・Half-day Himeji Castle Town Bike Tour (lunch included)

This five-and-a-half-hour cycling tour lets you fully enjoy the charm of Himeji, renowned for the World Heritage Site Himeji Castle.

Together with a knowledgeable guide who is well-versed in both English and history, you’ll ride through the castle town, visiting locations connected to the castle and popular local food spots.

This time, a REAL HIMEJI writer joined the tour firsthand to experience its blend of history, cuisine, and scenic beauty!

・Start by Savoring Himeji’s Famous Sweets

In the crisp morning air, participants meet their guide at JR Himeji Station to begin the half-day cycling tour. Pedaling through both wide streets and narrow alleys, you can enjoy the shifting scenery at a leisurely pace.

The first stop is Iseya Honten, a long-established Japanese confectionery near Himeji Castle. Here, you can try Tamatsubaki, a famous local sweet that every Himeji resident knows. This stop serves as a chance to recharge before the ride ahead and to get a taste of “Himeji’s flavors.”

Tamatsubaki was created during the Tenpō era (1830–1844) and is said to have been made around the time of the marriage between Tokugawa Ienari’s daughter and Himeji’s feudal lord Sakai Tadanori.

The golden bean paste—made from white kidney beans and white adzuki beans—is carefully kneaded and wrapped in a delicate pale-pink gyūhi mochi, shaped to resemble a camellia flower. The craftsmanship behind each piece is evident.

After hearing the guide’s explanation, it’s time for tasting. Participants exclaim, “It’s so chewy and delicious!”, “Such a refined sweetness!”, “It looks beautiful!” After enjoying the lingering gentle flavor, it’s time to head to the next destination.

・Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Himeji Castle”

Soon after starting the tour, we arrived at today’s main spot, Himeji Castle! Also known as “Shirasagi Castle,” its elegant appearance is overwhelming even from a distance.

The castle originated in the 14th century as a fort built by Akamatsu Norimura. It was later expanded multiple times, and the major renovation between 1601 and 1609 completed the magnificent main keep complex we see today.

Miraculously spared from war and natural disasters, it remains one of the rare castles that preserves its Edo-period appearance. It was registered in 1993 as Japan’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The tour will show you the highlights of the castle, which you might have missed without a guide.

One such example is the stone walls that remain around the castle. By paying attention to the size of the stones, the way they are stacked, and the angles at which they are angled, you can tell which period the stone walls were built.

The stone walls of the same castle look completely different when you compare them while listening to the explanations in front of your eyes.

Once we had covered all the points of interest, it was time to go inside the castle!

From the outside, Himeji Castle appears to be a five-story structure, but in fact it has seven floors, including two underground. Steep staircases, thick pillars, and many battle mechanisms are all on display, making visitors feel as if they have stepped back in time.

A guide will carefully explain the role of each floor, the armory, and the shooting windows, so you will be able to understand the “ingenuity hidden inside the castle” that you would not be able to understand just by walking around the castle.

From the top floor, you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of Himeji City. The surrounding topography and cityscape can be seen at a glance, giving you a sense of how the castle’s lords and warriors monitored and defended the castle from this vantage point.

Once you have finished exploring the castle, go to the souvenir shop that has a store at the foot of the keep.

Inside the store, you will find an abundance of Japanese sweets unique to Himeji, such as the “Tamatsubaki” that you just had, crafts, and miscellaneous goods with the castle motif, making it hard to resist.

There are many photo spots inside Himeji Castle, and a guide will always be your exclusive photographer to take your best shots. Even a slightly embarrassing panel shot will bring a smile to your face if you are with a cheerful guide!

Not only inside Himeji Castle, but also outside the castle, the tour guide will stop your bicycle at the photo spots to capture the most memorable photos of your trip.

・A Side Trip to Otokoyama Hachiman Shrine

After a 10-minute bicycle ride from Himeji Castle, we arrived at Otokoyama Hachimangu Shrine, a beloved local shrine. Climbing the steps to the grounds brings you to a small hill with views of both Himeji Castle and the city.

According to the guide, the shrine has a deep connection with Princess Sen, granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu. After marrying Honda Tadatoki, she moved to Himeji, and the couple had a son who tragically passed away at a young age.

Grief-stricken, Princess Sen is said to have created a place of prayer on Otokoyama hill, visible from Himeji Castle, to mourn her child.

Standing in the tranquil grounds, you can imagine Princess Sen herself offering prayers and gazing over the castle town.

・A Beautiful Washoku Lunch to Refresh Your Body

For lunch that day, we went to Mutsuki, a Japanese restaurant that is well known among the locals. The restaurant is so popular that it is packed even on weekdays, and its relaxed Japanese atmosphere provides a place to take a breather during your trip.

The seating in the restaurant is a Japanese-style sunken kotatsu (a table with a hole in the floor). It is a great place to stretch your legs after a long day of pedaling.

The dishes that awaited us included tempura, sashimi of fresh fish, and a dish in which the aroma of dashi (Japanese soup stock) spread softly, all of which were delicate dishes that carefully brought out the natural flavors of the ingredients.

The tour participants loved the gentle Japanese cuisine that soaked into their bodies. After the meal, drinks and dessert were served, making lunch time a very satisfying experience.

・Finish the Journey at Koko-en, a Traditional Japanese Garden

The last place we visited was Kokoen. It is a Japanese garden located on the site of the western residence of Himeji Castle, and consists of nine gardens of different styles connected by a corridor.

The “Oyashiki no Niwa” garden, which spreads out in the center of Kokoen, is a “pond garden” with a pond at its center, which you can appreciate as they walk around it. This is a traditional style of Japanese garden where the view changes as you walk around, allowing you to enjoy a variety of scenery created by the water surface, bridges, waterfalls, and plantings.

If you look down into the pond, you can see colorful Nishikigoi swimming leisurely. Carp are a symbol of longevity and prosperity, and have long played a role in adding movement and color to the tranquil waterscape. The sight of Nishikigoi in a kaiyushiki garden is a beauty that can only be found in Japanese gardens, which have been enjoyed since ancient times.

Further into the garden, you will find a tea house surrounded by tranquility. Designed and supervised by Sen Genshitsu, the 15th Iemoto of the Urasenke School of tea ceremony and a world-renowned tea master, Soujyuan was built to resemble a tea house in a samurai residence in the Edo period. The entire building, as well as each tea room, is oriented toward the Himeji Castle keep to express the spirit of paying respect to the keep.

The garden seen from the tea rooms is beautiful with seasonal greenery and has been skillfully designed to accentuate the natural appearance of the garden. The harmony between the appearance of the teahouse and the landscape, which evokes a “master’s touch,” invites visitors into a world of tranquility.

Here, visitors can enjoy a cup of tea and Japanese sweets while taking their time to admire the garden scenery. The gentle flow of time enveloped us in a soothing tea time that filled our hearts with peace of mind, a fitting end to our trip.

The tour by bicycle takes you to the most famous places in Himeji, and because it is a bicycle tour, you can easily visit spots that are a little too far to see on foot, and the freedom to stop at any spot you like is also an attraction of this tour.

What truly sets this tour apart, however, is that it goes beyond simple sightseeing. The friendly, knowledgeable guide provides historical context and hidden stories, helping you gain a deeper understanding of Himeji.

With a total duration of about five and a half hours, the tour fits easily into a day trip itinerary—making it ideal for travelers who want to enjoy Himeji more intensely and actively.

■Information

Tour Name: Half-day Himeji Castle Town Bike Tour

Itinerary:
1) Meet at JR Himeji Station for registration
2) Taste Tamatsubaki at the long-established Japanese sweets store “Iseya Honten” <15 mins>.
3) Guided tour of Himeji Castle <120 min>.
4) Cycling to Otokoyama Hachimangu Shrine <45 min>
5) Lunch <60 min>.
6)Garden stroll and tea time at Kokoen <45 min>.
7)Tour ends
Note: The contents and order may be subject to change depending on weather and other conditions.

Time required: Approximately 5.5 hours

Availability: Offered year-round

Capacity: Maximum 5 people *Only those 12 years old or older

Minimum participants: 1

Fee: 14,000 yen / person
Note: Prices may vary. Please check the Magical Trip official website for the latest details.

Fee includes:
Guide fee
Bicycle rental
Japanese sweets
Lunch
Entrance fee for Himeji Castle
Entrance fee to Koko-en

Notes:
This tour is planned and operated by Magical Trip. Please check their official website for details on prices, itinerary, and cancellation policies.

Vegetarian options are limited; please contact the tour operator by the day before your tour date. Vegan and gluten-free options are not available.

How to apply:
Apply through the official Magical Trip website.
Click here for the official Magical Trip website >>