Where should you spend an extra day during four days in Shiga?
Stay three nights in Kusatsu to give the temple, Lake Biwa Museum and Hikone Castle a day each. For longer at the castle museum, stay three nights in Hikone. Give the castle/garden and museum separate days, with another day for Hachimanbori.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle
Stay in Kusatsu for three nights and give the temple, museum and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same accommodation after visits. On departure day, take a short walk near the station if time allows.
Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle →3 nights, 4 days BStay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum
Stay in Hikone for three nights, giving the keep and garden a separate day from the castle museum. Take one day for Hachimanbori’s canal and historic streets. This course leaves out Lake Biwa Museum.
Stay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum →Stay in Kusatsu for Ishiyamadera, the museum and Hikone Castle
Stay in Kusatsu for three nights and give the temple, museum and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same accommodation after visits. On departure day, take a short walk near the station if time allows.
Day one: temple return trip
Start day one at Kusatsu Station.
- Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
Take a JR Biwako Line service towards Kyoto 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 2024-03-16JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station stand 1 → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
Choose Route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 stopping at Sanmon-mae for the roughly ten-minute ride. Check the correct direction’s service in your date’s official timetable.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Enter through the gate with JPY 600 general admission and have a meal nearby. Open 08:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. Inner hall and Hojoden admission are separate. Change days or skip the temple if insufficient visiting time remains before last entry.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
Take an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. This differs from Otsu-bound services. Allow time after the bus to reach the JR platform.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Kusatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return on a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu and stay at the same accommodation. The JPY 500 temple return buses and JR return fares are separate; JR is excluded from the course subtotal.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR searchKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026
The return bus is bound for Ishiyama Station from Sanmon-mae stop 2, rather than Otsu. Allow time after alighting to reach the JR platform. Search both directions for your date.
Day two: museum exhibitions
- Kusatsu Station west-exit stand 2 → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
Take an Ohmi bus to the museum from Kusatsu west-exit stand 2 and alight after roughly 25 minutes. Check outward and return services together in the official timetable for your date, with extra time for waiting.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions
Walk to the museum for permanent exhibitions, a meal and breaks. General permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions cost extra. Open 09:30–17:00, with last entry at 16:00. Check Monday closures, public-holiday openings and temporary closures in your date’s calendar.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum admissionLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
- Lake Biwa Museum permanent exhibitions → Kusatsu Station and the same accommodation
After exhibitions and your meal, take a Kusatsu Station west-exit-bound bus from the museum stop. Finish sightseeing around its departure time and return to the same Kusatsu accommodation.
Check museum closures and station-bound buses for your date. Allow time to walk from the exhibition rooms to the stop.
Day three: Hikone Castle
- Kusatsu Station → Hikone Station
Take a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara stopping at Hikone. Check the outward train and fare alongside a Kyoto-bound return service stopping at Kusatsu.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- Hikone Station west exit → 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
Visit the keep and garden with JPY 1,000 general castle/Genkyuen admission. Open 08:30–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. Allow for slopes and stone steps towards the keep. For the museum on the same day, separately check its hours, closures and availability of the JPY 1,500 combination ticket.
- Castle and Genkyuen → Hikone Station
Have a meal near the castle and return to Hikone Station. Allow time for the station walk, platform access and train waiting. Reduce additional visits if needed to catch your return service.
- Hikone Station → Kusatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return to the same Kusatsu accommodation on a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Kusatsu. JR return fares, times and the accommodation walk are separate from the facility and bus subtotal; check them for your date.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Allow visiting time before last castle entry at 16:30. To add the museum, check its hours, closures and combination ticket availability. Check the accommodation route and return train separately.
Day four: a short Kusatsu walk before departure
- Accommodation near Kusatsu Station → Deai Hiroba (de愛ひろば) area
Walk around Deai Hiroba, about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This estimate is only the one-way station–park walk; accommodation access and time in the park are extra.
- Deai Hiroba (de愛ひろば) area → Booked departure station
After the walk and meal, return to Kusatsu Station for your booked departure. Leave time for the return walk and platform access. Skip the walk for an early train.
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 600 for Ishiyamadera general admission, JPY 840 for the museum’s permanent exhibitions, JPY 1,000 for Hikone Castle and Genkyuen, JPY 500 for return temple buses and JPY 960 for return museum buses.
Extra costs: The total excludes intercity JR travel, accommodation transfers, storage, accommodation, meals, Hikone Castle Museum, inner-hall and Hojoden visits, special exhibitions, park events and final onward transport.
Basic facility admission and two return bus journeys total JPY 3,900 for one adult: admission JPY 2,440 + temple buses JPY 500 + museum buses JPY 960. A same-day castle/museum combination ticket raises the total to JPY 4,400. JR, accommodation, meals, extra visits, park events and final onward transport are excluded. Adjust the order around facility closures and bus operating days.
Current fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionHikone Castle visitor guideKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Stay in Hikone for the castle, canal and museum
Stay in Hikone for three nights, giving the keep and garden a separate day from the castle museum. Take one day for Hachimanbori’s canal and historic streets. This course leaves out Lake Biwa Museum.
Day one: 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
Visit the keep and garden with JPY 1,000 general castle/Genkyuen admission. Open 08:30–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. Allow for slopes and stone steps towards the keep. For the museum on the same day, separately check its hours, closures and availability of the JPY 1,500 combination ticket.
Official Hikone Castle guideHikone Castle visitor guideOfficial museum guide
- Castle and Genkyuen → Starting station and the same accommodation
Have a meal near the castle and return to the same Hikone accommodation. Castle entry ends at 16:30; for a late arrival, swap dates with the next-day museum.
Allow visiting time before last castle entry at 16:30. To add the museum, check its hours, closures and combination ticket availability. Check the accommodation route and return train separately.
Day two: castle museum
- Accommodation near Hikone Station → Hikone Castle Museum
Walk about 15 minutes from Hikone Station’s west exit to the museum in the Omotemon area and buy a JPY 700 individual ticket. Accommodation–station walking time is extra. In March–November, it opens at 09:00, later than the castle’s 08:30 opening.
- Hikone Castle Museum → Starting station and the same accommodation
After exhibitions, have a meal or break near the castle or station and return to the same accommodation. This course does not split a combination 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 guide for your date.
Day three: Hachimanbori
- Hikone Station → Omihachiman Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Omihachiman. Leave by the north exit and walk to the bus stand. JR fares and bus waiting need separate allowances.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- Omihachiman Station north exit → Hachimanbori bus stop
At Omihachiman’s north exit, use stand 6 or 7 as appropriate for your bus, choosing a service stopping at Hachimanbori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Check both the canal-bound and station-bound buses in the official timetable for your date.
- Hachimanbori bus stop → Canal and historic streets
Alight and walk to the nearby canal and historic streets, with a meal in the area. The basic course is a walk; boats and paid facilities are optional extras. For a boat, check the landing point, operating days and fare, and shorten other visits around your return bus.
- Canal and historic streets → Omihachiman Station
Return to Hachimanbori’s stop for an Omihachiman Station-bound bus. Adult station–canal fares are JPY 260 one way or JPY 520 return. Check the return boarding point and time separately in your date’s official timetable.
- Omihachiman Station → Hikone Station and the same accommodation
Return to the same Hikone accommodation on a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Nagahama stopping at Hikone. Allow time from the bus to the JR platform and for waiting. Check return JR fares and bus connections separately for your date.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Check Hikone–Omihachiman return trains together with canal-bound and station-bound buses. Boats are separate from the walking course and need their own landing-point, operating-day and fare checks.
Day four: castle-town streets and departure
- Accommodation near Hikone Station → Streets and open shops
Walk about 20 minutes from Hikone Station to Yumekyobashi Castle Road and visit open shops. This is one-way access time; add the walk, meal and return journey separately.
- Streets and open shops → Booked departure station
After the walk and meal, return to Hikone Station for your booked departure. Leave time for the return walk and platform access. Skip the final walk for an early train.
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, JPY 700 for an individual castle museum ticket used on a separate day and JPY 520 for return Hachimanbori buses.
Extra costs: The total excludes JR travel between Hikone and Omihachiman, accommodation transfers, storage, accommodation, meals, boats, paid experiences, extra visits and final onward transport.
Castle and garden, a separate-day museum ticket and Hachimanbori return buses total JPY 2,220 for one adult. JR, boats, paid experiences, accommodation, meals and final onward transport are excluded. Check museum closures and JR/bus services for your date, leaving time to return to Hikone Station for departure.
Hikone Castle visitor guideOfficial museum guideHachimanbori bus fares and return timetables
Frequently asked questions
Do the two four-day courses visit the same museum?
They visit different museums. Kusatsu Route A takes a bus to Lake Biwa Museum. Hikone Route B visits Hikone Castle Museum separately from the castle/garden. General permanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840 at Lake Biwa Museum; an individual castle museum ticket is JPY 700. Check each museum’s closures before choosing dates.
Museum accessLake Biwa Museum admissionLake Biwa Museum opening calendarOfficial museum guide
Can I visit Hikone Castle from Kusatsu and return to the same accommodation?
Route A uses a Maibara-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Hikone, then walks from the west exit to the castle. Return on a Kyoto-bound service stopping at Kusatsu. The roughly 15-minute castle walk excludes ticket queues, keep stairs and accommodation access. Check return trains and fares first.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR searchHikone Castle access
Must I buy a JR pass for Hikone Castle?
Ordinary tickets are an option. To compare WEST QR Kansai Area, establish actual JR sections and dates, check coverage, then compare ordinary fares. Listed facility and bus costs exclude JR. Temple, museum and canal buses and facility admission cost extra beyond the pass.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR searchOfficial WEST QR Kansai Area ticket conditionsKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guideHachimanbori bus fares and return timetables
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Museum access ·
- Hachimanbori access ·
- Hikone Castle access ·
- Kojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026 ·
- Sanmon-mae stop 2 timetable towards Ishiyama Station ·
- Hachimanbori bus fares and return timetables ·
- Hikone Castle visitor guide ·
- Bus departure timetable ·
- 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 ·
- Kusatsu City access and facility guide ·
- Official Shiga access guide ·
- Shopping street directory ·
- Official Hikone Castle guide ·
- Official Hachimanbori guide ·
- JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16 ·
- Official WEST QR Kansai Area ticket conditions ·