Guided Tour to Naoshima Art Island with Private Car
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Discover Japan's celebrated art island, Naoshima, with an expert guide who brings rich insights from a museum background. Witness Yayoi Kusama’s iconic Red Pumpkin and explore world-class contemporary art in stunning spaces designed by Tadao Ando.
Travel in comfort via private car and ferry to three cultural landmarks: the subterranean Chichu Art Museum, the tranquil Lee Ufan Museum, and the hillside Benesse House Museum. These architectural masterpieces showcase works from Claude Monet to light-sensitive installations that shift with the seasons.
Your guide’s deep knowledge enhances each visit, offering valuable context on the art, architecture, and cultural impact of this unique island. Enjoy seamless transport from Uno Port and a full day immersed in Japan’s most inspiring fusion of art and nature, concluding at Miyanoura Port.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
In this tour, admission fee to the museum is not included.
Guide will suggest you several museums to visit and please discuss with him.
If you late over 10 min to the starting time, your booking will be treated as no show.
What To Expect
Naoshima-cho
The local guide will take you around the Island and museums and art-featured spots and sites giving you a more in depth knowledge that the other tourist cannot experience. Also, stop at a local restaurant and enjoy lunch with fresh produces.
Chichu Art Museum
The Chichu Art Museum is a museum that focuses on the rethinking of relationship between nature and people. To avoid meshing with the scenery of the island the museum is mostly built underground. The museums holds artworks by the famous Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. What makes this museum interesting is how the appearance of art changes by the natural light that shines inside, which gives the museum a different aspect depending on the season.
Options
Naoshima tour
What‘s Included
Pickup from Uno Port by your English-speaking guide
Private car
Admission tickets to Benesse, Chichu, and Lee Ufan Museum
Ferry ride from Uno port to Miyanoura Port
Transportation in Naoshima
Drop-off (Tour ends at Miyanoura port)
Ferry ride from Miyanoura port to Uno port
Food and beverages (at your own expense)
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
18 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Extraordinary - Best Experience of Japan
Amybesq,May 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I was nervous about spending the money on this tour and am so glad that I did. Viator communicated every step of the way and meeting Yoji at the port was incredibly smooth. Request him specifically - he is an artist himself and interested in you as the client and your knowledge and passions. He was an expert guide for the Art, the Benesse project and the islands. He lives on Naoshima so we gained history of the area as well. The day we toured was cold, windy and rainy and he planned the day to minimize discomfort and maximize immersion. The art and architecture are remarkable and I will be back to view Naoshima again and to visit the other 2 islands. This is an experience not to be missed.
Naoshima ++
Valerie S,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Organization over 2 days to better enjoy Visit the other 2 islands Plan the hotel in advance to have the choice
Naoshima Day Trip
Flor R,Jun 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00I had a wonderful experience on my trip to Naoshima! The island itself is beautiful and unique, and exploring it with my guide, Yoji, made it truly special. He was incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights about the art and culture throughout the tour. I highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Naoshima, it was one of the highlights of my trip!
Guided Naoshima day tour- highly recommended
William W,May 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The tour was led by Yoki, a very knowledgeable guide. He explained thoroughly the history and philosophy of each art work, which made the whole day a wonder experience
Had a great day!
Monique V,Apr 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide spoke good english, gave lots of information and was very sympathetic. It is a full day with lots of walking but sea worth it!
Memorable Adventure
Craig B,Apr 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Yoshi, our tour guide, blends knowledge, engaging personality, and a sense of wonder to create a memorable experience. His deep understanding of the art, history, and culture gave context to our tour. But it’s not just the facts—he uses an engaging, approachable style that makes the experience fun and relatable, sparking curiosity and interaction.
Efficient and Knowledgable
bobrobb,Mar 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Yukon Ohama was a great tour guide - He lives on the island and could speak with great knowledge about the history and all the art installations - we had a really enjoyable day
Memorable experience
fionahh2014,Oct 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A wonderful experience. Viator arranged the tour very efficiently. The tour guide, Mr Ohora, was very impressive. He is very knowledgeable about Naoshima; history, musuems and details of all the art works and installations. We thoroughly recommend.
Worth renting a car for a couple of hours
silverspire,May 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We rented a car for 4 hours as it’s easier to get around the island with a party of 3. Prices are reasonable too. Bicycles many people cycle on the roads instead of footpaths. The island has a really laid back, chilled out vibe to it and I think it might be worth an overnight stay the next time we visit. Either that or spend 2 days looking through all the museums (and stay at uno port) Definitely worth a visit!!
How to visit Naishimo Island Right
JWhoLoves2Travel,Apr 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The Art Island is a bit spread out so having guide made our day far more enjoyable than it would have been without. To make it even better, our guide Yoji studied art and gave us information that made everything much more relatable and fun. If you like contemporary art at all you will love this tour.
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