Osaka to Hyogo: Explore Himeji Castle and Arima Onsen

Explore Himeji Castle, relax at Arima Onsen, and enjoy panoramic views from Mt. Rokko on this enriching day trip from Osaka.

Duration: 10 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Himeji Castle - Himeji Castle, also known as “White Heron Castle,” holds the distinction of being Japan’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and is counted among Japan’s national treasures. Unlike many historical buildings in Japan, Himeji Castle has never been destroyed or burnt down, making it one of the 12 original castles still standing…
What's Included
  • Entrance fee to Himeji Castle and Kokoen garden
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • English / Chinese-speaking Conductor
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Hot Springs entrance ticket for those wishing to bathe
  • We do not provide hotel pick-up or drop-off.
Additional Information

Join this bus tour from central Osaka to explore Hyogo Prefecture’s historical landmarks and natural beauty in one day. Enjoy a relaxing bus transfer with guided commentary as you travel between stops, including:
Himeji Castle: Renowned for its pristine white exterior and exquisite architecture.
Kokoen: Features nine distinct-style gardens showcasing…

Location
VIP Villa Namba
VIP Villa Namba (Depart at 8:00AM) ※Please arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before departure.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.0
(5 Ratings)
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H2htravel
May 14, 2024
One of the best castles in Japan - This castle was not an shore excursion option on out crusie. But we were able to find a local guide to pick us up in Kobe and take us to this Amazing castle. There is ecen a Lego model of this castle. We only spent about 3 hours there but easy you could spend the entire day. Sadly we ahd to get back to the ship and only go to see a small part of the gardens.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
214kassandraj
Apr 2, 2024
Excellent - This trip was amazing, we had a big group and had plenty of time to visit each stop on the trip. The bus was clean and comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christine_g
Oct 17, 2024
Not really worth it! - Unfortunately this was not the best tour the only good thing there was only 8 people on the tour, our guide was not very helpful didn’t interact with us at all his English wasn’t great, he would take us to the attraction and leave us with no explanations! We had 4 hours at the castle, the castle and grounds and gardens are huge this was enough time including lunch The castle had a great view from the top. you had to walk up very very steep and tiny stair cases to get to the top about 8 floors and there was basically nothing on each of the floors to look at, just big bare rooms! The aroma onsen was disappointing mainly just a little town, we had hour and half there could have done in half hour! Not much to see a public free hot foot bath ! Mt Rokko was a lookout, but by the time we got there it was very late 5pm and cloudy! We were disappointed as all our other tours have been great, maybe a better guide would have made it a bit more enjoyable, a long time sitting on a bus!!!
Review provided by Viator
Santiago
Mar 25, 2024
Regrettable. I don't recommend it, a waste of time, it's not a guided tour, it's just a bus service that doesn't give you any experience. - The guide does not explain anything, he only takes you to the site. The guide limited himself to giving a brief explanation before entering Osaka Castle. He did not tell us that in the time he left us, in addition to seeing the castle for free, we had paid for it and included it in the ticket to see the kokoen garden, so we were left without seeing it. A real disaster because the most beautiful part of the excursion was seeing the outside of the castle and the gardens. Regrettable. The castle inside is not worth it, it is just a wooden structure and you have to climb seven floors, barefoot, with super steep wooden stairs. When we arrived at the city of Arima he left us on the central street and did not give us any further instructions. There were several sanctuaries to see and we had to investigate on our own. It was a rainy day with fog and we still went up to Mount Roko although beforehand he told us that we wouldn't see anything, and so it was when we got to the top he told us that we could go into the souvenir shop and again there was no point in getting on the bus to not being able to see the views of Kobe from above. And we finished an hour later than planned.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Victor_j
Nov 16, 2023
Rubbish - The pick up point is almost impossible to find and Google maps is useless. We and another couple were searching for it in vain and both tried to call the “hotline” for help but it rang and no answer. The tour left without us. would highly recommend anyone not to book this tour or any tour with the VIP Villa start point
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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