himeji and kobe day trip from kyoto

trying to figure out some day trips for our week in kyoto with husband this time. we will then go to takamatsu for 3 nights (ritsurin gardens, shikoku mura on arrival day, naoshima next day and maybe kurashiki or something else final day), before we head to hiroshima for day and then sleep in miyajima, miyajima next day and late train to fukuoka where we will sleep before our flight home.

went to nara with daughter in may and it was a madhouse so not dying to go back. thinking 1/2 day uji? then a day trip to himeji/kobe? daughter and i went himeji after hiking to top of fushimi inari. honeslty, we were underwhelmed with himeji. tons of stairs but totally empty. we enjoyed gardens next door. what are we missing? my husband loves history and battles so thinking we have to visit himeji. would it pair well with kobe? i'd like to see the sake areas since that will be new for him. we saw them in takayama. what else in kobe? we did the ropeway in miyajima and it was underwhelming to not sure its better in kobe.

Hmm , so Himeiji was underwhelming because it was empty? Did you go to the castle? If anything it is packed.

If you want to see a smaller castle with less tourists: Hikone
Can be combined well with Omi Hachiman a Small town with a nice central area with canals.

Miho museum is also very unique but a bit hard to get to.

Some parts of Nara (and to a lesser extent Uji) get very overcrowded by tourists.

If small town feeling is something you want maybe try Imaicho in Yamatoyagi and can combine with Asuka. The first capital of Japan.

@LikeBike
I think she meant that the castle was empty of exhibits, not of people.

@Plambers
Empty is actually how Japanese castles were supposed to be, back when they were in use. People did not live inside the keep, and furnishing it now to make it a museum, like many other castles, would instead reduce it's authenticity, I suppose? Or prevent you from fully appreciating the architecture. I have not visited Himeji (frankly, Japanese castles are not really my thing either ^^"). But some of my family went there with a guided tour, and found the experience very valuable. They got detailed explanations on how the castle was built, with details on the materials, woodwork, etc...

If you want to give Himeji a second try, or visit another castle, maybe you could hire out a guide to make your visit more lively.