Osaka is a central location for quite a few day trips. Out of these Himeji and Hiroshima are two of the most popular day trips from Osaka. You can visit Himeji and Hiroshima alone or you can combine the two into a longer day trip from Osaka. This post covers all you need to know about doing this!
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Table of Contents
Day Trip 1 from Osaka – Himeji
A day trip from Osaka to Himeji is not only easy to do, it is also a very popular trip to take.
The main attraction at Himeji is its striking white castle. Himeji Castle was named one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. The castle is also a National Treasure of Japan.
Himeji Castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”) because of its brilliant white exterior and because it looks like a bird taking flight.
Himeji Castle was first constructed as a fort in 1333 and has since been added on to and reconstructed a few times.
There is also a garden called Kokoen Garden adjoining the castle. Himeji is very popular during certain times of the year, especially during Cherry Blossom time as the castle garden itself is full of cherry blossom trees.
The easiest way to get to Himeji from Osaka is to take a train. From the Himeji station, it is about a 20 minute walk to the castle. It’s an easy and straight forward walk (just follow the signs for Himeji castle out of the station and keep walking straight down the road until you reach the Otemon Gate ), but you can take a bus or taxi if you do not wish to walk.
Important Notes About Visiting Himeji from Osaka
- You cannot purchase tickets in advance
- They only issue 15,000 tickets per day
- There is a combined ticket to the Kokoen gardens if you want to see both
- Himeji opens at 9 AM and closes at 5 PM. Last entry is 4 PM
- During summer they extend closing by an hour to 6 PM (last entry 5 PM)
- Himeji Castle is open daily except for December 29 and 30
- Although considered a day trip, in reality this could be a half day trip, provided you get to Himeji when they open
- They have English tours daily at 10 AM and 1 PM, for the 1st 10 people who sign-up
- You can sign-up at the information desk
- There is an additional charge of 1000 yen
- The Shinkansen to Himeji from Osaka takes around 30 minutes while the regular trip takes over an hour
- Check out the Himeji congestion forecast HERE and try and avoid busy days if possible
- Wear socks as you have to remove your shoes and take them with you in a bag
- Make sure your socks have a good grip as the floors are wooden and there are stairs to climb
Thoughts on Visiting Himeji Castle
Come early! When we left Himeji around 11:20 AM, there was a massive crowd that had wrapped around the park outside the castle. Don’t waste your precious vacation time standing in line to get in!
Because I like to keep it real in my blog posts, the outside of the castle was a lot more interesting to me than the inside. In other words, don’t expect this to be a lavishly adorned castle.
Organized Tours
Can’t be bothered to do this yourself and rather have someone else plan this trip for you? I totally get it! Check out these tours that leave from Osaka to Himeji!
Day Trip 2 from Osaka – Hiroshima
Hiroshima is another very popular day trip from Osaka! You can get to Hiroshima from Osaka in about 1.5 hours if you ride the Shinkansen, which is what I recommend if you want to save time.
The Shinkansen brings you to Hiroshima Station but you will need to either walk, take a taxi or a local tram to see the main sites in Hiroshima.
See here if you want to learn more about the bombing of Hiroshima before your trip.
Main Sites in Hiroshima
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum – A museum dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and showcasing the impact the bombing had on the city of Hiroshima and its people (advance ticket is recommended).
- Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall – Is a memorial to atomic bomb victims, featuring memoirs, belongings and a hall for quiet reflection.
- The Cenotaph – The Cenotaph is the location of the eternal flame.
- Children’s Peace Monument – A monument to the memory of all the children who lost their lives as a result of the atomic bombing.
- A-Bomb Dome – One of the only structures remaining from that devastating day
- Ground Zero – Small marble monument marking the ground zero of the bomb
- Bell of Peace
- Shukkei-en Garden – A beautiful garden that is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot during the season but worth a visit year-round.
- Hiroshima Castle – Originally constructed in the 1590s, but was largely destroyed by the atomic bombing.
Tip – The museum opens at 7:30 AM for those with an advance reservation. If you can get to Hiroshima from Osaka early, then make the museum your first stop and take advantage of the early opening hours.
Side-Trip from Hiroshima
You can easily spend an entire day in Hiroshima visiting the sites mentioned above! However, IF You start your day early from Osaka and don’t mind a bit of a long day, you could also visit Miyajima from Hiroshima. You may have to skip Shukkei-en Garden and Hiroshima Castle depending on the time. Note that it takes at least 1 hour each way to visit Miyajima from Hiroshima.
Miyajima
How to Get to Miyajima
There are 2 ways to get to Miyajima from Hiroshima and the journey can take up to an hour depending on where you start it.
By Boat – You can catch a boat from Hiroshima Peace Park (45 minutes). Buy your return option when you buy your ticket to Miyajima (they may sell out).
By Train and JR Ferry – You will have to get from the Peace Park to the Hiroshima station and then catch the train to Miyajimaguchi Station (25 minutes but you will have to time it well). From this station, you will have to walk a short distance to the ferry pier. The ferry takes 10 minutes from here). This journey is covered by the JR Rail Pass if you have one.
(See my tips for visiting Japan to learn more about the JR Pass)
Alternatively, you can also catch a ferry from the Port. This journey takes around 30 minutes but you need to factor in getting to the port which includes a 2 KM walk from the nearest bus station (45 minutes).
I recommend the 1st option as it’s the fastest given you are already in the Peace Park area.
What to Do in Miyajima
- Itsukushima Shrine and the famous Torri gates on the water
- 5 Story Pagoda
- Senjokaku Hall
- Mount Misen Ropeway – Takes you close to the summit of Mount Misen. The ropeway station is a ten minute walk inland from Itsukushima Shrine or a 20 minute walk from the Miyajima ferry pier. Once at the upper station, it will take another 30 minutes to get to the summit.
- Daisho-In Temple – Situated at the foothill of Mount Misen.
- Hike mount Misen – There are 3 hiking trails that take you up to mount Misen (requires 2 hours one way. only do this if you have enough time). The Daisho-in Course that starts near the Daisho-In Temple is the least steepest and offers the best views.
Organized Tours
Check out the tour below originating from Osaka
The following tours originate from Hiroshima. You could ride the train to Hiroshima from Osaka and then join one of these tours if you want to
Himeji and Hiroshima – A Combined Day Trip from Osaka
If you don’t mind starting early and getting back to Osaka later in the evening, you can easily combine Himeji and Hiroshima into 1 day trip from Osaka. This is a pretty straight forward trip and very easy to do.
A Few Tips:
- Start your day early from Osaka
- Ride the Shinkansens so you get to and from places fast
- Research train times in advance, so you don’t waste any time waiting for trains
- Follow my itinerary or make a game plan
- Pack a lunch or bring food to eat on the Shinkansen
How to Combine a Day trip to Himeji and Hiroshima from Osaka
Stop 1 – Himeji
Getting to Himeji from Osaka
Himeji opens at 9 AM. Get on the 8:15 AM Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka. This particular train takes 34 minutes and arrives at 8:49 AM at Himeji station.
If you want to get to Himeji Castle as soon as the gates open, then I would suggest getting on the 8 AM Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka, so that you can factor in the 20 minute walking time as well.
My biggest callout here is not to get any later than 8:15 AM leaving Osaka.
Visiting the Castle
Once at the castle, buy your ticket and visit the castle. You can visit the castle and its grounds in about 1.5 to 2 hours.
After your visit, you can take a look at the Kokoen Garden that is adjacent or skip this and head back to the train station.
Once at the train station, buy your ticket to Hiroshima.
Stop 2 – Hiroshima
Himeji to Hiroshima
From the Himeji station, it takes about 1 hour (give or take 5 minutes) to get to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen. Before you head out of the Hiroshima station, buy your return ticket on the Shinkansen back to Osaka.
Visiting Hiroshima
Once at Hiroshima, you can follow the same itinerary as above for Hiroshima. However, note that you will not have time for a trip to Miyajima or time for the Hiroshima Castle.
Only other callout is that you may want to buy online tickets for the Hiroshima Peach Memorial Museum. If you do this, you will have to time yourself well and give yourself enough time to make it from Osaka to Himeji to Hiroshima.
Visiting Himeji and Hiroshima from Kyoto
You can visit both Himeji and Hiroshima individually or as a combined trip from Kyoto as well. If you are combining, start your day at Himeji and then visit Hiroshima. It takes slightly longer to go from Kyoto to Himeji than it is from Osaka, so you may need to hop on the 8 AM train to get to Himeji station at 8:49 AM (or even the earlier train if you want to factor in walking time and be there as soon as the gates open).
On the way back to Kyoto, the Shinkansen back to Kyoto from Hiroshima takes about 1 hour and 36 minutes (+/- 5 minutes).
Here is how to spend 2 days in Kyoto. If you add Himeji and Hiroshima, then you would need 4 days or you can combine the two cities and add a 3rd day.
Other Day Trips from Osaka
- Kyoto – Kyoto is very close to Osaka and can be visited in a day but I recommend at least 2 days
- Nara
- Kobe
- Lake Biwa
See what to do in Osaka HERE
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