Lake Biwa Day Trip from Kyoto: The Perfect One Day Itinerary for First Time Visitors

Traveled in May 2026

Kyoto is beautiful, but it can also be one of the busiest places you’ll visit in Japan. If you’re looking for a break from the crowds, a day trip to Lake Biwa is the perfect escape. We spent a day exploring the quieter lakeside town of Hikone in the middle of our trip, and it ended up being a surprise favorite, even leaving us wanting to explore more of the region. Traveling with our preschooler, exploring Hikone was as much as we could fit into one day. But if you’re traveling without young kids (or just have more time and energy), you can easily add Omi Hachiman and Otsu for an even more scenic itinerary. You can visit all three towns on a single train line, making this one of the easiest and most rewarding off-the-beaten-path day trips from Kyoto.

When to Go

Late spring and late fall are the sweet spots for visiting Japan. During that time, there is a balance of mild weather and lighter crowds. That’s because early spring is packed for cherry blossom season. Summer is hot and humid. September brings a higher chance of heavy monsoon rains. And winter can be cold and snowy. Personally, I prefer visiting in mid-May, just after Golden Week, or October to November for the best mix of weather and crowd levels.

How to Get Around

Driving around Lake Biwa is the best option if you want to see more of the towns around Lake Biwa. However, we did this entire day trip by train. It was very convenient because all of the stops are along the same train line, the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Line from Kyoto Station. So you can hop on and off on your way to or from Kyoto.

Because we were traveling further around the greater Kansai area, we purchased a Kansai WIDE area pass, which saved us a lot of money on transportation. There are a couple different Kansai area passes, so choose the one that covers the areas you will be visiting. The WIDE area pass worked best for us since we were traveling all the way to Nachi Falls.

• If the official website does not accept your credit card, the easiest way is to buy the 5 day Kansai Wide Area Pass on Klook.
• Get the 5 day Kansai Wide Area Pass on the official website to be able to book seat reservations ahead of time. But be warned that this website is not very user friendly to navigate. I stumbled upon the page for making seat reservations by luck.

Hikone

We had already visited the cultural landmarks in Kyoto in a previous trip, which is why we skipped them this time. Kyoto felt much more crowded this time than the last time we visited almost 10 years ago, so we planned to explore more small towns outside Kyoto to avoid the crowds. But if it’s your first time in Kyoto, you really do have to see the sights – just follow our realistic guide to avoid criss-crossing the city!

Hikone (not to be confused with HAkone) is a castle town on the shores of Lake Biwa. It’s less popular than Himeji, which is another castle town in the area. Most of the other tourists we saw in Hikone were local Japanese tourists. The castle, garden, and delicious omi beef lunch can be covered in a couple hours, leaving plenty of time for a couple more stops on the way back to Kyoto.

Eat Omi Beef

Hikone is famous for Omi Beef, which is a type of premium Japanese Wagyu beef. Food in Japan is amazing and I love trying regional specialties whenever I get a chance (regional specialities are one of my must eats in Japan!). In the US we have heard of Kobe beef, but the regional premium Wagyu beef like Omi beef and Hida beef are harder to find outside of Japan (and might be even tastier!).

We went to Omi Beef Noodles Mentakumi Chakapon for a more casual way to experience Omi beef (that our kid would actually eat). And it was delicious! They also have a counter in the front where you can order the Omi beef sushi to go if you don’t want a full meal.

If you want a fancier steakhouse-like Omi beef experience, then make reservations at Omi Niku Sennaritei Kyara.

Hikone Castle

• Age Range: all ages, though kids might be bored and there are some steep steps
• Cost: different combos with the Genkyu-en Garden and Castle Museum
• How to Get There: 15 minute walk (or quick taxi ride) from Hikone Station
• Hours: 8:30am – 5pm, Castle Museum closed 12/25-12/31

Hikone Castle is a beautifully preserved castle and one of only a handful of castles designated as a National Treasure of Japan. It’s also one of only a few castles in Japan that is an original and not a reconstruction. Compared to more famous castles like Himeji Castle, it feels more under-the-radar, and when we visited it was surprisingly uncrowded. Apparently the castle grounds are also a really popular cherry blossom spot in spring.

Full transparency: we didn’t actually go inside the castle. There are quite a few stairs up to the entrance, and we didn’t feel like dealing with carrying a stroller up all those steps. We’ve also been inside a few Japanese castles before and honestly found that the main highlight for us was the exterior and castle grounds rather than the inside exhibits. The castle itself is just so pretty from the outside, especially perched up above the stone walls. If you do make it to the castle, they also have a castle museum that contains exhibits of the family’s treasures (like kimonos and swords) that seem more interesting.

There’s also a cute castle mascot that appears around the grounds at certain times, but we never saw it. Maybe we visited at the wrong time or maybe the mascot only works on weekends.

Genkyu-en Garden

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: 400 yen for adults, 150 yen for kids 6 and older, free for kids under 6 (combo tickets also available with the castle)
• How to Get There: 15 minute walk (or quick taxi ride) from Hikone Station
• Hours: 8:30am – 5pm

Rather than going into the castle, we opted to walk around the Genkyu-en Garden instead. It was so peaceful there, and I know I keep saying this, but so pleasantly uncrowded. There is a stunning view of Hikone Castle on the hilltop reflected in one of the ponds in the garden, with the many bridges criss-crossing in the background. There are so many pretty views here.

I feel that as far as tourist attractions go in Japan, gardens can be more engaging and less boring for younger kids than temples or shrines because it’s more open space for them to explore. Our kid had a lot of fun crossing all the bridges at Genkyu-en Garden. And because it’s a Japanese garden with more rock and water features than flowers, we didn’t have to worry as much about keeping him from accidentally trampling flowers.

Konki Park

Adults can skip this, but if you have kiddos who need some play time there is a fantastic playground on the castle grounds about a 10 minute walk away from the Genkyu-en Garden. We were the only family here when we visited on a weekday. There are 2 large play structures, one for older kids and one for younger kids, and a really fun zipline. There is also a rope climbing structure. Our kid loved the zipline and we spent more time here than anticipated (until our kid fell and scraped his elbow and had a meltdown that we did not have an ice pack. Ah the joys of parenting). There is also a bathroom at this playground.

Lake Biwa

It seemed like a missed opportunity to go all the way to Lake Biwa and not see it, so we walked to the Hikone harbor. There is a sightseeing boat you can take around the lake from the harbor. Then we headed back to the main street and finished the day with some delicious hojicha soft serve ice cream.

Omi Hachiman

This nicely preserved old merchant town has a pretty canal that’s especially beautiful during cherry blossom season. We had initially planned to visit Omi Hachiman on our way back to Kyoto, but had to abort our plans to visit to avoid a kid meltdown. Nevertheless, the canal looks very picturesque and it is well worth a stop for those with more time (or less kids).

Canal Area

The canal area of Omi Hachiman is the most picturesque area of the town. It’s a 10 minute bus or taxi ride away from the train station. Canal boat cruises are a popular way of seeing the canals.

Shinmachi Street

Stepping onto Shinmachi Street is like stepping back in time. It’s a well-preserved merchant area, with some historical buildings that are open to visitors.

Mount Hachiman

There is an easy ropeway that leads to the summit of Mount Hachiman. The summit offers sweeping views of the town and Lake Biwa. There are a series of walking trails around the summit to enjoy more views around the lake.

Otsu

This lakeside town is only 10 minutes away from Kyoto by train. They have a steamboat lake cruise (reminded me a little of Disneyland) and many famous temples and shrines. This was another town we had planned to visit on our way back to Kyoto, but sadly didn’t make it to.

Mii-Dera Temple

This large temple is especially lovely for cherry blossom season in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall. It’s about a 10 minute taxi ride from Otsu station. But it’s worth it for the views, especially if you are looking for a hidden gem cherry blossom viewing spot close to Kyoto.

Lake Biwa Michigan Cruise

This paddle boat lake cruise reminds me of Disneyland! The boat cruises around the south part of Lake Biwa. They have daytime, evening, and night time cruises of different lengths.

Where to stay in Kyoto

For this trip, because we were mostly doing day trips around Kyoto, we stayed near Kyoto Station for transportation convenience.

• 22 Pieces ($$) – (where we stayed) This hotel is my idea of perfect, with the ideal combination of location, space, and family-friendly amenities! These studio style apartments have kitchens and most of the rooms have 3 beds! They also have a bunch of small kitchen appliances and kids toys that you can rent for your stay. It’s located about a 5 minute walk from Kyoto Station and about a block away from the giant Aeon Mall, tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood.
• Mimaru Kyoto Station ($$$) – Apartment style hotel rooms with multiple beds. You get the space and kitchen of an Airbnb, but with the front desk staff and amenities of a hotel. This Mimaru hotel even has Pokemon-themed apartments and apartments overlooking the Kyoto station train tracks, for extra fun for kids.
• MONday Apart Premium Kyoto Station ($) – More affordable aparthotel option in the Kyoto Station area, but about a 10 minute walk from the station. All the rooms have a kitchenette and dining area, and some even have in room laundry, thouhg the decor feels a bit more basic.
• Hotel Imagine Kyoto ($$) – A cross between a traditional ryokan and a modern hotel since the rooms have both a western bed and also a tatami mat area. There is a beautiful rooftop garden and also a useful communal kitchen next to the lobby.
• Read my post on where to stay in Kyoto for more recommendations on where to stay near Kyoto Station and Downtown Kyoto.

Show Me the Money

The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen. Unlike many other countries, cash is still very widely used (and preferred) in Japan. While we usually rely mostly on our credit cards when traveling and only withdraw a small amount of cash, that was not the case in Japan. Many of the restaurants and smaller stores prefer cash and may not even accept credit cards.

The easiest way to withdraw cash in Japan is to look for a local 7-Eleven or the 7 Bank atm in train stations. The ATMs in the 7-Elevens accept international debit cards and are open all the time. (7-Elevens in Japan are magical and deserve a tribute post of their own. We went into one at least once a day – for breakfast, a snack, or cash, and it never disappoints.) Always choose to withdraw cash in Yen for the best exchange rate!

Saving tip: to avoid ATM fees (from the foreign bank and your bank), look for a checking account that offers ATM fee reimbursements. I can personally recommend the Schwab investors checking account and the Betterment checking account for this purpose.

How to Stay Connected

You absolutely need internet when you are in Japan. We were on our phones all day looking things up, from following Google Maps to figuring out transit or where to eat. There are three main options for staying connected in Japan. You can use a pocket wifi, an e-sim, or a physical sim card. My recommendation is the E-sim because it’s the easiest and cheapest option.

E-Sim

• Good For: people with unlocked phones who only need internet data
• Pros:
  • Easiest and cheapest option to have internet data available on the phone right after landing. You can install the e-sim while back at home, and just toggle it on once you get to Japan.
  • The data packages are surprisingly cheap, and it’s easy to top up more data as you go. Airalo is our favorite e-sim company and we have used it in Canada and Europe without problems. You can buy a Japan only e-sim or a regional Asia e-sim if traveling to multiple Asian countries.
    • Use my referral code ATEASP4988 for $3 off your first Airalo e-sim!
• Cons:
  • Must have an unlocked phone to install an e-sim.
  • The e-sim only provides data and has no cellular service for making or receiving calls.

Pocket Wifi

• Good For: groups that are traveling together who will not be splitting up.
• Pros:
  • Good for phones that are still locked because you can’t change sim cards.
  • If you’re planning on going to Tokyo Disney, then having a pocket wifi might come in handy to ensure you have fast internet to book the passes since cell service might be slow.
• Cons:
  • It is an extra device to keep charged and carry around during the day.
  • Must arrange for delivery to receive it and send it back at the end of the trip.