Name: Shiga Guided Tours
Brand: GoWithGuide
Rating: 5.0 (8 reviews)

Japan

Shiga

Our local guides are ready to help you plan, customize and realize your ideal tour in Shiga. All GoWithGuide guides are real locals who know the area on a deep and personal level, and they can’t wait to share their knowledge with you.

When traveling, everyone wants to get the most bang out of their buck. How to do that? Ask the right person to be your tour guide, of course! As opposed to fixed itineraries that are too formal and geared towards large groups, arranging a trip with the help of a local guide will mean the trip will be about what YOU want to see and do.

Go ahead and send a message to one (or several!) of our local guides. They would love to show you their Shiga!

Local Tour Guides in Shiga

When unable to travel, bring travel to the comfort of your house! Sometimes it is difficult to physically travel to your destination, that’s where virtual guided tours become a perfect alternative.

You can find all sort of activities and tours offered by GoWithGuide’s local guides: cooking classes, history lessons, walking tours, interaction with locals, exploration of the wilderness.. and much more! So let our local Shiga guides share their part of the world with you.

Connect with the guide virtually, and then simply to sit back, relax with your favorite beverage and enjoy the tour!

Shiga Virtual Tours & Experiences

Whether it’s your first time to Shiga or you are back to discover more, a good tour guide can make all the difference. Enjoy the best of what Shiga has to offer, without all the fuss of planning everything by yourself!

You can pick your favorite itinerary from the Shiga tours offered by our local guides, but feel free to ask for customizations based on your preferences. We want to help travelers get the most out of their trips, and we believe a good tour with a local guide is the best way to ensure that.

There is so much to see and do in Shiga, and the best way to get the most out of your time there is to have a local expert with you. GoWithGuide is committed to delivering unforgettable tour experiences, so let us help you create your next favorite memory.

Shiga Private Tour Guide

Travel like a real local. With our lineup of varied tours we want to help you customize and realize your ideal tour in Shiga. Our guides can arrange for you to visit areas specific to your interests, so there will be no filler in the itinerary!

Browse all the tours we offer in Shiga, and find the perfect one for you. The tours come in a variety of categories and lengths, so chances are you will be able to find the tour for you. Looking for something you couldn’t find in our lineup? Go ahead and send a message to one of the guides, they will create your tour for you!

Teaming up with a local guide and getting their help in planning the itinerary is the smart way to travel, so let them sort everything out for you.

Private Tours in Shiga

Are you in need of transportation on your trip to Shiga? On this page you can find pick-up, airport transfers and chauffeur (Private car charter with professional drivers).

We meticulously check all drivers and Car Companies you find on this page to make sure they have all the necessary documentation and qualifications to run transfer services for their area. Choose from the available listings, or message one of the suppliers directly to inquire about their services.

Having reliable and good quality transportation is an important but often overlooked part of planning a trip. Let our Shiga car & van service providers take care of transportation for you, so you can enjoy your sightseeing!

Shiga Private Cars, Van & Transfers

 (Highlights)
 This temple is popular not only among pilgrims and dedicated Buddhists but also among ordinary citizens. It is well-known as the place where a 12th -century woman writer Murasaki-shikibu worked on the manuscript of her masterpiece "Genji-monogatari (tale of Genji)". People visit the temple to pray for the safe childbirth, peace in the family and happy marriages. It is also the place where people can enjoy viewing the beautiful harvest moon known as "Ishiyama-no-syugetsu (moonlight over the  temple of Ishiyama-dera) in mid-September. Not only Buddhist rituals but also jazz concerts and other festive events are held at that time. In mid-August, in addition, a magnificent fireworks show can be seen in the nearby river bank accompanied by as many as 3,000 candles lit in line in the same bank a bit away and "Bon" dancing" is performed by visitors each year.
 The 900-year-old  temple is the attractive place surrounded by natural beauties throughout the year: plum blossoms in winter, cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green leaves in early summer and colored leaves in the fall. 
( How to visit the temple and enjoy)
 After you go through the main gate, walk to the admission-collecting booth, where you are asked to pay 500 yen. They will give you a leaflet explainig about the temple in its entirety.Then,  go up the steep hill and you will reach the "Hondo" main hall, which houses the magnificent "Go-honzon-sama", or " Kannon-sama", the Goddess of mercy, which is the principal icon of the temple. There you have to pay another 300 yen, then you can step in to the sacred hall, where the huge image sits. You have to take your shoes off beforehand. Taking a photo is not allowed there. You can sit on the chair before the image and offer a prayer. Afterward, walk on the path that leads you to whatever places or buildings  there are in the compound. You will never get lost, since there are signboards everywhere directing your way and the path is simple. One hour will be enough for the tour of the entire temple.   
(Others)
 The bus fare is 230 yen and the entrance fee is 500 yen ( plus 300 yen for entering the "Hondo" main hall). You can also take a private railway train ride for almost the same fare.


Tour of Ishiyama-dera Temple

Tour to the National Treasure Hikone Castle from Kyoto

Would you like to write Japanese characters and alphabet with brush and Indian ink? That's Japanese calligraphy, the traditional art. Works of calligraphy are admired for the accurate composition of their characters but also for the way the brush is handled in their creation, the shading of the ink, and the balanced placement of the character on the paper. I will get ready for the inkstone, brush  paper. Just bring yourself and enjoy calligraphy.
If you want to experience tea ceremony, you can. A friend of mine is a teacher of tea ceremony. Tea ceremony has a long history and has deep roots in Kyoto. There are complex steps to taste tea. Please follow the manners. Seasonal Japanese sweets are offered before drinking tea. It brings you out the better flavor of tea.Both experiences are held in a private house. You can relax and learn the Japanese culture better.




Experiencing Japanese calligraphy and tea ceremony 

(Highlights)
(1) Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, whose area is 670 square kilometers and circumference, 241 kilometers, which is slightly more than the distance between Tokyo and Hamamatsu. It is said to be four million years old, the third oldest lake in the world. You can see only a fraction of the lake from its southern end, though. You can enjoy cruising on board the colorful sightseeing ship "Michigan". Fares depend on when you start cruising and how long you are on board the ship. Even if you do not get on board the ship, you can spend leisurely time just looking at the blue water of the magnificent lake or take a walk along  the lake side road.
(2) Temple of Mii-dera is located in the midst of beautiful natural surroundings on the hill a bit far from the heart of Otsu city. There are a total of 13 buildings and structures in the temple compound, including the "Hondo (main hall)", or "Kondo (golden hall)", but the most well-known among these is the bell called "Mii-no- bansyo", famous for its melodious sound. The best time for visiting the temple is either in early April when cherry blossoms are in full bloom or in late in autumun when the entire temple compound is filled with colorful leaves..
(How to enjoy)
(1) (In Lake Biwa) In addition to enjoying cruising on the lake, you can spend time just marveling at and getting in touch with the greatness of the nature. You can see migratory birds floating on the lake water in winter and anglers leisurely hurling and towing their fishing rods and lines over the embankment guard. 
(2) (At Temple of Mii-dera) You can enjoy seeing different kinds of old, historical buildings and structure as you stroll along the road on the slopes. It also is a good exercise for you in the clean environment to walk in the temple precincts.
(Others)
 The transportation fee between Kyoto and Ishiyama on a JR train is 240 yen and the temple entrance fee is 600 yen.
 There are four different types of cruises you can choose from and the fare is set for each of them. In the case of one-hour-and-20- minute cruise starting from Otsu port at 10 in the morning, you (supposing you are an adult person) have to pay 2,780 yen. The fares for other cruises are roughly the same as this one, not exceeding 3,000 yen per person.  



Tour of Lake Biwa and Temple of Mii-dera 

(Highlights)
 More than 1,200 years have passed since the Reverend Dengyo-daishi Saicho settled in Mt. Hieizan. It is called the Mother Mountain of the Japanese Buddhist world, since it trained and gave birth to many noted priests like Honen, Eisai, Shinran, Dogen and Nichiren. Hieizan Enryaku-ji-Temple, registered in the World Cultural Heritage Sites list, consists of many magnificent buildings and lies on the top of Mt.Hiei which  is some 800 meters high above the sea level. The temple precincts are made up of three districts: Toto (East district), Seito (West district) and Yokogawa district. The area is so wide and slopes are so steep that you have to be dressed in clothes for a mountain climbing and be ready for a hard physical exercise. However, once you are in the temple enclosure,  you will be amazed at the dozens of magnificent buildings built with exquisite techniques.
(How to enjoy)
 You can see the beautiful scenery from a cable car as it goes up the mountain. After reaching the temple area, enjoy having a look at the splendid structures and strolling on the paths. Especially at Konponchudo hall, you can immerse yourself in the mythical world of Buddhism. It is difficult to explain what the temple is all about in its entirety in this column; just visit and see.
(Others)
The JR train fare from Kyoto to Otsu is 240 yen and the Keihan Railway train fare from Hama-Otsu to Sakamoto is 240 yen. You have to walk about one kilometer from JR Otsu station to Keihan Railway Hama-Otsu station. The cable-car charge is 860 yen for one-way, 11-minute ride and the temple entrance fee is 700 yen.

Tour of Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

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Top Shiga, Japan Private Tours and things to do: Visit Shiga, Shiga with Local Guides. Check reviews, photos, request an itinerary, plan a day trip or walking tour.

Tour of Ishiyama-dera Temple

Tour of Ishiyama-dera Temple

Tour to the National Treasure Hikone Castle from Kyoto

Tour to the National Treasure Hikone Castle from Kyoto

Experiencing Japanese calligraphy and tea ceremony

Experiencing Japanese calligraphy and tea ceremony

Tour of Lake Biwa and Temple of Mii-dera

Tour of Lake Biwa and Temple of Mii-dera

Tour of Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

Tour of Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

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