check with your hotel)

WHICH BIKE SHOULD I GET?

This is a tricky question. Many bikes are offered by the Cyclist centers at Onomishi , at the exit of Imabari station, but also at many places along the SK (Cycling rental spot, hotels,etc..). From mamachari ( city bike with a basket and 3 gears ha ha ha ) to ebike, , passing by some road bike, there are many options.

In all cases, plan ahead +

• Since I was arriving a Tuesday ! (PUBLIC HOLLIDAY that day + usual day off on the islands! ), and since I don't like bad surprise on the bike, I decided to RENT A good quality road BIKE from a reputable shop in OSAKA, and take it with me on the train. Not only it was a bit cheaper but also it was an excellent carbon road bike, which allowed me to smoothly fly during my journey on the SK without any mechanical issue. It was a bit more troublesome though to bring the bike From Osaka directly. Most people rent a bike on the SK. I Got mine from Road Bike Japan OSAKA. The bike is serviced, you can do test ride and changed if needed and the owner will help you with any adjustment you need ( extra bag, light, etc…
• IF YOU WANT TO RENT A BIKE at the SK : check this website : and be sure to book in advance ! best bike often fully booked, especially before holidays or this one : which offers better road bikes. Rember PLAN AHEAD! to not end up on a mamachari bike. You will suffer for 70km. Renting a bike from any center on the SK offers multi point of drop off. So you could start somewhere, drop the bike at your arrival and the bus or taxi to your train station. More info on the the cyclonoie website. Do not expect fully serviced bike or lots of flexibility in your order. Once you have chosen your size,booked and paid : you cant cancel.

the later is the option the more often used by people visiting the SK. I would highly recommend, if you can, to rent a bike from a reputable bike shop in your departure city, where you could test the bike and adjust if necessary. You don't need a full nice carbon racing bike (even if its…actually always very nice if you can haha), you want to enjoy this journey: a good comfortable alu road bike will largely do.

• A HOTEL BIKE : Check with your hotel of the SK (the one for the night) if they can provide and drop you the bike at your arrival station(assuming you arrived by train) . Many hotel on the SK offers this service ( Wakka ,etc.. )

TIPS :

In the future, I would most probably rent one of the SPECIALIZED carbon bike from WAKKA and ask them to drop it my arrival station. I am ok to pay the extra premium to travel light . As a second option, I would rather re-use the bike i rent from Osaka and bring it with me in the train if no bike available by my hotel.

SHOULD I START My ride AT IMABARI OR ONIMICHI ?

• Most people start the ride at Onimich station ( take the few min ferry to the SK start ) and cycle toward Imabari , then take the bus back ( 1h15 ) to Onomich (the 2nd day) before taking the train back to their city.
• I did the opposite. I started from Imabari station, cycled the 7 KM to the start of the SK, and start my cycling from there (Imabari) to Onomich ( the day after, after a night stop at Omishima Island) .
  • Why ? The steepest climb are on Imabari side, i rather start by that.
  • The train from Osaka to Imabari is 3h30 and from Onomich to Osaka is 1h15, I rather finish faster and arrive fast at home at Osaka after cycling.
  • Since I had my own bike and couldn't drop off the bike I rent from Osaka, I was trying to avoid taking the bus, back from Imabri to Onomichi as many people do ( but without bike !) , I was not sure IF i could take my bike in the bus + it was a public holiday + it was a Tuesday ( day off on the island not sure about bus schedule ). So I preferred focusing on the train option, always reliable in Japan.

But basically, there isn't much difference, it depends just on your plan. I discovered later I could use taxi services which could have take me + my bike from any point a to b.

Tips :

• If you travel by train, do ONOMICHI to IMABARI. And once you finish your journey either drop off your bike at a drop-off spot in Imabari and take the taxi or bus back to Onomishi stations, or just take a taxi for you AND your bike (if its your bike or you rented it from a shop in Osaka or else) to Onomichi Stations.
• at ONOMISHI STATION, you might be surprised that the SK does not start from there but you need to take a 5 min ferry with your bike ( 110 yen ) to the start to the SK payable in CASH ONLY! ( i had to cycle 3 km to the nearest ATM to withdraw some cash to pay the ridiculous small amount for the ferry since i had no cash on me. )
• if you start from IMABARI STATION , there is a short 7km ride ( and one climb haha) before reaching the SK starting point

CAN I BE LOST ON THE SK ? IS IT SAFE ?

It is extremely safe to cycle the SK. Not only that the lane are segregated on the bridges ( so you are physically separated from the cars ) but also there is a BLUE-painted line which tells you exactly where to go. Just follow the blue line! Simply be careful of the direction your are cycling too ( to Onomichi or to Imabari), it is clearly indicated on the floor and on sign boards. Really, you don't even need your cycling comp or google map.

On some part you will be sharing the road with the cars but islands inhabitants are so used to cyclists that they adapt their driving to them. Also remember there many vending machines ( for drinks ) to avoid dehydration. BUT YOU need to have some cash on you for these machines. You can use your cards in the shopsOnomichi Island and convenient stores.

Tips :

• FOLLOW THE BLUE LINE
• be sure to have a bit of cash in coins with you for the vending machines and to pay the ferry from Onomichi Island to the start of the SK. ( or from the end of SK to onomichi island ).

Voila, I hope this post will make the journey of any future cyclist on the Shimanami Kaido easier and smoother. Feel free to ask me anything if something is not clear of if you have questions, I will be very happy to help!

Ride on , guys!

A big ola to Garreth, Yokko, Matsuri, Ergen, and all the fantastic people I met in this journey on the SK!