Things to Do in Shiga Prefecture

Top Shiga Prefecture Attractions

Things to Do in Shiga Prefecture


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Shiga Prefecture.

Top Attractions in Shiga Prefecture

These rankings are informed by traveler reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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What travelers are saying

  • Shlomi T
    Nagano, Japan1,414 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Huge grounds. Need a lot of time to explore it all.
    Unfortunately it was raining a lot, so I just viewed it from below.
    You can take a boat ride around the castle.
    Written May 23, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Audree
    Canada26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is the birthplace of Zen Buddhism. The Enryaku hotel was, traditional Japanese style, very clean and comfortable- staff was very pleasant and helpful. The food breakfast and dinner was included and extraordinary! Beautiful views of the lake and distant mountains, some days we could see My Fuji in the distance. The Japanese baths were clean and hot. 7am we walked to the main temple to participate in the morning ceremonies. We hiked the mountain and visited the ancient temples, some original and hundreds of years old- learning the story of Zen Buddhism and how it came to be on this sacred mountain.Lots of local pilgrims making offerings and praying- so peaceful
    Written February 14, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Shlomi T
    Nagano, Japan1,414 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent museum on a different level. Full of treasures.
    Must have cost them a fortune to build. And to fill it with all those treasures from around the world. SPECTACULAR
    Written May 23, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Hadhy T
    Jakarta, Indonesia35 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very nice view to see Biwako Lake from the summit. You can Ice Skating too. Take a train from Kyoto station and see a good sight along the trip.
    Written January 29, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Claudio
    Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France93 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved this temple complex. The garden at the bottom of the hill is beautiful, with ponds and streams and moss. Up the hill it is airy and dotted with interesting buildings.
    Written July 8, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kwakaku
    Sakai, Japan2,124 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Chinese character, xuan, has a profound meaning of the root of all things. In some primitive religions, the rocks, hills, or islets which had the shape of the character used to be believed to be the root of all things, or to be what gave birth to all things. Later, in East Asia, some of them were related to Sazu, and, in Japan, a few of them were related to Benzaiten. The Three Great Shrines of Benzaiten contains Itsuku-shima in Hiroshima Prefecture, Eno-shima in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chikubu-shima in Shiga Prefecture.
    From Imazu Port in the Kohoku area, I ferried to Chikubu-shima Island. As the boat approached to the island wharf, I realized the island had the xuan shape.
    Written April 4, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • brixtontrev
    United Kingdom1,747 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    If you are interested in preserved old castle towns that also straddle old roads, in this case the Nakasendo, this would be one for you. It's a bit of a walk from the train station straight along the main road leading west from the train station forecourt. I'd been past this way before whilst walking the Nakasendo a few years earlier and had wanted to visit but it wasn't on the itinerary. It wasn't very busy when I went and most of the tourists were Japanese. Some of the old houses have been adapted as small history museums or simply attractions in themselves. There is a wonderful canal side walk that is very picturesque and canal boat trips on offer as well. Just the other side of the canal is a cable car, the Hachimanya Ropeway, that takes you to see the ruins of Hachiman Castle. There is also a fair bit about the American William Merrell Vories, a lay missionary preacher and self trained architect who designed around 1,000 buildings in Japan. Easily accessed from Kyoto by local Biwako Line trains. Also the ruins of Azuchi and the complete Hikone Castles are a little bit further north and a few stops further on the train.
    Written December 14, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Martina1888
    Inverness, UK513 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Otsu is only a short train ride from Kyoto and located at the shore of famous Lake Biwa. There were no foreign tourist and I spend a peaceful few hours at the temple complex. A great place to visit if you want to escape bustling Kyoto and still see a fascinating temple with a rich history.
    Written October 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Robert D
    Brooklyn, New York2,718 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The ruins of Azuchi Castle are an interesting place to visit. It was a long climb to the top--over 400 uneven, stone steps. Along the way, I stopped to ring the bell at the main temple of Sokenji. There is not much left of the original castle. But the views from the top are magnificent. As we descended down the steps, we came to a 3-level tower. It is a nice place to visit, but you need to take care on the path, due to the uneven steps.
    Written June 15, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Bridget H
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The square is within easy walking distance of the train station, and the glass shop was the first place we stopped. I think I wandered around inside there for an hour, because there were so many cool products to look at, and the building itself has a old feeling to it. There were fancy and expensive glass goods, but also a bunch of smaller trinkets of animals, food, characters, etc.
    We then walked briefly through the square, which is covered and feels pretty traditional, plus it has giant wooden bugs on some of the pillars, which was cool. We went into the figurine museum, and even though I didn't go into the exhibit, there was still a lot to see in the gift shop and entryway area. Lots of gatcha-pon with some more expensive, complicated prizes, and a whole bunch of figures and local souvenirs. Everything started to close around 6, but I'd go back earlier in the day to shop around some more and try some of the black ice cream (because kuro means black?) I saw one place selling.
    Written October 10, 2017
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Mattsumoto
    34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We started with the aquarium, which is one of the best I've seen (and I've seen a lot of them). Really great exhibits --we spent about 2 hours there. The restaurant was also good and the other areas were interesting as well. And all this for 800 Yen (less than 8 bucks)! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend visiting this museum !
    Written August 16, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Shlomi T
    Nagano, Japan1,414 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful from far above. When you stand nearby, not too impressive.
    It is huge. The largest in Japan. Mostly urban feel around, not too much wild areas and parks.
    Did not see any beaches, maybe there are, but I am sure not too many.
    Written May 23, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.