Tour to the National Treasure Hikone Castle from Kyoto
Joined 2014
Hikone City is only an hour away from Kyoto by train and faces the largest lake in Japan.
Hikone Castle, a national treasure, and its castle town are located there.
There are also some old temples and shrines nearby.
You feel like you have slipped back into the Edo Period ( about 200~400 years ago).
This is a half-day tour where you can learn about Japan's medieval period.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
JR Hikone Station or Kyoto city or Osaka city
Hikone Castle tower (A National Treasure), Genkyu-en Garden
Hikone Castle was built in the Edo period (1603-1867) as an important base for the Tokugawa Shogunate along with Nijo Castle and Himeji Castle in Kyoto. The castle is surrounded by turrets, stone walls, and moats, including the castle tower, which is a national treasure. From the top floor of the castle tower, we can see Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. There is also a beautiful garden inside the castle complex called "Genkyu-en" Garden, from which the castle tower can be seen, making it an excellent photo spot.
Castle Town
The castle town of Hikone Castle was fortunately spared from war damage, and the old townscape remains. In this area, a watchhouse to watch against enemy invasion and old temples still remain, giving visitors a glimpse of the medieval townscape in Japan.
Lunch
The area called "Hikone Castle Road" is a recreation of Hikone Castle Town with souvenir shops and restaurants. One of the most famous meals in this area is a meat dish using Omi beef, which is as famous as Kobe beef. Omi beef is a specialty that was presented to the Tokugawa shoguns during the Edo period (1603-1867)
Ending Point
JR Hikone Station or Kyoto city or Osaka city
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
Tour guide fee
・Transportation fee (Kyoto→Hikone : 1,170 yen)
・Entrance fee （Hikone Castle : 800 yen, Hikone Castle ＋Genkyu-en Garden : 1,200 yen)
・Lunch fee
Tour Important Information
＊There are many beautiful temples and shrine near Hikone castle.
You can also visit there.
＊You will find following items.
・Architecture Style of Japanese Castle
・Japanese garden style
・Samurai's life
I will suit it to a guide starting time that is convenient for you.
Important message from the supplier
Please feel free to contact me!!
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 2014
About Tour Guide Kazuhiko G.
Hello, I’m Kazuhiko. Please call me “Kazu”. I'm a national-licensed tour guide. I have a wife and 4 children.
I was born in Osaka city near Kyoto, although I have lived in many places across Japan. I used to work for multinational electric company and I traveled to many countries (U.S., Thailand, Hong Kong etc.) on business.
I have enjoyed guiding many foreign tourists in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji etc. for many years.
During your tour, you can discover a rich Japanese history spanning about 2,000 years, learn about and experience profound Japanese arts (tea ceremony, flower arrangement etc.), feel the spiritual atmosphere of Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, see a breathtakingly beautiful scenery of Mt. Fuji, bamboo forest, Japanese gardens etc..
Moreover, you can taste Japanese cuisine that each season has to offer (Sushi, Tempura, Soba or ramen noodle etc.).
You can get close to nature and feed wild deer or monkeys or even a build snowman in winter.
I’m sure that I can provide a splendid tour of Japan that will be a lasting memory for you to treasure.
Experience the mysteries of Japan with 5 senses !!
Your memorable tour awaits you.
Please feel free to contact me!!
Reviews
Jennifer S.
“Excellent guide for 4 days!”
Our group of 9 (2 families, 4 adults, 2 teens, 3 kids) spent 4 days with Mr. Kazu as our guide in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Himeji/Kobe June 15-18. He was able to arrange the requested van for our day in Kyoto and guided us through train use the other days. He was highly organized and made sure we were able to see all of the planned sites. He made us a reservation for an absolutely outstanding kobe restaurant in Kobe and confirmed to make sure everything was set. We definitely would have floundered to choose the best restaurant option without him. Mr. Kazu had great recommendations and was highly receptive to our planning requests as well as on-the-spot preferences. Our entire group had an amazing time and we would highly recommend Mr. Kazu as a guide for anything in that broad area!
Kazuhiko G.
Hello, Thank you for the nice review. I also had a great time with wonderful your families. I am glad you enjoyed this tour and dinner at the Kobe Beef Restaurant. I apologize for making you walk a lot. I hope this tour will be a memorable one! Thank you!!
Lori M.
“Great guide!”
Kazu was an absolute pleasure to spend the day with. He had great information, knowledge, and recommendations for us. We enjoyed a nice lunch with him, and we so appreciative to have Kazu!
Kazuhiko G.
Hello, Thank you for the nice review. I am glad that you enjoyed your tour of the ancient city of Nara. I also had a pleasant day as well. I hope this tour will be a memorable one. Thank you!
Bernard B.
“Valuable Guide in Kyoto”
Kazuhiko is a very kind man who was a valuable guide in Kyoto. Since we arrived via cruise ship, we were relieved that he could meet us at the Osaka cruise port, and then brought us to Kyoto by train. He had a lot of printed material at the sites explaining what we were seeing. His English comprehension and written English were very, very good. And although he speaks with a Japanese accent, we were able to understand him. Communication was excellent before our tour, with quick responses to our questions and requests, and he tried his best to accommodate them all in the tour. Alas, we were a bit too ambitious in our goals, and Kyoto was insanely crowded, which made it too difficult. Not to mention the many steps at the shrines and temples, which a few in our party had a problem with after a while. The only problem we encountered is that we were a party of four, which made 5 with Kazuhiko-san. To make the most of our time, we agreed to take taxis from one stop to the other. Almost all taxis could only take 4 passengers, so it meant either waiting a long time for an Uber Taxi that could handle 5 passengers, or having to take 2 taxis. So we had to either sacrifice money or time. In our time in Japan, Kyoto was definitely the most expensive place (by far) in terms of taxis, drinks, food, etc. But it was still a great day immersing ourselves in the culture of the city.
Kazuhiko G.
Thank you for the great review. I apologize for making you walk so much; I imagine the slope were quite challenging. I'm also sorry for not providing enough time for lunch. Regarding the taxi situation, it took longer to arrange a large taxi due to the student school trip season. I had a wonderful time, and I hope this tour becomes a cherished memory of your time in Japan. Thank you!!
$136/ per group
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