4 Day Okayama & Naoshima Island Discovery

Your tour begins in Osaka, where you make your way to Shin-Osaka Station and board the bullet train west to Okayama, using your JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass.On arrival you can leave your luggage at the hotel, a short walk from Okayama Station, and are free to explore until check-in is available. Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three great landscape gardens, and the black-walled Okayama Castle across the river make an easy first outing on foot or by the city tram.The evening is at leisure. The streets around the station have plenty of small restaurants and izakaya, a good place to try local dishes such as barazushi or demi-katsudon for dinner.Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.Hotel check-in is from 3pm. You are welcome to leave your luggage at the hotel if you arrive earlier.This is an independent tour. You will make your own way between destinations, and a step by step guide will be included in your documentation.Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal may offer the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

After breakfast you take the train from Okayama to Uno Port, buy your ferry tickets and cross the Seto Inland Sea to Miyanoura Port on Naoshima, where you meet your local guide for a full-day private tour of the island.Naoshima is known around the world for its contemporary art. The recommended route takes in the Art House Project, where old houses in Honmura village have been turned into art spaces, the Chichu Art Museum, built largely underground to display works by Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter De Maria, and the Benesse House Museum overlooking the sea. Your guide can adjust the order and pace to suit you and the conditions on the day, and you finish at the Naoshima Bath, a working public bathhouse designed by artist Shinro Ohtake.You return to Okayama by ferry and train this evening, with the rest of the evening at leisure.Inspiring HighlightsFerry across the Seto Inland SeaNaoshima private guided tourSpecial InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.Ferry tickets between Uno and Naoshima cannot be booked in advance and are purchased at Uno Port on the day.Transport on Naoshima, museum entry fees and lunch are not included and are paid locally. Entry to the recommended sites is approximately 6,560 yen per person (Art House Project 1,400 yen, Chichu Art Museum 3,000 yen, Benesse House Museum 1,500 yen, Naoshima Bath 660 yen). Please carry enough cash for the day, as ATMs on the island are limited.Today involves a good amount of walking between sites, including some uphill paths and steps, and standing in galleries. Comfortable shoes that are easy to slip on and off are recommended, as shoes are removed at some sites.Photography is not permitted inside the Chichu Art Museum, and bags must be left in lockers.The Naoshima Bath is a public bathhouse with separate male and female areas, where bathing is done without swimwear. Visiting is optional.Ferry services can be delayed or cancelled in strong winds or typhoon conditions.

Today is at leisure to explore at your own pace, with your JR pass covering the short train ride to nearby Kurashiki.Kurashiki's Bikan Historical Quarter makes an easy half day, with canals lined with willow trees, white-walled merchant storehouses and the Ohara Museum of Art, the first museum of Western art in Japan. A flat-bottomed boat ride along the canal, bought on the spot, is a gentle way to see the old town. For something different, Kojima, also on your JR pass, is the home of Japanese denim, and Kojima Jeans Street is lined with small workshops and shops.The evening is at leisure.Special InformationMany museums in Kurashiki, including the Ohara Museum of Art, close on Mondays.

After breakfast you check out of your hotel and take the bullet train from Okayama back to Shin-Osaka, where your tour comes to an end.Your JR pass remains valid today, which is handy for onward travel within the Kansai region, including the Haruka Limited Express to Kansai International Airport.Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience.