Cycling Shimanami 2026
Japan’s most spectacular cycling event returns, with a special offer from Japan Adventurer.
For cyclists visiting Japan, few routes have achieved the legendary status of the Shimanami Kaidō. Stretching across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea between Honshū and Shikoku, this beautifully engineered cycling route is already considered one of the world’s great rides. But once every two years, something even more special happens.
On 25 October 2026, Cycling Shimanami returns, transforming the Shimanami Kaidō into the stage for Japan’s largest international cycling event. Around 7,000 riders from Japan and overseas will gather to experience a day that simply cannot be replicated at any other time.
A rare chance to ride the expressway
What makes Cycling Shimanami unique is access to sections of the Nishi-Seto Expressway that are normally reserved for motor vehicles. Participants ride across major suspension bridges and expressway lanes that are closed to traffic specifically for the event. It’s one of the few opportunities anywhere in the world to cycle on infrastructure designed exclusively for cars while enjoying uninterrupted views across a major inland sea.
The route passes over a chain of islands connected by nine major bridges, with constantly changing views of fishing villages, forested hills, sheltered bays and countless small islands scattered across the water. Even riders familiar with the Shimanami Kaidō often describe the event as a completely different experience.
Courses for every ability
Cycling Shimanami is not a race. It’s a non-competitive cycling event designed to allow participants to enjoy the scenery, local culture and atmosphere of the islands. Multiple courses are available, ranging from beginner-friendly rides of around 30 km to challenging routes of up to 140 km.
Several courses cross the entire Shimanami Kaidō between Onomichi and Imabari, while others explore side routes such as the Yumeshima Kaidō in Kamijima. This variety allows families, casual cyclists and experienced riders to participate together while choosing a distance that suits their fitness and ambitions.
More than a cycling event
One of the reasons riders return year after year is the atmosphere. Throughout the islands, local communities welcome participants with food, encouragement and the kind of hospitality that rural Japan is famous for.
Aid stations feature regional specialities, volunteers line the route, and villages that might otherwise seem quiet become lively gathering places for cyclists from around the world. The event is as much a celebration of the Setouchi region as it is a cycling challenge.
Event details
Cycling Shimanami 2026 will be held on Sunday, 25 October 2026, with participant check-in taking place on Saturday, 24 October. The event starts from locations in both Imabari and Onomichi, depending on the course selected.
Entry applications opened in April 2026, with premium entries selling rapidly and general entries allocated by lottery. Demand once again demonstrated the event’s popularity among both domestic and international cyclists.
A special offer from Japan Adventurer
Securing a place on Cycling Shimanami 2026 isn’t easy, and if you do come all the way to Setouchi, you’re probably going to want to stay longer than one day. So we’ve put together a plan where we book you a place for the event, and provide you with a full 5-day tour of cycling and accommodation, with the event in the middle of the trip. You ride the A Course from Onomichi to Imabari, and work your way back to Honshū by boat and bicycle, visiting some of the other island chains of the Setouchi region.
Check out our tour page, and book early – bookings close on June 31. And if you’d like to do the tour without taking part in Cycling Shimanami 2026, we offer the same tour during the rest of the year, including the ride from Onomichi to Imabari.
