京都から行く姫路城と明石海峡橋ウォーキングツアー

Tour guide Nob was the worst. Spoke poor English, walked way too fast, didn’t explain what we were seeing at the castle. Part 1 of the tour took us by Bullet train to Himeji and the castle. A 1 km walk to the castle. And back. Part 2 of the tour was lunch. Good food but not a Japanese meal. It’s a buffet in a hotel restaurant. Part 3 of the tour was the bridge at Kobe. We skipped that part and went back to Kyoto alone. WE HAD TO BUY OUR OWN TRAIN TICKETS. What? 5000¥ ($35). Not a good choice to go with this tour company. I would have done it better by myself.

We made a stop on the way from Kyoto to Hiroshima to see the castle. We left the bags in lockers at the station and we went on foot, it's nearby, you can see the train station castle. There was a map in Portuguese. Inside the castle you need to take off your shoes and put on slippers. The castle has several floors and many steep stairs, so it is not suitable for small children, elderly and disabled. The castle is very beautiful, with lots of woodwork and is well preserved. It wasn't full during the visit. You can't eat and drink and there aren't many shops on site or nearby.

Certainly the most spectacular castle in Japan. As most write, and this is a common feature of these castles (unlike the shogun palace in Kyoto) there is only the structure that can be seen inside and the spectacular view is from outside on the building. However missing the inside would be a mistake. It gives you a feeling how samurais lived there in the past. But do not miss the other points of interest which are not classified by UNESCO as world heritage, but should have been. Go also to see the temples, which are more ancient than the castle, less spectacular because less visible and hidden in the woods, but much more romantic and providing a special atmosphere because of the surrounding.

We were unfortunate enough to visit here on a day where it rained non stop. The walk from the station at Himeji was slow but it was nice to go on one of the shinkansen trains again. The castle grounds are beautifully tended with sculpted trees and grass. Our guide explained the history of the castle and the original layout of the buildings. We then entered the main keep (although the castles here are different to European ones - the keep was purely defensive and the lord lived elsewhere) and climbed to the fifth floor. The castle was recently repaired and there was lots of information about that work as well as a model showing how the castle was constructed (all wooden interior). The stairs are steep and it's easy to knock your head so be careful! Also, you have to take your shoes off and carry them round the interior so allow for that as well. We didn't carry on to the bridge as the weather was just tedious. We went past it on a train and you could barely see it through the rain which was a real shame. The guide was lovely, helpful and knowledgeable ad well organised.

+4

The thing for Europeans to remember when visiting Japanese castles is that they are only for defensive purposes. Living accommodation was always separate. Therefore you see little except the walls and layout inside. They are not laid out in the way the National Trust or English Heritage layout their properties. Having said that Himeji is magical. Its design, the moat and inner gardens, the Sakura (cherry blossoms in March/April) all contribute to this. The views are excellent (even better on a sunny day) despite me being there on a damp day. This is one of the 12 treasures of Japan.

<p>Real Amazing tour, traveling in trains and a lot of walking, but really interesting, the tour guide was helpful and saved some walking suggesting us to use a cab from the station to the castle, the bridge is very impressive</p>

<p>I don't really recommend this tour to anyone. The castle is quite far from Kyoto and Osaka, so it means a lot of time spent siting on a train as opposed to actually visiting sights. I expected to be taken on a bus, but we actually went on Shinkanzens and local JR trains. Since I had bought a JR pass I could have taken these same trains to visit the castle free of charge as opposed to paying for a ticket that was pricey because it included the train fares.<br/> The castle itself is more impressive on the outside than on the inside. Snapping a nice photo or two of its exterior will likely be the most worthwhile part of the tour. The inside of the castle is gloomy and empty. There is absolutely nothing to see as you climb up six stories on steep, ladder-like staircases, and then climb down. Aside from a small altar on the top floor, the castle is bare walls and bare wood floors. In the summer heat, it's also quite stuffy. When you leave the castle you head to lunch at a buffet style restaurant in a local hotel. I thought the food was quite mediocre, to be honest. <br/> After lunch you take a long JR local train ride to see the world's longest suspension bridge. I personally felt it was not worth it going so out of my way to see a bridge. You do go up in an elevator to this sort of caged-in tunnel under the bridge that lets you see the ocean below you. Again, not very interesting or impressive. <br/> After this you take a very long JR local train ride back to Kyoto or Osaka. One the way to the castle the bullet train makes the ride faster, but there are no bullet trains where the bridge is, so the slower JR trains are the only choice for going back to your starting point. <br/> Overall, by the time I got back to Kyoto at close to 6pm, I felt like I had lost a day of my trip. There are simply so many wonderful and interesting things to do in Kyoto that I did feel it a bit of a waste to travel so far to see an empty castle when Kyoto's imperial palace was actually nicer. The tour itself is not at fault for this. Our guide was very nice, friendly, and funny. Her English was pretty good, and she had a positive attitude throughout. The tour does make you walk quite a lot, so if you have any mobility problems, take that into account.</p>

<p>Very good and well preserved castle, worth visiting</p>

<p>Maiko dinner and tea ceremony is something that one should experience when in Kyoto</p>

<p>Our guide Sachiko was wonderful. She was really knowledgeable and made the long walk to top of the castle seem like a breeze! She really went above and beyond her duties to make everyone feel comfortable and enjoying the trip. All in all, an amazing place to see.</p>