Iga-Ueno has a decent castle, interesting local crafts, and a ninja museum that is about 60% less hokey than I expected.
Omihachiman. Visit the historical canal in the town, and then take the cable car to the castle ruins at the top of the nearby hill. Very nice view of the surrounding region including Lake Biwa, and a serene temple are at the top.
Himeji. But I would put Arashiyama (technically Kyoto) at the very top. Magnificent area to wander and take in slowly. So much more than the bamboo grove, which is crowded for a good reason…lovely spot. Get into the elegant villas and quiet temples and along the river. Find a spectacular lunch spot.
We loved Himeiji Castle. Dod it as a stop on the way to Kinosaki Onsen but its an easy day trip from Osaka/Kyoto.
Koyasan is about 2 hours and change from Osaka and one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to. It’s also a rare day trip spot where it actually *helps* to go when it’s raining due to the locale and ambiance.
Nagoya, Himeji, bullet train anywhere—maybe Kobe or Hiroshima/Miyajima.
Arima Onsen
Amanohashidate
Wow. So many options.
How about Hikone (not Hakone) including the castle? Or any of the resorts around Lake Biwa? Or Enryaku-ji on Mt Hiei?
Amanohashidate, I wish i went there when I was in kyoto…
Himeji and Kobe are nearby, with Kobe having Arima Onsen with their rust onsens
Kobe, Himeji
What is your age and will you have kids with you? How are you getting around Japan? These would influence the decision. Kyoto’s primary allure with tourists is the temples and shrines. We just went to Japan recently and stayed in Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo. We enjoyed Kyoto a lot but mostly went to Fushimi Inari Taisha and explored the old city areas, street shopping, restaurants. If we had more time there we would have visited Arishiyama Bamboo Forest. We travelled with our daughter who is 17 and a huge Studio Ghibli fan. So we got tickets for Ghibli Park before leaving the US. It was a great park and my daughter loved it. Ghibli Park is closer to Nagoya than Kyoto though.
Kashihara, Hiroshima and surrounds. All amazing beautiful places that aren’t “instagram-able” since they’re a bit further out
Kobe, himeji are also possible candidates
Miyama – specifically Kayabuki no Sato – was great when I went in late fall a couple years ago on a day trip that also included Amanohashidate (also great), though it’s quite a ways to travel (took a tour bus, about 2 hours from Kyoto into the mountains – would probably be better with a car). I went on a weekend and there surprisingly weren’t that many tourists around. It snowed a very tiny bit, which was actually lovely with the thatched-roof houses and autumn foliage.
21 comments
Uji or Arashiyama
Biwa lake
Kurama/Kibune, Ohara, Mt. Hiei, Otsu, Omi-Hachiman, Hikone, Nagahama, Amanohashidate, Koka, Miho Museum…
Himeji, Kobe & Arima Onsen
* Mii-dera and Ishiyamadera, Shiga Prefecture
* Sakamoto, Shiga Prefecture
* Asuka, Nara Prefecture
* Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture
* Imai-chō, Nara Prefecture
Uji is a good half-day lunch and walk around spot
Iga-Ueno has a decent castle, interesting local crafts, and a ninja museum that is about 60% less hokey than I expected.
Omihachiman. Visit the historical canal in the town, and then take the cable car to the castle ruins at the top of the nearby hill. Very nice view of the surrounding region including Lake Biwa, and a serene temple are at the top.
Himeji. But I would put Arashiyama (technically Kyoto) at the very top. Magnificent area to wander and take in slowly. So much more than the bamboo grove, which is crowded for a good reason…lovely spot. Get into the elegant villas and quiet temples and along the river. Find a spectacular lunch spot.
We loved Himeiji Castle. Dod it as a stop on the way to Kinosaki Onsen but its an easy day trip from Osaka/Kyoto.
– [Kyoto Day Trip: Arashiyama Scenic Railway and Riverboat Ride](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/mibm8t/kyoto_sagano_scenic_train_hozugawa_riverboat/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
– [Kansai Side Trip: Tattoo Friendly Kinosaki Onsen and Himeiji Castle](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/sna5au/kansai_side_trip_tattoo_friendly_kinosaki_onsen/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
– [Kyoto Day Trips](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-day-trips)
– [Off-The-Beaten-Path Side Trips from Kyoto](https://travel.gaijinpot.com/best-off-the-beaten-path-side-trips-from-kyoto/)
– [11 Kansai Region Day Trips](https://livejapan.com/en/in-kansai/in-pref-osaka/in-osaka-suburbs/article-a2000545/)
Koyasan is about 2 hours and change from Osaka and one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to. It’s also a rare day trip spot where it actually *helps* to go when it’s raining due to the locale and ambiance.
Nagoya, Himeji, bullet train anywhere—maybe Kobe or Hiroshima/Miyajima.
Arima Onsen
Amanohashidate
Wow. So many options.
How about Hikone (not Hakone) including the castle? Or any of the resorts around Lake Biwa? Or Enryaku-ji on Mt Hiei?
Amanohashidate, I wish i went there when I was in kyoto…
Himeji and Kobe are nearby, with Kobe having Arima Onsen with their rust onsens
Kobe, Himeji
What is your age and will you have kids with you? How are you getting around Japan? These would influence the decision. Kyoto’s primary allure with tourists is the temples and shrines. We just went to Japan recently and stayed in Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo. We enjoyed Kyoto a lot but mostly went to Fushimi Inari Taisha and explored the old city areas, street shopping, restaurants. If we had more time there we would have visited Arishiyama Bamboo Forest. We travelled with our daughter who is 17 and a huge Studio Ghibli fan. So we got tickets for Ghibli Park before leaving the US. It was a great park and my daughter loved it. Ghibli Park is closer to Nagoya than Kyoto though.
Kashihara, Hiroshima and surrounds. All amazing beautiful places that aren’t “instagram-able” since they’re a bit further out
Kobe, himeji are also possible candidates
Miyama – specifically Kayabuki no Sato – was great when I went in late fall a couple years ago on a day trip that also included Amanohashidate (also great), though it’s quite a ways to travel (took a tour bus, about 2 hours from Kyoto into the mountains – would probably be better with a car). I went on a weekend and there surprisingly weren’t that many tourists around. It snowed a very tiny bit, which was actually lovely with the thatched-roof houses and autumn foliage.