A one-night trip to see the autumn colors at two daimyo gardens, Okayama Korakuen and Takamatsu's Ritsurin Garden. With a night in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter in between, day 2 takes you across the Great Seto Bridge to Shikoku.
From Okayama Station, visit Korakuen and Okayama Castle, then take JR to Kurashiki in the evening and walk around the Bikan Historical Quarter.
Take the shinkansen to Okayama Station. For details, see the intercity travel guide.
A daimyo garden of wide lawns and ponds. In foliage season, you can enjoy the autumn colors together with views of Okayama Castle.
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Within walking distance of Korakuen. Climb the black-walled keep to look down on the garden you just walked through.
Official site ↗
Take the JR Sanyo Line from Okayama Station to Kurashiki. The white-walled, willow-lined streets along the Kurashiki River get quieter from evening into the night, making for a relaxed walk.
Official site ↗Take JR from Kurashiki across the Great Seto Bridge to Shikoku. Stop at Shikoku Aquarium in Utazu, then see the autumn leaves at Ritsurin Garden and Tamamo Park in Takamatsu before returning to Okayama.
An aquarium in Utazu, just across the Great Seto Bridge. It looks out over the Seto Inland Sea and showcases the aquatic life of Shikoku.
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Move on to Takamatsu and walk through this daimyo garden set against Mt. Shiun. The combination of ponds, bridges, pines and autumn leaves is the highlight.
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The Takamatsu Castle ruins right next to Takamatsu Station, where you can see the moat filled with seawater and the Tsukimi Turret. Afterward, take JR back to Okayama.
Official site ↗Sample itineraries from day trips to 5 days, by region and season. Every stop links to its guide, and you can save any itinerary as your own trip plan and rearrange it day by day.
🗺 2 days, 1 nightChugoku & Shikoku ・ 6 stops
Stay overnight on Miyajima to take your time at Itsukushima Shrine and around the island, then on day 2 visit Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni and Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and Shukkeien Garden. With Miyajimaguchi as the dividing point, the route heads west to Iwakuni first and then back east into Hiroshima city.
🗺 3 days, 2 nightsChugoku & Shikoku ・ 9 stops
A route that starts in Takamatsu and heads west by JR through Kotohira to Matsuyama, taking in the highlights of Kagawa and Ehime. With the first night in Kotohira and the second at Dogo Onsen, you can take your time visiting Kotohiragu Shrine and enjoying the hot springs.
Check prices, opening hours and access on each stop’s guide and official website. Seasonal events and peak seasons vary from year to year.
Information as of 2026-10-13
