Setouchi Islands by Car & Bridge: Coastal Art & Island Hopping

This is a journey measured in bridges. Over five days you follow the Shimanami Kaido as it leaps from island to island arsross the Seto Inland Sea, linking Honshu to Shikoku. The expressways carry the distances; the island roaituds are for ambling. Roads are well signed and the driving days short, leaving time to stop wherever the view asks you to.

Day 1: Hiroshima & Miyajima | Arrival and the Floating Torii

Arrive in Hiroshima, collect your rental car, and take a short coastal drive to Miyajimaguchi. A ferry carries you across to Miyajima, where the vermilion torii of Itsukushima Shrine stands over the water at high tide and tame deer wander the foreshore, a wooded path climbing behind the town toward Mount Misen. Back on the mainland, settle into a garden villa at the Simose Art Museum in Otake—Shigeru Ban’s waterfront complex featuring movable glass gallery boxes on a tidal basin, known for its collection of Art Nouveau glass and European painting.

Overnight: Otake (Simose Art Garden Villa)

Day 2: Onomichi | Hillside Town of Temples and Cinema Nostalgia

Drive east along the expressway to Onomichi, a historic port town stacked up a hillside above the strait. This is a town made for walking: a temple trail threads between old wooden houses and the narrow 'cat alley,' the Senkouji ropeway lifts you to a lookout over the water and the first Shimanami bridge, and a covered arcade runs along the flat below. Onomichi’s lived-in charm has drawn Japanese filmmakers since the days of Ozu, making it a dream to photograph in the soft afternoon light. Your hotel is set directly into the hillside itself—a mid-century building beautifully reworked in raw plaster and local washi paper.

Overnight: Onomichi (LOG)

Day 3: Shimanami Kaido I | Sea Bridges & Citrus Isles

Today the island-hopping begins across a chain of dramatic bridges, each featuring a dedicated cycle-and-pedestrian lane below the main roadway. For a stretch, you can leave the car behind and ride an e-bike out over the sea. Break the drive on Ikuchijima at Setoda: visit the Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art (devoted to the Setoda-born painter of the Silk Road), the brightly painted and ornate temple complex of Kosan-ji, and Miraishin no Oka—a hilltop terraced entirely in white Carrara marble. Being a local citrus-growing region, a stop for lemon gelato is essential. End the day at a restored seafront merchant's house turned ryokan, with a public bathhouse across the lane.

Overnight: Ikuchijima (Azumi Setoda)

Day 4: Shimanami Kaido II | Island Architecture & the Shikoku Crossing

Continue south across more bridges to Ōmishima and two distinct landmarks: the ancient Ōyamazumi Shrine set among giant camphor trees (keeper of a remarkable collection of samurai armour), and the Toyo Itō Museum of Architecture perched on a headland above the ocean. From here, ascend onto the long suspension spans of the Kurushima-Kaikyo bridges, carrying you high above the strait’s powerful tidal currents down onto Shikoku at Imabari. A final stretch brings you to Matsuyama and a minimalist hilltop retreat of concrete and water by Tadao Ando, offering private baths and wide views of the Inland Sea.

Overnight: Matsuyama (SETOUCHI RETREAT by Onko Chishin)

Day 5: Matsuyama | Historic Castle, Thermal Baths & Departure

Spend the morning exploring Matsuyama. Dogo Onsen is one of Japan’s oldest hot springs, and its main bathhouse, a labyrinth of wooden stairways and tatami rooms, is a fine place to soak before the journey home. Above the city, Matsuyama Castle keeps one of Japan's few surviving original keeps, reached by a short ropeway with sweeping views back to the sea you have spent four days exploring. Return your rental car in town and depart from Matsuyama by air or ferry. End of services.

Included services:

Rental car for the full route (compact / standard class) with ETC card and unlimited mileage
San’in–Setouchi–Shikoku Expressway Pass (fixed-rate toll pass)
4 nights’ accommodation with breakfast in design- and architecture-led stays: Simose Art Garden Villa, LOG (Lantern Onomichi Garden) Azumi Setoda, SETOUCHI RETREAT by Onko Chishin
Dinner on two nights (at Azumi Setoda and SETOUCHI RETREAT)
Japanese-language translation of national driving licence pre-arranged before departure (for eligible countries)
English self-drive road book with route notes, parking, and fuel guidance
Miyajima ferry crossing round-trip fees
24-hour Japanese / English trip and roadside support
Pre-departure planning and reservations

Recommended travel period:

Late October – Early December (Autumn foliage) or Mid-March – May (Spring greenery). Mild, dry coastal weather avoiding midsummer heat and June rains.

Excluded services:

International flights and airport transfers
Fuel, parking, and any tolls outside the expressway pass
Meals other than daily breakfast and the two included dinners
Site admissions and optional experiences (e.g. e-bike rental on the Shimanami cycle path)
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra onsen fees, and similar)
Valid home driving licence and International Driving Permit (where required)

Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex
Image Source: LCC Ayabex