Shiga_Hikone Castle_November_2016_-02_image Credit Wiki - Martin Falbisoner

Day Tours

Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

DAY(S)

DESTINATION(S)

GUESTS (MAX)

Day Tours

Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

DAY(S)

DESTINATION(S)

GUESTS (MAX)

Day Tours

Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

DAY(S)

DESTINATION(S)

GUESTS (MAX)

From US$280 per person

Overwiew

What You’ll Discover

Overwiew

What You’ll Discover

We designed this one-day journey to pair one of Japan's few original castles with the mountaintop monastery long associated with the monks who shaped Japanese Buddhism, both within easy reach of Kyoto. With a private van and an English-speaking guide for up to 8 hours, we take you to Hikone Castle, a National Treasure keep overlooking Lake Biwa, then to the canal town of Omi-hachiman for lunch, and up Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho and a major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries. It's a day for travelers who want castles, lakes, and mountain temples without the crowds of central Kyoto.

We designed this one-day journey to pair one of Japan's few original castles with the mountaintop monastery long associated with the monks who shaped Japanese Buddhism, both within easy reach of Kyoto. With a private van and an English-speaking guide for up to 8 hours, we take you to Hikone Castle, a National Treasure keep overlooking Lake Biwa, then to the canal town of Omi-hachiman for lunch, and up Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho and a major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries. It's a day for travelers who want castles, lakes, and mountain temples without the crowds of central Kyoto.

A private vehicle covers what public transit can't — three scattered Shiga destinations in a single day.

One of Japan's last original castles, a National Treasure almost no one from abroad has heard of — overlooking Japan's largest lake.

Lunch in Omi-hachiman, a historic merchant town where Edo-era storehouses line the tranquil waters of Hachiman-bori, much as they have for centuries.

A mountaintop monastery where Japanese Buddhism itself took shape, with views across Lake Biwa that go on forever.

Highlights

Explore the Highlights of Your Journey

Highlights

Explore the Highlights of Your Journey

Lake Biwa — Japan's largest freshwater lake, ringed by mountains and dotted with lakeside towns.
Hachiman-bori Canal — A canal town of willow-lined waterways and old merchant storehouses from the Edo era.
Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei — A vast mountaintop monastery founded more than 1,200 years ago, once home to armies of warrior monks.
Hikone Castle — One of Japan's few surviving original castles and a National Treasure, looking out over Lake Biwa.

Illustrated map of Japan with all prefectures and regional boundaries

Information

Where This Journey Takes You

Information

Where This Journey Takes You

This itinerary connects some of Japan’s most distinctive regions, combining iconic highlights with lesser-known destinations to create a seamless travel experience from start to finish.

Area

Kansai

•

City

Duration

6 Day(s)

Group Size (Max)

0 Guest(s)

Destinations

4 Destination(s)

Transport

Chartered Vehicles

Pick-up

At hotel in Kyoto City or Kyoto Station

Drop-off

Kyoto-kawaramachi Station

English/ Japanese/ Mandarin

Japanese, English

Itinerary

Explore Every Moment Along the Way

Itinerary

Explore Every Moment Along the Way

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Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Meet your guide at your Kyoto hotel and settle into the private van for the drive east toward Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake — so vast it looks more like an inland sea, ringed by mountains on every side.

Hikone Castle

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Hikone Castle

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Hikone Castle

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Climb the steep wooden stairs inside Hikone Castle, one of only five original castle keeps left standing in Japan — unlike Osaka Castle's 1931 concrete reconstruction, this is the real thing, completed in the early 17th century and still standing nearly 400 years later, its keep looking out over the wide blue sweep of Lake Biwa from a hilltop where samurai lords once lived.

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Lunch

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Lunch

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Enjoy lunch in Omi-hachiman, surrounded by an Edo-era canal townscape — close enough to sample Omi-gyu, a wagyu variety older and rarer than Kobe beef.

Lunch

Hachiman-bori Canal

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Hachiman-bori Canal

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Hachiman-bori Canal

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Wander along the willow-lined Hachiman-bori Canal, its Edo-era merchant storehouses reflected in still water, much as they have for centuries — photogenic without trying to be, quiet without being empty.

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Ascend Mount Hiei to Enryaku-ji, founded in 788 AD by the monk Saicho. A major center of Japanese Buddhism for centuries, it was closely associated with influential monks who later shaped several of Japan's major Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. Surrounded by forest, the temple complex also offers views toward Lake Biwa.

Return to Kyoto

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Return to Kyoto

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Return to Kyoto

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Drive back from Mt. Hiei into central Kyoto as the afternoon draws on.

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

The tour ends here around Kawaramachi, central Kyoto's shops and streets just beginning to come alive for the evening.

Policies

Important Travel Information

Policies

Important Travel Information

Talk to Our Team

Every journey is different. Our Japan Travel Specialists are here to answer your questions, refine every detail, and help you choose the itinerary that best matches your interests, travel style, and pace.

Talk to Us

Design My Trip

Inclusions

- Charter Vehicles - Tour guide - Meal (Lunch) - Entrance tickets and activities to the following: 　・Hikone Castle 　・Enryaku-ji Temple - Inbound Travel Insurance

Exclusions

Cancellation

Additional Info

Talk to Our Team

Talk to Us

Design My Trip

Talk to Our Team

Talk to Us

Design My Trip

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Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

Private Day Trip from Kyoto: Hikone Castle, Mt. Hiei & Lake Biwa

What You’ll Discover

What You’ll Discover

Explore the Highlights of Your Journey

Explore the Highlights of Your Journey

Where This Journey Takes You

Where This Journey Takes You

Explore Every Moment Along the Way

Explore Every Moment Along the Way

Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Kyoto Hotel Pick-Up

Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Omi-hachiman Lunch

Hachiman-bori Canal

Hachiman-bori Canal

Hachiman-bori Canal

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei

Return to Kyoto

Return to Kyoto

Return to Kyoto

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

Kawaramachi Drop-Off

Important Travel Information

Important Travel Information

Talk to Our Team

Talk to Our Team

Talk to Our Team

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