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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Onomichi
尾道
Give Onomichi one night, two if you ride the Shimanami Kaido: the temple walk takes half a day, the bike route takes a full one.
Onomichi is a small port on the Seto Inland Sea, built up a hillside of temples with a ropeway to the viewpoint and a 70 km bike route to Shikoku starting at the harbour. Most travellers see it as a half-day stop between Hiroshima and Okayama; it earns a night if you want the temple loop at walking pace or an early start on the Shimanami Kaido. It is quiet, cheap and walkable, and the station is on the San'yo Main Line, not the Shinkansen.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 尾道
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Onomichi ramen | ¥500–900 |
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Beer: draught / can at a convenience store | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Temple entry (Jodoji garden, Saikokuji hall) | ¥400–500 |
| Ropeway, one way / round trip | ¥500 / ¥700 |
| Local bus ride | ¥170–510 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HIJ · Hiroshima Airport
- Shuttle bus to Onomichi, about 80 min (check)
- OKJ · Okayama Airport
- Rail via Okayama, then the San'yo Main Line; check connections
Typical fares
- Shin-Onomichi → city centre bus
- ¥170, 15–20 min
- Onomichi → Hiroshima, JR
- about ¥1,500–2,000, 1.5–2 h (check)
- Mukaishima ferry, on foot
- ¥100 one way, 2 min
Get around
The centre is walkable: station to ropeway about 15 min on foot, and the Old Temple Loop is a 2 km east–west walk. A local bus runs from outside JR Onomichi Station to the ropeway and Jodoji-shita. Ferries to Mukaishima and the islands leave from the harbour beside the station.The centre is walkable: station to ropeway about 15 min on foot, and the Old Temple Loop is a 1.2 mi east–west walk. A local bus runs from outside JR Onomichi Station to the ropeway and Jodoji-shita. Ferries to Mukaishima and the islands leave from the harbour beside the station.
See and do
Known for
- Old Temple Loop and Path of Literature
- Senko-ji and the ropeway viewpoint
- Onomichi ramen
- Shimanami Kaido bikeway start
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shimanami Kaido to Imabari | Rent a bike at the harbour, ride the island chain; return by ferry or bus | Full day, or overnight on the islands |
| Mukaishima | Shuttle ferry from the harbour beside the station | About 10 min including the crossing |
| Hiroshima | JR San'yo Main Line, or Shinkansen from Shin-Onomichi | 1.5–2 h |
| Mihara | JR San'yo Main Line eastbound | About 30 min |
| Fukuyama | JR San'yo Main Line eastbound | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Station and harbour area
- Walk to the ropeway, the temple loop and the ferry piers; best for one night with bags.
- Seafront near Hotel Cycle
- Water-side rooms and the bike-hire base; 10 min on foot from the station.
- Hillside above the temple loop
- Small inns with sea views; steep lanes and steps, so pack light.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Shin-Onomichi is the Shinkansen station, 15–20 min by bus from the centre; only all-stops Kodama trains stop there.
- The temple lanes are steep with steps and few handrails; wear shoes with grip.
- The covered arcade is shared with cyclists, scooters and cars: look before you step out.
- Ramen shops are small and close early; the famous ones can queue at lunch.
Onomichi is a quiet, low-crime town and safe to walk at night. The real risks are the steep temple lanes, shared use of the arcade by bikes and cars, and summer heat on the hill.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Onomichi yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Old Temple Loop and Path of Literature
- Senko-ji and the ropeway viewpoint
- Onomichi ramen
- Shimanami Kaido bikeway start
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Onomichi City official site: www.city.onomichi.hiroshima.jp/
- Onomichi tourist association (Japanese): www.ononavi.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Onomichi, revision 5302056 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5302056
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Onomichi尾道
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Onomichi; most are in Tokyo, with consulates-general in Osaka and Hiroshima (check).
Tourist information counters: one at the Shimanami Koryu-kan by JR Onomichi Station, one at the ropeway station (check hours).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/onomichi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.