Should you stay at the same accommodation for five days in Shiga?
Stay four nights in Kusatsu to give four attractions a day each without moving. To see the castle and canal first, then museum and temple, stay two nights in Hikone and two in Kusatsu. If the moving-day museum visit is delayed, swap with the next-day temple.
Choose a 4 nights, 5 days itinerary
Four attractions from one Kusatsu accommodation
Stay in Kusatsu for four nights and give Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum, Hachimanbori and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same accommodation every day. The temple, canal and castle days use JR; rail fares are separate from the listed admission and bus costs.
Four attractions from one Kusatsu accommodation →4 nights, 5 days BTwo nights in Hikone, then move to Kusatsu
Stay in Hikone for two nights for the castle and Hachimanbori, then move to Kusatsu for two nights for the museum and temple. Visit the museum after moving on day three. If the move is delayed or the museum is closed, swap with the next-day temple or leave one out.
Two nights in Hikone, then move to Kusatsu →Four attractions from one Kusatsu accommodation
Stay in Kusatsu for four nights and give Ishiyamadera, Lake Biwa Museum, Hachimanbori and Hikone Castle a day each. Return to the same accommodation every day. The temple, canal and castle days use JR; rail fares are separate from the listed admission and bus costs.
Day one: Ishiyamadera
Start day one at Kusatsu Station.
- JR Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Ishiyama. The stations share a line, but check your date’s train, fare and platform through JR’s search and station signs. JR is excluded from the JPY 4,420 subtotal.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station stand 1 → Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop
Take Route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 stopping at Sanmon-mae for roughly ten minutes. Check the timetable for your date and allow extra time from JR to the bus stand.
- Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae bus stop → Ishiyamadera worship area
Enter through the gate with JPY 600 general admission. Open 08:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. Inner hall and Hojoden visits cost extra; meals are excluded from the subtotal. Move or skip the temple if insufficient time remains before last entry.
- Ishiyamadera worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
After worship and your meal, take an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2, distinct from Route 14 towards Otsu. Check the timetable for your date and allow time to change to JR after arrival.
- JR Ishiyama Station → JR Kusatsu Station
Return on a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu. Select a train you can reach after the bus arrives, using JR’s search and station signs. Check return train times, fares and bus connections for your date.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return on the Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2, then take JR to Kusatsu and the same accommodation. Allow extra time to change from bus to JR.
Day two: Lake Biwa Museum
- 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: Omihachiman’s canal
- Kusatsu Station → Omihachiman Station
Take a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara stopping at Omihachiman. Use the north exit to reach 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 → Kusatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return to the same Kusatsu accommodation on a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Kusatsu. Allow time from the bus to the platform and for waiting. Check return JR fares and bus connections for your date separately.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
Return from Omihachiman to your Kusatsu accommodation. Check the canal–station bus together with a Kyoto-bound JR service stopping at Kusatsu. If taking a boat, shorten the walk around your return bus.
Day four: 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 five: a park near the station
- Accommodation near Kusatsu Station → Walking paths
Walk in the Deai Hiroba area, about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This is access time rather than time to explore the whole park, so the route does not extend into other areas.
- Walking paths → 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 1,000 for Hikone Castle and Genkyuen, JPY 600 for Ishiyamadera general admission, JPY 840 for the museum’s permanent exhibitions, JPY 520 for return Hachimanbori buses, 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, boats, paid experiences, extra visits and final onward transport.
JPY 4,420 excludes intercity JR and accommodation transfers. Choosing a JPY 1,500 same-day castle/museum combination ticket instead of JPY 1,000 castle/Genkyuen admission adds JPY 500, making JPY 4,920. Check combination ticket availability during museum closures or exhibition changes.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionHachimanbori bus fares and return timetablesKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Two nights in Hikone, then move to Kusatsu
Stay in Hikone for two nights for the castle and Hachimanbori, then move to Kusatsu for two nights for the museum and temple. Visit the museum after moving on day three. If the move is delayed or the museum is closed, swap with the next-day temple or leave one out.
Day one: Hikone Castle
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. To visit the museum that day, you can choose a JPY 1,500 combination ticket. Check how much visiting time remains and whether its exhibitions are open.
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: Hachimanbori return trip
- 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
The JPY 520 Hachimanbori return bus fare excludes JR travel from Hikone. Check return trains and buses together for your date. To see the castle museum on another day, choose a JPY 700 individual visit instead of the canal. This does not combine both visits that day; check museum closures too.
Day three: move accommodation, then visit the museum
- Accommodation near Hikone Station → JR Kusatsu Station
Check out, collect your bags and go to Hikone Station. Take a Kyoto-bound JR Biwako Line service stopping at Kusatsu. Check your date’s train and fare, allowing time after arrival to reach the museum bus stand.
JR searchJR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16
- JR Kusatsu Station → Lake Biwa Museum bus stop
If the new accommodation accepts luggage before check-in, store it first, then take the museum bus from Kusatsu west-exit stand 2. Move or skip the museum if delayed. Check the correct direction’s bus in your date’s official timetable.
- Lake Biwa Museum bus stop → Permanent exhibitions
Visit the permanent exhibitions and allow time for a meal. General admission is JPY 840; special exhibitions cost extra. Open 09:30–17:00, with last entry at 16:00. Check Monday and public-holiday arrangements and temporary closures for your date. If travel or storage is delayed, swap the museum and next-day temple or leave one out.
- Lake Biwa Museum → Kusatsu Station and check-in at the new accommodation
After visiting, take a Kusatsu Station west-exit-bound bus from the museum stop and continue to your new accommodation. Allow for the bus ride and station–property journey before the check-in deadline. Check the correct direction’s service in your date’s official timetable.
This is the accommodation moving day. For a museum closure or travel delay, swap with the day-four temple or leave out one facility. Allow time from Kusatsu Station to the new accommodation before check-in ends.
Day four: temple return trip
- Kusatsu Station → JR Ishiyama Station
Take a Kyoto-bound JR service from Kusatsu stopping at Ishiyama.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
- JR Ishiyama Station → Sanmon-mae stop and temple gate
At Ishiyama stand 1, take Route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 stopping at Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. Alight after roughly ten minutes and enter through the gate. Waiting and walking from JR to the stand take extra time. Check the correct direction’s service in your date’s official timetable.
- Sanmon-mae stop and temple gate → Temple worship area
Visit 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 visits are separate.
- Temple worship area → JR Ishiyama Station
Take an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2, separate from Otsu-bound services. Allow time after the bus to reach the JR platform.
- JR Ishiyama Station → Kusatsu Station and the same accommodation
Return to the same accommodation on a JR Biwako Line service towards Maibara or Yasu stopping at Kusatsu. Use train times and fares for your date; a bus departure time alone does not guarantee the JR connection.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR search
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 five: departure from Kusatsu
- Accommodation near Kusatsu Station → Walking paths
Walk around Deai Hiroba, about six minutes from Kusatsu Station. This is the one-way station–park walk; time exploring and walking back is extra.
- Walking paths → 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 1,000 for Hikone Castle and Genkyuen, JPY 600 for Ishiyamadera general admission, JPY 840 for the museum’s permanent exhibitions, JPY 520 for return Hachimanbori buses, 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, boats, paid experiences, extra visits and final onward transport.
JPY 4,420 excludes intercity JR and accommodation transfers. Choosing a JPY 1,500 same-day castle/museum combination instead of JPY 1,000 castle/Genkyuen admission adds JPY 500, making JPY 4,920. Replacing day-two Hachimanbori with a separate-day museum visit removes JPY 520 buses and adds JPY 700 admission, making JPY 4,600. Day three moves from Hikone to Kusatsu before the Lake Biwa Museum. Allow time after moving and storing luggage to board its bus. Move the museum to the next day or skip it if delayed.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionHachimanbori bus fares and return timetablesKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Frequently asked questions
Does the listed cost include JR when moving from Hikone to Kusatsu?
No. JPY 4,420 is a partial adult total for castle/Genkyuen, temple general entry, museum permanent exhibitions and return buses to the canal, temple and museum. Intercity JR, accommodation transfers, accommodation, meals, storage, boats, extra visits and final onward transport cost extra.
Hikone Castle visitor guideCurrent fees and exceptionsLake Biwa Museum admissionHachimanbori bus fares and return timetablesKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026Official Ohmi Bus guide
Can I visit the museum on the day I move to Kusatsu?
Route B takes a Kyoto-bound JR service stopping at Kusatsu from Hikone, then visits the museum. Allow time after moving for the museum bus and arrive early enough to visit before last admission. For delays or closures, swap with the next-day temple or leave one out. Depart from Kusatsu on the final day too.
JR West Sagano and Biwako Line station map, revised 2024-03-16JR searchMuseum accessOutward journeyLake Biwa Museum admissionLake Biwa Museum opening calendar
Can one WEST QR Kansai Area ticket cover all five days?
It offers one to four consecutive days, so one ticket cannot cover five days merely because the trip lasts four nights. Choose the first and last covered dates, then compare ordinary JR fares for the rest. Check actual section coverage, eligibility and smartphone requirements officially. Accommodation, local buses and admission are separate.
Official WEST QR Kansai Area ticket conditionsHachimanbori bus fares and return timetablesOfficial Ohmi Bus guideKojaku Bus fare table revised on 1 March 2026
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 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 ·