How to choose discount railway ticket and pass for the trip in Kansai area

Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara
Katsura river in Arashiyama, Kyoto is very popular in Spring and Fall. ©Yasufumi Nishi/© JNTO
2011.11.27
Dotonbori (道頓堀) is one of the popular spot around Osaka Namba area. ©JNTO
Dotonbori (道頓堀) is one of the popular spot around Osaka Namba area. ©JNTO

There are JR lines and lots of private railway lines, such as Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu and Keihan in Kansai area. There are so many kinds of ticket or passes as well. It makes you confused to choose it.

In this post, I would like to share the information about the discount tickets and passes that cover Kansai area.

Kansai Thru Pass

  • Online purchasing price (2-day) – Adult : 4,300 yen / Child : 2,150 yen
  • Online purchasing price (3-day) – Adult : 5,300 yen / Child : 2,650 yen
  • Coverage – All Non JR lines, subway lines and city bus in whole part of Kansai area
  • Valid period – 2 or 3 days (not required using in consecutive days)

This is the most recommend one. This pass includes all major private lines and subway lines, such as Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan, Kintetsu, Nankai, Osaka Metro and Kyoto Subway. You can access Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, Mt. Koya, Kansai airport, Wakayama and many more place. This pass is sold at 5,300 yen for 3-days and 4,300 yen for 2 days. It gives you the greatest value in any railway pass of Kansai area. But if you think about only round trip between Kyoto and Osaka, the regular fare may be cheaper. Please see the details at the post in the link below:

How to use Kansai Thru Pass. Compare pass and single fare.
Kansai thru pass is one of the best option to travel in Kansai area, such as Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, Wakayama, Koyasan. This post shows you how to use this pass.
jprail.com
2012.10.07

JR West Rail Pass – Kansai Area Pass

  • Price (1-day) – Adult : 2,200 yen / Child : 1,100 yen
  • Price (2-day) – Adult : 4,300 yen / Child : 2,150 yen
  • Price (3-day) – Adult : 5,300 yen / Child : 2,650 yen
  • Price (4-day) – Adult : 6,300 yen / Child : 3,150 yen
  • Coverage – All JR railway lines in whole part of Kansai area
  • Valid period – 1 to 4 days (midnight to midnight)
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. This is covered by Kansai area pass.
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. This is covered by Kansai area pass.

This pass includes most of JR lines in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji and Kansai airport. But the Shinkansen and all express trains are not covered except Kansai airport express “Haruka”. Please see the details about this pass in the link below:

How to use JR West Kansai Area Pass. Compare pass and single fare.
This posts explains you how to use Kansai Area Pass. It is one of JR West rail passes and it covers whole part of Kansai area.
jprail.com
2012.10.19

Hankyu Tourist Pass one day and two days

  • Price (1-day) – Adult : 700 yen / Child:Not available
  • Price (2-day) – Adult : 1,200 yen / Child:not available
  • Coverage – All Hankyu railway lines
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight) and two days (must be used in consecutive days)

Hankyu Railway operates trains among Umeda (Osaka), Takarazuka, Kawaramachi (Kyoto near Gion), Arashiyama (Kyoto) and Kobe (Sannomiya). The price of this deal is very attractive to cover three cities, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. If you access to Kobe-Sannomiya from Umeda, single fare is 320 yen. If you access to Kyoto-Kawaramachi from Umeda, single fare is 400 yen. You can get the worth of one day pass by one round trip to Kyoto-Kawaramachi from Umeda. If you look for deal to access to just Kobe, Arashiyama and Gion area, this is a good choice.

But if you want to visit all part of Kyoto and many places in Kobe, Kansai Thru Pass is better choice. Because you have to take other train or bus than Hankyu Railway. Kansai Thru Pass covers all.

Please see the link below to find more information:

Hankyu Railway official site- Hankyu Tourist Pass

Kyoto-Osaka Sightseeing Pass one day and two days

  • Price (1-day) – Adult : 700 yen / Child : 350 yen
  • Price (2-day) – Adult : 1,000 yen / Child : 700 yen
  • Coverage – All Keihan railway lines
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight) and two days (must be used in consecutive days)

Keihan Railway connects Yodoyabashi (Osaka) and Demachiyanagi (Kyoto). It covers Kyoto and Osaka only but the price is cheaper than Hankyu Tourist Pass. And many places in Kyoto are located along Keihan Railway. Fushimi Inari shrine, Uji, Kiyomizu-dera temple and many places in Higashiyama area can be accessed from Keihan Railway stations.

This pass has same issue as Hankyu Tourist Pass. You may have to take subway to get Keihan Railway station in Osaka, such as Yodoyabashi, Nakanoshima, Kitahama, Temmabashi and Kyobashi. And when you visit western part of Kyoto, such as Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji temple, you have to pay extra to access this place. Kansai Thru Pass may be better choice if you have another trip(s).

Please see the link below to find more information about Kyoto-Osaka Sightseeing Pass:

Keihan Railway official site – Kyoto-Osaka Sightseeing Pass

Kintetsu Rail Pass one day and two days

  • Price (1-day) – Adult : 1,500 yen / Child : 750 yen
  • Price (2-day) – Adult : 2,500 yen / Child : 1,250 yen
  • Coverage – All Keihan railway lines
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight) and two days (must be used in consecutive days)

This deals covers Kintetsu Railway in Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.

In Nara, many of places can be accessed by walk from the station. But this deal can take you to Kyoto station only You cannot use this deal to access to most of places in Kyoto.

Please see the link below to find more information about Kintetsu Rail Pass:

Kintetsu Railway official site – Kintetsu Rail Pass

Hanshin Tourist Pass

  • Price – Adult:700 yen / Child:Not available
  • Coverage – All Hanshin railway lines
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight)

Hanshin Railway operate trains among Umeda (Osaka), Osaka-Namba, Kousoku-Kobe and Kobe (Sannomiya). The price of this deal is very attractive. If you access to Kobe-Sannomiya from Osaka-Nmaba, single fare is 410 yen. It is paid off by just one round trip. If you look for deal to access to just Kobe, this is the one for your trip.

However if you access to Arima-Onsen and/or Himeji, Kansai Thru Pass or Kansai Area Pass may be better choice.

Please see the link below to find more information about Hanshin Tourist Pass:

Hanshin Railway official site – Hanshin Tourist Pass

Kansai Wide Area Pass

Kyushu Shinkansen Sakura and Mizuho give you direct trainsfer to Shin-Osaka from Kyusyu.
All Shinkansen trains non reserved seat on Sanyo Shinkansen are covered by this deal.

If you may travel both inside and outside of Kansai area, Kansai Wide Area Pass is the best choice. You can get same coverage as Kansai area pass in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji and Wakayama. And also this pass covers Kinosaki Onsen, Shirahama, Kii-Katsuura, Shingu, Okayama, Kurashiki and even Takamatsu in Shikoku. You can take non reserved seat on limited express trains and Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama. Please find more information in the post below:

Kansai WIDE Area Pass user guide. The best deal for the traveler who want to travel Kansai and surrounding areas, such as Okayama, Kurashiki, Kinosaki and Kumano.
Kansai Wide Area Pass offers bigger coverage area than Kansai Area Pass. This pass covers Kansai area and surrounding places, such as Kinosaki, Kurashiki, Okayama, Kii-Katsuura. Please find the details about Kansai Wide Area Pass in this post.
jprail.com
2012.04.26

ICOCA and Kansai One Pass

ICOCA is most popular IC card in Kansai area. (C) タンジェント (own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
ICOCA is most popular IC card in Kansai area. (C) タンジェント (own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

You may use these cards to take any trains and buses in all Kansai area. You can use even other area’s card, such as Suica, Pasmo too. These cards give you convenience. You can avoid to purchase a ticket whenever you make a train trip. You can take any kinds of trains, such as JR, subway and Non JR trains. However these cards do not give you any discount and unlimited ride.

If you meet these following things, IC card is your choice.

1. You intend to visit a few places in a day.
2. You need to take several kinds of trains and buses, like subway, Hankyu, Keihan, JR.
3. You cannot fix your plan and want to have some flexibility.

However if you have day trip to other cities, such as day trip to Kyoto from Osaka, Kansai Thru Pass or Kansai Area Pass is better choice in most of cases.

Find your hotels in 500 cities throughout Japan!!!

Hotels in Kyoto
Hotels in Osaka
Hotels in Kansai International Airport
Hotels in Nara
Hotels in Kobe

Kansai One Pass

This is same type of card as ICOCA. You can use this pass by same way as ICOCA. But this card is designed for overseas tourist. Preload amount is 2,500 yen (plus 500 yen deposit and sold at 3,000 yen) and you can get discount at many attractions. ICOCA is sold at any JR stations throughout Kansai area. But Kansai One Pass is sold in the designated stations only. Please see the link below to find the detailed information at official site.

Kansai One Pass official site

For traveler who use national or regional pass

If you use JR pass (national pass) or other regional deal, such as Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass, JR train network in Kansai area is covered. You may have same or better coverage than Kansai Wide Area Pass. If you use these passes, please try to use this pass as much as you can. I think you may add only city deal, such as bus pass in Kyoto.

For the traveler who stay in Kyoto or Osaka and visit inside city only

These above deals are too much for the city sightseeing only. You may find the deals in the links below:

How to choose the best train pass for sightseeing in Kyoto
How to choose the best train pass for sightseeing in Osaka

I hope you get the best deal in this post and enjoy your trip in Kansai area.

Comments

  1. virginia lee says:
    March 29, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    hi,
    Thank you for your help first.
    I wonder what kind of pass we should use when we are in Japan. My friend has problem of walking up and down the stairs, so I think we would try to avoid using subway as much as possible and try to use buses.
    our itinerary is:
    day 1: Tokyo narita airport to hotel
    day 2 -4 in Tokyo
    day 5 Tokyo haneda airport to Osaka itami airport then on to Kyoto station
    day 5 to day 16 in Kyoto, plan to Kyoto as base daing day trips to Osaka, kobe , nara, Himeji and a couple of places within kansai area.
    we have bought 2 four days kansai passes, plan to use at the beginning and at the end of our stay in Kyoto.
    Please help. Ta.

  2. liang says:
    March 28, 2015 at 4:35 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    I would like to have some advice on which pass should i use for my trip
    Day 1: narita airport-tokyo
    Day 2: tokyo
    Day 3: tokyo
    Day 4: tokyo-kyoto
    Day 5: kyoto
    Day 6: kyoto-nara-kyoto
    Day 7: kyoto-osaka
    Day 8: osaka-kobe-osaka
    Day 9: osaka-kansai airport

    My plan for first 3day is tokyo keisei skyline plus 3day tokyo subway pass
    purato kodama from tokyo to kyoto
    Kyoto 2day pass
    And last 4days are kansai pass

    Thank you.

  3. Joanne says:
    March 27, 2015 at 8:22 am

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    I will be first time in Japan with my hubby from 14oct -22 oct and not sure which type of pass I should be getting with travel plan as follows:

    14/10 – Kansai airport – Osaka (stay in osaka)
    15/10 – Osaka – Nara
    16/10 – Kyoto (we will stay in Kyoto)
    17/10 – Kyoto -Himeji – Kobe
    18/10 – Kyoto
    19/10 – kyoto – tokyo (stay in tokyo)
    20/10 – Tokyo disney sea
    21/10 – Tokyo
    22/10 – Tokyo (Haneda airport)

    Should i buy JR pass? i’m kinda confused with the different passes…
    Greatly appreciate if you can advise the passes that would be best for me.

    Thanks in advance.

    Joanne

  4. Gracie says:
    March 20, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Hello Takeshi-san,

    My family will be traveling to Japan for a couple of days from March 29 to April 6. I would like to ask your advice on which passes to get. I will not be getting a JR 7-day pass because we will arrive in Tokyo and leave from Osaka. The following is our itinerary.

    3/29 – Arrival in Tokyo, Harajuku area
    3/30 – Tsukiji Market and Asakusa
    3/31 – Shinjuku and Shibuya
    4/1 – Central Tokyo and transfer via Shinkansen to Osaka
    4/2 – Osaka to Kyoto (East Kyoto and Fushimi Inari Shrine) to Osaka
    4/3 – Osaka to Kyoto (Kinkakuji and Arashiyama area) to Osaka
    4/4 – Osaka to Nara to Osaka (Osaka Castle)
    4/5 – Osaka to Himeji to Osaka (Dotonbori area)
    4/6 – Osaka to Kansai Airport

    In Tokyo, we will be based in Shibuya. In Osaka, we will be based in Namba area (between Namba Station and Shinsaibashi Station).

    The following are the cards/passes I figured we should use.
    3/29 to 4/1 – Suica Card
    4/2 to 4/4 – 3 day Kansai Thru Pass
    4/5 – 1 day JR West Pass
    4/6 – Purchase 1 way ticket to airport

    What do you think? Are the day passes for travel within Tokyo worth it? We might be using the subways and buses a lot during our stay as my grandma will be coming with us.

    Thank you!

    Regards,
    Gracie

  5. Lena says:
    March 8, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Hello Takeshi! I can’t believe how hard it is to figure out what passes to get that would be of most value for my trip in the Kansai area! I would love your help. Here is our itinerary.

    Day 1: Leave Tokyo (after 4 night stay). Arrive Osaka, self-tour for the afternoon.
    Day 2: Self-tour Osaka
    Day 3: Leave Osaka, arrive in Nara, self-tour.
    Day 4: Leave Nara, arrive in Koyasan, self-tour.
    Day 5. Leave Koysan, arrive Kyoto.
    Day 6. Self- tour Kyoto
    Day 7: Self – tour Kyoto
    Day 8: Self-tour Kyoto , leave Kyoto for Tokyo

    What we are thinking of doing is using PASSMO cards for most of the trip (I understand they are not just for the Toyko area anymore). We are considering getting Kansai thru passes to use on Days 3, 4, & 5 to get us between cities. Does this make sense? Should was get Kansai thru passes for any other period? Does a Kintetsu rail pass have any value for us? Should we get subway passes for our time in Kyoto or Osaka? Thank you!!!!

    • Takeshi / JPRail says:
      March 8, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Lena,

      Pasmo card is okay. But it gives you same value as cash. If you travel lots, try to avoid using Pasmo and use unlimited ride deal, such as subway pass, Kansai thru pass.

      By the way, how do you move from Tokyo to Osaka? Are you going to take Shinkansen? If so, your option is only single fare. If you complete Tokyo to Tokyo in 7 days, you can use JR pass. But 14 days pass is way more expensive than single fare. But round trip fare for Shinkansen and local deal are not bad combination. JR Pass does not cover Koyasan, subway and bus in Osaka and Kyoto

      Kansai thru pass is the best deal for day 3, 4 and 5. All trips are covered by this pass. On day 5, you still can use Kansai thru pass for taking subway and bus in Kyoto. But you may add subway or bus deal in Kyoto on day 6 to 8.
      http://www.insidekyoto.com/special-kyoto-bus-train-subway-passes

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  6. Valerie says:
    March 5, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Hello Takeshi

    Even with weeks of research, I still neednyour help with which pass or card to get for my trip.
    Please advise on the following itinerary.

    Day1. Kansai airport to Umeda station.
    Self tour around Osaka.even.good Dotonburi, Osaka cattlemen.
    Day 2. Osaka sightseeing continued then to Kyoto for accommodation. 3 nights
    Day 3. 2 days Self tour around Kyoto.
    Day 4. As above. http://WWW.insidekyoto.come/kyoto-itinaries
    Day 5. Train to Tokyo Shinjuku area. 3 nights.
    Day 8. Shinjuku to Lake Yamanaka.
    Day 9-10. Hakone Sightseeing.
    Day 11. Fly out from Narita airport.

    I thought to buy a Suicide card, West Kansai pass for 3 days & Hakone free pass for 3 days.

    Thank you. For your help. My husband &I are leaving for Japan in a week.

    Valerie.

  7. Lisa says:
    March 4, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    I will be travelling around Japan right before/during the golden week and have a few question about the JR west pass.

    So I will be flying from Narita to Kansai on April 27th, and will be visiting Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto over the duration of April 27-30. I will be flying out of Kansai on April 30th.

    I plan on getting the JR west Kansai 4 day pass (so it will cover the ride from/to airport as well as Osaka/kobe/kyoto). However because it’s golden week (starting April 29th), I am wondering if there will be any issue using the 4 day pass during april 27-30th?

    Also I will be spending most of the time in Kyoto, and JR west only covers the major stations. Are there any local trains/bus/transportation you would recommend in Kyoto?

    Thanks in advance!

    Lisa

  8. Danny Mataragnon says:
    March 3, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Dear Takeshi-san,

    I will be in Japan with my wife from 12-19 Mar and not sure which type of pass I shoukd be getting with travel plan as follows
    12 Osaka
    13 Arima – Kobe
    14 Kobe Mt Rokko
    15 Kobe – Osaka
    16 Osaka – Nara – Osaka
    17 Osaka – Kyoto
    18 Kyoto – Osaka
    19 Osaka – HKG

    Greatly appreciate if you can advise the passes that wohkd be beat f or me.

    Thanks so much in advance !

    Cheers,
    Danny Mataragnon

  9. Trang says:
    February 26, 2015 at 8:15 am

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    Appreciate your advice on which Pass I should buy for this trip. Below is my itinerary:

    9/4: Arrival at Narita – visit Tokyo
    10 – 11/4: Tokyo
    12/4: Yokohama
    13 – 15/4: Kyoto
    16/4: Kyoto – Nara
    17/4: Kyoto – Himeji – Kobe
    18/4: Kyoto – Osaka
    19/4: Kyoto – Tokyo – Departure from Narita

    I plan to buy the 7-day JR Pass and activate it on 13 Apr to make use of the round trip Tokyo-Kyoto and travel within Kansai area.
    Other than JR Pass, would you recommend me to buy Tokunai pass for Tokyo sightseeing (since I can’t use JR Pass in Tokyo) and Kansai Thru Pass? Would it be advisable to stay in Osaka from 17 Apr for easier travelling to Himeji & Kobe?

    Thanks a lot in advance.

    Trang

  10. Jaycie says:
    February 25, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    This is my first time visiting Japan and will be covering Kansai area.( For 9D9N).
    Appreciate your help on below issue:

    31Oct: Reached KIX at 9.20PM and travelling to Osaka
    1st Nov: Osaka
    2nd Nov : Osaka (USJ+Harry potter World)
    3rd Nov: Osaka
    4th Nov: Kyoto
    5th Nov : Kyoto
    6th Nov: Kyoto
    7th Nov: Nara + Kyoto
    8th Nov: Kyoto
    9th Nov: Back to KIX Airport

    My question:

    Is it advisable to buy one-way or round-trip ICOCA and Haruka ticket & Kansai Thru Pass

    Hope to hear from you soon!

    Thank you!

    Jaycie

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