Naoshima is the main island of a township made up of twenty-seven islands administered by Kagawa Prefecture. The island has a documented history going back to the Heian period, but today it’s known for its contemporary art museums, which draw visitors from all over the world, especially during the Setouchi Triennale art event held every three years in the region.
Since the island is part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, there are strict rules for the visual impact of new buildings, so many of the art museums are built into the ground, creating an interesting aesthetic of their own.
・One day trip from Osaka
・You can enjoy to go around Naoshima island by bicycle (with power-assisted bicycle, e-bike) with Private English Speaking guide.
Options
Bicycle Plan+ English guide
Charter Car+ English guide
Bicycle Plan+ Spanish guide
Charter Car+ Spanish guide
What's included
Bicycle or Local bus (if you choose the Bicycle Plan)
Round trip bullet train(Shinkansen)
Spanish guide (if you choose the Spanish plan)
Admission Fee of Art House Project (if you choose the Charter Car Plan)
Admission Fee of Lee Ufan Museum
Admission Fee of Benesse House Museum
Charter Car (if you choose the Charter Car Plan)
Ferry fare (Uno Port⇔Naoshima Port)
English guide (if you choose the English plan)
Admission Fee of Chichu Art Museum
Lunch
What to expect
4h · Admission ticket included
Transportation by Shinkansen and local train between Osaka and Uno station in Okayama
Uno Port
2h · Admission ticket included
Included the transportation fee of ferry between Uno-port and Naoshima - Round trip
Naoshima-cho
2h
Rental bicycle at Naoshima Island- rental charge is included.
For those who don’t want to bother with timetables and wish to enjoy freely the island, you have the choice between renting a bicycle.
The island has some stiff slopes. For you out there, who is not totally confident in your stamina, do not worry: you can rent a bike with electric assistance.
For guests selecting the Charter Car Plan, private transportation will be provided from Okayama Station to Naoshima. This plan also includes car service for all movements within Naoshima island. We highly recommend this option for those who may have concerns about getting around by rental bicycle.
Lee Ufan Art Museun
1h · Admission ticket included
A museum resulting from the collaboration between internationally acclaimed artist Lee Ufan, presently based mainly in Europe, and architect Tadao Ando.
The Ando-designed semi-underground structure houses paintings and sculptures by Lee spanning a period from the 1970s to the present day. Lee's works resonate with Ando's architecture, giving visitors an impression of both stillness and dynamism. Located in a gentle valley surrounded by hills and the ocean, the museum offers a tranquil space where nature, architecture and art come in resonance with each other, inviting to peaceful and quiet contemplation, in a society overflowing with material goods.
Benesse House Museum
1h · Admission ticket not included
Benesse House Museum (ticket excluded)
This museum opened in 1992 as a facility integrating a museum with a hotel, based on the concept of "coexistence of nature, art and architecture." Designed by Tadao Ando, the facility is built on high ground overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and features large apertures that serve to open up the interior to the splendid natural surroundings. In addition to exhibiting the painting, sculpture, photography, and installations in its collection, the Museum also contains permanent site-specific installations that artists have created especially for the building, selecting locations on their own and designing the works for those spaces. The Museum's artworks are found not just within its galleries, but in all parts of the building, as well as in scattered locations along the seashore that borders the complex and in the nearby forest.
Art House Project
30m · Admission ticket included
Charter Car Plan Only
Chichu Art Museum
2h · Admission ticket not included
Chichu Art Museum (ticket -excluded)
This museum was constructed in 2004 as a site rethinking the relationship between nature and people. The museum was built mostly underground to avoid affecting the beautiful natural scenery of the Seto Inland sea. Artworks by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria are on permanent display in this building designed by Tadao Ando. Despite being primarily subterranean, the museum lets in an abundance of natural light that changes the appearance of the artworks and the ambience of the space itself with the passage of time, throughout the day and all along the four seasons of the year.
Taking form as the artists and architect bounced ideas off each other, the museum in its entirety can be seen as a very large site-specific artwork.
Meeting and pickup
Meeting point
JR Shin-Osaka Station Shinkansen Central gate 3rd Floor
End point
JR Shin-Osaka Station Shinkansen Central gate 3rd Floor
Additional information
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
This is a private tour. Only your group will participate.
You can customize it as you like. If you have any requests please let us know in advance.
If you want to change your schedule even on the tour day, your guide is always happy to help you.
You can skip the spot where you don't go (※in this case we do not refund any fees) or change it with another place.
If you add some new spots by your request, please pay the ticket fee on the spot. (Note that you may need to pay extra transportation fee)
Confirm that you can ride an electric bicycle.
Make sure that the luggage is large enough to fit in a backpack or the front basket of the bicycle.
Do not bring suitcases.
It is impossible to carry large luggage to the hotel by bicycle.
If you are not able to ride a bicycle, you can still participate in the bus transportation, but all participants will have the same means of transportation.
We cannot offer both bicycle and bus transportation at the same time.
There is only one bus route. It is not possible to travel around the island in both directions like a bicycle, which takes a lot of travel time.
The ferry time is limited. You cannot extend the time.
Cancellation policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
