Himeji Day Trip: Visit the biggest medieval samurai castle in Japan

Both Osaka and Kyoto make for good bases to explore nearby cities and attractions in the Kansai region of Japan. Himeji City is a good option for a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto. Not only is it home to the historically-significant Himeji Castle, it’s also home to Mt. Shosha, where parts of the Last Samurai were filmed.

We visited Himeji as part of our Osaka trip itinerary. If you are wondering whether Himeji is worth visiting, I would say absolutely! A day trip to Himeji city is worth it just to visit Japan’s most spectacular surviving feudal castle. For those interested in an authentic castle experience and architectural detail, Himeji Castle is delightful. 

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How to reach Himeji

Train is the most convenient transport to reach Himeji city.

From Osaka: Osaka and Himeji are connected by the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen. There are loads of options all day long, the shinkansen takes about 30 min. Or you can take the JR Special Rapid Train. This is slower and takes a little over an hour.

We had pre-booked all our shinkansen travel tickets and seat allocation on the Smart Ex site in advance. But for the Himeji day trip, we simply landed at the Osaka station and bought tickets to whichever was the next train leaving.

From Kyoto: Kyoto and Himeji are connected by the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen. You’ll need to board the Hikari bullet train bound for Hiroshima on the Tokaido・Sanyo line, in the direction of Shin-Kobe Station. The fastest shinkansen takes about 43 min.

From Tokyo: Himeji is not recommended as a day trip from Tokyo. The fastest shinkansen from Tokyo to Himeji takes 3 hours one-way. So it is not a great idea unless you are going back to Kyoto or Osaka in the evening.

After you arrive at Himeji Station, Himeji castle entrance will be 1.6 km away. You can walk the distance if weather permits. Or take a taxi which is not an expensive option for the short distance.

Best time to visit Himeji

The most popular months to visit Himeji Castle are spring (late March to mid-April) and autumn (October, November). But do note that good weather also brings in large crowds. The first week of April is especially busy because of cherry blossom season. Same goes for the Golden Week (first week of May) which is also busy because of local holidays.

You cannot reserve tickets to Himeji Castle in advance. So do reach early in the morning to get tickets, if you go during the peak season. We had visited Himeji Castle in early June as part of our Japan two-week trip and there were less crowds in the morning.

Himeji One Day Itinerary

We bought the combo ticket for the Castle and its extensive not-to-be-missed Gardens at the castle entrance. I had booked a volunteer guide from a local club, Himeji Goodwill (listed on the JNTO website) to meet us at the castle main entry point and take us through it and the gardens. There are several elderly folks who provide walking tours to foreigners for a voluntary donation. But do note that their historical knowledge may not be as much as a professional guide.

Himeji Castle

Also known as Himeji-jo and the White Heron Castle, Himeji Castle is the biggest medieval Samurai castle in Japan. With its brilliant white walls and elegant bird-like structure, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The castle’s construction was started in the 1300s, and then it was expanded even more in the 1600s. It has survived natural disasters, WW II bombing, and all the wear and tear in the past. There was major restoration works carried out in 2015, which helped return the castle facade to a brilliant white. Himeji Castle is a national treasure that has stood the test of time for over 400 years.

Himeji is a huge fortress complex that covers almost 600 acres, and has dozens of defensive gates, moats, and walls from the medieval period in Japan. The main keep itself is 6 stories tall. We had to deposit our shoes before we entered the main building. It is strange to find the interiors dark and completely bare after the aesthetic exterior of the main keep. But our guide kept us engaged with the function of each area / room. Plus the views as we kept going higher up were marvellous in all directions.

The stairs connecting each floor of the main keep are quite tall and may give some trouble to people with mobility issues. Once we exited the main keep and put our shoes back on, we walked across the west bailey and some of the open grounds. The grounds give different angles of the beautiful castle.

Koko-en Gardens

Our guide had insisted on us buying the combo ticket at the castle entrance and I am glad we did that. Koko-en Garden consists of 9 separate walled gardens sprawled across 9 acres, each with a different theme. They were designed according to various styles prevalent during the Edo Period. We walked along a moat circling the Himeji Castle complex to reach Koko-en Garden.

This serene Japanese style garden area features a a pond with a waterfall, a tea garden where visitors can enjoy green tea, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden a flower garden, and more. I could only imagine how brilliant the colours would be during autumn season.

Lunch

Across the Castle on crossing the main road, you will find many options for food, drinks and souvenir shopping. We chose to walk back to the station area on the main road and look for restaurant options. We came upon Vin Vin curry, a tiny place that served exactly one dish: Japanese style pork curry with rice. You will even more food options just outside the Himeji station.

We had come to Himeji city just to visit the Castle and its adjacent gardens. Post lunch, it was time to head back to Osaka and experience the lively evening there. But it is easy enough to extend your trip to Himeji to a full-day trip.

Extend the day trip to Mt. Shosha

A great option after viewing Himeji castle and lunch break is to visit Mt. Shosha located at the edge of Himeji City. This mountain is home to Engyo-ji Temple, a Buddhist temple complex built in 966.

There’s a “Shoshazan Ropeway” combination ticket that includes a roundtrip bus ticket from Himeji Station to the ropeway station, and then one for the ropeway round trip. It is available at the ticket counter of the Shinki Bus Terminal in front of Himeji Station.

Once you reach the mountain top, you can explore Engyoji’s temple buildings that are spread over a spacious, densely forested area. Due to the beautiful scenery and absence of modern infrastructure on its temple grounds, Mount Shosha is frequently used as a filming location for historical movies and TV dramas. Internationally, it’s famous for having had some movie scenes from ‘The Last Samurai‘ filmed here. 

We had explored something similar at Mt. Misen on a day trip to Miyajima Island earlier from Osaka. So we took the train back to Osaka post lunch. But a trip to Mt. Shosha is worth it for those in the Himeji area wanting to visit a historic, culturally significant temple that has a cinematic connection.

Planning a trip to Japan? Check out –

Start with Essential Travel Tips For Japan and 2 Weeks in Japan

City Itineraries: Tokyo 5-day Itinerary, 3 Days in Kyoto Itinerary, Osaka 3 Day Itinerary

Day Trips: Best day trips from Osaka, Best day trips from Tokyo,  Hiroshima & Miyajima Island Day Trip Itinerary, An Unique Temple Stay at Koyasan, Ultimate Guide to Tokyo DisneySea

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