Himeji castle

Andrew W in the last week

I have visited many castles around the world and many in Japan, Himeji was the best out of all of them. The size, the walk up, the presence of power, history behind it all contributed to the visit as being worth every penny. We paid 1050 yen for the castle plus gardens and we thought it was worth every penny. Plan to spend 2 hrs at the castle (if you plan on taking pictures and reading briefly through the posters and placards). You will walk through the side walls and then up the keep. Be warned that the keep and side walls have very steep stairs and the floor is very cold in the winter/spring time so wear thick socks that aren’t slippery. You will be walking without shoes for the majority of the self tour.

Floro Crisostomo (JJ) a week ago

Another great castle close to Osaka. This one is a world heritage site. Unlike Osaka Castle, this castle still has a lot of the original interior rooms. Need to be physically fit to climb stairs and walk on your socks. You will be rewarded with views of Himeji at the top.

Cy a week ago

Fascinating castle to visit! Well preserved, historic, with great views of the surroundings. Unlike most castles we have come to visit in Japan, this one was not transformed into a museum, you really get to see the architecture. There are guided tours and everything is translated in English inside the castle. You can get a combo ticket for the gardens as well, it's not too expensive and worth it, even in winter (in winter, the combo ticket is only ¥50 more than the castle only).

Edía Paff a week ago

You just need to get a combi-ticket. The garden is gorgeous. It is so well kept and simply a joy to stroll about. The castle grounds are vast. We spent close to 2h just exploring the castle alone. There is not much to see in terms of splendor, unlike with other castles, but to see the original structures and imagining what it must have been like back then, to walk these historic grounds, is impressive on another level. As for himeji itself, we stayed over night and it was a great decision. There are so many shops, bars and eateries in the surrounding shotengai that it really would be a shame to leave early.

Jorovie Muñoz a month ago

The very first UNESCO world heritage site in all of Japan and the largest castle in all of Japan. Also the most visited and the most popular castle in all of Japan. When I first made it to the city of Himeji and got off from Himeji Station after taking the Shinkansen, the first thing that stood out was this. The castle is so huge that you can see it from within the station. Usually flooded with tourists and also lots of school trips, so it's definitely very busy, just like most tourist spots. Otherwise, this castle is beautiful. Even the walls and other towers, turrets, buildings, and houses within the castle have been well preserved.