Temples Along The Shikoku Pilgrimage Route

Get off the beaten track for a half-day journey to two of the 88 temples along the Shikoku Pilgrimage route. Sit back in your coach seat with your camera at hand as you head to Tairyu-ji Temple, #21 on the 745-mile-long pilgrimage route that dates back 1,100 years. Tairyu-ji, which means Great Dragon, is one of the few locations on Shikoku where the 9th century Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi visited. Perched atop the sacred 6,413-foot-high Shikoku Mountain, reached by cable car, the temple affords magnificent views. Another sacred destination is the Byodo-ji Temple, #22 on the route. Originally erected 1,200 years ago, the temple was rebuilt during the 15th and 16th centuries. Commune with nature, wander the temple grounds. At the end of the amazing adventure you'll return to the pier with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty surrounding Buddhism.