Himeji Castle
The design and history here is incredible and well worth a visit even from other parts of Japan. Himeji Castle can easily be visited on a day trip from nearby places like Kobe, Osaka or Kyoto.
I grew up loving all things Samurai, so naturally this castle has been on my Japanese “bucket list” for years.We’ve done a day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka a few times now, and it’s always fascinating.
This travel guide will explain how to get to Himeji Castle and what to expect when you visit.
History of Himeji Castle
Himeji-jo began construction in the 1300s and was further expanded in the 1600s by the samurai lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Thousands of soldiers once lived in the Himeji-jo complex, and the castle was almost lost many times during World War II when Allied bombs were dropped on the castle and failed to explode. It also survived a major earthquake in the 1990s.
Today, Himeji-jo is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a National Treasure of Japan, and receives approximately 3 million visitors annually.
The castle recently underwent a 5 year restoration and it is finally visible again without tons of scaffolding on the main keep, so now is a GREAT time to see it.
The grounds of the castle are huge and you could spend hours exploring them.
The main vault (tenshun) of Himeji Castle has 6 floors. You can go to the very top.
Visit Himeji Castle. What to expect?
Himeji is a huge castle complex that covers almost 240 hectares (600 acres), is about 60 meters (200 feet) high, and has dozens of defensive gates, moats, and medieval Japanese walls.
I would budget at least a few hours to walk around the castle complex and see everything here, although we personally explored the castle grounds for almost 4 hours and could have stayed longer.
I’ve wanted to see Himeji Castle since I was a kid, so when I was passing through Japan recently, I knew I had to dedicate an entire day to the experience.
The castle is such a work of art, especially when viewed from a distance.
The architecture of the castle is incredible.
Mon symbols
The castle complex is HUGE and there are many different areas to explore; it’s easy to get lost, but that’s part of the fun.
The main keep has 6 floors and you can climb to the top and look down the bow and arrow slits for a better view of the surrounding city.
There are some great restaurants and gift shops near the castle that are also worth checking out.
Do you see the little me in this photo?
Entrance fees
- Adults. ¥1,000 (US$7)
- Children. ¥300
Visiting hours:
- Usual hours: 9:00 – 17:00
- Summer hours. 9:00 – 18:00
Last allowed entry time is 1 hour before closing.
The castle is usually open every day of the year except December 28 and 29. Tickets cannot be booked in advance.
The entrance fee is 1000 yen. There is no additional charge to access the main vault.
How to get to Himeji Castle?
The best way to get to Himeji is by train.Japan has an excellent rail network, so this is a fairly smooth process.
If the instructions below seem confusing, you can click the links to get the exact directions on Google Maps. No guesswork needed.
From Tokyo
While it’s technically possible to visit Himeji Castle on a day trip from Tokyo, I wouldn’t recommend it as you’ll spend almost 8 hours in transit in total and the tickets will be very expensive.
If possible, it’s definitely a better idea to visit Himeji from somewhere closer, like Kyoto or Osaka (info below).
Riding trains like this is part of the fun of getting to Himeji Castle.
Travel times to Himeji from various cities in Japan Courtesy of the official Himeji-jo website.
From Kyoto
From Osaka
From Himeji Station to Himeji Castle
After arriving at Himeji Station, the castle entrance will be 1.6 kilometers away.
There is a cheap bus you can use that goes from the station to the castle and back, or you can walk to the castle in 20 minutes.Here is the route map.
Happy travels!
This is one of the signs that greets you when you arrive in Himeji City.
Best time to visit
The most popular months to visit Himeji Castle are from the end of March to the middle of April, with the first week of April being particularly busy due to the cherry blossom season.
Personally I think the castle is amazing any month of the year so I say just go when the crowds aren’t around.We went in January and had the whole castle to ourselves.
There’s no way to book tickets in advance, so if you’re going during peak season, you’ll need to be there early in the morning to get tickets.
The official Himeji Castle website has an overcrowding forecast with the expected number of visitors, and they also have a handy calendar showing which days of the year are usually busiest.
Best tours and activities in Japan
Where to stay in Kyoto?
Where did we stay?
We stayed at Hotel Mikado in Osaka for ¥4,000 ($30). As a solo traveler or couple, you won’t find a better budget hotel in Japan.
For this price, we got a clean, private room with heating/AC, fridge, TV and high speed WiFi.The room is a bit small but comfortable and the bathrooms are shared, but that’s the norm in Japan.
The place was perfect. only a 2 minute walk from restaurants and train stations, and only a 15 minute drive to Osaka Castle and Dotonbori shopping street.We also took day trips to Himeji, Kyoto and Nara.
Prices can fluctuate from time to time, so just keep an eye out for a good deal.
Our Osaka hotel
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