Hi there!
Ise is known for being a spiritual city and having one of the most significant Shinto shrines in Japan.
Ise is famous for the Ise Grand Shrine, so you shouldn’t miss visiting it if you will be in Ise!
In addition to the most famous Ise shrine of all, there are other shrines in Ise that you can visit too.
And, you can also have a glimpse of classic Japan by visiting an area that was recreated to look like what the streets of Japan used to be hundreds of years ago.
With one day in Ise, you can have a walk down the Oharaimachi Street to get to the Ise Grand Shrine.
You will pass by a bunch of small shops and food stalls as you walk down Oharaimachi Street.
You will also want to stop off at the historic replica streets of Okage Yokocho to have a walk through small streets that will give you a glimpse into what Japan looked like in the 1600s to 1800s during the Edo period.
You will also find a lot of food stalls and restaurants with Matsusaka beef, and this is the specialty food of Mie prefecture. You won’t see signs in English much, so look for this: 松阪牛
Ise travel guide
- Where is Ise?
- How to pronounce Ise
- Best things to do in Ise in one day
- Things to do near Iseshi Station
- Ise train station: How to get to Ise
- Kumano Kodo to Ise
- Ise bus: How to get around Ise
- Ise itinerary: One day in Ise City
Where is Ise?
Ise is located on the Kii Peninsula in the prefecture of Mie.
👆 Where is Ise Japan: Explore the map.
You can make Ise a part of your Japan route as you travel from the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama prefecture to places like Nagoya, Osaka, or Kyoto.
How to pronounce Ise
How to pronounce Ise: It’s more like ee-say, not ice.
If you know Spanish, then the vowels you see for Japanese words are pronounced more like Spanish vowels.
Best things to do in Ise in one day
1. Oharai machi
Japanese: oharai machi doori / おはらい町通り / おはらいまちどおり
2. Okage yokocho ancient street
Japanese: okage yokocho / おかげ横丁 / おかげよこちょう
3. Uji Bridge
Japanese: uji bashi / 宇治橋 / うじばし
4. Ise Grand Shrine
Japanese: ise jingu / 伊勢神宮 / いせじんぐう
5. Isuzu River hand washing place (Ise Grand Shrine)
Japanese: isuzu gawa mitarashi / 五十鈴川 御手洗場 / いすずがわ みたらし
6. Futamiokitama Shrine
Japanese: futamiokitama jinja / 二見興玉神社 / ふたみおきたまじんじゃ
👆 Watch the Ise video on youtube.
7. Meoto Iwa wedded rocks
Japanese: meoto iwa / 夫婦岩 / めおといわ
Things to do near Iseshi Station
Here are more things to do near Iseshi Station if you have more time before your train leaves for your next destination!
- Geku Sando
- Ise Grand Shrine Geku
- Tsukiyonomiya
Note that there is a difference between “Ise Grand Shrine Geku” and “Ise Grand Shrine”! The main shrine is the “Ise Grand Shrine” that is not near Iseshi Station.
How to get to Ise: Iseshi Station (train)
The main train station in Ise is the Iseshi Station.
You can arrive by train to Ise from a variety of tourist destinations, including Kii-Katsuura (Nachi/Kumano Kodo), Shingu (also Kumano area), Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto.
How long does it take to get to Ise by train?
- Kii-Katsuura to Ise train is around 3 hours (6400 yen, less than US$60)
- Shingu to Ise train is around 2.5 hours (5600 yen, less than US$50)
- Nagoya to Ise train is around 1.5 hours (2900 yen, less than US$25)
- Osaka to Ise train is around 2.5 hours (4400 yen, less than US$40)
- Kyoto to Ise train is around 2.5 hours (3700 yen, less than US$35)
Google maps makes travel around Japan super easy! Consult google maps for suggested routes to Ise! Just select the public transportation icon! It is also helpful to change the departure time to a time that you might be leaving. If the current time is at night, the suggested route may be unhelpful! If you are traveling with a JR pass, you will just want to be sure to get on the JR trains. If you are traveling without a JR pass, then you can choose the most convenient route! Google maps also gives approximate cost.
Kyoto in November and December: Kyoto fall colors itinerary
Kumano Kodo to Ise: What I did in October 2022
After spending time (1 travel day + 3 days) in the Kumano Kodo area along the Nakahechi Route (Tanabe, Takahara, Nonaka, Yunomine Onsen, Hongu, Shingu, and Nachi Falls), I went from the Kumano Kodo area to Ise by train.
I arrived in Ise in the evening (Iseshi Station), and then went to Ise Guesthouse Kazami for an overnight stay. This is a few minutes walk from the Ise train station.
There are dorm beds (aka this is also an Ise hostel) and there are private rooms available. It’s around 3700 yen for a dorm bed (less than $37), 7000 yen for a private room for 1 person (less than US$70), 8500 yen for a private room for 2 people (less than $80), 11500 yen for a private room for 3 people (less than $110).
I checked out the next morning, then went back to Iseshi Station to store my luggage in an Iseshi Station coin locker for the day. It’s 500 yen for a medium size locker (less than US$5).
Ise Guesthouse Kazami will store luggage for free, but I thought it would be easier to have the luggage at the train station since that’s where I would later be leaving from, in case I would be rushing to make it back to the station in time for a certain train.
Then, it was one day in Ise!
I got back to the train station in the evening and then took the train from Ise to Kyoto. (It required a transfer – I just followed google maps.)
A note on Japanese yen to USD conversion: For a quick and easy conversion in my head, I had always done 100 yen = US$1. But, the reality of late 2022 is that 100 yen is much less than $1. When I did this trip to Ise in October 2022, it had hit 150 yen = US$1. So the approximate USD is actually much less than the above listed approximate USD figures! Of course, the amount you will pay will depend on what the exchange rate is when you go, but this can start to give you an idea. For easy conversion, you can simply type into google “8500 yen to usd” for example. When I checked just now on this October 2022 day, it said 8500 yen was less than US$60.
How to get around Ise City: Ise bus
For the things to do near the Iseshi Station, you just walk.
So from Iseshi Station, you can walk to the Ise Grand Shrine Geku. (Again, note that there is a difference between “Ise Grand Shrine” and ” Ise Grand Shrine Geku.”
The GEKU is the one near the Ise train station, and this is not the main Ise Grand Shrine.
For the main Ise Grand Shrine, you can take a bus. (Or, you can walk an hour from the train station, if you prefer.)
General tips for taking the local bus in Ise (and most local buses in Japan)
Once again, consult google maps to guide your way! It makes knowing where to get on the bus and where to get off the bus super easy!
You pay for the bus as you get off the bus. You don’t need to buy a ticket ahead of time. (Although it is possible in some places. For example, at the bus stop near the Ise Grand Shrine.)
You will get on the bus from the back door, not the front. As you get on the bus, you need to look for a little ticket to grab. This will have a number on it, and it will allow you to determine how much you need to pay when you get off the bus.
Once your bus stop is the next bus stop, you will press a little button to signify to the bus driver to get off next. There will be an announcement, and there is a display sign at the front of the bus that will tell you the next bus stop.
Then, you will also look at the front of the bus to find out how much the bus fare costs. You will look for the number that’s on the ticket that you grabbed as you got on the bus, and that is how much you need to pay for the bus fare.
Once the bus arrives at your bus stop, you’ll go to the front of the bus. You’ll put exact change into the fare box. There will be no change given to you.
If you need smaller change, it is also possible to break a 1,000 yen bill in the coin machine at the front of the bus. You can do this as you get off the bus. You cannot break a 5,000 yen bill, so be sure to have coins and/or 1,000 yen bills if you plan to take the bus.
Then you will get off the bus and follow google maps to walk to your next destination! Or, if you’re getting off at a popular tourist spot, just follow the crowd. 😉
I took the bus in Ise 2 times and they were 2 different bus lines. I noticed on 1 of them that you can use an IC card. So if you got an icoca card in Kyoto or Osaka, or a suica card or pasmo card in Tokyo, you may be able to use it depending on the bus you take. (I don’t recall if an IC card was accepted for the other bus I took.)
More about how to take the local bus in Ise
For the visual: here is how to take the local bus in Kyoto, which is similar to how to take the local bus in Ise and other local buses in Japan.
Ise itinerary: One day in Ise
Of course, your day can vary based on how much time you decide to spend in different places. But, to give you an idea, this was how one day in Ise was for me!
- 9am: Arrive at Iseshi Station
- Store luggage at Ise train station coin locker
- Ise tourist information center near train station (get Ise tourist maps!)
- 9:15am: Walk to Tsukiyominomiya (small shrine near train station – okay to skip) (map)
- Walk the Geku Sando from Ise train station to Ise Grand Shrine Geku (“lane to geku”) (map)
- 10am: Walk around Ise Grand Shrine Geku
- 10:30am: Bus from Ise Grand Shrine Geku (20 minute bus ride)
- Sarutahiko jinja (small shrine okay to skip – 5 minute walk from Oharai machi, 15 minute walk from Ise Grand Shrine) (map)
- Walk down Oharai machi street (lots of small shops, food stalls, and restaurants – where to eat in Ise!)
- Okage yokocho (“edo period replica town” – little area off of oharai machi – don’t miss! lots of small shops, food stalls, and restaurants – where to eat in Ise!)
- 1:15pm: Uji bridge to Ise Grand Shrine
- Walk around Ise Grand Shrine, including Isuzu River hand washing place
- 2:30pm: Bus to Futamiokitama Shrine (40 minute bus ride)
- Follow signs to Meoto Iwa (5-10 minute walk through Meoto Yokocho building shops)
- Walk around Futamiokitama Shrine and Meoto Iwa
- Walk to Futaminoura train station (15 minute walk)
- 4pm: Train to Iseshi Station (10 minute train ride)
- 4:30pm: Train to Kyoto! (transfer necessary)
👆 Ise map: Stop by the Ise tourism information center near Iseshi Station to get a bunch of different Ise maps!
HAPPY TRIP TO ISE!
NEXT UP: KUMANO KODO! (world heritage trail!)
NEXT UP: NACHI FALLS!
NEXT UP: HONGU!
NEXT UP: SHINGU!
NEXT UP: YUNOMINE ONSEN! (private onsen hot springs!)