Three nights in Shiga: where should I spend the extra day?
Stay three nights in Kusatsu, giving Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum and Hikone Castle a day each. For more time at Hikone Castle Museum, stay three nights in Hikone: visit the castle and garden on one day and museum on another, with a separate day trip to Hachiman-bori.
Choose a 4 days / 3 nights itinerary
Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle
Stay three nights in Kusatsu, giving Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same hotel after visiting. On departure day, take a short walk near the station if time allows.
Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle →4 days / 3 nights BStay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum
Stay three nights in Hikone, visiting the keep and garden on one day and castle museum on another. Take a day trip for Hachiman-bori’s canal and old streets. This course does not visit Lake Biwa Museum.
Stay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum →Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle
Stay three nights in Kusatsu, giving Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same hotel after visiting. On departure day, take a short walk near the station if time allows.
Day 1: a return temple trip
This course starts at Kusatsu Station on day one.
- Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Ishiyama. Check trains and fares for your date, allowing time to reach the bus stand at Ishiyama.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station stand 1 → Ishiyamadera-Sanmon-mae stop
Take a service on route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 stopping at Sanmon-mae; the ride takes about ten minutes. Look up services in the required direction using the official timetable for your date.
- Ishiyamadera-Sanmon-mae stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Enter through the temple gate with the ordinary 600-yen ticket, then eat nearby. Hours are 08:00–16:30, with last admission at 16:00. The inner sanctuary and Hozoden are separate. Swap with another day or omit the temple if too little visiting time remains before last admission.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
Take an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. Distinguish it from Otsu-bound services and allow time to reach the JR platform after alighting.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Kusatsu Station and the same hotel
Return on a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu, then stay at the same hotel. The 500-yen temple return bus fare is separate from JR return fares; JR is excluded from the course subtotal.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR searchKojak Bus fares revised March 1, 2026
The return bus departs Sanmon-mae stop 2 for Ishiyama Station. Distinguish it from Otsu-bound services and allow time to reach the JR platform after alighting. Look up outward and return services for your date.
Day 2: museum exhibitions
- Kusatsu Station west-exit stand 2 → Lake Biwa Museum stop
From west-exit stand 2 at Kusatsu, take an Ohmi Bus service to Lake Biwa Museum and alight at the museum stop after about 25 minutes. Look up outward and return buses together in the official timetable for your date, allowing extra waiting time.
- Lake Biwa Museum stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk from the stop to the museum and allow time for permanent exhibitions, meals and a rest. General permanent-exhibition admission costs 840 yen; special exhibitions are extra. Hours are 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Check your date’s calendar for Monday closures, public-holiday openings and temporary closures.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
- Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions → Kusatsu Station and the same hotel
After exhibitions and a meal, take a bus from the museum stop to Kusatsu Station west exit. Finish visiting in time for your return bus, then go back to the same Kusatsu hotel after reaching the station.
Check museum closure dates and Kusatsu-bound buses for your date. Allow time to walk from the galleries to the stop.
Day 3: Hikone Castle
- Kusatsu Station → Hikone Station
Take a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara stopping at Hikone. Look up your outward train and fare together with a Kyoto-bound return service stopping at Kusatsu for your date.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR search
- Hikone Station west exit → Hikone Castle ticket office
Official guidance gives about 15 minutes on foot from Hikone Station to the castle. Leave by the west exit and walk towards the castle, then 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
Visit the keep and garden with the ordinary 1,000-yen castle and Genkyuen ticket. Hours are 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. There are slopes and stone steps to the keep, so decide how far to explore accordingly. For the museum on the same day, check its hours, closure dates and availability of the 1,500-yen combined ticket separately.
Hikone Castle visitor informationOfficial museum information
- Castle and Genkyuen Garden → Hikone Station
Eat around the castle, then return to Hikone Station. Allow time for the station walk, platform access and train wait. Shorten your visiting scope if adding other facilities would risk missing the return train.
- Hikone Station → Kusatsu Station and the same hotel
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Kusatsu, then return to the same hotel. Return JR fares and times and the hotel walk are separate from admission and bus subtotals; check them for your date.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR search
Allow visiting time before last admission at 16:30. To add the museum, check its hours, closure dates and combined-ticket availability. Look up return trains and the route from station to hotel separately.
Day 4: a short Kusatsu walk, then departure
- Hotel near Kusatsu Station → Deai Hiroba · de愛ひろば area
Walk around Deai Hiroba, about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This covers one-way station-to-park access; allow extra time to reach the station from your hotel and spend time in the park.
- Deai Hiroba · de愛ひろば area → Your booked departure station
After your walk and meal, return to Kusatsu Station for your booked departure. Allow time for the station return and platform access. Omit the last-day walk if your train leaves early.
Add last-day sightseeing or walks only if time remains before your departure train. Allow separate time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Included: Ishiyamadera ordinary admission: 600 yen; museum permanent exhibitions: 840 yen; Hikone Castle and Genkyuen: 1,000 yen; temple return bus: 500 yen; museum return bus: 960 yen
Extra costs: Intercity JR, return hotel journeys, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, Hikone Castle Museum, inner sanctuary, Hozoden, special exhibitions, park events and final departure transport
Basic adult admission plus both return bus journeys totals 3,900 yen: facilities at 2,440 yen, temple buses at 500 yen and museum buses at 960 yen. Choosing the same-day ticket including Hikone Castle Museum brings this to 4,400 yen. JR, accommodation, meals, extra visits, park events and final departure transport are excluded. Adjust the visiting order for closures and bus services.
Current fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum feesHikone Castle visitor informationKojak Bus fares revised March 1, 2026Ohmi Bus: official information
Stay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum
Stay three nights in Hikone, visiting the keep and garden on one day and castle museum on another. Take a day trip for Hachiman-bori’s canal and old streets. This course does not visit Lake Biwa Museum.
Day 1: castle and garden
This course starts at Hikone Station on day one.
- Hikone Station → Hikone Castle ticket office
Official guidance gives about 15 minutes on foot from Hikone Station to the castle. Leave by the west exit and walk towards the castle, then 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
Visit the keep and garden with the ordinary 1,000-yen castle and Genkyuen ticket. Hours are 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. There are slopes and stone steps to the keep, so decide how far to explore accordingly. For the museum on the same day, check its hours, closure dates and availability of the 1,500-yen combined ticket separately.
Hikone Castle: official informationHikone Castle visitor informationOfficial museum information
- Castle and Genkyuen Garden → Return to the starting station and same hotel
Eat around the castle, then return to the same Hikone hotel. Castle admission ends at 16:30; if arriving late, swap this day with the next day’s museum visit.
Allow visiting time before last admission at 16:30. To add the museum, check its hours, closure dates and combined-ticket availability. Look up return trains and the route from station to hotel separately.
Day 2: castle museum
- Hotel near Hikone Station → Hikone Castle Museum
Walk about 15 minutes from Hikone Station west exit to the castle museum in the Omotemon area and buy a 700-yen individual ticket. Allow extra time from your hotel to the station. The museum opens at 09:00 March–November, later than the castle’s 08:30 opening.
- Hikone Castle Museum → Return to the starting station and same hotel
After exhibitions, eat or rest near the castle or station and return to the same hotel. This itinerary does not split a combined ticket across two days. Change dates for exhibition changes or closures.
Hikone Castle Museum opens at 09:00. Check exhibition changes and temporary closures in the official visitor information for your date.
Day 3: Hachiman-bori
- Hikone Station → Omihachiman Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Omihachiman. Leave by the north exit and reach your bus stand. JR fares and bus waiting time are separate.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR search
- Omihachiman Station north exit → Hachiman-bori stop
From north-exit stand 6 or 7 at Omihachiman, as required for your bus, take a service stopping at Hachiman-bori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Look up outward and station-bound return buses together in the official timetable for your date.
- Hachiman-bori stop → Canal and old streets
Walk from the stop to explore the canal and old streets, and eat nearby. The canal is directly accessible on foot from the stop. The basic itinerary is a walk; cruises and paid facilities are optional extras. For a cruise, check the boarding point, sailing dates and fares, then shorten sightseeing to fit your return bus.
- Canal and old streets → Omihachiman Station
Return to the Hachiman-bori stop for an Omihachiman Station-bound bus. Adult fares are 260 yen each way or 520 yen return. Check the return stand and departure time in the official timetable for your date.
- Omihachiman Station → Hikone Station and the same hotel
Take a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Nagahama stopping at Hikone, then return to the same hotel. Allow time to reach the JR platform after the bus and wait for your train. Check return JR fares and bus connections for your date separately.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR search
Look up return trains between Hikone and Omihachiman alongside canal-bound and station-bound buses. Cruises are separate from the walking itinerary; check their boarding point, sailing dates and fares too.
Day 4: castle-town streets, then departure
- Hotel near Hikone Station → Streets and open shops
Walk about 20 minutes from Hikone Station to Yumekyobashi Castle Road and explore open shops. This is one-way station-to-street access; add time for walking around, eating and returning.
Shiga Prefecture: official access informationShopping street shop list
- Streets and open shops → Your booked departure station
After your walk and meal, return to Hikone Station for your booked departure. Allow time for the station return and platform access. Omit the last-day walk if your train leaves early.
Shiga Prefecture: official access informationShopping street shop list
Add last-day sightseeing or walks only if time remains before your departure train. Allow separate time to return to the station and reach the platform.
Included: Hikone Castle and Genkyuen: 1,000 yen; individual museum ticket on another day: 700 yen; Hachiman-bori return bus: 520 yen
Extra costs: JR Hikone–Omihachiman, return hotel journeys, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, cruises, paid experiences, extra visits and final departure transport
The castle, garden, individual castle museum ticket on another day and Hachiman-bori return buses total 2,220 yen per adult. JR, cruises, paid experiences, accommodation, meals and final departure transport are excluded. Check museum closures and your date’s JR and bus services. On departure day, allow time to return to Hikone Station and board your train.
Hikone Castle visitor informationOfficial museum informationHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetables
Frequently asked questions
Do both three-night courses visit the same museum?
No. Course A stays in Kusatsu and takes a bus from Kusatsu Station to Lake Biwa Museum. Course B stays in Hikone and visits the castle museum on a different day from the castle and garden. General admission is 840 yen for Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions or 700 yen for an individual castle museum ticket. Check each museum’s closure dates before choosing days.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendarOfficial museum information
Can I return to the same Kusatsu hotel after Hikone Castle?
Course A takes a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara stopping at Hikone, then walks from the west exit to the castle. After visiting, return from Hikone on a Kyoto-bound service stopping at Kusatsu and go to the same hotel. The roughly 15-minute station-to-castle walk excludes ticket queues, keep steps and hotel access. Check return trains and fares for your date first.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR searchHikone Castle access
Do I have to buy a JR pass for Hikone Castle?
Ordinary tickets also work. To compare a WEST QR Kansai Area Pass, choose the actual JR sections and dates, check their coverage, then compare ordinary fares. JR fares are excluded from the listed admission and bus costs. Temple, museum and canal bus fares and admission fees are separate from the pass.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16)JR searchWEST QR Kansai Area Pass: official conditionsKojak Bus fares revised March 1, 2026Ohmi Bus: official informationHachiman-bori bus fares and return timetables
Official sources and check dates
- Museum access ·
- Hachiman-bori access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojak Bus fares revised March 1, 2026 ·
- Sanmon-mae stop 2: Ishiyama Station-bound timetable ·
- Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetables ·
- Hikone Castle visitor information ·
- Bus departure timetable ·
- JR search ·
- Official museum information ·
- Current fees and exceptions ·
- Official bus information ·
- Ohmi Bus: official information ·
- Lake Biwa Museum fees ·
- Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar ·
- Outward services ·
- Return services ·
- Kusatsu City: access and facility information ·
- Shiga Prefecture: official access information ·
- Shopping street shop list ·
- Hikone Castle: official information ·
- Hachiman-bori: official information ·
- JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map (revised 2024-03-16) ·
- WEST QR Kansai Area Pass: official conditions ·