Where will you spend your two days in Shiga?
For less travel, stay one night in Hikone and split the castle and garden and the castle museum across the two days. For a temple and indoor exhibits, visit Ishiyamadera first, stay in Kusatsu, then visit Lake Biwa Museum the next day. Check the return bus so you can reach Kusatsu Station in time for your departure train.
Choose a 2 days, 1 night itinerary
Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city
Stay one night in Hikone, visiting the keep and Genkyuen Garden first, then the castle museum the next day. The museum opens at 09:00 on day two. For an early departing train, move it to day one or skip it.
Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city →2 days, 1 night BIshiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay one night in Kusatsu to give Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore temple grounds first, then freshwater creatures and life around the lake through museum exhibitions. If the museum is closed or your train leaves early, change the visit date or choose another route.
Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum →Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city
Stay one night in Hikone, visiting the keep and Genkyuen Garden first, then the castle museum the next day. The museum opens at 09:00 on day two. For an early departing train, move it to day one or skip it.
Day 1 · Hikone Castle and garden
Start the first day at Hikone Station.
- Hikone Station → Hikone Castle ticket office
The official walk from Hikone Station to the castle takes about 15 minutes. Leave by the west exit and walk towards the castle, checking your entrance and ticket office on the on-site map. Ticket queues and the ascent to the keep are extra.
- Hikone Castle ticket office → Castle and Genkyuen
Adult castle/Genkyuen admission is JPY 1,000. Choose your visiting area with the slopes and stone steps up to the keep in mind. Castle hours are 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30.
- Castle and Genkyuen → Starting station and same hotel
Eat nearby and return to the same station-area hotel. The basic plan visits castle/Genkyuen and museum on different days with individual tickets. Distinguish this from the JPY 1,500 combined ticket for both on the same day.
Castle/garden admission ends at 16:30. Tomorrow's museum has separate opening times and closure dates; check each facility's visit date.
Day 2 · Museum visit and departure
Check museum opening and closures separately from the castle.
- Hotel near Hikone Station → Hikone Castle Museum
Go from your Hikone Station-area hotel to the museum. Official directions give about 15 minutes walking from the station; your hotel-to-station journey and admission queues are separate.
- Hikone Castle Museum → Museum exhibitions
Adult individual admission is JPY 700. March–November hours are 09:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30); December–February hours are 09:00–16:30 (last admission 16:00). It opens later than the castle, so plan around museum hours.
- Museum exhibitions → Your booked departure station
After the visit and meal, return to Hikone Station for your booked departure. Check museum closures in the official visitor guide. If closed or your train leaves early, move the museum to day one or skip it. Castle/Genkyuen plus a separate-day individual museum ticket totals JPY 1,700 in this basic plan.
Include final-day sightseeing or walks only if time remains before your departing train. Allow the return to the station and platform access separately from visiting time.
Included: Hikone Castle/Genkyuen JPY 1,000 + Hikone Castle Museum individual ticket on another day JPY 700
Extra costs: JR to the base, hotel return trips and extra transport, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, extra visits and final departure transport
Adult admission totals JPY 1,700: castle/Genkyuen JPY 1,000 on day one plus an individual museum ticket JPY 700 the next day. For both on the same day, check availability of the JPY 1,500 combined ticket. JR, accommodation and meals are separate. The museum opens at 09:00 from October 2026; move it to day one or skip it for closures, exhibition changes or an early departure. Allow time to return to Hikone Station and board.
Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay one night in Kusatsu to give Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore temple grounds first, then freshwater creatures and life around the lake through museum exhibitions. If the museum is closed or your train leaves early, change the visit date or choose another route.
Day 1 · Ishiyamadera to a Kusatsu hotel
Start the first day at JR Ishiyama Station.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
From JR Ishiyama Station bay 1, take a route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 service that stops at Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. The ride takes about 10 minutes.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Get off and enter through the temple gate for ordinary admission at JPY 600. Hours are 08:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. The inner sanctuary and Hozoden are separate.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
After lunch, return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Distinguish it from Otsu Station-bound route 14. Temple bus return fares total JPY 500.
Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2Kojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026
- JR Ishiyama Station → JR Kusatsu Station and booked hotel
From Ishiyama, take a JR Biwako Line train towards Maibara or Yasu that stops at Kusatsu. Search travel-date trains and fares, allowing time from the bus to the JR platform. JR is excluded from the JPY 2,900 subtotal. On arrival in Kusatsu, go to your booked hotel for the night.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return from the temple on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Walk from the bus to the JR platform and board a train stopping at Kusatsu. For a late afternoon arrival, move the temple to the next day or skip it.
Day 2 · Lake Biwa Museum and departure
Visit Lake Biwa Museum, then return to Kusatsu Station for departure. Change the visiting date or skip it if closed or your departure is early.
- Kusatsu hotel and station west exit bay 2 → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
From Kusatsu Station west exit bay 2, take a museum-bound Ohmi bus and get off at the museum stop after about 25 minutes. If leaving luggage before departure, check storage availability and collection time. Skip the museum if sightseeing with luggage is difficult. Choose both bus directions from the official travel-date timetable, allowing waiting separately.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk from the stop to the museum. Ordinary permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions are separate. Hours are 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Closed Mondays but open on public holidays; temporary closures are possible, so check your date's calendar.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
- Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
After exhibitions and a meal, go to the museum bus stop. Finish sightseeing in time to reach it before the return bus leaves. Search the relevant travel-date direction in the official timetable.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Kusatsu Station west exit, luggage collection and departure station
Return on a Kusatsu Station west exit-bound bus, then go to your booked departure station. Collect luggage from your hotel first if stored there. Choose the return bus and departing train with time for the hotel detour and platform access.
On the final day, choose the museum return bus and departing train together. Stored luggage requires time for collection and the return to the station. Move the museum to day one or skip it if time is short.
Included: Ordinary Ishiyamadera admission JPY 600 + Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840 + temple bus return JPY 500 + museum bus return JPY 960
Extra costs: Ishiyama–Kusatsu JR, extra day-one travel for luggage storage, hotel return trips, storage fees, accommodation, meals, inner sanctuary, Hozoden, special exhibitions and final departure transport
Adult facility fees total JPY 1,440: ordinary Ishiyamadera admission JPY 600 plus Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840. Temple bus return JPY 500 and museum bus return JPY 960 bring the subtotal to JPY 2,900. This uses basic admission separately, excluding the temple inner sanctuary/Hozoden combined ticket and museum special exhibitions. Ishiyama–Kusatsu JR, extra day-one travel for luggage storage, storage fees, accommodation, meals and final departure travel are separate. Change dates for museum closures; skip it if the final return bus leaves too little time for departure.
Current fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026Official Ohmi bus guide
Frequently asked questions
How do costs compare for the castle and museum versus the temple and Lake Biwa Museum?
Itinerary A visits Hikone Castle and Genkyuen Garden and the castle museum on separate days, for ¥1,700 in ordinary adult admission. Itinerary B visits Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum, with basic admission and both return bus journeys totalling ¥2,900. These exclude intercity JR, accommodation, meals, luggage storage and final departure transport.
Hikone Castle visitor guideOfficial museum guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026Official Ohmi bus guide
Can I visit the museum if my departure train is early on day two?
Hikone Castle Museum opens at 09:00; Lake Biwa Museum requires a return bus to Kusatsu Station after your visit. If you cannot reach your booked departure train in time, move the museum to day one or omit it. When moving it, check closures, last entry and the hours of any other attraction you plan to visit.
Official museum guideMuseum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
Official sources and check dates
- Museum access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026 ·
- Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2 ·
- Hikone Castle visitor guide ·
- JR search ·
- Official museum guide ·
- Current fees and exceptions ·
- Official bus guide ·
- Official Ohmi bus guide ·
- Lake Biwa Museum fees ·
- Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar ·
- Outward service ·
- Return service ·
- JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16 ·