滋賀県 · Calendar 2026

January is quiet: the Kohoku waterbird season is the one clear reason to come. The northern lakeshore is in its snow season, so build slack into transfers and treat outdoor plans as weather-dependent.

• 湖北野鳥

February stays deep in snow season and the pace is slow. The Kohoku waterbird season runs on, so base a trip around the northern lake and keep the rest indoors or urban. Expect weather delays.

• 湖北野鳥

March closes the Kohoku waterbird season — the last stretch for birding. Winter has not fully let go and spring sites are not all open yet, so it feels like low season, but the upside is thin crowds at the popular spots.

• 湖北野鳥

The Mt. Ibuki hiking season opens late in April, so most of the month has no mountain option. Spring travel peaks too, so book lodging and transport early; up high it is still early-season, so plan for cold rather than a summer walk.

• 伊吹山健行

May sits in the gap before the rainy season and is one of the easiest months to move around. Mt. Ibuki hiking is fully open and worth a whole day. Holiday crowds hit the lakeshore, so book early.

• 伊吹山健行

June is rainy season, the least predictable month for outdoor plans. Mt. Ibuki hiking is still in season but slick and often clouded in, so keep it as a fair-weather option with an indoor backup. Crowds are light.

• 伊吹山健行

July brings serious heat, so compress daytime outdoor activity. Samegai-juku enters its seasonal window this month, and Mt. Ibuki hiking still works if you start early. The rainy season can linger at the start — check the forecast before committing.

• 醒井宿
• 伊吹山健行

August is the hottest and busiest month. The Biwako Great Fireworks Festival fills the Otsu port waterfront — book far ahead or avoid that date. Samegai-juku and Mt. Ibuki are both in season for daytime relief. Typhoon season: keep a backup.

• びわ湖大花火大会(琵琶湖大花火大會・滋賀縣大津・大津港沖水面)
• 醒井宿
• 伊吹山健行

Heat lingers but outdoor plans become workable. The Samegai-juku season ends this month, so go early in September; Mt. Ibuki hiking gets more comfortable. Still typhoon season — don't pin a single must-do to one fixed day.

• 醒井宿
• 伊吹山健行

October is one of the best months to treat Shiga as an outdoor destination: Mt. Ibuki hiking is still open, with settled weather and clear views. Autumn foliage does not really peak until November, so push a leaf-focused trip into next month.

• 伊吹山健行

November is the densest month. Eigenji and the Kotosanzan temples anchor the autumn foliage season, the Kohoku waterbird season opens, and Mt. Ibuki hiking closes out — mountains, temples and lake in one trip. Foliage weekends are congested; go on weekdays.

• 伊吹山健行
• 永源寺紅葉
• 湖北野鳥
• 湖東三山

December is a snow-season month with little on. The Kohoku waterbird season is the solid reason to come, but the north is unsettled and daylight is short, so start early. With no major events, treat Shiga as a day extension rather than your base.

• 湖北野鳥