Ticket Hall

Experience the best of Himeji

Himeji is a castle city in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, dominated by Himeji Castle, a white-walled early seventeenth-century fortress known as the White Heron.

Read moreShow less

Himeji Castle stands on a low hill above the city's main street, its white plastered walls and layered roofs giving it the name White Heron Castle. The great keep was completed in the early seventeenth century and has come through wars, fires and earthquakes, which is why it was one of the first sites in Japan to be listed by UNESCO. Inside, steep wooden stairs climb through floors of heavy beams to a lookout over the rooftops.

Koko-en, a set of nine linked gardens in the Edo style with ponds, streams and tea houses, lies beside the castle. Mount Shosha, north-west of the city, is topped by Engyo-ji, a temple complex of old wooden halls among cedars. Kobe, also in Hyogo, is about fifty kilometres east, and the Seto Inland Sea coast lies just south.

Himeji oden, the winter stew of fish cakes and radish, is dipped in soy sauce with ginger, a local touch, and the Harima plain around the city is known for fine somen noodles. Cherry blossom around the castle in early April draws crowds, summer is hot and humid, and autumn colours the castle gardens.

  • Free cancellation on 95% of experiences
  • 4.9 across the top 5

Top experiences in Himeji

Special offers in Himeji

See all

Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

Day trips from Himeji

10

Guided tours in Himeji

46

Walking and bike tours in Himeji

7

Food and drink experiences in Himeji

10

Outdoor and adventure activities in Himeji

6

Go beyond Himeji

  1. Kobe · 49 km

    Kobe Harborland

    8 hr4.9425 reviewsfrom $46
  2. Kobe · 49 km

    Kobe Port Tower

    6 hr, 30 min4.742 reviewsfrom $78
  3. Okayama · 72 km

    Okayama Korakuen Garden

    6 hr4.952 reviewsfrom $50
  4. Osaka · 76 km

    Tsutenkaku Tower

    4 hr4.914k reviewsfrom $3
  5. Osaka · 76 km

    Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo)

    4–8 hr4.912k reviewsfrom $3
  6. Takamatsu · 79 km

    Ritsurin Garden

    7 hr5.020 reviewsfrom $90
  7. Kyoto · 101 km

    Fushimi Inari Shrine (Fushimi Inari Taisha)

    8 hr4.942k reviewsfrom $1
  8. Kyoto · 101 km

    Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

    8 hr4.937k reviewsfrom $6
  9. Nara · 103 km

    Toshodaiji Temple

    8 hr4.9399 reviewsfrom $61
  10. Otsu · 110 km

    Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

    8 hr5.01 reviewfrom $141
  11. Miyoshi · 130 km

    Kazurabashi Bridge

    4 hr, 30 min4.928 reviewsfrom $128
  12. Takashima · 131 km

    Shirahige Shrine

    9–10 hrfrom $60

Why book here

  • Compare before you buy

    Every ticket, tour and pass we carry for a city, side by side on one page.

  • Free cancellation on most experiences

    Where the operator offers it, the card says so before you click.

  • Real reviews, real photos

    Ratings and reviews are collected from travellers by our booking partner and Tripadvisor; nobody pays for placement.

  • Secure checkout on our partner’s site

    Card details are entered on our booking partner’s site, never on ours.

Three steps to add it

Plan with AIYour trip, day by day