What would you like to see in Shiga?
Explore Hikone Castle’s keep and garden, or Ishiyamadera’s temple grounds. Choose Hachiman-bori for old streets beside a canal, or Lake Biwa Museum for exhibits about fish and life around the lake. Temple buses leave Ishiyama; museum buses leave Kusatsu. Check the official calendars for Lake Biwa Museum and Hikone Castle Museum separately for your visit date.
Attraction fees, hours and access
Hikone Castle
彦根城
Explore Hikone Castle’s keep and walk Genkyuen Garden, looking towards the castle across the pond. The approach to the keep and its interior have steep steps. Castle and garden admission differs from museum admission; decide what to see before comparing fees below.
- FeesCastle and Genkyuen admission costs 1,000 yen for general visitors or 300 yen for elementary and junior high school children. The same-day ticket including the castle museum costs 1,500 yen and 550 yen respectively. On another day, the museum requires its separate 700-yen general ticket, giving a 1,700-yen castle and museum total.
- HoursOpen 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Combined tickets may be unavailable during museum closures or exhibition changes.
- Museum hours are separateFrom October 2026, museum hours are 09:00–17:00 March–November, last admission 16:30, or 09:00–16:30 December–February, last admission 16:00. Do not apply the castle’s 08:30 opening to the museum. Official museum information, checked 2026-10-09.
- AccessOfficial guidance gives about 15 minutes on foot from JR Hikone 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, which includes steps and slopes.
- Additional visiting conditionsDo not apply castle opening time to the museum. Museum closures and exhibition changes may affect combined-ticket sales and access.
Official museum informationHikone Castle visitor informationHikone Castle access
Ishiyamadera
Ishiyamadera Temple石山寺
Explore Ishiyamadera, associated by tradition with The Tale of Genji and Murasaki Shikibu. Its grounds include the National Treasure Main Hall and Tahoto pagoda as well as large rocks. Visiting the Main Hall’s inner sanctuary costs extra beyond ordinary admission and may be suspended during Buddhist services.
- FeesOrdinary admission costs 600 yen for general visitors, 350 yen for junior high and high school students, or 250 yen for elementary school children. For general visitors, the Main Hall’s inner sanctuary costs another 500 yen and Hozoden another 300 yen. Seasonal combined tickets are also available.
- HoursOpen 08:00–16:30, with last admission at 16:00. The inner sanctuary opens 09:00–16:00, with access suspended during certain Buddhist services and on specified dates.
- AccessFrom stand 1 at JR Ishiyama, take Kojak Bus route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 to Ishiyamadera-Sanmon-mae. The ride takes about ten minutes and costs 250 yen per adult each way. Return from Sanmon-mae stop 2 on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus. From Keihan Ishiyamadera Station, walk about ten minutes.
- Additional visiting conditionsFor your return, choose an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. This differs from Otsu-bound services. Check Buddhist-service suspension times for the Main Hall’s inner sanctuary too.
Current fees and exceptionsOfficial bus informationKojak Bus fares revised March 1, 2026Sanmon-mae stop 2: Ishiyama Station-bound timetableWalking from the station
Hachiman-bori
Hachiman-bori Canal八幡堀
Follow Hachiman-bori’s canal past storehouses, old white-walled houses and stone-paved streets. Walk the streets or take a cruise for views from the water. For a boat trip, check the operator’s boarding point, sailing times and fares separately.
- FeesAdult return buses from the station to Hachiman-bori cost 520 yen. Cruises and paid facilities are separate; the basic walking itinerary excludes boat tickets. Check each operator’s boarding point, fares and times if taking a cruise.
- HoursThe Hachiman-bori walking area has no regular closing day; shops and cruises have their own operating dates and times.
- AccessFrom Omihachiman Station north exit, take the appropriate bus to Hachiman-bori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Walk directly from the stop to the canal. This access guidance covers the canal and old streets; cruise boarding points are separate. The operator’s roughly seven-minute station-to-stop ride excludes waiting, walking around and meals.
- Additional visiting conditionsCheck canal-bound and station-bound bus timetables for your date. For a cruise, check each operator’s boarding point, sailing dates, fares and booking conditions separately.
Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetablesHachiman-bori access
Lake Biwa Museum
滋賀県立琵琶湖博物館
Visit Lake Biwa Museum if you are curious about fish living in Lake Biwa · 琵琶湖 and people’s lives around the lake. Explore tanks displaying freshwater life alongside exhibitions about everyday life and history. Permanent and special exhibitions charge separately. Take a bus from Kusatsu, checking return services and closure dates.
- FeesPermanent-exhibition admission costs 840 yen for general visitors and 470 yen for university students; high school students and under-18s enter free. Special exhibitions cost another 340 yen for general visitors.
- HoursOpen 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Closed Mondays except public holidays. Check temporary closures in the calendar.
- AccessFrom west-exit stand 2 at JR Kusatsu, take an Ohmi Bus service to Lake Biwa Museum and alight at the museum stop after about 25 minutes. Walk from the stop to the museum. Adult fares are 480 yen each way or 960 yen return, separate from admission. Look up outward and return buses together for your date.
- Additional visiting conditionsCheck Monday public-holiday openings and temporary closures in the calendar for your date. Permanent-exhibition admission, special-exhibition admission and return bus fares are separate costs.
Ohmi Bus: official informationLake Biwa Museum feesLake Biwa Museum opening calendarMuseum accessOutward servicesReturn services
Frequently asked questions
Which ticket should I buy to include Hikone Castle Museum?
For the castle and Genkyuen only, choose the 1,000-yen general ticket. A same-day visit including the museum has a 1,500-yen combined ticket. Visiting on different days requires the 1,000-yen castle and garden ticket plus 700-yen individual museum ticket, totalling 1,700 yen. Check access and combined-ticket availability during museum closures or exhibition changes.
Hikone Castle visitor informationOfficial museum information
Does Lake Biwa Museum open on Mondays?
It normally closes on Mondays but opens on public holidays. Temporary closures also occur, so check the official calendar for your intended date.
Do I need a cruise ticket to walk Hachiman-bori?
You do not need a cruise ticket for a walk. If you want a boat trip, check the operator’s boarding point, sailing times, fares and booking conditions. The 520-yen return bus fare between Omihachiman and Hachiman-bori excludes cruises.
Hachiman-bori accessHachiman-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 ·
- Official museum information ·
- Current fees and exceptions ·
- Official bus information ·
- Walking from the station ·
- Ohmi Bus: official information ·
- Lake Biwa Museum fees ·
- Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar ·
- Outward services ·
- Return services ·