Where to Stay in Onomichi before the Shimanami Kaido

Cycling the Shimanami Kaido is an amazing adventure, and it’s one better started when you’re well rested. While plenty of people travel to Onomichi early in the morning of their cycle, it’s far more common to spend the night before in this pretty little seaside town.

When I did my own cycle last September, this is exactly what I did. I wanted to get the travel out of the way the day before and have the evening to prep food, repack my bag, and check my route ahead of setting off the next morning.

I’ve you’ve landed here from Google, I’ve got a full Shimanami Kaido guide, where you’ll find tips on bike rentals, packing list, food strategy, itinerary, and more. I’ve written everything I could possibly think of to help fellow cyclists make their planning much easier.

For now though, let’s get into where to stay in Onomichi the night before you set off on your epic journey.

The Night Before the Big Cycle

If you’re more of a casual cyclist like me, setting off on a 75km journey may seem daunting. Most cyclists set off early, around 8am, which is especially important if you’re hoping to nab one of the e-bike rentals before they’re all gone.

When I did my own cycle, our apartment rental had checkout at 11:00am. We left our things in the apartment rental and headed out at about 7:30am to go get our bikes, before coming back for some breakfast and one last bag check.

Likewise, getting in the night before gives you a chance to explore Onomichi a little bit, and stock up on any supplies you’ll need. My husband and I are both vegan, and as I’ve written about in my vegan Shimanami post, we spent time the night before heading to a supermarket to stock up on high-protein supplies for dinner, breakfast and snacks.

Onomichi itself is also just a really charming little town. Once you’re checked in and settled, go out for a wander around the town. The Shimanami Kaido sets off from Onomichi, but you don’t actually get to see much of it, so having the night before in the town means you get the chance to explore – and honestly, having written all of my Shimanami posts after my cycle, my one regret is that I didn’t spend longer here.

When you’re deciding where to stay in Onomichi, you should know that it’s a very hilly town. Staying in a beautiful hillside temple inn sounds lovely, until you think about the reality of carting a bike and bags down 200 stone steps at the crack of dawn.

What Makes a “Good” Onomichi Hotel?

If you’re planning on cycling the Shimanami Kaido, you’re going to want to be within a short walking distance to the ferry terminal or the bike rental stores so you can get going easily on your first day.

If you’re renting a bike on day 1 of your cycle, your options are much more open on where to stay in Onomichi, as you don’t need to worry about bike storage.

However, if you’re bringing your own bike, you’re going to need to check where you can safely store it overnight. If you’re planning an overnight stopover during the ride, it’s also something to bear in mind, and I’ve written a guide for stopovers here.

The final thing to check is your luggage situation. When I did my own ride, we used luggage forwarding in Kyoto, before leaving for Onomichi, and sent our bags on to our final stop in Imabari. If you’re bringing your luggage to Onomichi, you’ll need to check whether the hotel can facilitate luggage forwarding for you, or if you’re doing a round trip, can they store it until you get back that evening?

For anyone using luggage forwarding, I cannot recommend it enough, it’s an incredible service. But you do need to keep an eye on times – we forwarded from Kyoto to give our luggage two nights to get to Imabari. While some services offer same-day, it’s not always guaranteed, so plan this in advance. I’ve got a how-to post here if you’re new to luggage forwarding.

Where to stay in Onomichi: The Recommendations

Hotel Cycle

Hotel Cycle is the most famous hotel for folks cycling the Shimanami Kaido. It’s a converted warehouse just 100m from the ferry port. You can cycle right up to the front desk, store your bikes in your room, and has a restaurant and bar on site. They offer free luggage storage, and it’s a short walk from the JR Onomichi Station.

If you’re looking to get into the cycle vibe early, this is where to go. You’ll meet fellow cyclists in the bar, trade tips and stories, and get in the Shimanami mood well before you set off.

In peak months, this books out quickly, so if you see your dates available, grab them.

Also available on Hotels.com

Green Hill Hotel

Green Hill Hotel is another popular choice. It’s right on the waterfront, and you can roll out of bed and be at the ferry port in about 10 minutes.

They also offer free bike rentals for exploring the local area. They’re not bikes you can take on the full Shimanami Kaido, but if you want to just potter around Onomichi on your first evening, they’re a great option.

Green Hill Hotel is well used to hosting Shimanami Kaido cyclists and they have bike parking on site.

Ryokan Onomichi Nishiyama

If you want to relax in style before you set off on the big ride, Ryokan Onomichi Nishiyama is for you. It’s a traditional Japanese ryokan with beautiful gardens, a restaurant onsite, and an incredibly relaxing vibe.

It’s a little bit further out than some of the other options on this list, so it’d be better suited to those who are picking up their bike rentals on their first day, but want a “last hurrah” before two days of lycra and sweat.

Like many ryokans, this books out very, very quickly. Ryokans often have “booking windows”, so if you’re keen and see your dates available, grab them.

For my fellow plant based travellers: Ryokan meals are traditionally pretty seafood heavy. While I can’t vouch for the vegan food at Ryokan Onomichi Nishiyama, you might be interested in my vegan-friendly Hakone ryokan and Kinosaki ryokan lists.

Also available on Hotels.com

Apartment Rentals

If you prefer the self-catering vibe, there are plenty of Airbnbs and apartments to rent in Onomichi. This is what we did, as we wanted to be able to cook our own dinner and breakfast, as well as bringing along a packed lunch for the ride.

As I mentioned earlier, Onomichi is a hilly town, so you’re going to want to find somewhere near the port or shopping street to avoid lugging your bags or bike all the way up the steep hills.

Here are a couple of options:

• Sidou Inn: A two-bedroom apartment near the shopping street, perfect for a family or friends travelling together.
• Senoa: A simple one bedroom apartment that comes with a bunk bed and a double bed. Again, ideal for a family or a group of friends who just want a cheap place to lay their heads for the night.
• Onomichi Hotel: A two bedroom apartment that sleeps five people. It’s close to the train station, so may not be great for light sleepers, but for a group on a budget it’s excellent value.

You’ve Booked, Now What?

You’ve hopefully already sorted out your luggage, booked your bike, and planned your route. If you’re in the early stages of planning your Shimanami adventure, I’ve written a complete guide to cover everything I needed to plan, and wish someone else had told me upfront.

You’ll find everything in the guide, but some key things to plan:

• Your itinerary
• The bike rental guide, including the different types of bike and forms of rental.
• The budget for the trip, including what I actually spent.
• The packing list.
• And for any fellow vegans, what to expect and how to plan your meals.

You can get a copy of my Shimanami Kaido two day itinerary by signing up below, and in the meantime, I wish you a truly wonderful ride. I loved mine and it’s still one of my Japan highlights, so I hope you find the exact same joy of soaring across those bridges.