Lake Biwa Tour: Shirahige Shrine, Ukimido ,La Collina Omihachiman

Overview

10 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Experience the essence of Japan in one unforgettable day! Discover sacred Shirahige Shrine’s floating torii, ride Japan’s fastest ropeway to breathtaking Lake Biwa views, explore the hidden Zen beauty of Sanzen-in Temple, and visit the floating Ukimido Hall at sunrise. Indulge in local sweets at La Collina, a fairytale village designed by famed architect Terunobu Fujimori. Perfect for families, friends, and culture lovers seeking stunning scenery, tradition, and local flavors — this tour is a journey through Japan’s heart and soul.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

The departure time from the first meeting point is 8:00 AM, and the drop-off time is around 6:30 PM, making the total duration of the trip approximately 10.5 hours

From November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, the itinerary will visit Sanzen-in Temple，From May 1st to Oct. 30th, the trip will go to Lake Biwa Observatory.

No refunds will be provided for late arrivals or no-shows.

During peak travel seasons, weekends, or holidays, traffic congestion may occur. The guide may adjust the itinerary and reduce time at certain attractions. We appreciate your understanding and recommend not scheduling other activities after the tour to avoid potential losses.

This is a shared group tour, so guests speaking different languages may join the same vehicle

Travel times may vary due to traffic and weather, so the schedule is for reference only. Please avoid planning other activities after the tour, as we are not responsible for delays. In case of bad weather or unforeseen events, some attractions or shows may be adjusted or canceled without notice. Thank you for your understanding.

The meeting location is at Osaka, there are two drop off locations-Osaka and Kyoto

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Air-conditioned tourist vehicle

Multilingual tour guide

Over time fee for tour guide and driver

Fuel, toll, and highway fees

Professional driver

Food and drinks.

Cable car ticket around 28USD

Sanzen-in temple ticket around 5USD

Mangetsu-ji Temple ticket around 2USD

What To Expect

Lake Biwa

8:00 AM/9:20AM Osaka/Kyoto Start Your Journey Let’s embark on a day filled with breathtaking views and unforgettable memories! ▼ 10:20AM Shirahige Shrine & Floating Torii Gate on Lake Biwa (Approx. 30 min) Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake and a national symbol, located near Kyoto. It's known as the “Lake of Life” and is listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Shirahige Shrine, with a history of over 1,900 years, is the oldest shrine in the Omi region and part of Japan Heritage. Its famous floating torii gate stands gracefully in the lake, offering stunning views that change with the time of day and weather. Tip: For the best photos, visit the nearby Blue Lake Shirahige Observatory.

30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Lake Biwa Observatory

▼ 11:30 AM Lake Biwa Observatory – Panoramic Views of the Dreamlike Lake Scenery (Approx. 120 min, Free Time & Optional Lunch at Own Expense, Available from May 1 to Oct 31, 2025) Ride Japan’s fastest ropeway with a 360° glass cabin and enjoy breathtaking views all the way up! Located on the west side of Lake Biwa, Biwako Valley is a popular destination for visitors from Kyoto and Osaka. The ropeway takes you to an altitude of 1,100 meters in just 5 minutes (operates slower from April to November for better sightseeing at 7 m/s). Along the way, you'll enjoy spectacular views of Lake Biwa. At the top, the Biwako Terrace is a favorite photo spot for young travelers and influencers. The area also features exciting activities such as the Zip Line with 7 routes, Skywalk, outdoor play areas, and more — perfect for couples and families alike.

2 hours • Admission Not Included

Options

Osaka station pick up 8:00am

Kyoto station pick up 9:20am

Reviews

4.58

12 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Well scheduled itinerary
Climber42187627651,
Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The itin was well planned. We had enough time in each attraction. Our tour guide, Naomi, was experienced and professional.
Ask for Naomi-san ❤️
Roving32066495562,
Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our tour guide, Naomi-san, was absolutely the best part of the entire trip. While I feel our time could have been better maximized, given the amount of travel vs. places we saw, all of it was worth it to experience her warmth, deep care, and expert camera skills. We never stopped smiling with her as our guide.
A Day Tour Guide to Lake Biwa
664韋婷陳,
Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Naomi Naomi tour guide will take photos, actively help us to take photos, people are also friendly, they will give emotional value, a recommended guide Naomi Naomi
Beautiful journey
Resort761211,
Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
5 Today's trip is relaxing Miho Art Museum is worth a visit If it is the cherry blossoms season visit will be very beautiful Tour guide Naomi carefully took care of us helped team members take many beautiful photos Very happy
Beautiful day trip
leilalD5913CP,
Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I participated with my sister in the museum of fine art, the water bird's house of the shrine of White Pine, and the old bamboo forest. My leaf is beautiful, the tour guide Naomi will introduce details, and will also help to take photos.
Lucky Journey to Japan
170eugeniel,
Nov 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This trip to meet Naomi the forest guide, it was really lucky! She is the best tour guide I've ever met, not only kind and careful, lively and interesting to explain, photo technology is also very good, each of which helps us to take super beautiful😍 The whole trip is smooth and happy, great! Macao is super beautiful, is the most beautiful Macao.
Very disappointing.... A different ime of year might've improved my perspective
Niall P,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00
So there is quite a few issues. The bus was an initial 5-10mins late. (It can happen and don't blame them too much but they could have messaged "Be with you shortly" to reassure. The Bus description as being white was wrong (It was silver). The guide was nice but clearly English was no where near being a common language for her and most comms were done over on WhatsApp which was usually broken english: "The admission fee for Sanqian Hospital is 700 yen. If you don't want to go, you can also take a stroll around nearby" She is meaning the Sanzen-in Temple... not great as for a guide in this instance I was hoping she could tell me more about the locations where the chinese tourists probably had a better experience. She could only try and immediately fail to read from a script on the places we were to visit. As for the locations... The time of year was fine for Sanzen-in as you had the multicolor foiliage but not for the other locations as the dark and withering trees nearby Shirashige Shrine felt ominous. The Mangestsu floating shrine was ok but probably looks better in spring or summer. La Collina is another that may/would look better during a different season like spring or summer. The grass roofing looked patchy and dry which made the location look tacky and cheap where as the prices were certainly a rip off. Paying so much already and getting no admission to any of the locations was really strange but was clearly mentioned and so expected. Not being told till I asked about why we didn't do the cable car was odd as it was one of the main reasons I booked the trip. To find out it doesn't operate at certain times of the year is one of the main aspects I find very misleading on your booking page and one to mention the most. Overall I was very underwhelmed and very unlikely to be using the service again.
Lake Biwa is gorgeous
kathy s,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Rather long bus ride. Other than that, tour planned well. Interesting, very scenic, cable car and ski lift fun. Our guide, Casper, was excellent.
English and Japanese only
Juan P,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
The guide super attentive ,ask the application if it was in Spanish several times and answered me to multilingual. It didn't. I was disappointed that I could not understand the explanations in the guide.
Great introduction to Biwa for future returns.
Kwek H,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Simple and easy peasy trip with young child to learn some culture. Love the mountain trip and really hope to have longer time over there.