Where should you spend two days in Shiga?
Stay in Hikone for one night to reduce travel and give the castle/garden and museum a day each. For a temple and indoor exhibitions, visit Ishiyamadera first, stay in Kusatsu and visit the museum the next day. Check return bus times to allow your departure train after returning to Kusatsu.
Choose a 1 night, 2 days itinerary
Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city
Stay in Hikone for one night, visiting the keep and Genkyuen on day one and the castle museum on day two. The museum opens at 09:00. For an early departure train, move the museum to day one or skip it.
Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city →1 night, 2 days BIshiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay in Kusatsu for one night to give Ishiyamadera and the Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore the temple on day one, then freshwater life and lakeside living through museum displays on day two. Change dates or choose another course for museum closures or an early departure train.
Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum →Hikone Castle, garden and museum in one city
Stay in Hikone for one night, visiting the keep and Genkyuen on day one and the castle museum on day two. The museum opens at 09:00. For an early departure train, move the museum to day one or skip it.
Day one: Hikone Castle and garden
Start the first day at Hikone Station.
- Hikone Station → Hikone Castle ticket desk
The official walk from Hikone Station to the castle takes about 15 minutes. Leave by the west exit and walk towards the castle, checking the local map for your entrance and ticket desk. Queues and the climb to the keep take extra time.
- Hikone Castle ticket desk → Castle and Genkyuen
Adult castle and Genkyuen admission is JPY 1,000. Decide how much to explore around the slopes and stone steps to the keep. The castle opens 08:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30.
- Castle and Genkyuen → Starting station and the same accommodation
Have a meal nearby and return to the same accommodation near the station. The basic course visits the castle and garden separately from the museum on different days, using individual tickets. The JPY 1,500 combination ticket is for visiting both on the same day.
Last castle and garden admission is 16:30. The next-day museum has separate opening hours and closures, so check each facility’s visit date.
Day two: museum before departure
Check museum opening times and closures separately from the castle.
- Accommodation near Hikone Station → Hikone Castle Museum
Travel from your accommodation to the museum. The official walk from Hikone Station takes about 15 minutes; add time to reach the station from your actual property and for admission queues.
- Hikone Castle Museum → Museum exhibitions
An individual adult museum ticket costs JPY 700. March–November hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30; December–February hours are 09:00–16:30, with last admission at 16:00. The museum opens later than the castle, so plan around its own hours.
- Museum exhibitions → Booked departure station
After the museum and a meal, return to Hikone Station for your booked departure. Check museum closures in the official visitor guide. Move it to day one or skip it for a closure or early departure. Castle/Genkyuen admission and a museum ticket on a separate day total JPY 1,700.
Add final-day sightseeing or a walk only if time remains before your train. Allow separately for the return station walk and reaching the platform.
Included: The total includes JPY 1,000 for Hikone Castle and Genkyuen and JPY 700 for an individual Hikone Castle Museum ticket used on a separate day.
Extra costs: The total excludes JR travel to the base, accommodation transfers and extra journeys, luggage storage, accommodation, meals, additional visits and final onward transport.
Adult admission totals JPY 1,700 for the castle/Genkyuen ticket of JPY 1,000 on day one and separate-day museum admission of JPY 700. If visiting both on one day, check availability of the JPY 1,500 combination ticket. JR, accommodation and meals cost extra. 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. Leave time to return to Hikone Station and board your onward service.
Ishiyamadera and Lake Biwa Museum
Stay in Kusatsu for one night to give Ishiyamadera and the Lake Biwa Museum a day each. Explore the temple on day one, then freshwater life and lakeside living through museum displays on day two. Change dates or choose another course for museum closures or an early departure train.
Day one: Ishiyamadera, then Kusatsu accommodation
Start day one at JR Ishiyama Station.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
From JR Ishiyama Station stand 1, take a Route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 service stopping at Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. The bus ride takes about ten minutes.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Alight and enter through the temple gate with JPY 600 general admission. Open 08:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. Inner hall and Hojoden admission are separate.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
After lunch, return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. This differs from Route 14 towards Otsu Station. Return temple bus fares total JPY 500.
Sanmon-mae stop 2 timetable towards Ishiyama StationKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026
- JR Ishiyama Station → JR Kusatsu Station and booked accommodation
From Ishiyama, take a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Yasu that stops at Kusatsu. Check trains and fares for your date and allow time to reach the JR platform after the bus. JR is excluded from the JPY 2,900 partial total. On arrival in Kusatsu, go to your booked accommodation for the night.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return from the temple on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus at Sanmon-mae stop 2. Walk to the JR platform and take a service stopping at Kusatsu. For a late-afternoon arrival, move or skip the temple visit.
Day two: Lake Biwa Museum before departure
Visit the museum, then return to Kusatsu Station for departure. Change the visiting day or skip the museum for a closure or early departure.
- Kusatsu accommodation and station west-exit stand 2 → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
Take an Ohmi bus bound for the museum from Kusatsu west-exit stand 2 and alight at the museum after roughly 25 minutes. If storing luggage, check availability and collection time. Skip the museum if sightseeing with your bags would be difficult. Choose outward and return buses from the official timetable for your date, allowing extra waiting time.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk from the stop to the museum. General permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions cost extra. Open 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. Closed Mondays except public holidays; temporary closures also occur, so check your date’s calendar.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum admissionLake 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 before the return departure time. Check services in the correct direction in the official timetable for your date.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Kusatsu west exit, luggage collection and departure station
Return by bus to Kusatsu’s west exit and continue to your booked departure station. Collect stored luggage at your accommodation first if needed. Allow for that detour and platform access when choosing buses and trains.
Choose the museum return bus and departure train together. Allow time for luggage collection and the return to the station if storing bags at your accommodation. Move the museum to day one or skip it if time is short.
Included: The total includes JPY 600 for Ishiyamadera general admission, JPY 840 for the museum’s permanent exhibitions, JPY 500 for return temple buses and JPY 960 for return museum buses.
Extra costs: The total excludes JR travel between Ishiyama and Kusatsu, extra day-one luggage-storage journeys, accommodation transfers, storage, accommodation, meals, inner-hall and Hojoden visits, special exhibitions and final onward transport.
Adult facility admission totals JPY 1,440: Ishiyamadera general entry JPY 600 + museum permanent exhibitions JPY 840. Add temple return buses JPY 500 and museum return buses JPY 960 for JPY 2,900. These are separate basic admissions, excluding temple inner-hall/Hojoden combination tickets and museum special exhibitions. JR Ishiyama–Kusatsu, extra day-one luggage-storage journeys, storage, accommodation, meals and final onward transport cost extra. Change dates for a museum closure; skip the museum if return buses leave too little time for departure.
Current fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Frequently asked questions
How do the castle/museum and temple/Lake Biwa Museum courses differ in cost?
Route A’s separate-day castle/Genkyuen and museum admission totals JPY 1,700 for an adult. Route B’s basic temple and Lake Biwa Museum admission plus return buses totals JPY 2,900. Intercity JR, accommodation, meals, storage and final onward transport are excluded.
Hikone Castle visitor guideOfficial museum guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Can I include the museum before an early day-two train?
Hikone Castle Museum opens at 09:00, while Lake Biwa Museum requires a return bus to Kusatsu after visiting. Move or skip the museum if too little time remains before your booked train. If moving it to day one, check closures, entry deadlines and other facilities’ hours too.
Official museum guideMuseum accessLake Biwa Museum admissionLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Museum access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026 ·
- Sanmon-mae stop 2 timetable towards Ishiyama Station ·
- Hikone Castle visitor guide ·
- JR search ·
- Official museum guide ·
- Current fees and exceptions ·
- Official bus guide ·
- Official Ohmi Bus guide ·
- Lake Biwa Museum admission ·
- Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar ·
- Outward journey ·
- Return journey ·
- JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16 ·