Search hotels in Izu Shichito Islands, Japan

The island is lovely and has many outdoor activities. But you will likely need to rent a car to reach some of the more remote areas easily. There are buses and taxis, but you may have to wait quite a bit of time. Many of the restaurants will close during the afternoon and early evening, so be sure to have some snacks prepared or stay in a place with a kitchen.

Most important: Rent a car when visiting. The island isn't suited for exploration by foot. The distance between places of interest can be great and the whole island is full of steep slopes. I rented an electric bike and would only recommend it to people who have the explicit goal of biking. It is worth noting that you can reach the island by ferry AND plane. Taking the ferry has three sleeping options - I STRONGLY advise against anything but the most expensive one. I don't know if the first class is good, I just know that the other two are a surefire way to a bad night. Taking the plane is about as expensive or even cheaper than first class on the ferry, only takes an hour, and isn't a 10 hour ship ride. IF you take the ship to the island, I strongly recommend taking the plane back. The ferry leaves for Hachjiojima at 22:30 and arrives at 9:00 - an overnight trip. But it leaves the island at 9:30 and arrives in Tokyo at ~20:00, meaning you lose an entire day. Regarding the island itself: I think some of the highlights are climbing Hachijofuji and exploring the abandoned Royal Hotel. Both are manageable within a day. Depending on the weather, Hachijo has a beautiful night sky - it's not called Dark Sky Island for nothing. Other things worth doing are visiting Plant Park in the west of the island and exploring the southern side. There are some nice onsen experiences to be had in the south, but not all of them are open at all times. Planning a trip of two days, - arrival by ferry at 9 AM, doing things, spending a night, doing things and leaving by plane at 5 PM, - seems prudent choice. It's a subtropical island, which you might want to keep in mind if you plan on visiting in summer.

The whole island is beautiful, with spectacular views from the mountains. Great beaches and waves. Town is quiet and peaceful, which we loved. At night there's almost nobody out & about, but there are good restaurants. People are friendly. Nearby glass museum and glass factory are worth seeing. You do need a way to get around: maybe rent a vehicle or ride a bike (though you'll see a lot more with a car). We knew someone on the island, so we didn't have to look into that. Sunsets and night skies are something to behold.

We took the overnight ferry to the Hachijojima. If you have the time for it, it's a nice local experience. The island itself is beautiful and quiet. We used a rental car for one day, but used E-bikes most of the time. You'll want cash for restaurants, but the large grocery stores take credit card.

Shikinejima is a lovely island. We stayed before the busy season so many places were not open. I drove a car for the first time in a foreign country and it was the perfect opportunity since Shikinejima is easy to navigate. If you like hiking, there are many well maintained trails with beautiful views.

Oshima is lovely, and so are the people who live there. Sometimes when we looked as if we were lost, the locals quite quickly came to our rescue by asking how they could help. It is a small island, you can bike around it between 2-4 hours, but there is so much to walk or bike about (or dive or surf or whatever) that 2 or more nights is recommended to enjoy the island fully.

If you want to get away from the crowds, this is a great place. Try to get a good electric bike. There are several bicycle rental shops, so walk around and try to find one that has well-maintained bicycles. It will make a huge difference.

The island isn’t big but filled with activities which is great because in just 2/3 days it’s possible to do everything it has to offer. We rented some bikes and used them to travel around, which was fun but I only recommend to someone in good shape because the road are not flat at all, plus wind and sun can make it even tougher. One thing you must try is the ice cream, which is probably one of best I have ever eaten