Himeji Castle is one of the 12 Japanese castles well conserved with their wooden keeps. Nearby the castle, Engyo-ji temple, on Mount Shosha, has got a thousand years long history. Some scene from "The last Samurai" movie were taken there. When we go back to Kobe, we can visit the Great Bridge of Akashi Kaikyo then Gigantor, statue of a robot, symbols of the revival of Japan, its technological genius and its pop culture.
Himeji Station
Himeji Castle, also known as the "White Heron castle" is a Japanese fortified castle. It dates from medieval times and is one of only 12 Japanese castles to have been perfectly preserved. UNESCO has designated this castle part of the world heritage of humanity.
We can visit the Koko-en Garden where the Castle owners used to live. This garden is relatively new and dates from 1992. Lovers of botanical gardens will be delighted by those 13 Japanese gardens.
Engyo-ji temple is located on Mount Shosha. We go there after visiting the castle.This temple has a long one thousand years History. Some scene from the famous movie "The last Samurai" were taken there.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is located between Himeji and Kobe. This marvel of technological civil engineering is an interesting stopover after visiting the White Heron Castle. We get off at Maiko Station, on the Sanyo Line between the two star cities of Hyogo, and we see it, there, majestic, connecting Honshu to Awaji Island across the Seto Inland Sea.
Japanese people like robots and this trend is found all over the world. Robots are a symbol of solidity and modernity. And that is why it was decided to give Kobe this symbol of hope after all the hardships the city had to go through. Gigantor is a 18 meters of iron giant robot. This symbol of manga, japanimation, and Japanese pop-culture proudly sits on Nagata, one of the districts of Kobe City.
Shin-Nagata Station
Himeji Castle and its neighborhood is full of ancient and modern History. To visit it is a must to do when you visit Japan.
Guide
- Cable car, bus and trains transportation: 3000JPY/person
- Himeji Castle and Koko-en Garden: 1080JPY/person
- Engyo-ji temple entrance: 1000JPY/person
- Akashi Kaikyo Bridge entrance (non-mandatory) : 3100JPY/person
- Guide fee (transportation, lunch, entrance)
No special conditions for the moment
Please, tell me if you have any food preferences.
We will walk a while, so you need good shoes.
Mouloud does not just guide us, he tells us the historical background of Mt Yoshino and how some of the Japanese culture and history relates to the mountain, temples and shrines. It was educational. Mouloud was also patience with us as we have a member of the group who couldn’t move as fast as the others. Overall, it was a good day trip. Tiring but enjoyable. Thanks Mouloud. TC
Thank you TC for booking my tour and for your great review! I am glad you liked the tour even if it was tiring. I hope to see you again!
I had an excellent half day tour with Mouloud in Nara. We visit many places including Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Todaiji, Bald Mountain and the Nara park. I learned a lot from Mouloud's explanation about the above places and they made me appreciate Nara more. I especially remember his guidance on how to feed Nara's deer. Thank you so much for making my trip to Nara enjoyable and I'd definitely recommend him as a guide to everyone who wants to visit Nara.
Thank you Alex for your booking and for this kind review. I am glad you appreciated the tour and I hope to see you again!
Mouloud did a great job I strongly recommend him
Thank you Bernard for your booking and for your kind review. I am glad you are satisfied!
We spend a great day with Mouloud! Consideration was given to our preferences, for example we made a Sake tasting. Mouloud showed us the most important sights and he know everything well. Because he knew japanese well we did not have to worry about anything. In the end we had a great Kobe beef meal.
Thank you Anja for your booking and for your wonderful review! We had a great timetogether to prepare your tour and I am glad you liked every side of your tour which was made to fit your preferences on the very day. I hope to see you again!