Shikoku Tours Comparison & FAQs

What is the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage?

The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage (sometimes simply called the “Henro” or, in Japanese, the Shikoku hachijuhachikasho meguri) is an 800-mile-long, Buddhist pilgrimage that circles the Japanese island of Shikoku. The pilgrimage route connects 88 Buddhist temples associated with Kobo Daishi, a ninth century monk, scholar and one of the most revered historical figures in Japan. If you are interested in learning more about the pilgrimage, we suggest you refer to Dave Turkington’s excellent website at shikokuhenrotrail.com. (Dave frequently co-leads our Shikoku Pilgrimage trips.)

What is the difference between the three “Shikoku Temple Trek” trips you offer?

We offer three different Shikoku Temple Trek trips: Shikoku Temple Trek 1, Shikoku Temple Trek 2, and Shikoku Temple Trek 3. Shikoku Temple Trek 3 is normally offered only when there is sufficient demand. Each Shikoku trip is designed specifically as a hiking tour featuring what we believe to be the best remaining trail segments on the 88 Temple Pilgrimage route. Each of the two regularly scheduled Shikoku trips visits a different selection of temples and each of the trips covers a different geographic area on Shikoku. Please see the map below for a visual representation of the areas covered by each trip. Each trip also differs in terms of hiking difficulty and hiking distances. Please see the chart below for details.

Shikoku Temple Trek Tour Routes. Click on the map for a larger pdf version (opens in separate pane).

Will I visit all the temples?

Each of the Shikoku trips visits roughly one third of the total number of 88 temples. See the chart below for the precise count. Each of the three tours visits a different set of temples, so there is no overlap between the tours. The only exception to this is Temple 5 (Jizo-ji) which is visited on both the Shikoku Temple Trek 1 and Shikoku Temple Trek 2. (If you participate in all three temple treks, you will visit all 88 temples, an act known as kechigan—“the completion of the vow.”)

	Shikoku Temple Trek 1 (Normally scheduled in the spring for cherry blossoms)	Shikoku Temple Trek 2 (Normally scheduled in the autumn for fall foliage)	Shikoku Temple Trek 3 (Offered only when there is sufficient demand)
Number of Days on the Trip	9 days	9 days	10 days
Number of Temples Visited	24 temples (+ 1 bekkaku temple)†	32 temples	33 temples (+ 2 bekkaku temples)†
Hiking Statistics (total mileage, elevation gain, elevation loss over the course of the trip) assuming the less difficult option is chosen on each day.	36 miles 7,000 feet of elevation gain 6,100 feet of elevation loss	43 miles 8,600 feet of elevation gain 8,400 feet of elevation loss	39 miles 6,000 feet of elevation gain 5,800 feet of elevation loss
Hiking Statistics (total mileage, elevation gain, elevation loss over the course of the trip) assuming the more difficult option is chosen on each day.	66 miles 16,000 feet of elevation gain 13,000 feet of elevation loss	70 miles 11,500 feet of elevation gain 10,600 feet of elevation loss	56 miles 11,600 feet of elevation gain 9,400 feet of elevation loss

† There are 20 additional bekkaku temples which are associated with the pilgrimage, but not officially part of the 88.
Two guided hiking options—one less difficult and one more challenging—are offered on each day of each trip.

Questions?

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