How long are you ashore in Takamatsu?

4–6 hours ashore · 3 hr door to door

Castle, garden, udon

2–3 hours ashore — and no tour needed

On a 4-hour stop that leaves 1 hr spare — the full hour this site recommends, and then some.

1. +0:00
   Walk to Takamatsu Castle

   Five minutes from the berth. The moat is seawater and the fish in it are sea bream

2. +0:35
   Kotoden train or taxi to Ritsurin Garden

   7 min by train from Takamatsu-Chikko, plus a 7 min walk

3. +1:00
   Ritsurin — the south garden circuit

   Four hundred years old, and a mountain borrowed as its backdrop. The south loop is the good one

4. +2:00
   Udon at a self-service mill

   Carry your own bowl, add your own broth, pay by the plate

5. +2:40
   Back to the ship

Running late? Nothing here needs a booking or a shuttle. If you run late, the castle is five minutes from the gangway and always open to walk past.

Transport spend: ~¥500 pp. Garden ¥500. Castle ¥300. Udon ~¥400. Map, photos and what you will see at each stop →

4–6 hours ashore · 5 hr 30 min door to door

Ritsurin properly, and an island

4–6 hours ashore

On a 6-hour stop that leaves 30 min spare. Comfortable, but do not add to it.

1. +0:00
   Ferry to Megijima

   ~20 minutes from the pier your ship is on

2. +0:40
   Megijima — the cave and the art works

   A near art island with almost nobody on it

3. +2:00
   Ferry back
4. +2:45
   Ritsurin Garden, both loops

   Ninety minutes does it justice; sixty does not

5. +4:30
   Udon, then the castle
6. +5:15
   Walk back to the pier

   The berth is in the city — nothing here is far from the water

Running late? Ferries to the near islands are frequent and the crossing is short. This is a much lower-risk island plan than Naoshima.

Transport spend: ~¥1,300 pp (Megijima return ¥740, Kotoden ¥500). Garden ¥500. Map, photos and what you will see at each stop →

10 hours, or an overnight ashore · 8 hr door to door

Naoshima, or the shrine of seafarers

8h+ ashore — pick one, not both

On a 9-hour stop that leaves 1 hr spare — the full hour this site recommends, and then some.

1. +0:00
   First ferry to Naoshima

   From the ferry office by the JR station. 50 min out, 60 back; ferries at 8:12 and 10:14

2. +1:10
   Chichu Art Museum

   Sunk into the hillside by Tadao Ando. Book the timed entry before you sail

3. +3:00
   Benesse House and the shore works

   The yellow pumpkin is on the jetty and is the photograph

4. +4:30
   Honmura and the Art House Project

   Old houses converted one at a time. The dentist’s is the strange one

5. +6:00
   Ferry back

   The 14:20 from Miyanoura (back 15:20) is the last one that works on a 17:00 departure

Running late? Alternative full day: Kotohira-gu, an hour by train, and 785 steps to the shrine sailors have climbed on behalf of their ships for centuries. Choose one at breakfast, not at the pier.

Transport spend: ~¥1,360 pp ferry return, or ¥1,560 Kotoden return to Kotohira. Chichu ¥2,500–3,000 (timed ticket). Map, photos and what you will see at each stop →

Rainy day ashore · 3 hr 30 min door to door

The rainy-day Takamatsu

Wet weather

On a 6-hour stop that leaves 2 hr 30 min spare — the full hour this site recommends, and then some.

1. +0:00
   Walk to the Hyogomachi and Marugamemachi arcades

   Covered, and among the longest arcade networks in Shikoku

2. +0:30
   Udon indoors, and coffee

   Kagawa eats udon in any weather and so should you

3. +1:30
   Ritsurin’s Sanuki Folkcraft Museum

   Inside the garden, and dry. The garden in rain is also quietly lovely

4. +2:45
   Arcade shopping — wasanbon and olive oil
5. +3:20
   Back to the ship

Running late? The island ferries run in rain but the art is largely outdoors. Skip Naoshima in weather and do not regret it.

Transport spend: ~¥500 pp. Garden entry ¥500. Map, photos and what you will see at each stop →