[Complete Guide] How Many Days Does the Ohenro Take? Duration by Transport (Full Circuit vs. Split)

That’s a completely natural question to have.

The Ohenro is a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage trail in Shikoku, Japan. The full route covers approximately 1,200 km across 88 sacred temples — but how many days it takes depends entirely on how you choose to do it.

Walking the full circuit takes over 40 days. By car, it can be done in around 10 days. Some people split it over several years. If you’re stuck wondering “how many days do I actually need?” without a clear answer, you’re not alone.

This article covers:

How Many Days Ohenro Takes Depends on How You Travel — Full Circuit vs. Split Pilgrimage Explained

The Ohenro pilgrimage (formally known as the Shikoku Pilgrimage) visits 88 sacred temples across four prefectures — Tokushima, Kochi, Ehime, and Kagawa. The route was established by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) in the 9th century and stretches approximately 1,200 km in total.

How many days it takes comes down to two key factors: how you complete it (full circuit or split) and how you travel (on foot, by car, taxi, or bus tour). Let’s break down both.

Full Circuit vs. Split Pilgrimage: What’s the Difference?

There are two main approaches to completing the Ohenro, each with a very different time commitment.

A full circuit requires a long block of consecutive time off and significant physical stamina. A split pilgrimage, on the other hand, can be completed while working or raising a family — one trip at a time.

Transportation Can Change the Duration by 10x

Even though the total distance is the same 1,200 km, the number of days varies dramatically depending on how you travel.

Walking takes over a month; by car, it’s about 10 days. There’s a 4 to 6-fold difference in duration — yet both lead to the same destination: all 88 temples.

In the sections ahead, we’ll go deeper into how long each method actually takes — and how to figure out which one works for you.

How Many Days for a Full Circuit? 40 Days on Foot or 10 Days by Car — The Reality

This section looks at the specific durations for each transportation method when doing a full circuit (Toshiuchi). Read through and imagine which option feels closest to your situation.

Walking: 40–60 Days Is the Real Range

Walking the full 88-temple circuit takes approximately 45–55 days for most pilgrims. Faster walkers finish in the low 40s; those taking a more relaxed pace may take up to 60 days.

The average daily distance is around 20–30 km. Hilly terrain, mountain paths, and the location of temples relative to guesthouses mean some days might end at 15 km while others stretch past 35 km.

By Car: Complete It in Around 10 Days

Driving your own car cuts the journey to just 9–12 days. The typical pace is 7–10 temples per day, starting early in the morning and continuing through the afternoon.

The great advantage of driving is flexibility — you can linger at temples that feel meaningful and move quickly through others. You’re on your own schedule.

Charter Taxi: The Most Relaxed Full Circuit in 8–11 Days

Chartering a jumbo taxi or minibus for the full circuit typically takes 8–11 days. Drivers are often licensed Sendatsu (certified Ohenro guides), making it a reassuring option for first-time pilgrims.

The cost is higher than driving yourself, but the key benefit is that driving, route planning, parking, and temple etiquette are all handled for you.

Comparing All Three Full Circuit Options

Here’s how the three main full circuit methods compare across duration, effort, and cost.

Walking appears most affordable on paper — but with 45–60 days of accommodation and meals, costs easily reach ¥300,000 or more. It’s not as economical as it might seem.

That’s why many people who aspire to walk still end up choosing a car or taxi when it comes down to it — and that’s a perfectly reasonable choice.

How Many Years Does a Split Pilgrimage Take? Planning Tips and How to Actually Finish

For those who can’t manage a full circuit, the split pilgrimage (Kiziuchi) is the practical path. This section covers the different ways to divide the journey, how long each approach typically takes, and how to actually make it to the finish.

Three Main Approaches to a Split Pilgrimage

Split pilgrimages fall into three broad patterns, each with a different timeline to completion.

The approach you choose affects both the total days required and how many years it takes to reach completion (Kechigan).

Estimated Schedule by Number of Splits

Here’s a breakdown of common split formats. Many bus tour and taxi tour operators offer packages aligned with these patterns.

An important point: even in a split pilgrimage, the total number of days is not that different from doing a full circuit. By any method other than walking, most people complete it in around 10–20 days total.

How to Stick With a Split Pilgrimage and Actually Finish

The most common reason people don’t finish a split pilgrimage is simply that “life gets in the way.” Those who do complete it tend to share certain habits.

“Booking the next trip while you’re still on this one” is probably the single most effective habit. Without a fixed next date, everyday life will quietly push the pilgrimage aside — that’s the hidden danger of a split pilgrimage.

The Season You Choose Affects Your Completion Rate

For a long-term split pilgrimage, when you go matters as much as how often. Shikoku’s climate varies significantly by region and season, and the right timing can make the difference between a great trip and a grueling one.

Walking pilgrims especially tend to concentrate in spring and autumn. Summer walking carries serious heatstroke risk, and winter mountain trails can be icy and dangerous. Choosing the right season significantly improves your chances of completing the pilgrimage.

Among those who’ve contacted us, one story stands out: a mother who spent 8 years completing the Ohenro — a little at a time, spring and autumn — finally receiving her Kechigan (completion). A split pilgrimage is a pilgrimage measured in life’s longer rhythms.

Ohenro Days by Transportation — Walking, Car, Taxi, and Bus Tour Compared

This is the heart of the article. The answer to “how many days does the Ohenro take” comes down to how you travel. Here’s an honest side-by-side comparison of all four methods.

All Four Methods Compared Across Key Factors

Beyond just days, here are the factors that actually matter when choosing how to do the Ohenro.

In simple terms: if minimizing days and staying safe are your priorities, a bus tour or charter taxi makes the most sense. For a balance of freedom and cost, a private car wins. If you want a total mind-and-body pilgrimage experience, walking is in a class of its own.

Bus Tours Are the Best Option for Minimizing Days

For those who want to use as few days as possible, bus tours are the most practical fit. Split-format bus tours offer day trips or 1-night/2-day packages once a month, making it easy to fit into regular life without disrupting your schedule.

For a detailed comparison of leading bus tour companies (Club Tourism, Hankyu Travel, JTB), see the guide below.

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[Full Comparison] Ohenro Tour Options Explained — Bus Tour, Proxy Service, or Walking: How to Choose

Private Car Is the Best Value Option

For families or couples who don’t mind driving, a private car offers the best balance of cost and freedom. You can realistically complete the full circuit in around 10 days for approximately ¥200,000 in total costs.

Keep in mind that mountain roads and limited parking at some temples do require confident driving. You’ll need time, physical stamina, and driving ability.

Walking Requires 40+ Consecutive Days — Plan Accordingly

For those seriously considering a walking circuit, the first question is whether you can secure 40 or more consecutive days off. Most walking pilgrims are retirees, people between jobs, or those on extended leave. It’s rarely something you can work into a standard schedule.

Beyond time, there’s the preparation: three months of physical conditioning (walking 10+ km daily), gear selection, researching guesthouses, and more. The preparation alone is a significant undertaking.

Which Method Fits You? A Quick Checklist

If you’re still unsure, use this checklist to find the option that best fits your situation.

There’s no single right answer. What matters most is balancing your available time, physical condition, and budget — and choosing the path you can actually follow through on.

How Many Days Can Working People Realistically Take for the Ohenro?

At this point, you’re probably wondering: “OK, but how many days can I actually take?” This section is about building a realistic plan for completing the Ohenro while holding down a job.

Average Paid Leave in Japan: About 11 Days Per Year

According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average number of paid leave days taken by workers in 2023 was 11.0 days. Combined with weekends and public holidays, here’s what that looks like in practice.

The takeaway: with strategic use of paid leave, completing the full circuit by car or taxi is entirely achievable for working adults.

A 3-Year Plan Is the Most Realistic Option

For people in their 40s or 50s who are working, the most realistic approach is a 3-year split pilgrimage plan. Here’s an example of how it might look.

All up, that’s about 10–15 days of leave — a range that many company employees and public servants can realistically arrange.

Even Weekends Only Can Work

Some industries make extended holidays nearly impossible — healthcare, care work, and service industries, for example. For those people, a weekend-only split pilgrimage using day-trip bus tours is a genuine option.

Day-trip bus tours from the Kansai region (Osaka/Kyoto area), for instance, can visit 5–8 temples in a single day. Going once or twice a month, completion in 1–2 years is achievable.

Caregivers and Parents of Young Children Face Extra Constraints

So far we’ve focused on people with jobs — but the reality for many is “I have a job, I’m caring for aging parents, and I’m managing the kids’ schedules.” For those in the caregiving years of life, finding personal time is often the hardest challenge of all.

A Realistic Plan by Life Stage and Career

Based on common consultations we receive, here’s how different situations translate into realistic Ohenro plans.

The most important thing is choosing a format that fits your actual life. Attempting a full circuit and burning out halfway is far less meaningful than completing the journey in smaller, honest steps.

In the next section, we’ll introduce one more option for those who truly cannot find the time.

Can’t Make the Trip? Zero Days Needed — The Ohenro Proxy Service

Work, caregiving, health limitations — many people simply cannot take the days needed to complete the Ohenro themselves. For them, there is another option: an Ohenro proxy service (Daiko or Daisan).

What Is a Proxy Service? “Walking in Your Place”

An Ohenro proxy service (Daiko) means a dedicated proxy pilgrim completes the 88-temple circuit on your behalf, then delivers the sacred records — a Nokyo-cho (stamp book), photos, and more — to you. This practice is rooted in a tradition called Daisan (proxy pilgrimage), which has existed for over a thousand years.

Days Required: You vs. Proxy

When you use a proxy service, the number of days you personally need is effectively zero. Here’s how it compares to doing it yourself.

With a proxy service, you can send your prayers without sacrificing any personal time. It’s increasingly chosen as a meaningful gift for elderly parents who have always wished to make the pilgrimage.

Why More People Are Choosing Proxy Services

The growing interest in proxy pilgrimages reflects several common situations.

The shift in thinking is this: not “I can’t go, so I’ll give up” — but “I can’t go, so I’ll find another way to send my prayers.”

About Ohenro Gift Bin

At Ohenro Gift Bin, our proxy pilgrim walks the full 88-temple circuit on foot, then delivers a Nokyo-cho (completed stamp book), Goshuin seals, photographs, video, and amulets directly to the person who requested the service.

This isn’t a souvenir — it’s a genuine record of a real pilgrimage. You can ask any questions in advance via LINE or a free consultation.

What Gets Delivered: Proof of the Pilgrimage

People sometimes wonder: “Did they really walk it? Is this just a service on paper?” At Ohenro Gift Bin, we deliver multiple forms of documentation to show that the pilgrimage was genuinely completed.

A completed Nokyo-cho is worth ¥20,000–30,000 to produce — but one with stamps from all 88 temples cannot be purchased anywhere. Each seal was received in person, temple by temple, by the proxy pilgrim walking in your place.

» Learn more about Ohenro Gift Bin’s proxy service

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohenro Duration — Shortest Route, Day Trips, and More

Here are the most common questions we receive about how many days the Ohenro takes. If you’re still working out the details, these answers should help.

What’s the minimum number of days to complete the Ohenro?

The fastest completion is by chartered jumbo taxi, which can be done in 8–9 days. That means starting early each morning and visiting around 10 temples per day. There’s a practical limit though — temple stamp offices (Nokyo-jo) are generally open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which sets a floor on how fast you can realistically move.

Can I complete all 88 temples in a single day?

No — it’s physically impossible. The total route is approximately 1,200 km, and even with maximum efficiency, factoring in travel distances, temple visits, and stamp office hours, a minimum of 8 days is required. When people say “day trip Ohenro,” they mean visiting a handful of temples in one day as part of a split pilgrimage — not completing all 88.

Does a full circuit bring more blessings than a split pilgrimage?

Both carry the same spiritual meaning as a pilgrimage. Some traditional perspectives do value the full circuit more highly, but in practice the majority of pilgrims today complete the Ohenro through a split approach — and arrive at Kechigan all the same. What matters most is approaching each temple with sincerity, not the number of days taken. This is the consistent message from experienced Sendatsu (certified guides).

How far do walking pilgrims walk each day?

The typical daily distance for a walking pilgrim is 20–30 km. On flat stretches, some cover 30–35 km in a day. But on mountain trails (known as Henro-korogashi, or “pilgrim tumblers”) or in rain, 15 km might be all that’s manageable. Physical condition, weather, and the day’s temple layout all play a role.

If I pause my split pilgrimage for a few years, can I still complete it?

Absolutely. Many pilgrims stop for years and then return — it’s far from unusual. There’s no rule about when you have to finish. The Nokyo-cho (stamp book) waits patiently until you’re ready to continue. Some pilgrims take more than 10 years to complete the circuit, progressing a little at a time through life’s milestones.

My elderly parent wants to do the Ohenro but can’t manage many days. What are the options?

Charter taxi tours and guided bus tours with a Sendatsu are good options. However, for someone in their 80s or older, 9–11 consecutive days of travel can be physically demanding. If the priority is simply getting your parent to Shikoku at all, a single-prefecture trip (Ikkoku-mairi) may be the gentlest approach. For those who cannot travel at all, an Ohenro proxy service is worth considering.

Summary — How Many Days You Need for the Ohenro Depends on Your Life

We’ve covered the Ohenro from every angle — by transportation, by life situation, by time available. Here’s a quick recap of the key points.

The real question isn’t “how many days to finish” — it’s “what format can you and your loved ones actually sustain?” Walking 40 days straight, splitting it over 3 years, or sending prayers through a proxy: every approach carries its own meaning.

If work, caregiving, or physical limitations make it difficult to find the days needed, Ohenro Gift Bin’s proxy service offers another path. Our proxy pilgrim walks the full circuit on foot and delivers a complete set of records — stamp book, photos, video, and amulets — to you or your loved one.

» Visit Ohenro Gift Bin

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[Full Comparison] Ohenro Tour Options Explained — Bus Tour, Proxy Service, or Walking: How to Choose