Kawagoe Day Trip Itinerary from Tokyo: One-Day Route, Loop Bus Times and Cost (2026)

Updated 2026-10-10

Short answer: take the Tobu Tojo Line from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe (about 30 minutes) and ride the Koedo Meisho Meguri loop bus in its one-way order: Kitain temple → Honmaru Goten → Hikawa Shrine → Kashiya Yokocho → the Ichibangai warehouse street and the Toki no Kane bell, then back to the station. The whole loop is 40 minutes of bus time. If you use the bus two or more times, the Koedo Kawagoe Coupon (¥1,110) covers the train both ways and every loop-bus ride, so the day costs about ¥1,610 per adult with the two paid sights (Kitain ¥400, Honmaru Goten ¥100). Fares, bus times and hours from Tobu, Tobu Bus, Kitain and Kawagoe City, checked 2026-10-10.

The route in order

Bus minutes are from the first weekday run on the Tobu Bus timetable; other runs differ by a minute or two. Spot details come from the Koedo Kawagoe Tourist Association, Kitain and Kawagoe City. Honmaru Goten is closed on Mondays (on Tuesday when Monday is a holiday), so on a Monday skip that stop.

Hear the bell. The Toki no Kane rings four times a day: 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00. On a day trip, 12:00 or 15:00 are the ones you can catch. Plan to be on Ichibangai for one of them.

A sample day, with real bus times (weekday)

This is a plan, not a promise. It uses the weekday timetable; on weekends the bus runs more often (see below).

• About 9:20: Ikebukuro → Kawagoe on the Tobu Tojo Line, about 30 minutes.
• 10:00: loop bus from Kawagoe Station East Exit, stop 3. Get off at Kitain-mae at 10:08. Kitain's paid area (the guest hall, study hall and the 538 Rakan) opens at 9:00.
• 10:58: next bus from Kitain-mae, arriving at Hakubutsukan-mae at 11:08 for Honmaru Goten.
• 12:03: bus to Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja (12:05). Or walk if you prefer.
• Early afternoon: walk to Ichibangai. The tourist association's walking course puts Hikawa Shrine about 10 minutes on foot from the Ichibangai area. Have lunch here, then visit Kashiya Yokocho (the same course lists it about 14 minutes from Hikawa Shrine).
• 15:00: hear the Toki no Kane ring on Ichibangai.
• Back: loop bus from Ichibangai at 15:14 or 16:04 (the last one on weekdays), arriving at Kawagoe Station at 15:30 or 16:20. Missed it? Walk to Kawagoeshi Station for a Tobu train.

Loop bus times

* These runs end at Fudanotsuji and do not stop at Ichibangai. On weekends there is also no bus from Kawagoe Station between 12:35 and 13:55, so do not plan to ride out in that gap. Timetable as of 1 April 2025, as published by Tobu Bus; times can change without notice. Pay ¥220 or ¥230 a ride by Suica/PASMO or cash.

How much does the day cost?

Add ¥500 for Kitain and Honmaru Goten. So the plan above costs ¥1,610 per adult with the Koedo Kawagoe Coupon. With the Discount Pass and two single bus rides it would be ¥710 + ¥450 = ¥1,160 before the sights, already more than the Coupon's ¥1,110. Buy the Coupon at a Tojo Line ticket office or machine in Ikebukuro: Kawagoe and Kawagoeshi stations do not sell it. Prices from Tobu and Tobu Bus, checked 2026-10-09. For children or a different route, use the Kawagoe day trip cost calculator.

Walking instead? Kitain says it is about 20 minutes on foot from Kawagoe Station, 18 from Kawagoeshi and 15 from Hon-Kawagoe (the Seibu Line station, which Tobu tickets do not cover).

Opening hours to plan around

• Kitain (paid area): 9:00–16:30 on weekdays and 9:00–16:50 on Sundays and holidays from 1 March to 23 November; 9:00–16:00 / 9:00–16:20 from 24 November to the end of February. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed 25 December – 8 January, the afternoon of 2 February and 3 February, 2–4 April and on temple event days.
• Honmaru Goten: 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. Closed Mondays (Tuesday after a Monday holiday) and over the New Year holidays.
• Loop bus: the last bus leaves Ichibangai at 16:04 on weekdays and 16:44 on weekends. After that, walk to a station.

Kawagoe Festival: 17–18 October 2026. This is the big float festival of Hikawa Shrine. The town centre is packed and roads close. The Koedo Kawagoe Coupon and the 1-day bus ticket cannot be used on festival days. On those dates, plan to walk and check the official festival site.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you need in Kawagoe?

One day covers the main sights. The loop bus takes 40 minutes for the whole circuit, and the train from Ikebukuro is about 30 minutes each way. Kitain, Honmaru Goten, Hikawa Shrine, Kashiya Yokocho and Ichibangai fit between the first bus (10:00 on weekdays, 9:20 on weekends) and the last bus from Ichibangai (16:04 or 16:44).

How do I get to Kawagoe from Tokyo?

Take the Tobu Tojo Line from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe Station, about 30 minutes, ¥490 per adult each way. Foreign visitors can buy the Kawagoe Discount Pass (¥710 round trip). The Seibu Line also runs to Hon-Kawagoe from Seibu-Shinjuku.

Is there a pass for Kawagoe?

Yes. The Koedo Kawagoe Coupon (¥1,110) covers the Tobu round trip from Ikebukuro and every ride on the loop bus, and anyone can buy it. The Kawagoe Discount Pass (¥710, train only) and the Premium (¥1,200, train and buses) are for foreign passport holders.

What time does the Toki no Kane bell ring?

Four times a day: 6:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 18:00, according to the Koedo Kawagoe Tourist Association.

Which direction does the Kawagoe loop bus go?

One way only: Kawagoe Station East Exit → Kitain-mae → Hakubutsukan-mae (Honmaru Goten) → Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja → Fudanotsuji → Ichibangai → Nakacho → Kawagoeshi Station → Kawagoe Station. So visit Kitain first and the old town last.

When is the Kawagoe Festival in 2026?

On 17 and 18 October 2026. The Koedo Kawagoe Coupon and the 1-day bus ticket cannot be used on those days.

Official sources (checked 2026-10-10)

• Tobu Bus, Koedo Meisho Meguri Bus route, timetable and fares: https://www.tobu-bus.com/pc/area/koedo_routetour.html
• Kitain, visiting hours and fees: https://kitain.net/information/visit/ and access: https://kitain.net/
• Kawagoe City leaflet, Honmaru Goten hours and fees: https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/013/698/hakubutsukanoyobihonmarugotenweb.pdf
• Koedo Kawagoe Tourist Association: Toki no Kane https://koedo.or.jp/spot_001/, Ichibangai https://koedo.or.jp/spot_002/, Kashiya Yokocho https://koedo.or.jp/spot_003/, Kawagoe Hikawa Jinja https://koedo.or.jp/spot_008/, event calendar https://koedo.or.jp/
• Koedo Kawagoe Coupon (Tobu): https://www.tobu.co.jp/odekake/ticket/tojo-line/koedo.html
• Kawagoe Discount Pass Premium (Tobu): https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/ticket/kawagoe/premium.html
• Tobu fares: https://www.tobu.co.jp/pdf/ticket/unchinTable.pdf; travel time: https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/access/kawagoe/

Times and prices change. Always confirm with the operator before you travel.

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