Mie attractions: visiting Ise Jingu, Toba and Iga
For Ise Jingu, compare the routes to Geku and Naiku first. See marine life at Toba Aquarium, or pearl exhibitions and ama diver demonstrations at Mikimoto Pearl Island. Choose Futami Okitama Shrine for a coastal walk, or Ninja Museum of Igaryu for the ninja house and historical displays. Futami and Iga are in different directions, so check each return journey. Coastal walks depend on weather; ninja shows also depend on performance dates.
Attraction fees, hours and access
Geku (Toyouke-daijingu)
豊受大神宮（外宮）
Geku’s entrance is about five minutes on foot from Iseshi Station’s JR-side exit. Afterwards, choose a meal along the shrine approach or near the station, making it suitable for an arrival day starting with a shrine visit. Visiting Geku first is a longstanding custom rather than a compulsory order.
- FeesOrdinary shrine visits are free. Museum admission, prayer services and shrine items are additional.
- HoursVisiting hours are 5 am–5 pm from October to December, 5 am–6 pm from January to April and in September, and 5 am–7 pm from May to August. Special arrangements apply over New Year.
- AccessWalk about five minutes from Iseshi Station’s JR-side exit to Geku’s entrance, then another ten minutes to the main sanctuary. Visiting, other subsidiary shrines and the return walk take extra time.
- Additional visiting conditionsOrdinary visiting hours differ from prayer-service reception and museum hours. Check the relevant year’s New Year visiting notice.
Ise tourism association FAQIse Jingu: seasonal Naiku and Geku visiting hoursOfficial FAQShrine transport
Naiku (Kotaijingu)
皇大神宮（内宮）
Cross Uji Bridge and walk the wooded approach to this shrine area. It is separate from Geku, so allow bus travel time between them.
- FeesOrdinary shrine visits are free. The JPY 520 adult one-way bus fare from Iseshi Station to Naiku-mae is transport, separate from admission; the return fare total is JPY 1,040.
- HoursVisiting hours are 5 am–5 pm October–December, 5 am–6 pm January–April and September, and 5 am–7 pm May–August. Special New Year hours apply, and events may restrict parts of the approach.
- AccessTake a Naiku-mae-bound route 51 or 55 bus from Iseshi Station-front stand 10 and leave at Naiku-mae. Walk about 20 minutes one way from Uji Bridge to the main sanctuary. Visiting, the return walk and bus queues take extra time. Return on an Iseshi-bound bus from Naiku-mae stand 2.
- Additional visiting conditionsSearch return bus times for your date, and check approach restrictions on event days.
Ise tourism association FAQShrine transportOfficial FAQDeparture from Iseshi StationReturn journeyIse Jingu: seasonal Naiku and Geku visiting hours
Toba Aquarium
鳥羽水族館
At Toba Aquarium, see the dugong swimming and marine life from Ise-Shima’s waters. If rain makes a coastal walk difficult, consider the indoor tanks instead.
- FeesAdmission costs JPY 2,800 for adults, JPY 1,600 for primary and junior secondary students, and JPY 800 for preschool children aged three and over.
- HoursUsual hours are 9:30 am–5 pm, with last admission at 4 pm. The aquarium is listed as open every day, with specified peak periods extending its hours to 9 am–5:30 pm and last admission to 4:30 pm. Check extended-opening dates for your visit.
- AccessWalk about ten minutes from JR or Kintetsu Toba Station. From Kintetsu, follow aquarium signs for exit 1 outside the gates. Allow ticket queues separately.
- Additional visiting conditionsFor a late Toba arrival, allow the walk before last admission. If moving the aquarium visit to the following morning, match it with Pearl Island and your Toba departure.
Toba Aquarium feesToba Aquarium hours and accessOpen the official aquarium guideToba Station exitsToba Aquarium galleries: dugong and Ise-Shima’s waters
Mikimoto Pearl Island
ミキモト真珠島
At Mikimoto Pearl Island, explore how pearls are cultivated and made into jewellery. See cultivation and jewellery displays in the museum and, if the timing fits, an ama diver demonstration in the sea. Adult admission is JPY 1,650 and includes the demonstration. Arrive for a scheduled session if you want to see it.
- FeesAdult admission costs JPY 1,650 and includes the pearl museum, memorial hall and ama diver demonstration. It is separate from aquarium-only admission.
- HoursPearl Island opens from 9 am to 5:30 pm through 12 October 2026, then from 9 am to 5 pm from 13 October to 26 November. Ticket sales end 60 minutes before closing. It closes for three days from the second Tuesday of December each year; check the operating table for your date.
- AccessWalk about five minutes from JR or Kintetsu Toba Station to Pearl Island. Use the facility’s access map to find the entrance.
- Additional visiting conditionsFor an ama diver demonstration, arrive for a scheduled session on your date. The museum has pearl-cultivation and jewellery displays.
Facility access guideOfficial fees and opening by datePearl museum: cultivation and jewellery displaysMikimoto Pearl Island ama diver sessions
Futami Okitama Shrine and Meoto Iwa
Futami Okitama Shrine · Meoto Iwa二見興玉神社 · 夫婦岩
See Meoto Iwa standing in the sea at Futami Okitama Shrine, then walk the coast. This stop adds a coastal walk to an Ise and Toba trip.
- FeesShrine visits are free. The nearby aquarium and shopping cost extra.
- HoursPlan the coastal walk in daylight. The shrine counter in front of the worship hall opens 7 am–4:45 pm, or 7 am–4 pm November–late February. Counter hours differ from coastal walking access. Check event and weather notices for your date.
- AccessWalk about 15 minutes from Futaminoura Station on JR’s Sangu Line. By bus, leave at Meotoiwa-higashiguchi and walk about five minutes.
- Additional visiting conditionsSunrise does not appear between the rocks in the same position all year. These itineraries use a daytime coastal walk. Check date-specific guidance separately for sunrise viewing or an evening shrine-counter visit.
Official shrine guideMie official tourism guideShrine counter hours in front of the worship hall
Ninja Museum of Igaryu
伊賀流忍者博物館
The ninja house at Ninja Museum of Igaryu has hidden doors and concealment devices. Watch the demonstration explaining them, then see ninja tools such as shuriken in the exhibition halls. Admission for senior secondary students and adults is JPY 1,000. For the live ninja-tool show, check performance dates. It costs an additional JPY 600 and has non-performance days.
- FeesAdmission costs JPY 1,000 for senior secondary students and adults and JPY 700 for children aged four through junior secondary school. The show costs an additional JPY 600.
- HoursThe museum opens from 10 am to 4 pm on weekdays, with admission until 3:30 pm, and from 10 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with admission until 4 pm. It closes from 29 December to 1 January and on temporary closure dates.
- AccessChange from Kintetsu to Iga Railway at Iga-Kambe and leave at Uenoshi Station. The official walk to the museum in Ueno Park takes about ten minutes. Check its location on the area map and allow ticketing and reception queues separately.
- Additional visiting conditionsThe house-device demonstration and separately paid live show are different visits. The live show costs an additional JPY 600 and has non-performance days. Check temporary closures and performance dates in the museum’s official notices for your date.
Ninja museum transportCurrent fees and noticesNinja museum official area map: ten-minute walk from UenoshiNinja Museum of Igaryu official guide
Frequently asked questions
Must I visit Geku first?
Visiting Geku first is a longstanding custom. Choose the order to suit your interests and route; it is not compulsory.
Is the Naiku route a walk from Iseshi Station?
Take a bus from Iseshi Station to Naiku. Geku’s entrance is about five minutes on foot from the station, but Naiku is in a separate area. The official 8 October 2026 search gave adult Iseshi Station-front ↔ Naiku-mae bus fares of JPY 520 one way, or JPY 1,040 return; ordinary shrine visits are free. Search outbound and return services again for other dates.
Does ninja museum admission include the show?
Admission for senior secondary students and adults is JPY 1,000; the live show costs an additional JPY 600 and has non-performance days.
Official sources and check dates
- Shrine transport ·
- Ninja museum transport ·
- Toba Station exits ·
- Ise tourism association FAQ ·
- Ise Jingu: seasonal Naiku and Geku visiting hours ·
- Official FAQ ·
- Toba Aquarium fees ·
- Toba Aquarium hours and access ·
- Open the official aquarium guide ·
- Facility access guide ·
- Official fees and opening by date ·
- Official shrine guide ·
- Mie official tourism guide ·
- Current fees and notices ·
- Departure from Iseshi Station ·
- Return journey ·
- Ninja Museum of Igaryu official guide ·
- Ninja museum official area map: ten-minute walk from Uenoshi ·
- Toba Aquarium galleries: dugong and Ise-Shima’s waters ·
- Pearl museum: cultivation and jewellery displays ·
- Mikimoto Pearl Island ama diver sessions ·
- Shrine counter hours in front of the worship hall ·