When you think of Japan, you probably picture castles, shrines, mountains and pristine beaches. If you want to see all of that in one remarkable city, look no further than Kochi. Waves roll onto a Pacific beach, a castle more than 400 years old rises above the rooftops and mist drifts through a mountain gorge lined with maples and azaleas. Guests on cruises to Kochi soon learn that the region stretches well beyond the port city itself. Princess® shore excursions reach from the Pacific coastline to limestone caves to a river gorge across the prefectural border, so the best things to do in Kochi, Japan, can suit almost any mood.

Key takeaways

Katsurahama Beach and its statue of Sakamoto Ryoma appear across several Princess excursions, from castle tours to cave exploration.

Excursions range from a half-day visit to Kochi Castle to full-day journeys into the mountains at Oboke Gorge or out to Cape Muroto.

Traditional crafts, gardens and geologic landmarks each anchor a different excursion, giving guests a range of ways to spend their day ashore.

Kochi Castle and Katsurahama Beach

At a glance:

  • Excursions:
  • Katsurahama Beach and the Sakamoto Ryoma statue: on all three. Only the first climbs the castle’s donjon.
  • Travel time from port: Katsurahama Beach is about 10 minutes by taxi. Kochi Castle is about 25 minutes.
  • Good to know: The donjon climb is more than 200 steps, and shoes may need to come off at the castle. Kochi Castle isn’t wheelchair accessible, and swimming isn’t allowed at Katsurahama.

Feudal lord Yamauchi Kazutoyo built Kochi Castle more than 400 years ago, and its donjon, rebuilt in the 18th century after a fire, still crowns the city with quiet authority. The climb to the top rewards you with panoramic views across the rooftops and hills. Along the way, the tour passes the beautifully restored Tsumemon Gate and visits the honmaru living quarters, which house local and historical treasures that bring the castle's past to life.

The Kochi Castle and Katsurahama Beach excursion then carries you to the coast. Katsurahama is home to a statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, the historical figure credited with helping transform feudal Japan into a modernized nation. Standing before him with the Pacific stretching out beyond is a fitting way to link the city's history with its shoreline. Katsurahama also appears in two other Princess excursions, so you have more than one way to experience it.

The impressive multi-tiered main keep of Kochi Castle rises into a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds, surrounded by traditional tiled roofs, sculpted pine trees and lush green garden foliage.
Step back in time at Kochi Castle (Kōchi-jō) in Japan, one of the few remaining original Edo-period castles in the country, featuring striking white walls, ornate tiled roofs and meticulously manicured traditional gardens.
A group of people stands on the deck of a cruise ship, enjoying the view of the open sea. The wooden deck and railing are visible, with the ship's wake trailing behind. The setting sun casts a warm glow over the scene, creating a serene and relaxing atmosphere.

Ready to explore Kochi with Princess?

View Cruises

Temples and gardens around Mount Godai

At a glance

  • Excursions:
  • Travel time from port: Hirome Market is about 15 to 25 minutes from the port. Mount Godai is about 20 minutes by taxi from Kochi Station.
  • Good to know: Both include lunch. Best of Kochi has more than 100 steps at Chikurin-ji, and Princess doesn’t recommend it for guests with walking difficulty or wheelchair users. Bring yen for extra payments. The Monet’s Garden lunch restaurant can’t accommodate dietary requirements, and the garden is closed the first Wednesday of the month from June to October.

On the wooded slopes of Mount Godai, Chikurin-ji Temple is the 31st stop of the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Its wooden architecture and moss-covered grounds create a hush that feels a world away from the harbor.

Nearby, Makino Botanical Garden honors Kochi-born botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino. You can experience it as part of the Best of Kochi excursion, a broader day exploring the city that ends with free time at Hirome Market, where you can sample local food and browse local goods. If gardens are your priority, the Monet's Garden and Makino Botanical Garden excursion pairs a garden modeled on Claude Monet's garden in Giverny with a lunch of local products and a visit to Makino.

A mossy traditional Japanese stone lantern stands in a sunlit forest clearing surrounded by tall cedar trees and vibrant green moss ground cover on Mount Godai in Kochi, Japan.
Find peace atop Mount Godai in Kochi, Japan, where tranquil moss-covered temple grounds like Chikurin-ji invite quiet reflection.

Ryugado Cave is an ancient limestone wonder

At a glance

  • Excursion: Ryugado Cave & Katsurahama Beach: 5.25 hours, Strenuous
  • Travel time from port: About 30 to 50-minute drive.
  • Good to know: The cave has narrow paths, steep steps and some crouched walking, and Princess doesn’t recommend the excursion for guests with limited mobility. A snack and water are included in place of lunch.

Ryugado Cave sits on the slopes of Mt. Sampo and is a National Natural Monument believed to date back 150 million years. It ranks among the three largest limestone caves in Japan. Inside, waterfalls tumble past stalactites in a wide variety of shapes while bats and shrimp make their home in the shadows.

The Ryugado Cave and Katsurahama Beach excursion pairs the cave with a return to the shore. This time Katsurahama is noted for its place among the 100 Best Beaches in Japan, a fine reward after time spent underground.

Cape Muroto's geologic coastline

At a glance

  • Excursion: Cape Muroto & Muroto Geopark Center: 8.5 hours, Moderate
  • Travel time from port: About 2 to 2.5 hours from the pier
  • Good to know: Lunch is included. The paths are unpaved and uneven, and Princess doesn’t recommend the excursion for guests with limited mobility. Entry to Mikurodo Cave is prohibited due to rockfall.

Cape Muroto is part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, and a guide explains how its rock formations rose from the seafloor over successive earthquakes. The Cape Muroto and Muroto Geopark Center excursion also stops at Mikurodo Cave, believed to be where the 8th-century Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi attained enlightenment.

After lunch, a sloping trail leads to Hotsumisakiji Temple, which Kobo Daishi founded in 807. It is a walk through coastal scenery to a temple with more than a thousand years of history.

An aerial view of Cape Muroto showing a lush green mountain headland surrounded by dark, rugged rock formations stretching out into the deep blue sea under a soft sky.
Take in the dramatic coastal views at Cape Muroto (Muroto-misaki) in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, where jagged rock formations jut into the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Iya Valley and Oboke Gorge

At a glance

  • Excursion: Oboke Gorge: seven hours, Strenuous
  • Travel time from port: About 90 minutes by coach to Iya Valley.
  • Good to know: Lunch is included. The Kazurabashi Bridge can’t be crossed by wheelchair, and the boat doesn’t run in bad weather. Princess doesn’t recommend the excursion for guests with limited mobility.

A 90-minute journey takes you into Iya Valley, a remote mountainous area once accessible only by rope bridges. The Kazurabashi vine bridge stretches about 150 feet (45 meters) across the gorge and is rebuilt every three years. It sways underfoot as you cross, so you can decide whether the crossing suits you.

The Oboke Gorge excursion also includes a boat cruise down the Yoshino River. You glide beneath maple trees and azaleas, past rocks of unusual shapes.

A high-angle landscape view of the deep, forested Iya Valley with autumn-colored trees along mountain slopes, low-lying white clouds drifting through the valley floor and small hillside settlements built on the steep terrain under a clear blue sky.
Venture into the remote and spectacular Iya Valley near Kochi, Japan, where dramatic mountain peaks adorned with vibrant autumn foliage frame a deep, mist-shrouded gorge.

Traditional crafts in Kami City

At a glance

In Kami City, a visit to a furafu flag workshop shows craftspeople creating the colorful flags traditionally given to newborn sons. At Yamada High School's Calligraphy Club, a demonstration invites you to try writing your own characters.

The Local Connections: Local Artisans, Sake and Lunch at Bunzo excursion continues with sake sampling and a workshop at a local brewery. It ends at Hachioji Shrine, where you can write a wooden wish plate called an ema.

A traditional Japanese Shinto shrine featuring a prominent reddish-brown gabled roof, wooden latticework windows and a heavy sacred straw rope (shimenawa) with white paper streamers hanging over the stone entrance steps, surrounded by green and autumn-yellow trees.
Experience the serene, spiritual atmosphere of Japan's sacred sites at Hachioji Shrine near Kochi.

Make the most of your day in Kochi

From coastline to mountain gorge to traditional crafts, the Kochi excursions on offer show how much variety fits into a single day ashore. Guests visiting in mid-August may also catch the Yosakoi Festival, Kochi's well-known dance celebration, though it is not part of a specific excursion. Whichever path you choose, these things to do in Kochi, Japan, promise a day you will remember long after the ship sails.

Ready to explore? Book a Japan cruise and set sail for Kochi.

Dancers perform in sync down an urban street during Kochi's Yosakoi Festival, clad in bright turquoise, red and yellow traditional garments with wooden naruko clappers raised in their hands.
Immerse yourself in the high-energy traditions of Kochi, Japan during the vibrant Yosakoi Festival, where dancers in colorful matching kimonos perform with wooden naruko clappers.

Things to do in Kochi FAQs