Himeji Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide

Chiyuki was friendly and very knowledgeable. She was enthusiastic and kept us entertained throughout the tour. The Shoshazan Engyoji Temple was incredible and the castle was amazing.

Great visit to Himeji Castle and then later to Engyō-ji temple on Mt. Shosa via ropeway with our guide Norio. He is very knowledgeable, detailed, and well-structured. He took many family photos at each location. We enjoyed our time and tour in Himeji. Highly recommended.

My grandson and I had an excellent tour of Himeji with Yama-san yesterday on a gray and drizzly day. Yama-san is an experienced guide with excellent English skills, and good depth of knowledge of the Himeji castle, gardens and the mountain shrine. He even showed us an excellent view point of the castle after the tour from the top of a nearby building. We had an excellent, excellent tour, and I would highly recommend this, particularly if you can schedule Yama.-san as your guide.

Our visit to Himeji Castle and the nearby gardens with Rie-san was the unanimous highlight of our two-week trip for our group of 9 adults – most of whom use the pictures we took at the Castle as their Facebook profile pictures. Rie-san knows everything there is to know about Himeji Castle, and is very happy to tell you all about it. On our visit to Himeji with Rie-san, we learned about the wonderfully odd statues lining the street on the walk from from Himeji Station to the Castle. We learned about the purpose of the Castle, and the original bounds of the walled city around it. We learned about the periodic preservation process. Rie-san brought us through the Castle grounds and explained the function of all the different gates – like the Water Gate. Rie-san explained what parts of the Castle are original, and which have been restored. She knows all the hidey-holes used by the Samurai retainers for guarding their Daimyo. Rie-san knows all the best spots for pictures too! In short, you absolutely cannot go wrong with booking your tour of Himeji Castle with Rie-san.

Yama-san was great. He was enthusiastic, funny, and friendly. He picked us up from the Himeji train station and we had a great tour of the castle and gardens with our family of 4. Our boys (ages 13,10) especially liked Yama-san for his gentle demeanor and “Ojichan” temperament. We even got BTS access to a rooftop view a the end of the tour just as the castle was being lit for the evening. We would love to have Yama-san as a you guide again!

I had the most amazing tour with Yama san! I’m so glad I booked this tour. I was on the fence about if I needed a guide, but there was so much value I got out of having Yama san not only show me how to get around, but also give me so many little details, tips, and suggestions about the Himeji Castle and surrounding area. He made the tour so interesting and fun, plus gave me a suggestion about where to look for a good restaurant for dinner- I had such a unique experience because of that tip! He also helped me improve my very elementary level of Japanese language.

Yama san was a fantastic guide for a trip into Himeji Castle and Koko-en Gardens, plus a local shrine. The tour was even better than I expected, way better than if I’d just wandered around on my own. He was very knowledgeable about all sorts of details in the Castle, history, and current culture in the area. We had a lively time and Yama san had some great suggestions for me to seek out unique dinner experiences and locally made souvenirs. He even helped me expand my Japanese vocabulary! I would definitely recommend a tour with Yama san to anyone.

We had a wonderful tour of Himeji Castle. Our guide, Yama-san, was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much fascinating history about the castle and its past. The castle itself is stunning, and the surrounding garden is equally beautiful. It was a fantastic experience, and we truly enjoyed it.

Our guide Chiyukisan was absolutely amazing! We learned so much about the Himeji castle and it's history. Chiyukisan provided very interesting facts and details. It made our visit truly special. We enjoyed every minute with her and would highly recommend Chiyuki as an excellent guide and kind caring person. Thank you

My boyfriend and I wanted a guide to learn about Himeji, and Yama-san did not disappoint. He was funny, knowledgeable (and if there was a question he wasn’t sure about he’d find the answer), and an overall pleasure of a guide. He took us to the castle, Koko-en gardens and a shrine, and gave us so many extra fun tidbits of info you’d only get from a guide. He even took us to a beautiful viewpoint even when we were tight on time. Highly recommend getting to know Himeji with Yama-san.