Will you stay in one hotel for five days in Shiga?
Stay four nights in Kusatsu to visit the four attractions on separate days without changing hotels. To start with Hikone Castle and Hachiman-bori, then continue to Lake Biwa Museum and Ishiyamadera, stay two nights in Hikone followed by two in Kusatsu. If the museum visit runs too late on moving day, swap it with the next day's Ishiyamadera visit.
Choose a 5 days, 4 nights itinerary
Four attractions from one Kusatsu hotel
Stay four nights in Kusatsu, giving Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum, Hachiman-bori and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same hotel daily without moving. Temple, canal and castle days use JR; its fares are separate from the listed admission and bus costs.
Four attractions from one Kusatsu hotel →5 days, 4 nights BTwo Hikone nights, then change hotels to Kusatsu
Stay two nights in Hikone for castle and Hachiman-bori visits, then two in Kusatsu for Lake Biwa Museum and Ishiyamadera. Visit the museum after moving on day three. If the move runs late or the museum is closed, swap with day-four temple worship or skip one facility.
Two Hikone nights, then change hotels to Kusatsu →Four attractions from one Kusatsu hotel
Stay four nights in Kusatsu, giving Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum, Hachiman-bori and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same hotel daily without moving. Temple, canal and castle days use JR; its fares are separate from the listed admission and bus costs.
Day 1 · Ishiyamadera
Start the first day at Kusatsu Station.
- JR Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Ishiyama. The stations share a line, but check actual-date trains, fares and platforms in JR searches and station guidance. JR is excluded from this route's JPY 4,420 subtotal.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station bay 1 → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
Take a route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 service stopping at Sanmon-mae for about 10 minutes. Check the visit-date timetable, allowing extra time from JR to the bus bay.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Get off, enter through the gate and worship with ordinary JPY 600 admission. Hours are 08:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. Inner sanctuary and Hozoden admission are separate; nearby meals are excluded from the subtotal. Change the temple day or skip it if too little visiting time remains before the deadline.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
After worship and meals, take an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Distinguish it from Otsu-bound route 14. Check the applicable timetable and leave time to change to JR at Ishiyama.
- JR Ishiyama Station → JR Kusatsu Station
Return on a JR Biwako Line train towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu. Use JR searches and station guidance for a train you can reach after the bus actually arrives. Check return train times/fares and bus connections for your travel date.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2, then JR stopping at Kusatsu. On arrival, return to the same hotel. Leave bus-to-JR transfer time separately.
Day 2 · Lake Biwa Museum
- Kusatsu 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. Search both directions together for your date in the official timetable, allowing waiting separately.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk from the stop to the museum and allow time for permanent exhibitions, meals and rests. Ordinary admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions are separate. Hours are 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Check Monday closures, public-holiday opening and temporary closures in your visit-date calendar.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
- Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions → Kusatsu Station and same hotel
After exhibitions and a meal, take a Kusatsu Station west exit-bound bus from the museum stop. Finish in time for the return bus, then return to the same Kusatsu hotel after reaching the station.
Check museum closures and Kusatsu-bound buses for your date. Leave time to walk from exhibition rooms to the bus stop.
Day 3 · Omihachiman canal
- Kusatsu Station → Omihachiman Station
Take a Maibara-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Omihachiman. Use the north exit and go to the bus bay. JR fares and bus waiting are separate.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- Omihachiman Station north exit → Hachiman-bori bus stop
From Omihachiman Station's north exit, use bay 6 or 7 as assigned for your service stopping at Hachiman-bori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Search canal-bound and station-bound buses together in the official travel-date timetable.
- Hachiman-bori bus stop → Canal and historic streets
Walk from the stop to the canal and historic streets and eat nearby. The canal is directly accessible on foot from the stop. The basic plan is a walk; sightseeing boats and paid facilities are separate options. For a boat ride, check its landing, operating days and fare, reducing sightseeing to fit your return bus.
- Canal and historic streets → Omihachiman Station
Return to Hachiman-bori stop and take an Omihachiman Station-bound bus. Adult station–canal fares are JPY 260 one way or JPY 520 return. Check the return bay and departure separately in the official travel-date timetable.
- Omihachiman Station → Kusatsu Station and same hotel
Return to the same hotel on a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Kusatsu. Allow bus-to-platform access and waiting. Check actual-date return JR fares and bus connections separately.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return from Omihachiman to your Kusatsu hotel. Search the canal-to-station bus together with a Kyoto-bound JR train stopping at Kusatsu. If taking a boat, shorten your walk to fit the return bus.
Day 4 · Hikone Castle
- Kusatsu Station → Hikone Station
Take a Maibara-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Hikone. Search the date's outward service/fare together with a Kyoto-bound return stopping at Kusatsu.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- Hikone Station west exit → 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
Visit the keep and garden with ordinary castle/Genkyuen admission at JPY 1,000. Hours are 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Allow for slopes and stone steps to the keep when choosing your walking scope. For the museum on the same day too, check its opening/closures and availability of the JPY 1,500 combined ticket separately.
- Castle and Genkyuen → Hikone Station
After eating near the castle, return to Hikone Station. Allow station walks, platform access and train waiting; reduce extra facility visits if they risk your return train.
- Hikone Station → Kusatsu Station and same hotel
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Kusatsu and return to the same hotel. Return JR fares/times and hotel walking are separate from partial facility/bus costs and need a travel-date check.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Leave visiting time before the 16:30 last admission. For the museum too, check its opening/closures and combined-ticket availability. Search the hotel approach from the station and return trains separately.
Day 5 · Park near the station
- Hotel near Kusatsu Station → Walking paths
Walk in Deai Hiroba (de愛ひろば), about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This approach time does not cover the entire park, so the route does not continue far into other areas.
- Walking paths → Your booked departure station
After walking and eating, return to Kusatsu Station for your booked departure. Allow the return to the station and platform access. Skip the final walk for an early train.
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 + ordinary Ishiyamadera admission JPY 600 + Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840 + Hachiman-bori bus return JPY 520 + temple bus return JPY 500 + museum bus return JPY 960
Extra costs: Intercity JR, hotel-move transport, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, boats, paid activities, extra visits and final departure transport
JPY 4,420 excludes intercity JR and hotel-move transport. Replacing JPY 1,000 castle/Genkyuen admission with the JPY 1,500 same-day museum combined ticket adds JPY 500, bringing it to JPY 4,920. Check combined-ticket sales during museum closures or exhibition changes.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetableKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026Official Ohmi bus guide
Two Hikone nights, then change hotels to Kusatsu
Stay two nights in Hikone for castle and Hachiman-bori visits, then two in Kusatsu for Lake Biwa Museum and Ishiyamadera. Visit the museum after moving on day three. If the move runs late or the museum is closed, swap with day-four temple worship or skip one facility.
Day 1 · Hikone Castle
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
Visit the keep and garden with ordinary castle/Genkyuen admission at JPY 1,000. Hours are 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Allow for slopes and stone steps to the keep when choosing your walking scope. For the museum on the same day too, check its opening/closures and availability of the JPY 1,500 combined ticket separately.
Official Hikone Castle guideHikone Castle visitor guideOfficial museum guide
- Castle and Genkyuen → Starting station and same hotel
After eating near the castle, return to the same Hikone hotel. For the museum on the same day, you can choose the JPY 1,500 combined ticket, but check visiting time and exhibition operations separately.
Leave visiting time before the 16:30 last admission. For the museum too, check its opening/closures and combined-ticket availability. Search the hotel approach from the station and return trains separately.
Day 2 · Hachiman-bori return trip
- Hikone Station → Omihachiman Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Omihachiman. On arrival, use the north exit and walk to the bus bay. JR fares and bus waits are separate.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- Omihachiman Station north exit → Hachiman-bori bus stop
From Omihachiman Station's north exit, use bay 6 or 7 as assigned for your service stopping at Hachiman-bori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Search canal-bound and station-bound buses together in the official travel-date timetable.
- Hachiman-bori bus stop → Canal and historic streets
Walk from the stop to the canal and historic streets and eat nearby. The canal is directly accessible on foot from the stop. The basic plan is a walk; sightseeing boats and paid facilities are separate options. For a boat ride, check its landing, operating days and fare, reducing sightseeing to fit your return bus.
- Canal and historic streets → Omihachiman Station
Return to Hachiman-bori stop and take an Omihachiman Station-bound bus. Adult station–canal fares are JPY 260 one way or JPY 520 return. Check the return bay and departure separately in the official travel-date timetable.
- Omihachiman Station → Hikone Station and same hotel
Return to the same hotel on a JR Biwako Line train towards Maibara or Nagahama stopping at Hikone. Allow bus-to-JR platform access and waiting. Check actual-date return JR fares and bus connections separately.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Hachiman-bori return buses cost JPY 520, excluding JR from Hikone. Search actual-date JR and buses in both directions together. For the castle museum on a separate day instead, replace the canal visit with JPY 700 individual admission. This does not put both visits on the same day; check museum closures.
Day 3 · Change hotels, then the museum
- Hotel near Hikone Station → JR Kusatsu Station
Check out, take your luggage and go to Hikone Station. Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line train stopping at Kusatsu. Search travel-date trains and fares, allowing time to reach the museum bus after arrival.
JR searchJR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16
- JR Kusatsu Station → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
If your new hotel accepts luggage before check-in, leave it first, then take the museum bus from Kusatsu Station west exit bay 2. Change the museum day or skip it if late. Search the relevant date/direction in the official timetable.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Permanent exhibitions
Walk from the stop to the museum for permanent exhibitions and a meal. Ordinary admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions are separate. Hours are 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Check Monday/public holiday and temporary closure conditions in the date-specific calendar. If travel and storage take too long, swap with day-four temple worship or skip one facility.
- Lake Biwa Museum → Kusatsu Station and new hotel check-in
After visiting, take a Kusatsu Station west exit-bound bus from the museum stop and return to your new hotel. Allow the bus ride and station-to-hotel journey to meet the check-in deadline. Search the relevant date/direction in the official timetable.
This is a hotel-move day. If the museum is closed or travel runs late, swap with day-four temple worship or skip one facility. Allow time from Kusatsu Station to the new hotel before check-in closes.
Day 4 · Temple return trip
- Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
From Kusatsu Station, take a Kyoto-bound JR train stopping at Ishiyama.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station → Sanmon-mae stop and temple gate
From Ishiyama Station bay 1, take a route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 service stopping at Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. After about 10 minutes, get off and enter through the gate. Bus waits and walking from JR to the bay are separate. Search the relevant travel-date direction in the official timetable.
- Sanmon-mae stop and temple gate → Temple worship area
Worship with ordinary JPY 600 admission and eat nearby. Hours are 08:00–16:30, last entry 16:00. The inner sanctuary and Hozoden require separate admission.
- Temple worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
Return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Distinguish it from Otsu-bound services, allowing bus-to-JR platform access.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Kusatsu Station and same hotel
Return to the same hotel on a JR Biwako Line train towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu. Train times/fares require a travel-date search; the bus departure time alone does not guarantee a JR connection.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
The return is an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Distinguish it from Otsu-bound services and allow time from the bus to the JR platform at Ishiyama. Search both directions for your visit date.
Day 5 · Depart from Kusatsu
- Hotel near Kusatsu Station → Walking paths
Walk in Deai Hiroba (de愛ひろば), about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This is the one-way approach; park walking and the return to the station are separate.
- Walking paths → Your booked departure station
After walking and eating, return to Kusatsu Station for your booked departure. Allow the return to the station and platform access. Skip the final walk for an early train.
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 + ordinary Ishiyamadera admission JPY 600 + Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840 + Hachiman-bori bus return JPY 520 + temple bus return JPY 500 + museum bus return JPY 960
Extra costs: Intercity JR, hotel-move transport, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, boats, paid activities, extra visits and final departure transport
JPY 4,420 excludes intercity JR and hotel-move transport. Replacing JPY 1,000 castle/Genkyuen admission with the JPY 1,500 same-day castle museum combined ticket adds JPY 500, totalling JPY 4,920. Replacing day-two Hachiman-bori with a separate-day castle museum visit removes the JPY 520 bus and adds JPY 700 admission, totalling JPY 4,600. On day three, visit Lake Biwa Museum after moving hotels from Hikone to Kusatsu. You need time to finish the move and luggage storage before taking the museum bus. Move it to the following day or skip it if late.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetableKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026Official Ohmi bus guide
Frequently asked questions
Does the listed cost include JR for the hotel move from Hikone to Kusatsu?
It does not. The ¥4,420 is an adult subtotal for Hikone Castle and Genkyuen Garden, ordinary Ishiyamadera admission, Lake Biwa Museum's permanent exhibitions, and return buses to Hachiman-bori, the temple and the museum. Intercity JR, transport for the hotel move, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, boats, extra visits and final departure transport are separate.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetableKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026Official Ohmi bus guide
Can I visit the museum on the day I move from Hikone to Kusatsu?
Itinerary B takes a Kyoto-bound JR service stopping at Kusatsu from Hikone, then visits Lake Biwa Museum. After moving hotels, you need time to take the museum bus, arrive before last entry and explore. If you are late or the museum is closed, swap with the next day's Ishiyamadera visit or omit one attraction. Your last-day departure is also from Kusatsu.
JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16JR searchMuseum accessOutward serviceLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
Can one WEST QR Kansai Area Pass cover all five days?
The WEST QR Kansai Area Pass is sold for one to four consecutive days. A five-day trip does not make one pass valid for all five days. Set the first and last days you would use it, then compare ordinary tickets separately for remaining JR journeys. Check official coverage, eligibility and smartphone requirements for your actual journeys. Accommodation, local buses and admission are separate from JR costs.
Official WEST QR Kansai Area Pass conditionsHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetableOfficial Ohmi bus guideKojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026
Official sources and check dates
- Museum access ·
- Hachiman-bori access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026 ·
- Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2 ·
- Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetable ·
- Hikone Castle visitor guide ·
- Bus departures ·
- 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 ·
- Kusatsu city access and facilities guide ·
- Official Hikone Castle guide ·
- Official Hachiman-bori guide ·
- JR West Sagano/Biwako Line stopping station map, revised 2024-03-16 ·
- Official WEST QR Kansai Area Pass conditions ·