Highlights

  • Learn about the history of Shiga, a lesser known but vitally important prefecture

  • Visit both Enryaku-ji and Mii-dera, sister temples of the Tendai sect of Buddhism

  • Stroll through the post-town of Kinomoto, a centre of sake and soy sauce production for hundreds of years

  • Travel to points all around the perimeter of Lake Biwa, including Hikone and its castle in the east and sacred Mount Hiei in the west

  • Take an Edo-style boat ride amidst the reeds of Lake Nishinoko, an important area of ecological preservation resplendent with wildlife

  • Ride a cable car up to the ruins of Hachimanyama Castle and its far-reaching views

 

Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake, and Shiga, the mountainous prefecture where it’s situated, has long been considered the ‘gateway’ to Kyōto. Even today, Lake Biwa’s waters continue to nourish the old imperial capital, providing both drinking water and irrigation.

Experience the rich culture, history, religion, and natural beauty of this oft-overlooked but vitally important region. Over the course of five days you will travel around the perimeter of Lake Biwa, hiking up mountain trails, strolling through post-towns, and visiting castles, temples, and more. You will delve into history dating as far back as the 8th century, all the way up to the present day. From Enryaku-ji Temple and Mount Hiei, central to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, to Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few keeps that has survived with its original structure, you will visit key landmarks that stand as monuments to ages past.

Shiga's natural beauty is on full display here; Lake Biwa sits as the prefecture’s beating heart, but other lakes, mountain peaks, and forests join to create a vivid backdrop for your adventure. Ride in an Edo-style boat through the reeds of Lake Nishinoko, a wildlife preserve rich with birdsong, and see the views of both Lake Biwa and Lake Yogo from the summit of Mount Shizugatake, once a site of a fierce battle between samurai and now a tranquil overlook.

Your final day will take you through the 'gateway' and to Kyōto itself, as you walk along the Lake Biwa Canal, a marvel of Japan’s industrial revolution that helped revive Kyōto’s economic standing.

Shiga, with all its gifts, awaits.

What is included

  • 4 nights at accommodations
  • 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners
  • Transportation from Kyōto at the start of your trip, and to Kyōto or Ōsaka at the end
  • Transportation for intermediate journeys which can be pre-booked in advance
  • Transfer by pre-booked taxi at certain points during your journey
  • Detailed day-by-day itinerary and walking directions
  • Detailed maps
  • Our Traveller's Guide handbook
  • Local support by telephone and email
  • Visit to Enryaku-ji Temple
  • Visit to Hikone Castle and Genkyū-en Garden
  • Boat ride on Lake Nishinoko

What is not included

  • Flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Drinks and meals not included in itinerary
  • Single room supplement(s) for solo occupancy
  • Daily luggage transfer
  • Entrance fees for sites and activities not listed in 'What is Included

Lake Biwa: Gateway to Kyoto

(subject to change until the booking has been finalized)

Day 1 – Visit Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, then walk to Sakamoto

Travel by train from Kyōto or Ōsaka to your starting point in Yase, then ride a cable car up to sacred Mount Hiei, the base for Enryaku-ji Temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. Visit the temple, and catch your first glimpses of Lake Biwa, before another cable car takes you down the other side to the town of Sakamoto. Explore the area, including two former monks’ residences, then continue by train to Ogoto Onsen and your accommodation for the night.

Walking distance: 5.5 km / 3.4 mi
Elevation gain: 205 m / 675 ft of ascent and 265 m / 870 ft of descent
Time required: About 3 hours

Accommodation: Onsen ryokan (hot spring inn) or onsen hotel (hot spring hotel)
Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – See the Sights from Mount Shizugatake, then explore Kinomoto

Travel by train to Yogo, from where you will start today’s walk. Hike up Mount Shizugatake, the backdrop to the Battle of Shizugatake in the late 16th century, and enjoy the reward of superb views of Lake Yogo and Lake Biwa at its summit. After your descent, you will pass by small temples and shrines before arriving at the post-town of Kinomoto, where you will have some time to explore before settling in to your accommodation for the evening.

If you are looking to spend more time in Kinomoto, we offer a shorter alternative on this day where you can take a chairlift down from Mount Shizugatake and skip one section in Kinomoto – this will reduce the walking distance by roughly 1.1 km / 0.7 mi and 1.3 km / 0.8 mi, respectively. You may decide if you wish to take this shortcut on the day; however, please note that the chairlift only operates between late April and late November.

Walking distance: 11 km / 6.8 mi
Elevation gain: 355 m / 1,165 ft of ascent and 365 m / 1,200 ft of descent
Time required: About 5 hours

Accommodation: Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) or minshuku (family-run guesthouse)
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 3 – Hike to the ruins of Sawayama Castle, then walk to Hikone Castle

Board a train from Kinomoto to the trailhead of your hike to the Sawayama Castle Ruins, which lie upon the summit of Mount Sawa. Take in the sights before descending the mountain towards your next destination – Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few remaining castles whose original main keep is still intact. Temples such as Chōju-in Temple serve as landmarks along the way. Visit the castle and the tranquil Genkyū-en Garden before reaching your lodging for the night in Hikone.

Walking distance: 4.8 km / 3 mi
Elevation gain: 145 m / 475 ft of ascent and descent
Time required: About 2.5 hours
Please expect an additional 3 km / 1.9 mi of walking during your visit to Hikone Castle.

Accommodation: Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) or Japanese-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4 – Enjoy A Boat Ride on Lake Nishinoko and Explore the Merchant Town of Ōmihachiman

After breakfast, travel by train and bus to reach Suigo-no-sato Maruyama, where you will take a ride in an Edo-period-style rowboat on Lake Nishinoko, one of the inner lakes of Lake Biwa. The surrounding wetlands and the area’s reed farming industry form a crucial part of the cultural identity of the nearby merchant town of Ōmihachiman. After your boat ride, continue on foot, passing through agricultural areas to reach central Ōmihachiman. Explore this old merchant town, complete with its historic moat and canal; you can even take a cable car ride up to the summit of nearby Mount Hachiman from where, on a clear day, you can even see to the mountains on the other side of Lake Biwa. After finishing your exploration, travel onward by bus and train to Ōtsu, where you will stay tonight.

Please note that the Lake Nishinoko boat ride is only available during the availability period of this tour.

Walking distance: 3.4 km / 2.1 mi
Elevation gain: negligible
Time required: About 1 hour

Accommodation: Western-style hotel
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5 – Sightsee in Ōtsu and walk along the Lake Biwa to Return to Kyoto

This morning, explore the lakeside city of Ōtsu, the largest city in Shiga prefecture which served briefly as Japan’s capital. Visit Mii-dera Temple, considered a both a sister and a rival of Enryaku-ji Temple, and then explore other highlights of Ōtsu. After enjoying some of the city’s sights, take a train to the start of today’s walk along the Lake Biwa Canal. Built in the late 19th century, this important waterway provides the city of Kyōto with water from Lake Biwa, and stretches from Ōtsu to Keage in Kyōto. End your walk at the Keage Incline, the longest incline railway in the world at the time of its construction in 1890.


Walking distance: 6.5 km / 4.1 mi
Elevation gain: 170 m / 560 ft of ascent and descent
Time required: About 2.5 hours

Meals: Breakfast























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