Cycling the Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi in One Day
Rent a bike at Onomichi port, cross the Innoshima and Ikuchi bridges island by island to Setoda, lunch on the beach, and ferry back for the temple hill and Onom
Last updated 2026-09-03 · 1-day self-guided plan
Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi
Bridges over the Inland Sea, at a pace you choose
For anyone who can ride 30 km on mostly flat road and wants the first half of Japan's most famous cycling route without a night on the islands.
- 1
Bike rental and the ferry to Mukaishima
Onomichi is on the JR Sanyo Line, and the rental terminals sit beside the ferry pier a few minutes from the station; be there when they open mid-morning, or earlier in summer. Cyclists cannot use the first bridge, so the day starts with a five-minute ferry across the channel to Mukaishima with the bike wheeled aboard. From the far side, follow the blue line painted on the road; it marks the whole route.
45 MinutesCost: ¥2,000–4,000 
2Innoshima Bridge
The road curls around Mukaishima's south shore for about 10 km, past citrus groves and small boatyards, before a gentle ramp spirals up to the Innoshima Bridge. Bikes take the lower deck under the cars, a caged walkway more than a kilometre long with the water far below and fishing boats stitching wakes across the channel. Stop mid-span; it is the first big view of the day.
45 MinutesCost: Free- 3
Setoda and Kosanji
Across Innoshima and over the Ikuchi Bridge, the lemon groves thicken and you roll into Setoda around 13:00. The town's odd centrepiece is Kosanji, a temple a wealthy industrialist built for his mother by copying famous buildings from all over Japan, topped by a hill of white Carrara marble with a view over the strait. The gelato shop by the port makes ices from local lemons and salt.
1 HourCost: ¥1,000–1,500 
4Sunset Beach lunch stop
A few minutes further along the shore road, Sunset Beach is a long curve of sand under pines with a cafe and picnic tables looking across to Omishima and the white cables of the Tatara Bridge. Eat here, swim in summer, and decide: strong riders push on across Tatara toward Imabari, everyone else turns back to Setoda port for the return ferry.
45 MinutesCost: ¥1,000–2,000- 5
Ferry to Onomichi, Senkoji and ramen
Ferries from Setoda to Onomichi take about 40 minutes and carry bikes; there are only a few sailings a day, so pick yours before lunch. Return the bike at the pier, then ride the little ropeway up to Senkoji temple for the view over the rooftops and the channel, and walk down the temple lanes for a bowl of Onomichi ramen, a soy broth with flakes of pork back fat, before the train.
2 HoursCost: ¥1,500–3,000
Day 1 Estimated Cost
- Food¥2,500–4,000
- Transport (bike, ferries, ropeway)¥4,000–7,000
- Admissions¥1,000–1,500
Tips
Reserve a rental bike online in spring and autumn; the good bikes go early and a return by ferry needs a space on board too.
Flat shoes with a stiff sole and padded shorts if you own them; the bridge ramps are long, gentle climbs and the saddles are basic.
Carry water and a lemon cake from Onomichi; between Mukaishima and Setoda the shops are few and often closed at lunch.
The Tatara Bridge from Sunset Beach is the poster shot, and it is sharpest in the morning before the haze builds over the Inland Sea.