Two days in Shiga: where would you like to spend your time?
For less travel, stay one night in Hikone and visit the castle and garden on one day and the castle museum on the other. For a temple and indoor exhibitions, visit Ishiyamadera on day one, stay in Kusatsu and visit Lake Biwa Museum the next day. Check the return bus so you can reach Kusatsu Station in time for your departure train.
Choose an itinerary for 2 days / 1 night
Hikone's castle, garden and museum
Spend one night in Hikone, visiting the keep and Genkyuen Garden on day one and the castle museum on day two. The museum opens at 9 am. If your departure train is early, move the museum to day one or leave it out.
Hikone's castle, garden and museum →2 days / 1 night BIshiyamadera Temple and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay one night in Kusatsu to give Ishiyamadera Temple and Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore the temple grounds on day one, then see freshwater wildlife and life around the lake through the museum displays on day two. Change the visit dates or choose another itinerary if the museum is closed or your departure train is early.
Ishiyamadera Temple and Lake Biwa Museum →Hikone's castle, garden and museum
Spend one night in Hikone, visiting the keep and Genkyuen Garden on day one and the castle museum on day two. The museum opens at 9 am. If your departure train is early, move the museum to day one or leave it out.
Day 1: Hikone Castle and garden
Start the first day at Hikone Station.
- Hikone Station → Hikone Castle ticket office
Official guidance gives a walk of about 15 minutes from Hikone Station to the castle. Leave through the west exit, walk towards the castle and use the on-site map to find your entrance and ticket office. Allow extra time for ticket queues and the climb to the keep.
- Hikone Castle ticket office → Castle and Genkyuen Garden
Adult admission to the castle and Genkyuen Garden is JPY 1,000. Choose how much to explore with the slopes and stone steps up to the keep in mind. Hikone Castle opens from 8:30 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4:30 pm.
- Castle and Genkyuen Garden → Your starting station and the same accommodation
Have a meal nearby, then return to your accommodation near the station. This itinerary uses a castle and garden ticket for day one and a separate museum ticket for day two. The JPY 1,500 combined ticket is for visiting both on the same day.
Last entry to the castle and garden is 4:30 pm. The museum has separate opening times and closure dates, so check each facility for its own visit day.
Day 2: museum visit, then departure
Check the museum's opening hours and closures separately from the castle's.
- Accommodation near Hikone Station → Hikone Castle Museum
Walk from your accommodation near Hikone Station to the museum. The official walk from the station is about 15 minutes; allow extra time to reach the station from your hotel and for admission queues.
- Hikone Castle Museum → Museum displays
A separate adult museum ticket costs JPY 700. Hours are 9 am–5 pm from March to November (last entry 4:30 pm), and 9 am–4:30 pm from December to February (last entry 4 pm). The museum opens later than the castle, so plan around its own hours.
- Museum displays → Station for your booked departure
After the museum and a meal, return to Hikone Station for your booked departure. Check the official museum calendar for closures. If it is closed or your train leaves early, move the visit to day one or leave it out. Separate tickets for the castle and garden, and for the museum, on different days total JPY 1,700.
Only add a final-day visit or walk if there is time before your train. Allow separately for the return to the station and the walk to your platform.
Included: Hikone Castle and Genkyuen Garden JPY 1,000 + separate-day Hikone Castle Museum ticket JPY 700
Additional costs: JR to your base, return trips to accommodation and other travel, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, extra visits and final departure transport cost extra.
Adult admission totals JPY 1,700: JPY 1,000 for the castle and Genkyuen Garden on day one and JPY 700 for a separate museum ticket on day two. If visiting everything on one day, check availability of the JPY 1,500 combined ticket. JR, accommodation and meals are extra. From October 2026 the museum opens at 9 am; move it to day one or omit it for closures, exhibition changeovers or an early departure. Leave time to return to Hikone Station and board your train.
Ishiyamadera Temple and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay one night in Kusatsu to give Ishiyamadera Temple and Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore the temple grounds on day one, then see freshwater wildlife and life around the lake through the museum displays on day two. Change the visit dates or choose another itinerary if the museum is closed or your departure train is early.
Day 1: Ishiyamadera, then accommodation in Kusatsu
Start the first day at JR Ishiyama Station.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
At JR Ishiyama Station stand 1, take a route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 bus that stops at Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. The ride takes about 10 minutes.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera Temple grounds
Get off and enter through the temple gate. General grounds admission is JPY 600. Hours are 8 am–4:30 pm, with last entry at 4 pm. The inner hall and Hozoden cost extra.
- Ishiyamadera Temple grounds → JR Ishiyama Station
After lunch, return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. This is different from route 14 to Otsu Station. The temple return bus fare is JPY 500.
Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2Kojak bus fare table revised 1 March 2026
- JR Ishiyama Station → JR Kusatsu Station and your booked accommodation
At Ishiyama Station, take a JR Biwako Line train towards Maibara or Yasu that stops at Kusatsu. Look up the train and fare for your travel date, and allow time to walk from the bus stop to the JR platform. JR is excluded from the JPY 2,900 subtotal. On arrival in Kusatsu, go to your booked accommodation for the night.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line station map (revised 16 March 2024)JR journey search
Return from the temple on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Allow time to reach the JR platform, then board a train stopping at Kusatsu. If you arrive late in the afternoon, move the temple to the next day or leave it out.
Day 2: Lake Biwa Museum, then departure
Visit Lake Biwa Museum, then return to Kusatsu Station for departure. Change the visit date or omit the museum if it is closed or you have an early train.
- Kusatsu accommodation and west-exit stand 2 at Kusatsu Station → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
Take an Ohmi bus to Lake Biwa Museum from Kusatsu Station's west-exit stand 2. Get off at the museum stop after about 25 minutes. If storing luggage before departure, confirm that storage is available and leave time to collect it. Omit the museum if sightseeing with your bags is impractical. Choose both buses from the official timetable for your visit date and allow extra waiting time.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk from the bus stop to the museum. General permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions are extra. The museum opens from 9:30 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4 pm. Mondays are closed except public holidays, and temporary closures also occur; check the calendar for your date.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
- Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
After the exhibitions and a meal, go to the museum bus stop. Finish your visit in time to reach the stop before the return bus leaves. Look up the correct direction in the official timetable for your date.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Kusatsu Station west exit, luggage collection and departure station
Return by bus to Kusatsu Station's west exit, then head to the station for your booked departure. Collect any bags left at your accommodation first. When choosing the bus and train, allow time for that detour and the walk to your platform.
For the final day, choose the museum's return bus and your departure train together. If you leave luggage at your hotel, allow time to collect it and return to the station. Move the museum to day one or omit it if time is short.
Included: Ishiyamadera grounds JPY 600 + Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840 + temple return bus JPY 500 + museum return bus JPY 960
Additional costs: Ishiyama–Kusatsu JR, extra day-one travel for luggage storage, return trips to accommodation, storage charges, accommodation, meals, inner hall, Hozoden, special exhibitions and final departure transport cost extra.
Adult admission totals JPY 1,440: Ishiyamadera grounds JPY 600 and Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840. Add JPY 500 for the temple return bus and JPY 960 for the museum return bus for a JPY 2,900 subtotal. These are basic admission prices; packages for the temple’s inner hall and Hozoden and museum special exhibitions are excluded. Ishiyama–Kusatsu JR, extra day-one travel for luggage storage, storage charges, accommodation, meals and final departure transport are also extra. Change dates for museum closures, and omit the final-day visit if the return bus leaves too little time for your departure train.
Current fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesKojak bus fare table revised 1 March 2026Official Ohmi bus guidance
Frequently asked questions
How do costs differ between the Hikone and temple and museum plans?
Itinerary A's castle and Genkyuen ticket and separate-day castle museum ticket total JPY 1,700 at regular adult rates. Itinerary B's Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum basic admission and both return bus journeys total JPY 2,900. Intercity JR, accommodation, meals, luggage storage and final departure transport are excluded.
Hikone Castle visitor guidanceOfficial museum guidanceCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesKojak bus fare table revised 1 March 2026Official Ohmi bus guidance
Can I visit a museum before an early day-two train?
Hikone Castle Museum opens at 9 am, while Lake Biwa Museum requires a bus back to Kusatsu after your visit. If there is insufficient time for your booked departure, move the museum to day one or omit it. A day-one visit still needs checks of closures, last entry and the hours of any other attraction.
Official museum guidanceMuseum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
Official sources and check dates
- Museum access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojak bus fare table revised 1 March 2026 ·
- Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2 ·
- Hikone Castle visitor guidance ·
- JR journey search ·
- Official museum guidance ·
- Current fees and exceptions ·
- Official bus guidance ·
- Official Ohmi bus guidance ·
- Lake Biwa Museum fees ·
- Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar ·
- Outward services ·
- Return services ·
- JR West Sagano/Biwako Line station map (revised 16 March 2024) ·