Things to do in Himeji

The meeting point was easy to find. A list of registered participants was posted on the door, allowing us to confirm our bus number directly. We then checked in with the tour guide who was on-site holding the list of tourists. Our guide, Xiao Bi, was excellent in managing time, and was incredibly meticulous, patient, enthusiastic, and friendly. He was a guide who made us feel completely at ease. Among the three attractions, Himeji Castle felt the most worthwhile for an extended stay. Just climbing through the castle itself takes at least 1-2 hours (depending on the crowd), and there's an exciting shopping street below the castle that we really wanted to explore. The allocated 4 hours for the entire visit was quite sufficient. My friend and I did not opt for the included lunch. We started touring the castle around 10:30 AM and left at 12:30 PM. Afterward, we quickly grabbed lunch and briefly browsed the shopping street. We walked through Koko-en Garden in about 10-20 minutes. Arima Onsen, though very famous, involved a rather winding mountain road that made me a little carsick. The footbath area was packed with people, so we ultimately chose to soak our feet in the cool stream, which was also very pleasant. The hot spring town felt a bit like Jiufen Old Street, great for browsing and shopping! The observation deck at Mount Rokko was very comfortable. We were lucky to have good weather, allowing us to clearly see Kobe and Osaka from Mount Rokko. We returned to Osaka around 6:30 PM, which still left us some time to explore the Namba commercial district. Overall, it was a very economical and worthwhile itinerary.

recommended. convenient. these places are far apart. using their service really ease the trouble about public transport

We went on February 8th, two families in one minibus. It happened to be snowing that day, and we saw Himeji Castle in the snow, so beautiful! After arriving at Arima Onsen, the snow gradually got heavier, and some roads were closed. We couldn't go up Mount Rokko, but the driver cooperated with our schedule and departed earlier to return to the city, avoiding being stranded on the mountain.

Great tour with Nancy Sue. The rain added to the atmosphere of the castle and kept tourists away, meaning wait times where quick. (note transfer not applicable as we met guide at the castle). Recommend.

Our recent day trip to Himeji Castle turned out to be one of the highlights of our time in Japan. The “White Heron ” absolutely lives up to its reputation, with its bright white walls and layered roofs rising above the city like something out of a painting

I am so glad I booked this tour. Huahua is a very good tour guide. He really did his best to assist us. The tour started on time and we returned to Osaka early and safely. It’s just unfortunate that there was not enough time for the Himeji Castle

This tour was worth it and such a great deal for what you pay for. They have door to door service. Shirakawago, Takayama and the Hida No Sato museum was beautiful and a great look into the Japanese history and culture of that area. My guide, Moazzam, was super nice, informative, a good driver and didn't rush me. The experience is much better than being in a big tour group and it's around the same price. If you're in the area and thinking about booking this, do it. I would definitely book it again and would recommend others to do so.

This tour was thorough and interesting. Our guide, Marielle, was delightful. She spoke English and Japanese fluently, and was very knowledgeable about the subject matter. Although the weather was foggy and rainy, that only added to the mystique of the castle and temple. Several scenes from the Tom Cruise movie The Last Samurai were filmed on the temple grounds. Be prepared to walk a LOT and climb a little. Highly recommended!

Having a guide through Himeji castle is a wonderful experience. I don't think we would have appreciated it as much as we did if we just did it ourselves. We are history buffs and we loved it. The sake factory was also interesting and their products are great. Different from other sake, processed manually not by machine, in traditional style, it shows on the taste. Overall, so worth it