Guided tour options for the Shimanami Kaido cycling

2025/9/132025/9/14

Along the Shimanami Kaido, several operators offer guided cycling tours. If you feel uncertain about your first cycling trip, or if you want to enjoy the unique experiences of a guided tour, I recommend booking one of these custom tours or joining a package tour.

Cycling the Shimanami Kaido

Beginner-friendly cycling routes

The Shimanami Kaido, a popular cycling route across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, is known as one of the best cycling courses in Japan. Riders cross magnificent bridges and explore lush green islands at a relaxed pace. Both experienced riders on road bikes and casual travelers using rental bikes can enjoy cycling here. One of the biggest appeals of the Shimanami Kaido is that it offers easy leisure cycling, which attracts many international visitors.

There are different ways to enjoy the Shimanami Kaido—cycling the entire route between Imabari and Onomichi, or riding just a section of it. The full route, in its shortest version, is about 70–80 km, which can be challenging to complete in a single day. Many travelers take two days, enjoying sightseeing along the way. Thanks to the beginner-friendly systems and services available, the Shimanami Kaido is a welcoming environment even for first-time visitors and novice cyclists.

The Shimanami Kaido attracts cyclists of many styles and travelers with a wide variety of goals. Here, I would like to introduce guided tours where professional cycling guides will lead the way. Several travel agencies along the Shimanami Kaido offer guided custom-made tours as well as package tours.

Guided Tour Operators	Features
Tabitasu Tours	Guided tours, rental bike delivery plans
CycloTourisme Shimanami	Guided tours, event tour planning, guidebook publishing
Onomichi Tourism Association	Cycling package tours and walking tours in Onomichi
Wakka	Custom-made travel and cycling support plans

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Do you need to hire a guide?

Generally, you can go without a guide

The Shimanami Kaido cycling route is officially designated as one of Japan’s National Cycling Routes. It features excellent support systems for beginners, including 10 rental cycle stations along the way and the blue line road markings that guide cyclists along the recommended route. The facilities and services here are among the best in Japan for supporting beginner cycling.

Because of these support systems, even if you are unfamiliar with the area or riding a sports bicycle for the first time, you generally do not need to hire a lead guide or instructor like a mountain guide. Without a guide, you can freely explore the islands by bicycle and plan your trip using guidebooks, blogs, or information shared on social media that matches your level.

When a guide is helpful

If you want to enjoy an independent cycling trip, as explained above, you don’t necessarily need to hire a guide or join a guided tour. However, in the following situations, having a guide can provide peace of mind and help you cycle safely:

①. Groups of five or more riders with little cycling experience

②. If you’re not confident about planning the itinerary

③. If you don’t have time to prepare

④. If you doubt your cycling ability or fitness

Guides are Essential for Beginner Group Rides

Riding safely as a group actually requires more skills than you might expect. The number “5 or more” comes from my personal experience. When moving in a large group, additional tasks are needed such as leading the group, keeping control, communicating information, and adjusting the pace. If you do not hire a guide, one alternative is to split the group into smaller teams of five or fewer and ride separately.

The unique appeal of guided tours

Joining a guided or packaged cycling tour offers special benefits. Local guides who know the Shimanami Kaido inside and out can take you to hidden spots and scenic routes that first-time visitors would likely never find on their own. They can use backroads and shortcuts that are difficult for travelers to discover, giving you an efficient and high-quality cycling experience.

Guided tours are not limited to custom-made trips where you request, “I’d like to cycle in this area” or “I want to visit this place and ride for a few hours,” and have the itinerary arranged just for you. There are also event-style tours with pre-scheduled routes and dates. By joining such events, you can meet fellow riders and enjoy a different kind of experience compared to cycling alone.

In recent years, unique options such as camping-style cycling tours and beginner-only tours with strong support systems have also become popular. For overseas visitors who are traveling in this area for the first time and feel uncertain about their plans, hiring a professional cycling guide can be a great choice. There are also services that include packages like luggage transport, rental bike arrangements, and even bicycle return support. In these cases, you are still free to choose your own cycling route.

Main Types of Tours	Features
Custom-Made Guided Tours	Guided tours arranged to match your interests, fitness, and schedule
Event-Style Guided Tours	Open tours with a fixed theme, course, and date
Supported Free Cycling Tours	Support services such as rental bike arrangements and luggage transport included in a package
Support Car Service	Vehicles arranged to accompany and support cycling teams or training camps

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Recommended tour operators

Here are some travel companies I recommend that offer cycling tours in the Shimanami Kaido area. Each of them is officially registered with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Tabitasu Tours

Located in Setoda Town on Ikuchijima, Tabitasu Tours operates a distinctive rental bike service with bike delivery options, and also offers guided cycling tours. Personally, this is the company I most recommend for booking a guided tour. They hire local cyclists from the Shimanami Kaido region as support guides, allowing them to provide small-group tours that can be booked easily through their official website. Since they run a delivery-based rental bike service, they can customize tours according to your preferred start and end points. Looking at TripAdvisor reviews, it seems they have many international guests, and their hospitality and overall tour quality receive high praise.

Travel Company	Tabitasu Tours
Address	231-4 Setoda, Setoda-cho, Onomichi City
Phone	090-4896-6823
Features	Guided tours, rental bike delivery plans available

CycloTourisme Shimanami

CycloTourisme Shimanami, based in Imabari City, is a pioneer in Shimanami Kaido cycling tourism, offering both custom-made and event-style guided tours since its early days. Personally, I think this is the best company when it comes to event-style tours. Their specialty is beginner-friendly guided tours with a strong local focus, and they are also known for publishing guidebooks and maps, which speaks to their deep knowledge of the Shimanami Kaido. They organize many unique event-style tours — for example, women-only beginner tours and camping cycling trips — making them an excellent choice for travelers seeking more than the ordinary ride.

Travel Company	CycloTourisme Shimanami
Address	8-1-55 Bekku-cho, Imabari City
Phone	0898-33-0069
Features	Guided tours, event tour planning, guidebook publishing

Maps you should get in advance

“CycloTourisme Shimanami," which has been active in cycle tourism and regional promotion for nearly 20 years along the Shimanami Kaido, publishes guidebooks and maps. The map is also available in English and is extremely popular as it is the most detailed cycling-specific map in this region.

This product comes with a set of seven maps, each with a fairly detailed map for each island. I believe that getting your hands on this map will change your experience here. It can be purchased on Amazon.co.jp, and you can also buy it locally at Guesthouse CYCLONOIE in front of Imabari Station.

Onomichi Tourism Association (Onotabi Travel)

The Onomichi Tourism Association, which promotes tourism in Onomichi, also offers guided cycling tours along the Shimanami Kaido. They operate a dedicated website called “Onotabi,” where you can book cycling tours on the Shimanami Kaido as well as walking tours in Onomichi. They even handle large-scale group tours, such as school trips with over 100 participants.

Travel Company	Onomichi Tourism Association (Onotabi Travel)
Address	1-20 Higashigosho-cho, Onomichi City
Phone	0848-36-5495
Features	Cycling package tours and walking tours in Onomichi

WAKKA

WAKKA, a cycling support complex on Omishima that combines a café and accommodation, also offers guided tours. Since they own their own support car, cruiser, and small truck, they can flexibly provide services such as arranging a support vehicle, handling rental bike returns, and creating highly customizable travel plans.

Cycling Support	WAKKA
Address	6691-1 Inokuchi, Kamiura-cho, Imabari City
Phone	0897-72-8705
Hours	9:00–18:00
Closed	Tuesdays
Features	Cycling support complex located on Omishima

This page has provided detailed introductions to some of the main operators offering guided cycling tours and events along the Shimanami Kaido. The greatest appeal of the Shimanami Kaido is that even beginners can enjoy cycling here with peace of mind. For more detailed information about cycling on the Shimanami Kaido, please check the page below.