Most visitors see Hiroshima as a day trip from Kyoto and turn back. That's a shame, because the rest of western Honshu is one of the quietest and most rewarding parts of Japan. This loop starts in Osaka and heads west along the Seto Inland Sea: Himeji, the canal town of Kurashiki, the hill-and-harbour town of Onomichi, then Hiroshima and Miyajima. Onomichi is the start of the Shimanami Kaido, the cycling route across six islands to Shikoku, which you can ride as a day trip or with a night on the islands.
From Hiroshima the route turns north and works its way back east along the San'in coast on the Sea of Japan: Yamaguchi's torii path to the sea and karst plateau, the castle towns of Hagi and Tsuwano, the Iwami Ginzan silver mine, Izumo's great shrine, Matsue's original castle, a temple built into a cliff, and the onsen towns of Misasa and Kinosaki, before the boathouses of Ine and Amanohashidate bring you back to Osaka.
Train or car? The Seto Inland Sea half is perfect by train. On the San'in side the trains are slow and the hidden gems sit off the line, so the easiest version picks up a rental car in Hiroshima on day 9 and drops it in Kyoto or Osaka on day 16. Each stop below lists both ways. Camper van? The loop can also be adapted to a camper van: the San'in coast has quiet roads, plenty of michi-no-eki roadside stations and onsen in almost every town.
*Accommodation (sharing a room) and transport, middle version. International flights not included.
The route at a glance
Tap or click the map to open it at full size.
Prices are per room for two per night. Ryokan prices include dinner and breakfast. ⭐ = famous / worth it · ⭐⭐ = splurge.
Stop by stop
Osaka 大阪
Nights 1–2 · Start with street food
Plan
- Arrival at Kansai Airport: the Haruka express or the Nankai Rapi:t into the city (~45 min)
- Osaka Castle, then Dotonbori and Shinsekai for takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu
- Kuromon Market, the Umeda Sky Building at sunset
Where to stay
- Cross Hotel Osaka a few steps from Dotonbori¥25–40k
- Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka above Osaka Station, easy for every train¥18–30k
- ⭐⭐ Conrad Osaka on the top floors of a tower in Nakanoshima¥80k+
Kurashiki 倉敷
Night 3 · Japan's finest castle, a great garden & a canal town
Plan
- Day 3: Shinkansen to Himeji (~30 min). Himeji Castle, the white heron, and the Koko-en gardens next door
- On to Okayama (~20 min): Korakuen, one of Japan's three great gardens, facing the black Okayama Castle
- Local train to Kurashiki (~15 min): willow-lined canals, old rice storehouses, the Ohara Museum, and the denim shops of the Bikan quarter at dusk
Where to stay
- ⭐ Ryokan Kurashiki a converted sugar merchant's house right on the canal¥70–100k
- Kurashiki Ivy Square ivy-covered red-brick former cotton mill¥18–30k
- Hotel Nikko Kurashiki simple, next to the station¥15–22k
Onomichi 尾道
Nights 4–5 · Temple hills, cat lanes & the Shimanami Kaido
Plan
- Day 4: train via Fukuyama (~1 h). Stop on the way at Tomonoura (bus from Fukuyama, ~30 min): an Edo-era harbour with a stone lantern lighthouse, said to have inspired Ponyo
- Onomichi: the ropeway up to Senko-ji, then the Temple Walk down through cat-filled lanes and 25 temples; Onomichi ramen with pork-fat broth
- Day 5, Shimanami Kaido (optional): rent a bike at the port and ride the blue line across the bridges. Day trip: Innoshima and Ikuchijima to Setoda (~30 km), lemon sweets and the Kosan-ji temple, then the ferry back to Onomichi (~40 min)
- Overnight: ride the full 70 km across six islands to Imabari on Shikoku over two days, with a night on Ikuchijima or Omishima. Drop the bike at any terminal and take the bus back
Where to stay
- ⭐ Hotel Cycle (Onomichi U2) harbour warehouse turned hotel; take your bike into the room¥30–45k
- ⭐⭐ LOG a 1960s hillside apartment rebuilt as a small design inn¥80k+
- ⭐⭐ Azumi Setoda (Shimanami overnight) a salt merchant's mansion on Ikuchijima, for the night on the islands¥120k+
Hiroshima & Miyajima 広島・宮島
Nights 6–8 · Peace Park, okonomiyaki & a night on the sacred island
Plan
- Day 6: train Onomichi → Hiroshima (~1 h 15). Peace Memorial Park, the museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome; layered okonomiyaki at Okonomimura
- Day 7: Shukkei-en garden and Hiroshima Castle, or a half day at the Mazda museum; a boat down the river to Miyajima in the afternoon
- Night 8 on Miyajima: when the day-trippers leave, the torii is lit up and the deer have the streets. Early next morning, climb Mount Misen or take the ropeway
- Check the tide table: the torii stands in the water at high tide and you can walk to it at low tide
Where to stay
- Hilton Hiroshima new tower close to the Peace Park¥30–50k
- Mitsui Garden Hotel Hiroshima central, good-value high floors¥15–25k
- ⭐ Iwaso (Miyajima) ryokan since 1854 in the Momijidani maple valley¥60–100k
- Miyajima Hotel Makoto small, modern ryokan near the shrine¥40–60k
Nagato & the Yamaguchi coast 長門
Night 9 · A torii path to the sea & a karst plateau
Plan
- On the way west: Kintaikyo in Iwakuni, five wooden arches over the river
- Akiyoshidai, Japan's largest karst plateau, and Akiyoshido, a vast limestone cave you walk through for about a kilometre
- Motonosumi Shrine: 123 red torii winding down a green cliff to the Sea of Japan; try to throw a coin into the offering box on top of the big torii
- Tsunoshima Bridge, 1.8 km over turquoise water, if the light is good
- By car: ~2 h 30 of driving with all stops. By train: Shin-Yamaguchi → bus to Akiyoshidai, then bus and the JR Mine line to Nagato-Yumoto; Motonosumi needs a taxi from Nagatoshi Station
Where to stay
- ⭐⭐ KAI Nagato riverside onsen ryokan in the renewed Nagato-Yumoto town¥80–120k
- ⭐ Otani Sanso big, classic onsen ryokan in the valley¥40–60k
- Nagato-Yumoto ryokans small onsen inns along the river¥30–45k
Hagi & Tsuwano 萩・津和野
Night 10 · Samurai lanes, pottery & carp canals
Plan
- Morning in Hagi: the castle ruins by the sea, white-walled samurai lanes, the school where the Meiji Restoration was born, and Hagi-yaki pottery studios
- Afternoon in Tsuwano, the 'little Kyoto of San'in': carp in the canals of Tonomachi, and the tunnel of about a thousand torii up to Taikodani Inari
- By car: Nagato → Hagi ~1 h, Hagi → Tsuwano ~1 h. By train/bus: Nagato → Hagi by JR, bus Hagi → Tsuwano (~1 h 45). On some weekends the SL Yamaguchi tourist train runs from Shin-Yamaguchi to Tsuwano
Where to stay
- ⭐ Hokumon Yashiki (Hagi) ryokan inside the samurai district¥50–80k
- Hagi Honjin onsen hotel with big baths¥30–45k
- Tsuwano ryokans small family inns in the old town¥25–40k
Izumo & Matsue 出雲・松江
Nights 11–12 · A silver mine, the gods' shrine & an original castle
Plan
- Day 11: Iwami Ginzan on the way (UNESCO): walk or e-bike up to the Ryugenji mine shaft, then the old town of Omori. By train: Tsuwano → Masuda → Odashi (~2 h), then a bus
- Izumo Taisha, one of Japan's oldest and most important shrines (bow twice, clap four times, bow once). Inasa beach and the Hinomisaki lighthouse at sunset; Izumo soba
- Day 12 in Matsue: one of only twelve original castles, a boat round the moat, the samurai houses of Shiomi Nawate, sunset over Lake Shinji
- Stay at Tamatsukuri Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot springs, 20 minutes from Matsue
Where to stay
- ⭐ Minamikan elegant ryokan on the shore of Lake Shinji¥50–80k
- Chorakuen (Tamatsukuri Onsen) ryokan with one of Japan's largest outdoor baths¥35–55k
- Hotel Ichibata lakeside onsen hotel, sunset rooms¥25–40k
Misasa Onsen & Tottori 三朝温泉・鳥取
Night 13 · A garden like a painting & a temple on a cliff
Plan
- Morning: the Adachi Museum of Art, whose garden has been ranked Japan's best for over 20 years in a row; view it through the windows like a living painting
- Optional: the Mount Daisen highlands, or Sakaiminato's Mizuki Shigeru Road with its bronze yokai figures
- Mitokusan: a steep climb over roots and chains to Nageiredo, a temple hall built into a cliff face, a national treasure. You can't climb alone (pairs only), and the path closes in rain and in winter
- Evening in Misasa Onsen, known for its radon springs and the free riverside bath under the bridge
- By train: Matsue → Kurayoshi (~1 h 15), then a bus to Misasa. Adachi has a free shuttle from Yasugi Station; Mitokusan is a short taxi ride from Misasa
Where to stay
- ⭐ Ohashi Ryokan wooden riverside ryokan, a registered cultural property¥50–80k
- Misasa ryokans smaller inns along the river¥30–45k
Kinosaki Onsen 城崎温泉
Night 14 · Sand dunes, then seven baths in a yukata
Plan
- Day 14: the Tottori Sand Dunes and the Sand Museum, then the Uradome coast of islets and coves on the way east
- Kinosaki: walk between the town's seven public baths in yukata and wooden geta; your ryokan gives you a free pass
- Winter (November–March) is Matsuba crab season, and Kinosaki's ryokans serve it every way
- By train: Kurayoshi → Tottori (~30 min), then the San'in line east to Kinosaki-Onsen (~2–2 h 30, change at Hamasaka)
Where to stay
- ⭐⭐ Nishimuraya Honkan Kinosaki's grand old ryokan, with a famous garden¥90k+
- ⭐ Mikuniya smaller, friendly ryokan in the centre¥40–60k
- Kinosaki ryokans dozens of inns along the willow canal¥30–50k
Ine & Amanohashidate 伊根・天橋立
Night 15 · A sandbar across the bay & a village of boathouses
Plan
- Amanohashidate: take the chairlift up to Kasamatsu Park and look at the pine-covered sandbar upside down, between your legs (matanozoki)
- Ine: about 230 funaya, wooden boathouses built right on the water. A short boat tour, then pink rice wine at the small sake brewery
- Sleep in a converted funaya, with the bay at your door
- By train: Kinosaki → Amanohashidate on the Kyoto Tango Railway (~1 h 30), then a bus to Ine (~1 h)
Where to stay
- ⭐ Funaya inns (Ine) a handful of boathouses with one or two rooms each¥35–60k
- Amanohashidate Hotel onsen hotel facing the sandbar¥30–50k
Osaka 大阪
Night 16 · Back to the big city
Plan
- Day 16: by car, about 2 h 30 to Kyoto or Osaka; return the car. By train: the Hashidate limited express to Kyoto (~2 h), then 15–30 min to Osaka
- Last evening in Dotonbori
- Day 17: fly out from Kansai Airport
Where to stay
- Cross Hotel Osaka a few steps from Dotonbori¥25–40k
- Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka above Osaka Station, easy for every train¥18–30k
Budget
Estimates for October at ¥150 ≈ US$1 · ¥165 ≈ €1. Ranges, not promises.
| Version | Accommodation (2 people) | + Transport (per person) | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value: business hotels, simpler ryokans, all by train | ≈ ¥400k | ≈ ¥60k | ≈ ¥260k |
| Middle, by train: ryokans in Kurashiki, Miyajima, Nagato, Misasa, Kinosaki, Ine | ≈ ¥520k | ≈ ¥60k | ≈ ¥320k |
| Middle, with a car from Hiroshima (8 days) | ≈ ¥520k | ≈ ¥75k | ≈ ¥335k |
| + Splurge: KAI Nagato, Azumi Setoda or Nishimuraya | + ¥80–120k | + ¥40–60k |
My recommendation
Take the middle version with the car, about ¥335k per person. It costs only a little more than the train and saves about a day of waiting for buses on the San'in coast.
🚗 The car version: compact car Hiroshima → Kyoto/Osaka for 8 days with full insurance, about ¥70–90k, plus a one-way drop-off fee (ask when you book), fuel and tolls (~¥20–30k).
Not included
- International flights
- Food outside the ryokan dinners
- Shimanami bike rental (~¥2–4k per day; e-bikes more) and bike drop-off fees
- Entrance fees, boats, ropeways
- Golden Week, Obon and autumn weekends: up to +30%
Booking & practical tips
Rail passes
Price the JR West San'yo-San'in Area Pass against single tickets. It covers the Shinkansen to Hiroshima and the San'in limited expresses; check which private lines (like the Kyoto Tango Railway) are included before you buy.
Driving
You need an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention) or, for some countries, an official Japanese translation. San'in roads are quiet and easy; see my rental car guide.
Camper van version
The whole loop works in a camper van: pick one up in Osaka, follow the Inland Sea to Hiroshima, then the San'in coast home. Michi-no-eki roadside stations and onsen towns are everywhere. See my Tohoku camper van trip and the road-trip essentials for how it works.
Shimanami Kaido
Follow the blue line on the road. Rental terminals let you drop the bike at another terminal for a fee. Spring and autumn are ideal; summer is very hot on the bridges.
Seasons
Spring and October–November are best. The Sea of Japan side gets snow and grey skies in winter, but that's crab and onsen season. June is the rainy season.
Book early
Miyajima, Ine and the best Kinosaki ryokans have few rooms. Book them first, about four to six months ahead for autumn.
Frequently asked questions
Train or car on the San'in coast?
Both work. Trains are slow and the hidden gems sit off the line, so a car from Hiroshima saves about a day of waiting for buses. Each stop on this page lists both ways.
Do I need to be fit for the Shimanami Kaido?
No. The bridges have gentle ramps, and e-bikes are available. The day-trip version to Setoda is about 30 km; the full route to Imabari is 70 km and easier over two days.
Can this trip be done in a camper van?
Yes. Pick up a camper in Osaka, follow the Inland Sea to Hiroshima, then the San'in coast home. Quiet roads, michi-no-eki stations and onsen in almost every town make it ideal.
Is Nageiredo safe to climb?
It's a steep scramble over roots and rocks with chains, not a hike for flip-flops. You must go with at least one other person, and the trail closes in rain and winter. Allow about 1.5 hours return.
What's the best time for this loop?
April–May and October–November. Winter brings snow and grey skies to the Sea of Japan side, but also crab season in Kinosaki.
Comments
Questions, tips, your own experience?
Done this route, planning it, or found a great ryokan I missed? Leave a comment below. Please keep it friendly and on topic.
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