Naoshima Day Trip Itinerary 2026: Ferry & Bus Transfer Guide

"Even getting lost is art."

Starting with the 8:12 AM ferry,

Your Ultimate Day Trip Guide to Naoshima

Hello, fellow explorers!

I'm Susukkottadari, documenting my adventures!

Today, I'm excited to share my day on Naoshima, the captivating 'island of art.'

From catching the 8:12 AM ferry until departing on the 5:00 PM ferry, it was a day filled with twists and turns—from missing buses to taking unexpected detours.

Yet, through it all, I completely fell under Naoshima's spell.

Here's the vivid, firsthand account of that unforgettable experience.

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Boarding the Naoshima Ferry

Takamatsu Port

Your journey to Naoshima kicks off

with a scenic ferry ride from Takamatsu Port.

I opted for the 8:12 AM ferry.

Good news! You don't need to book your ferry tickets in advance; you can simply purchase them on the spot.

My accommodation near Kataharamachi Station was about a 20-minute walk away.

Even if your accommodation is closer to the bustling Kawaramachi Station,

the walk would take a similar amount of time,

so it's definitely doable on foot!

I bought a round-trip ticket for 1,360 JPY.

Remember, you'll need to show your ticket again on the way back,

so make sure to keep it safe!

My only regret was the cloudy weather, which meant no brilliant blue skies for my photos. It made them a little less vibrant, haha!

Still, cruising through the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea for about 50 minutes, we soon arrived at Miyanoura Port.

Even from a distance, you can spot

Yayoi Kusama's iconic 'Red Pumpkin'!

That's how you know you've officially arrived on Naoshima!

And this is where my first 'adventure' of the day truly began. My initial plan was to

take the free shuttle bus directly from the port to the museum area.

However, I wasn't entirely sure of the exact boarding spot,

and ended up following a large group of people.

I'd heard that getting too caught up in photographing the Red Pumpkin

could mess up your itinerary, so I just admired it from a distance.

But those people I followed? They turned out to be a tour group! 🤦‍♀️

When I finally rushed to the correct bus stop,

the bus had already departed...

The free shuttle bus stop is number 2, by the way.

Having missed the 9:06 AM bus, I was looking at a 40-minute wait – ugh!

Believe me, I really wished I was on that tour group's bus at that moment!

But instead of dwelling on it, I decided to embrace the unexpected

and explore beautiful Naoshima on foot.

Honestly, what I'd actually recommend,

even more than the bus, is an electric bicycle!

There's a bike rental shop right by the port,

and exploring the island on an e-bike allows you to truly immerse yourself

without being tied to bus schedules,

giving you the freedom to enjoy every corner at your own pace.

Walking to the Lee Ufan Museum

While the walk from Miyanoura Port to the Lee Ufan Museum is quite a distance,

the path winding alongside the sea was absolutely breathtaking.

The air on Naoshima felt incredibly fresh, and the tiny wildflowers blooming along the path,

coupled with the silhouettes of distant islands, truly elevated the joy of the stroll.

Charming houses with quaint, low roofs also added to the scenic delight.

I believe the walk took about 35 minutes.

You'll even pass by the Chichu Art Museum along the way.

Since our reservation for the Chichu Art Museum was at 10:30,

we decided to visit the Lee Ufan Museum first.

Lee Ufan Museum

It wasn't flat terrain, but rather uphill and downhill

roads, so the walking time was quite long compared to the distance.

Along the way, we even met the famous

Naoshima cat.

Finally, we arrived at the Lee Ufan Museum.

Here, where Tadao Ando's architecture meets Lee Ufan's

restrained artworks,

instead of an indoor tour, we just took photos in front of the outdoor sculptures.

The giant stones and steel plates are his representative works,

but honestly, I couldn't really grasp their meaning. #ArtNoob ㅠㅠ

Chichu Art Museum

Near the entrance of the Chichu Art Museum, there's a pond and

a flower path created to evoke Monet's Water Lilies.

Various flowers are mixed together, and it's actually

quite beautiful.

After about 10 more minutes walking back

from the Lee Ufan Museum, you'll finally arrive at the Chichu Art Museum.

This place operates on a 100% reservation system,

so I made sure to book tickets in advance.

No on-site ticket purchases are allowed.

Just like its name Chichu (地中, "in the earth"), the building itself is

buried underground. You get to appreciate works by Claude Monet,

James Turrell, and Walter De Maria solely with natural light streaming

in from the ceiling.

If you come to Naoshima,

do NOT miss this place.

It wasn't a day with great light, so

I was sad that I couldn't experience Monet's Water Lilies as they change

with the light.

Photography is prohibited everywhere except the entrance!!

I can't show you James Turrell's amazing works, lol.

You can check them out on the homepage~~

How to Reserve Chichu Art Museum Tickets​

🔻🔻🔻

Naoshima Bus Types

There are three types of buses on Naoshima:

a free shuttle bus from the port to the Chichu Art Museum

ticket center, another free shuttle bus that circulates only within the museum area,

and the town bus, which connects the island's main residential areas and tourist attractions.

The fare for the town bus is always 100 yen.

I've neatly organized the routes for the free shuttles and the 100-yen bus,

which are the easiest to get confused about on Naoshima.

I actually had a lot of trouble navigating because I hadn't sorted out these routes,

ending up going back and forth.

✅️ Benesse Art Site Free Shuttle Bus​

This is a white bus that circulates within the museum area

and operates for free for museum visitors.

✔️Main Route: Tsutsujiso ↔

Benesse House ↔ Lee Ufan Museum

↔ Chichu Art Museum

✔️Major Stops

Tsutsujiso: Where the 100-yen bus meets

and is a transfer hub

Benesse House Museum:

In front of the accommodation and museum

Lee Ufan Museum: Stops right in front of the museum

Chichu Art Museum: Ticket Center

✔️ Feature: This bus does not go to the port (Miyanoura) or

Honmura village.

It only operates within the museum area.

✅️ Port ↔ Chichu Art Museum Center Free Bus​

Timed with ferry arrivals, ​

during specific hours, this is a free shuttle bus that goes directly from Miyanoura Port to the Chichu Art Museum Ticket Center.

The intervals between buses are long, and it can be difficult to get on if it gets crowded.

This is the exact bus we missed!

✔️​ Tip: As soon as you get off the ferry,

check if there's a white free shuttle waiting in front of the port.

If there is, it’s best to hop on immediately, but if not, don’t hesitate!

Taking the 100-yen bus to 'Tsutsujiso' is the way to save time.

Don't make our mistake and walk!

✅️ Naoshima Town Bus

(Red/Yellow 100-yen Bus)​

✔️ Main Route: Miyanoura Port (Ferry Terminal)

↔ Honmura (Art House Project) ↔

Tsutsujiso (Yellow Pumpkin)

✔️ Main Stops

Miyanoura Port: Ferry disembarkation point

(in front of the Red Pumpkin)

Nokyo-mae: Entrance to the Art House Project (Honmura Village)

Tsutsujiso: In front of the Yellow Pumpkin,

and the final stop for transferring to the free shuttle bus

✔️ Feature: This bus does not go inside the museums

(Chichu, Lee Ufan).

You must get off at 'Tsutsujiso.'

< Key Summary: Transfer Guide >

▶️ Port → To the Museums

✔️ Take the shuttle bus to Chichu

If you miss the shuttle:

✔️ Take the 100-yen bus from the port

➔ Get off at Tsutsujiso ➔ Transfer to the free shuttle

➔ Arrive at Chichu/Lee Ufan Museums

▶️ Museums → To the Art House Project

(Honmura) ​

✔️ Take the free shuttle from Chichu Center

➔ Get off at Tsutsujiso ➔ Transfer to the 100-yen bus

➔ Get off at Nokyo-mae

▶️ Art House Project → To the Port​

✔️ Take the 100-yen bus from Nokyo-mae

➔ Arrive at Miyanoura Port

Go see the Art House Project

While waiting for the museum circulation shuttle at Chichu Art Museum Center,

we saw one pass by and missed it. We mistakenly thought it was a bus for Benesse House guests.

The free bus actually said 'Benesse Art Site' on it, but we confused it for a Benesse guest-only bus.

We waited for the next bus and took it

to Tsutsujiso.

There were so many people gathered around the Yellow Pumpkin,

so we just viewed it from afar and immediately took the arriving town bus.

We planned to go to Honmura to see the Art House Project.

But we missed our stop and suddenly found ourselves back at the port!

As the saying goes, "Might as well rest while you're down," so we decided to have lunch,

but there weren't many restaurants around, unfortunatelyㅠㅠ

Is it really this hard to find lunch here..?

Even though we researched great restaurants, there was no way to get to them,

and there were only a couple of eateries near the port.

So, we settled for a decent fish katsu at a place that was more ordinary than a "must-try" spot~~~

Perhaps because Naoshima is an island, prices are a little on the higher side.

Giving up on seeing the Art House Project,

there was a shuttle bus going to the museums, so...

We decided to take that to Benesse House and relax while looking out at the sea.

So, a bus came, and we hopped on, but haha, it wasn't the free shuttle, it was the town bus~

It ended up taking us back the way we came.

We should have gone to Tsutsujiso and taken the museum loop shuttle, but at the time, I didn't know the bus routes well, so I was quite flustered...

Ultimately, we got off at the Art House Project stop, which brought us back to our original plan.

It was truly a wild and unexpected Naoshima adventure!

Art House Project

​

The sight of old shrines, a dental clinic building, and traditional houses reborn through the touch of artists was truly wondrous.

Seven houses have been renovated into art museums and exhibition spaces, and each of them had an entrance fee.

We found it perfectly delightful just walking through the alleys, admiring the houses, and soaking in the tranquil atmosphere, so we decided to skip the paid exhibitions.

You could say the village itself feels like a single work of art.

Simply walking around made for a wonderfully enriching time.

The Red Pumpkin

The town bus had just passed, and I wondered how long we'd have to wait again, but thankfully, since it was Sunday, there was a special bus!

This bus went from the Art House Project to the port, and it was also 100 yen~

Back at the port, we finally started taking photos of the Red Pumpkin, a task we'd put off earlier.

After a long while of taking pictures and enjoying ourselves, our return ferry arrived~~

As I boarded the ferry and watched Naoshima fade into the distance, I realized that all those moments of missing buses and getting lost would become precious memories.

Recommended Route

Based on my trial and error, here's an optimized itinerary for a seamless experience.

1. Arrival (08:12 ferry): Upon arriving at the port, immediately confirm boarding the 'Free Shuttle to the Museum Area'! (If you miss it, bicycle rental is recommended.)

Get off the boat and head straight to bus stop #2 on the right.

2. Morning (Chichu & Lee Ufan Museum): Visit the Chichu Art Museum first while you're at your freshest. (Reservations are essential!)

A 10:15 AM reservation seems to be the best time.

I had to book for 10:30 AM because that slot was sold out.

After Chichu Art Museum, head to the Lee Ufan Museum for photos, then take the museum shuttle bus to your next destination.

3. Lunch & Transfer: From the museum area, move to 'Tsutsujiso (Yellow Pumpkin)', and from there, be sure to transfer to the '100 yen bus'.

That's the way to get directly to Honmura Village.

4. Afternoon (Art House Project): Enjoy lunch in Honmura Village, then leisurely explore the 'Art House Project' houses.

5. Return (17:00 ferry): Check the bus schedule from the village to the port in advance, and then say your final goodbyes to the 'Red Pumpkin' at the port~

Wrapping Up

"Getting lost often means discovering a new path."

My Naoshima tour truly taught me this lesson.

Missing the free bus led me to walk, and that's how I saw

the 'yunseul' (shimmering light on water) from the coastal path.

Wandering, unsure of the bus stop, I accidentally stumbled upon

the charming alleyways of the village.

Isn't it these exceptional situations that come together

to complete your own unique 'local travel' experience?

Thanks to them, I even started thinking

about organizing information on Naoshima's bus routes!

To everyone planning a trip to Naoshima,

I hope this post becomes a delightful

guide for your journey!