Depart from Europe on scheduled flights to arrive into Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) the following day.

The Skedaddle team will be waiting to meet you on arrival at Osaka Kansai airport and once everyone has cleared customs, collected luggage and assembled in the arrivals hall, we will make a short transfer by train to Izumisano, a suburb of Osaka near to the airport, where we will be spending our first evening.

Whilst there is no cycling scheduled today, once settled into the hotel, for those who have brought their own bikes, there will be time to assemble them so we can put bike boxes/bags into storage, where they will remain until the end of the tour. Later, we will head to a local restaurant to sample some of the local specialities before retiring for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Ascent: 200 Metres Approx.

Our Japanese adventure really begins today as we transfer, by train, to the city of Fukuyama, located in Hiroshima Prefecture. The journey from our hotel in Izumisano to our starting point will take around three hours, so we’ll be setting off fairly early.

Our short warm-up ride serves as a perfect, and gentle, introduction to the country as we begin to explore the beautiful islands of the Seto Inland Sea, the body of water separating three of Japan’s four major islands; Honshu, Kyushu and, of course, Shikoku. We’ll follow scenic and quiet country lanes as well as hopping, by ferry, between some of the minor islands until we reach Honshu island’s Onomichi where we have an opportunity to explore, by foot, this hilly port city, perhaps even completing the famous Temple Walk, a network of pathways connecting no less than 25 traditional temples.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Ascent: 1,150 Metres Approx.

Today brings more beautiful islands to explore, with a mix of ferry rides and bridge crossings, and plenty of time spent cycling as we continue our journey through the Seto Inland Sea. Including Honshu, where Onomichi is located, our route takes us across nine distinct islands, such as Mukaishima, Innoshima, Yuge, and finally Omishima, many of which are connected by stunning, architecturally impressive bridges that are a joy to ride across.

Our route features much of the Shimanami/Yumeshima Kaido Cycling Road, a “cyclist’s superhighway” from where we can enjoy the natural beauty of the islands and surrounding seascape, free from the pressures and stresses of motorised traffic.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 700 Metres Approx.

The island-hopping stage of our journey draws to a conclusion today with a brief return visit to the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road which leads us from Omishima, via Oshima and ultimately to the shipbuilding city of Imabari, perched high on the northwestern tip of Shikoku Island.

On arrival in Imabari we will catch a train to make a four hour journey, avoiding busy roads unpleasant for cycling, to Uwajima, a beautiful city, Japan’s main producer of pearls, wedged between mountains and sea.

Depending on our arrival time, we may have the chance to visit the stunning Uwajima Castle, a culturally significant monument built by Master Castle Architect Todo Takatora in 1601.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 770 Metres Approx.

Our first real taste of cycling on Shikoku Island awaits and promises to be our longest day and most challenging day in the saddle so far. It’s also the first time we head inland into more mountainous terrain, although not before sampling the smooth tarmac of the island’s western coastline as we enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and neighbouring islands.

Approximately 33 km into our ride, we temporarily bid farewell to the coast, following the Iwamatsu River as we head inland and into the hills. The main climb of the day starts a further 5 km inland as the road begins to rise, topping out 10 km.

The final stretch is a scenic 30 km descent along quiet rural roads, bringing us back down to sea level and the coastline, where we’ll end our day in the charming fishing town of Sukumo.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Ascent: 1,400 Metres Approx.

The longest ride of our adventure takes us on an unforgettable visit to Cape Ashizuri at the southernmost tip of Shikoku Island, a special place with 270 degrees of visibility from where it’s said that it’s possible to see the curvature of the earth.

We begin the day with a gentle climb across the headland on a road, which after 55 km delivers us to, what feels like, the end of the world! Having taken in the enormous views, it’s time to change direction and head north and climb once again, this time much more steeply on a winding road, punctuated by numerous shrines. Eventually the road descends, equally steeply, via a series of tight bends, ultimately spitting us out in Nakamura on the banks of the majestic Shimanto River.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Ascent: 1,100 Metres Approx.

The Shimanto River is famed as Japan’s last free-flowing crystal-clear river. The river is magnificent and the tranquil forests, picturesque farmhouses and beautiful tea plantations which surround it have remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Our ride today begins and ends on the banks of the Shimanto and we will interact with it intermittently during the day whilst numerous other, more minor rivers and tributaries will accompany us for most our ride.

The first of those tributary rivers we encounter is the Ushiro which leads us, very gently at first, into the hills and over the first ascent of the day, a moderately challenging climb into the midst of Shikoku’s densely-forested interior. An exhilarating 10 km descent follows, dropping us back down onto the Shimanto River’s meandering shoreline.

We spend the rest of the day navigating minor roads and climbing gently to the small town of Tsuno situated on the flanks of Mt Irazu, where we will rest up for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,100 Metres Approx.

Ascending further up the slopes of Mt Irazu, we begin the day with a steep 7 km climb which takes us past the very source of the Shimanto river.

With the main challenge of the day under our belts we can relax into what is a mainly downhill and flat ride for the rest of the day, much of which follows the course of another of Shikoku’s major rivers, the Niyodo, which leads us, via a series of bridges and tunnels, all the way to Kochi.

Kochi is one of Shikoku’s major cities and is famous for sake (rice wine) and seafood with Katsuono Tataki, a slightly seared skipjack tuna the local specialty.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner
• Ascent: 1,700 Metres Approx.

Leaving Kochi we head north, heading once again into the island’s mountainous interior. Today is one of the more challenging days, featuring numerous steep, but thankfully relatively short, sections on minor rural roads. Challenges, however are often rewarding, and our journey today into the Iya Valley and its neighbours, the Oboke and Koboke Gorges, doesn’t disappoint.

Officially designated as a national natural monument in 2014 and a national site of scenic beauty the following year, the magnificent rocks and V-shaped valley of the gorges make for one of the few places in Japan where we can observe up-close how the Japanese islands were formed. With a rest day scheduled for tomorrow it’s time to relax and enjoy the surrounding natural beauty.

• Meals: Breakfast

The stunning gorges, with their dramatic cliffs and crystal waters, are the perfect setting for a day of rest. Whilst it is the perfect place to relax, there are some “must-do” activities such as a visit to the 800 year old Iya Valley vine bridges or a boat trip into the gorges themselves, not to mention feasting on grilled river fish and soba noodles.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,700 Metres Approx.

Well rested, we set off on our last full day of riding on Shikoku for what is possibly the most dramatic leg of the tour. Picking up from where we left off two days ago, we embark on the longest climb of our adventure as we head in the direction of Mount Tsurugi.

The beautifully scenic road rises gently for 37 km, easing us towards the pass at just over 1,400 m above sea level, the highest point of our journey. 10km before reaching the summit, we pass through Nagoro, the “Village of Dolls” so-called on account of dozens of scarecrow-like figures created by an elderly resident in memory of deceased neighbours and those who have otherwise left the tiny, and sadly almost deserted, rural community.

Having caught our breath and admired the stunning views at the summit, a 22 km descent follows before the road rises a second time. We bid a final farewell to the gorges and ultimately to the mountains and small rural villages of Shikoku, as we make our way to Tokushima, another of the island’s major cities.

Tokushima is an impressive city with many cultural aspects to enjoy, including an optional visit to the Awa Odori Kaikan, a museum dedicated to Japan’s most famous traditional dances.

• Meals: Breakfast, dinner

A transition day with no cycling planned as we make our way, via road and rail to Kyoto, Japan’s beautiful and historical cultural capital. Our bus journey will take us via Awaji Island, which we will reach and depart via two masterpieces of civil engineering, the Onaruto and Akashi-Kaikyo bridges, the former being dwarfed by the latter yet both amongst the longest suspension bridges on the planet! Despite not being on the bikes, this part of our journey is impressive, presenting us with a unique opportunity to observe, and bid farewell to, the beautiful Setouchi Inland Sea.

Our relatively early arrival at our hotel in Kyoto allows time for a little afternoon exploration and visits to the world-famous Kyoto Station, one of the country’s largest buildings, and the nearby and hugely contrasting, To-ji temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of Japan’s most sacred national treasures, are highly recommended.

Tonight we will enjoy a sophisticated celebratory dinner together at a traditional Kyoto style restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 160 Metres Approx.

Back on the bikes today for a more extensive exploration of Kyoto’s many attractions as we embark on a half day city tour during which time we will visit numerous attractions including, according to the season, the spectacular autumnal foliage of the “Momiji”, the brilliant red maple tree, for which the city is famous.

In the afternoon we will travel back to Izumisano, where our adventure began, sadly, it will be time to pack our bikes away before enjoying one final evening meal together.

• Meals: Breakfast

Alas it is time to bid farewell to Japan, our local team and new friends and head back to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) to commence homebound journeys.