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Let's enjoy Lake Biwa cruise and National Treasure Castle!

Shrine Gate at the small island

Three-story pagoda at the small island

Scenery from the island

Hikone Castle with "Hiko-nyan"

Old temple in the island

Let's enjoy Lake Biwa cruise and National Treasure Castle!

Day Trip

Joined 2018

Yuriko S.

4.95 / 5

(66 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Shiga

English

7 hours

Private tour (only you and Yuriko S.)

Up to 15 people

Hikone Castle is one of the five National Treasure castles. The castle is on the hilltop and you can see beautiful scenery of Lake Biwa and castle town. Beside the castle, there is a beautiful Japanese garden, named "Genkyu-en". If you like, you enjoy a cup of green tea with Japanese sweet. After lunch at the castle town, let's enjoy cruise to a small sacred island, Chikubu-jima. In the sacred island, there are a famous temple and a National Treasure shrine. I'm sure you like it!!

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:30 AM

Meeting Point

At your hotel or Hikone Station

10:00 AM

Hikone Castle

Let's enjoy National Treasure castle and beautiful Japanese garden!

12:00 PM

enjoy lunch time at nostalgic castle town

You can choose your favorite Japanese food at many restaurants at nostalgic castle town.

02:00 PM

Hikone Port for Lake Biwa cruise

Let's enjoy cruising for 40 minutes to Chikubu-jima island.

02:40 PM

Chikubu-jima island

strolling around the sacred small island, you can see beautiful shrine and temple.

04:30 PM

return to Hikone Port

You can ride the shuttle bus from the port to Hikone Station

Ending Point

Hikone Station

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

guide fee, hotel pick-up fee, transportation fee for guide

What‘s not included

transportation fee for you, lunch for you and guide, cruise fee and admission fee for you and guide

Tour Important Information

admission fee for Hikone Castle and Japanese garden include cruise fee is 3300 yen per a person

Important message from the supplier

I will guide you every day except for the day that my schedule is not vacant.

I'm a local guide of Gifu, Nagoya and Aichi, but I can guide you around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kanazawa, Takayama and Shiga if you pay my transportation fee.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2018

Yuriko S.

4.95 / 5

(66 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Yuriko S.

I am Yuriko from Gifu Prefecture. I was an assistant English teacher at junior high school. I started to work as a National Certificate tour guide in 2019.

I'm very interested in kimono, tea ceremony and Japanese castles. I sometimes guide in kimono. There are so many nice places to visit in Gifu and Nagoya! I also guide around Takayama, Shirakawago, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kanazawa if you pay my transportation fee from my hometown. Let's enjoy Japan with me!

Reviews

Linna W.

5 / 5

Dec 31, 2025

Nagoya Full-Day Tour

Dec 31, 2025

Nagoya

8 hours

Customized

“Amazing Guide”

She could accommodate our last minute change. Our guest had a wonderful trip with her. Thank you so much Yuriko san, hope can work with again!

Yuriko S.

Thank you so much for an excellent review and nice comments!! I'm happy to hear that our guests enjoyed Nagoya Tour with me. You supported me a lot. Thank you for your kindness.I also look forward to working with you again, Linna san!

Trang B.

5 / 5

Dec 27, 2025

Shirakawago Tour from Gifu

Dec 27, 2025

Shirakawago

10 hours

Customized

“Above-and-Beyond Service from an Exceptional Guide”

Yuriko (also known as Lily) was outstanding. She was well organized, friendly, and proactive in her communication. Before the tour, she shared helpful information, including a same-day reminder to bring extra socks because of the snow. She even provided hand warmers and wipes, which was a thoughtful and much-appreciated touch. Yuriko guided us through Shirakawago and Takayama, sharing interesting historical background along the way. She also handled train and bus reservations, which made the experience stress-free since we were unfamiliar with the area and do not speak Japanese. We highly recommend Yuriko and would gladly book her again if we return. You won’t be disappointed.

Yuriko S.

Thank you so much for an excellent review and wonderful comments!! I'm so happy to read your comments and also your comments encourage me a lot. It was so chilly, but you were so lucky to see beautiful snowy scenery of Shirakawago Village. In Takayama, even though very crowded, you looked enjoying local food, such as Hida-beef sushi and taiyaki(but very small, only one-bite…) You were always very kind to me and I also had a wonderful day with you and your nice family. Shirakawago ＆Takayama Tour with you was a year-end bonus present for me. Please enjoy winter Japan and come back to Japan again! Arigatou gozaimashita, thank you!!

Immanuele S.

5 / 5

Nov 18, 2025

Shirakawago Village Tour from Takayama

Nov 18, 2025

Shirakawago

7 hours

Customized

“3 data with Yuriko”

“As already said, Yuriko is an exceptional guide — absolutely worth using at all costs.”

Yuriko S.

Thank you so much for posting a nice review and an excellent review. I also had a wonderful day with you in Shirakawago Village where we could see autumn leaves under the beautiful blue sky. Thank you again for choosing me as your tour guide. I also enjoyed chocolates which you gave me with a cup of coffee every day. It is so delicious!! Arigatou gozaimashita.