Hello! My Girlfriend and I are going to Japan this June (This will be her first time visiting Japan). As we are getting only one week off, so we chose to travel only in Kansai area to get the most out of our trip. Any advice or recommendations are appreciated.
– We are both foodies and looking forward to trying some local food (any recommendations of food we should try?)
– We will be using 3-day Kansai Thru Pass. (It more flexible that JR Kansai pass)
– Our side day-trip are Nara, Himeji, and kobe (using Osaka as a home-based)
– We won’t be going to any theme park or tour. And we don’t mind missing some tourist spot either.
So here is our itinerary
11 Jun (Using KT Pass)
Morning
– Arrive at KIX 9:15
– going straight to Kyoto
Afternoon
– go to Fushimi Inari
– return to Hotel (stay near Gion area)
12 Jun
Morning
– Kiyomizu-Dera, Higashiyama and kept sightseeing-walk north until reach Higashiyama station
– lunch in (near) Nishiki Market
Afternoon
– Kinkaku-ji temple
– return to hotel
– Goin district in evening
13 Jun (Using KTPass)*
Day-trip to Arashiyama
Afternoon
– catching a train to Osaka
– stay near Tennoji station
– dinner at Shinsekai
14 Jun
– Osaka day (Shitenoji temple, Osaka castle, tenma shop area, Shinsaibashi, Dontoburi)
15 Jun (Using KTPass)
Day trip to Himeji and Kobe
Morning
– train to Himeji
Afternoon
– train to Kobe (Chinatown, habourland, Kobe beef)
– train back to Osaka
16 Jun
– Day trip to Nara (nara park, Kofukuji, Todaji, Naramachi etc)
17 Jun
– Free day, shopping in Osaka (DenDen town, Amerikamura,Fish market)
21:30 – frying back home.
*Questions*
– On the 13 of June I’m thinking that I would like to change from Arashiyama to some where else that have less tourist. I think of going north a bit outside of Kyoto like Mt.hiei. any recommendations?
1 comment
You are not really getting even on Kansai Thru Pass here except the Himeji day.
For Jun 11, you can buy the Kyoto Access Ticket for 1250 yen. Then train to Fushimi-Inari cost 220 yen each. That’s 1690 yen, a few yen short of 1733 yen (assuming you buy at 5200 yen/ticket).
For Jun 13: Gion to Tennoji is 700 yen via Hankyu and Osaka Subway. (You can even go cheaper via Keihan and Osaka Loop Line). I doubt you will be spending 1000 yen to Arashiyama, but even if you do, there’s Kyoto Bus 1-day pass or Kyoto Bus+Subway One Day Pass.
Going to Mt.Hiei on Kansai Thru Pass is a terrible idea since it only allow you to ascend on the Biwako side. You will spend a lot of time going to/from there. Other options are Kurama and Kibune, or Ohara. Both have other passes you can use.
For Jun 15, a one-day JR West Kansai Area Pass is more expensive at 2400 yen, but it’s much, much faster than the Kansai Thru Pass route. You are looking at 1 hour with JR, or 1.40 hour with Kansai Thru Pass.