Himeji: daytrip or stop on way to Kyoto?

Hi everyone,

I'll be arriving at KIX 23/03 and will activate a Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass (5 days duration) right away so I can hop on the Haruka to Shin-Osaka and take a shinkansen to Hiroshima. Once there I plan to visit Miyajima and the Peace Park area and museums.

I'll be travelling to Kyoto on 25/03 (Airbnb, so can't change check-in date), which leaves me with a full day in Hiroshima and one or two half days, depending on how early/late I leave on the 25th.

Originally I had planned on travelling to Himeji (to see the castle and Koukoen) on 26/03 or 27/03 on a daytrip from Kyoto so the train journey would still be covered by the rail pass, but now I'm wondering if I should opt for an early train from Hiroshima to Himeji, spend most of the day there and head to Kyoto in the early evening.

I'll be travelling with a large suitcase and a biggish backpack, which hopefully could be stored in lockers at Himeji station.

All in all I'll be spending 17 days in the Kansai area, but want to allocate at least 5 of them (preferably more) to Kyoto. Will also be going to Uji, Nara, Osaka, USJ and possibly Iga-Ueno and/or Koyasan.

Thanks in advance!

I would just see how you go on you second Hiroshima day before you make a decission.

But personally if you are traveling with huge amounts of luggage. I'd visit Himeji as a day trip.

You don't say what time of day you're arriving on Mar 25. You could see both Hiroshima and Miyajima in 1½ days but may be easier with two, unless you usually travel at a fast pace. Then there is the issue of where you are flying from - trying to storm the country after a very long airplane trip can be grueling.
If you do Himeji as a separate side trip, it gives you more time to see the Hiroshima area, and you can even work in Iwakuni which has the most picturesque old bridge in the country in addition to its mountaintop castle.
https://youtu.be/0COOZXi66mM

Himeji is only 45 minutes away by bullet train from Kyoto, so it is not really a heavy burden. I took a 100 yen bus from Himeji Stn to the castle and was there in 5 minutes. Plus if you have more time at Miyajima, you may be able to see both high and low tides there, which is a real treat.
http://www.tides4fishing.com/jp/hiroshima/itsukushima
For Hiroshima, don't simply see the Peace Park/Museum and leave as some people do. The castle is OK, but the Shukkeien Garden is excellent and the Mitakidera TEmple is magnificent (and virtually unknown to the tourist crowds).
https://goo.gl/fAz4ax

If there are no lockers available (and after the mornings, especially on weekends, there may not be) then look for a luggage delivery company. They can hold your bags for the day as well as deliver them. Be sure to note their closing hours.

Not to be controversial, but I'd stop on the way through. Himeji isnt a particularly attractive town, and if the lines to the castle are too long you could just look at it from the outside and continue on without wasting a lot of time.

I would suggest visiting Himeji as a day trip from Kyoto on 26th or 27th.

Because:
1. One full day and another half day or so for Hiroshima and Miyajima is not sufficient in the first place. It is doable if you just want to 'cover' places, but its not fun in my opinion. If you are traveling from Hiroshima to Kyoto on 26th, then I would recommend the idea of visiting Himeji on the way.
2. We need to consider what time you'll be arriving to KIX on 23rd, and from where. If you are flying into Kansai from overseas, I won't consider that a day for effective sightseeeing.
3. There is no need to rush to visit Himeji on 25th, as you have two more days left with the pass (26th and 27th). You'll get to travel in Shinkansen for another day :)
4. If you are into photography, there are interesting places around Himeji castle to get photos of castle from different vantage points like the Koko-en garden, Shiromidai park, etc.

For me Himeji is a good half day so I'd do it on the way through. When I visited the Tourist Office at the station was well set up for people doing this.

There is more to Himeji than just the castle. The mystical and calm atmosphere of Mount Shosha is an underrated gem https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3503.html

Thank you for your replies!

My flight from Helsinki will be landing at 10 am. In ideal conditions I would be able to take the 11:14 Haruka and be in Hiroshima by 13:50, but it's more likely I will arrive in Hiroshima between 3 and 4 o'clock. Japanese trains have a sleep-inducing effect on me, so if I'm tired I'll just take a nap on the shinkansen.

My plans for Hiroshima are to visit the Peace Park area and museums on the 23rd after arriving, and spend the whole day on the 24th at Miyajima. The morning of the 25th could be used to revisit somewhere that didn't get enough time on a previous day.


Ken - thanks a billion for the tip on tides at Miyajima! According to the website you posted I should be able to see both of them, really looking forward to it now.

Do Himeji on the way past - store your suitcase in a locker. It might take 3-4 hours for a visit.
Plus, doing Himeji as a day trip is not simply 45 minutes on the shinkansen because that Kansai pass does not cover the shinkansen Kyoto to Shin-Osaka - you are looking at more like an hour (plus transfer time) to 90 minutes each way.