How to build the itinerary and choose the deals for Osaka stay 5 to 7 days.

osaka castle4 to 6 days
Dotonbori is very popular place to eat and shop near Namba. ©Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau/©JNTO
Dotonbori is very popular place to eat and shop near Namba. ©Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau/©JNTO

I think many travellers prefer to stay in one place and visit surrounding areas as day trip. I have received many inquiries about Osaka stay and visit surrounding areas, like Kyoto, Kobe, Nara as day trip. I understand that it’s quite easy to stay in one place and enjoy the trip with luggage free.

But many of you struggle to plan and choose the deals. In this post, I show you 5 days Osaka stay sample itinerary. You will learn how to choose the deals for your trip. Of course you can extend to stay, like 6 days, 7 days, as many as you want.

Day 1 / KIX (Kansai airport) to Osaka

Kansai Airport Express Haruka
JR Limited Express Haruka is one of the popular way from KIX to get Osaka.

Before you choose the deals, you have to make sure these things:

  • Location to stay
  • Plan after arrival your accommodation

There are several deals available.

Let’s see which deal is the best by location.

Shin-Osaka

ICOCA and Haruka is most recommended. It includes one way or round trip between any JR stations in Osaka and Kansai airport by limited express Haruka non reserved seat, and 1500 yen e-money in ICOCA. This e-money can be used for any trains in Kansai area.

Limited Express Haruka is most comfortable way to get Shin-Osaka. But if you are very sensitive with the cost, Kanku Chikatoku Ticket is the best. It is sold at 1000 yen only. Even though you have to transfer at Namba from Nankai Railway to Osaka Subway Midousuji line, the cost is cheaper than Haruka Discount Ticket at 1,300 yen.

Kanku Chikatoku Ticket

If you arrive early and intend to visit somewhere in Osaka after arrival hotel, there are some options. If you choose ICOCA and Haruka, it gives you 1500 yen e-money to take any trains. Kanku Chikatoku Ticket gives you only airport access. But you can purchase Enjoy Eco Card (Osaka Subway and Bus unlimited travel pass) or Osaka Visitors Ticket. You know that subway fare for Shin-Osaka to Umeda is 240 yen and Shin-Osaka to Namba is 280 yen. Please see the link below to find more information about deals

And also Kansai Thru Pass is considerable too. This pass covers any “NON JR” trains. You can get almost anywhere in Kansai area. Especially if you intend to visit somewhere outside of Osaka after arrival, Kansai Thru Pass is a good choice. Be careful that Kansai Thru Pass does not cover Haruka by JR. This pass does not give you any direct access to Shin-Osaka. If you want to have comfortable way, ICOCA and Haruka is still the best choice.

At last, Yokoso Osaka Ticket gives you a great value. It includes Nankai railway’s limited express train “Rapi:t” from KIX to Namaba and unlimited ride of Osaka subway. This is one day subway pass portion of this deal can be used on next day.

Namba

Most affordable way is just taking Nankai Railway rapid train. You can take this train by base fare only which is 920 yen.

But Namba Access Rapi:t ticket is most recommended. But if you intend to drop by somewhere on the way back to the airport, such as Rinku town, Kanku Tokuwai Rapi:t Ticket is your choice. “Rapi:t” is Nankai Railway’s direct limited express train between KIX and Namba. It gives you most comfortable way to get Osaka beside JR’s limited express “Haruka”.

Namba Access Rapi:t Ticket
Kanku Webtoku Ticket

Namba Access Rapi:t Ticket is almost same price as Kanku Chikatoku Ticket. Even Kanku Webtoku Ticket is only 130 yen higher than Kanku Chikatoku Ticket. But Kanku Chikatoku Ticket does not include Rapi:t Express surcharge at 510 yen.

ICOCA and Haruka can be used for access to Namba. But you have to transfer at Tennoji from Haruka to local train to JR Namba. And JR Namba station is a bit away from the center of Namba area. If you want to have ICOCA, it’s not a bad choice. But please keep in in mind JR Namba station location and transfer at Tennoji.

Yokoso Osaka ticket and Kansai Thru Pass may be considerable too if you make some more trips after arrival in Namba. It is same reason as staying in Shin-Osaka. Please see the above.

JR Osaka / Umeda

There are several options to get Umeda/JR Osaka station area. JR Kansai Airport Rapid is only direct train service from KIX to Osaka. This is most recommended way.

Rapid train service to Kansai Airport and Wakayama from Osaka. Kansai Airport Rapid Service and Kishuji Rapid Service
This rapid train connects Kansai airport, Wakayama, Tennoji and Osaka. This is a sort of the commute train. You may find the information about this train in thi...

You can use a single fare if you use this train. However you can use ICOCA and Haruka for this train if you want to have ICOCA. Because single fare is 1190 yen for taking this rapid train. If you purchase ICOCA card only, it is sold at 2000 yen (1500 yen preload e-money and 500 yen deposit). So total cost is 3190 yen (1190 + 2000). But ICOCA and Haruka one way ticket to Tennoji is sold at 3,100 yen. This deal can take you to any JR stations in downtown Osaka. It means that this deal covers Haruka only to Tennoji. It does not mean you can get only Tennoji. So you can use Tennoji version of ICOCA and Haruka to get Osaka.

Remember that ICOCA can be used for any trains. It includes even non JR trains, like subway. And also you can pay by ICOCA to shop in the convenience store. ICOCA does not give you any discount. But it is very convenient and gives you ticket free trip. In case that you use ICOCA and Haruka, you can take Haruka to Shin-Osaka or Tennoji and transfer to local train to get Osaka if you like.

If you are very sensitive a cost, Kanku Chikatoku Ticket is your choice. It is sold at 1000 yen. You have to transfer the train at Namba from Nankai Railway to Subway Midousuji line. But it is 190 yen cheaper than JR single fare.

And Yokoso Osaka ticket and Kansai Thru Pass may be considerable too if you make some more trips after arrival in Osaka/Umeda. It is same reason as staying in Shin-Osaka. Please see the above.

Other places near subway stations

Your first choice is Kanku Chikatoku Ticket. If you intend to make some trips after arrival, Kansai Thru Pass may be your choice.

Yokoso Osaka ticket and Kansai Thru Pass may be considerable too if you make some more trips after arrival in Namba. It is same reason as staying in Shin-Osaka. Please see the above.

Other places near JR stations

As long as you stay on Osaka Kanjo line, such as Tennoji, Kyobashi, Nishikujo, single fare is the best option. It is same thing as staying in Osaka/Umeda area. And many places can be accessed by Osaka subway. Kanku Chikatoku Ticket is your choice if you are very sensitive with the cost. Please see the map in the link below to find more information about location in Osaka.

Day 2 / Day trip to Kyoto

Togetsukyo bridge in Arashiyama, Kyoto. ©Yasufumi Nishi/©JNTO
Togetsukyo bridge in Arashiyama, Kyoto. ©Yasufumi Nishi/©JNTO

I put Kyoto on day 2 in this sample itinerary. But you can switch any trips. You can stay in Osaka, visit Kobe, Nara or other spots. This is just sample.

The key is how many times you will take a train. So you have to find where you go in Kyoto before you pick up the pass. First of all, please see the following post:

Kyoto can be accessed by three railways, JR (Osaka – Shin-Osaka – Kyoto), Hankyu Railway (Umeda – Kawaramachi/Arashiyama), and Keihan Railway (Yodoyabashi – Kyobashi – Kiyomizu-Gojo – Shijo – Sanjo). So make sure where you will stay in Osaka and where you go in Kyoto.

In Kyoto, there are four different areas, West (Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji temple), Central (Nijo castle), East (Higashiyama, Kiyomizudera, Yasaka shrine, Ginkaku-ji) and South (Fushimi Inari, Uji). In my opinion, it is not impossible to visit all four places in one day, but not realistic. I recommend you to spend 2 days or at least 1.5 days. If you complete West, Central and East, you can combine South area with Nara. Because Fushimi and Uji are located between Nara and Kyoto.

If you do this above one full day Kyoto and Kyoto+Nara in one day, the best choice fis Kansai Thru Pass. Only this pass cover round trip to Kyoto by both Hankyu and Keihan, and subway, bus and railway other than JR in Kyoto. I explain this trip at the following link:

If you don’t want rush and have easy slow trip, single fare and/or Kyoto all day bus pass may be better. For example, if you want to visit just Arashiyama, one way fare to Arashiyama from Umeda by Hankyu Railway is 400 yen. If you stay in other than Umeda, you will take subway or JR train to get Umeda. You will spend approximately 500 to 600 yen for round trip to Umeda. But Kansai Thru Pass 2 days pass is sold at 4000 yen. So you have to make 2000 yen worth in one day. Trip to only Arashiyama is not enough to use Kansai Thru Pass.

If you visit one more place beside Arashiyama, how about it? In Kyoto, All day bus pass (Kyoto bus unlimited train) is sold at 500 yen. If you stay in Umeda, total cost is 1300 yen. It is way cheaper Kansai Thru Pass. But All day bus pass does not cover any train services in Kyoto. If you want to take subway in Kyoto, you have to purchase Kyoto city sightseeing card at 1200 yen. But total cost is 2000 yen. It is same cost as Kansai Thru Pass. In this case, Kansai Thru Pass is better.

Even you intend to visit only Arashiyama, you may take subway for evening in Osaka for eat or shop. Remember that one way subway fare for Umeda-Namba is 240 yen. You will spend about 500 yen for this trip.

If you are very sensitive about the cost, you have to calculate very exactly. But if you have Kansai Thru Pass, it is very flexible.

By the way, you can get Kyoto by JR train. Especially Special Rapid train is the fastest train to get Kyoto from Osaka.

Single fare
Shin-Osaka or Osaka – Kyoto 560 yen

When you use JR trains, the problem is that most of popular sites are not located around JR Kyoto station. You have to take subway or bus. JR has Kansai Area Pass at 2060 yen. But single fare is way cheaper than this deal. So if you have ICOCA and enough fund in ICOCA, you can use JR train to get Kyoto and purchase All day bus pass or Kyoto city sightseeing card.

If you do half Nara and half Kyoto in one day by JR trains, total cost (Osaka-Nara-Kyoto-Osaka) is more than 2000 yen. In this case, you can use Kansai Area Pass instead of Kansai Thru Pass.

Day 3 / Day trip to Nara

Todaiji is one of the popular spot in Nara. ©Nara Prefecture/©JNTO
Todaiji is one of the popular spot in Nara. ©Nara Prefecture/©JNTO

As I mentioned above, you can make half Nara and half Kyoto in one day. But some of you want to visit Nara only. Let’s see it.

Nara can be accessed by JR and Kintetsu Railway (Osaka-Namba – Kintetsu-Nara). The post below shows you about trip to Nara by JR pass basically. But you can get some information about access to Nara:

Most of popular spots in Nara are located within walking distance from Nara station. So you will get a chance to use the pass to take the train to Nara only. You may not have many chances to use the pass after arrival in Nara.

Single fare for Kintetsu Railway
Osaka-Namba – Kintetsu-Nara 560 yen.

If you stay in other than Namba, you will spend 500 to 600 yen for round trip to Namba by subway. The total cost is very close to the worth of Kansai thru Pass. So if you make some more trips by subway in Osaka or other trains before/after trip to Nara, Kansai Thru Pass can be the choice. Otherwise single fare is cheaper.

On the other hand, Nara can be accessed by JR train too. Especially if you stay in Osaka/Umeda, you can take Yamatoji Rapid train to get Nara directly.

Single fare
Osaka – Nara 800 yen
Shin-Osaka – Nara 920 yen

Kansai Thru Pass does not cover any JR trains. JR has Kansai Area Pass at 2060 yen. But if you have round trip to Nara from even Shin-Osaka, single fare is still cheaper. And also Kansai Area Pass covers only JR trains. In my opinion, it is not very useful for exploring in Osaka before/after trip to Nara. I believe that Kansai Thru Pass is more useful.

Day 4 / Day trip to Kobe or Kobe and Himeji

Kobe is closer than Kyoto and Nara from Osaka. Let’s see the single fare.

Single fare for Hankyu or Hanshin Railway
Umeda – Sannomiya 320 yen

You will have some chances to take a bus in Kobe. If you use Kansai Thru Pass, Kobe city bus and subway are covered. But single bus fare is 210 yen. If you take a subway, you can get most of places by base fare ticket at 210 yen. So actually it is quite hard to get the worth to use Kansai Thru Pass. If you use ICOCA and Haruka, it is a good idea to use ICOCA e-money for this trip.

But if you intend to make some more trips in Osaka before/after trip to Kobe, Kansai Thru Pass may work. It is same situation as trip to Nara. And also one of famous Onsen, Arima Onsen is closed to Kobe. If you want to have something different, try to visit Kobe and Arima in one day. Kansai Thru Pass does work for this trip.

If you visit both Himeji and Kobe in one day, it is different story. Please see the posts in the link below:

Kansai Thru Pass work for Kobe and Himeji trip. However JR’s Special Rapid train is way faster than Hanshin/Sanyo railways that are covered by Kansai Thru Pass. Please see the following post:

If you want to have quick access to Himeji by JR Special Rapid, use Kansai Area Pass at 2,060 yen for one day. It is cheaper than single fare.

Day 5 / Sightseeing in Osaka

When you stay in Osaka, don’t think about using Kansai Thru Pass and Kansai Area Pass. You can get most of places by Osaka subway. Please see the map in the link below:

As you see, only USJ cannot be accessed by subway. But if you will visit USJ, you will spend one whole day there. So single fare is fine.

There are many deals available in Osaka, such as subway pass, Amazing Pass, Osaka Kaiyu Ticket. Please see the link below to find the detailed information:

Day 6 / Trip to Mt. Koya

Mt. Koya (Koya san) is very popular for the tourists from overseas. You can use Kansai Thru Pass for this day trip.

Single fare for Nankai Railway
Namba – Gokurakubashi – Koyasan 1260 yen

As you see, if you have round trip to Mt. Koya from Namba, total cost is 2520 yen. Kansai Thru Pass is way cheaper.

But if you will stay overnight in Mt. Koya, Koyasan-World Heritage Ticket may be better choice.

Koyasan-World Heritage Ticket

It is valid for 2 days. If you purchase it for Namba – Mt. Koya ticket, the ticket is 3,710 yen. This includes round trip fare to Koyasan from Namba, Nankai Rinkan bus and discount for some attractions and souvenir shop.

You can use Kansai Thru Pass for overnight trip to Koyasan too. The coverage is not much differnet. But Kansai Thru Pass can be used for other destinations, such as Kobe, Kyoto and Nara. If you want to use Kansai Thru Pass 3 days for these destinations, and need another deals to get Koyasan, Koyasan-World Heritage Ticket is your choice.

Day 7 / Back to KIX

Please refer the above at “Day 1”. You can use same deal as arrival day.

Some of you are thinking about drop by Rinku Town on the way to KIX. If you get off at Rinku Town, you cannot use any deal. Single fare is your choice.

For the trip to outside of Kansai area

Kinosaki onsen, Kurashiki, Okayama and even Hiroshima can be accessed as day trip. I recommend you the following deals if you will visit outside of Kansai area.

For the trip to Kinosaki onsen, Kurashiki and Okayama, Kansai Wide Area Pass is recommended:

For the trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass is recommended:

Comments

  1. Ronnie Chan says:

    Hi Takeshi

    My first trip to Osaka and would like you to recommend which pass to purchase for y stay in Osaka – Kansai

    Be station a one place and will be visiting the following places:

    Day 1 – Arrive at Osaka-Kansai (night time) and train to Namba
    Day 2 – Day trip to Nara visiting Deer Park; Todai-ji Temple; Higashimuki Shopping Street and back to Namba
    Day 3 – Day trip to Kyoto visiting Kinkau-ji Temple; Kiyomizudera Temple; Fushimi Inari Taisha andGion District before back to namba
    Day 4 – Another day trip to Kyoto for Sagano Scenic Railway ride plus others (can recommend) and back to Namba
    Day 5 – Staying around Namba / Osaka visiting places like Osaka Castle; Expo 70 etc
    Day 6 – Staying around Namba visiting Dontonbori; Shinsaibashi etc
    Day 7 – Spare day
    Day 8 – Depart for Osaka-Kansai airport

    Any recommendation or advice is greatly appreciated. Recommendation to buy which train pass for my trip.

    Many thanks and Regards
    Ronnie Chan

  2. Belle says:

    Hi Takeshi,
    I would need your advice on the best pass to purchase if I need to travel from Kansai airport to tengachaya station. From there I would transfer to sakaisuji honmachi.
    Thank you

  3. Shay says:

    Hello sir, thank you for taking your time to share these useful information with us! I’ve looked through the available passes but I’m still a bit lost as to which passes to get when we are in Osaka (first week will be in Tokyo, second week Osaka). This is roughly our itinerary for the early September trip and our base will be in Osaka (airbnb is near Imamiya Station):

    Day 1: Arriving at Osaka from Tokyo by shinkansen—> Explore Osaka for the rest of the day

    Day 2: Kyoto day trip–> Arashiyama –> other places nearby if we are done early with Arashiyama –> back to Osaka

    Day 3: Kyoto day trip–> Yasaka Shrine, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion –> back to Osaka

    Day 4: Kyoto –> Fushimi Inari Taisha –> Nara –>back to Osaka

    Day 5: Osaka all day.

    Day 6: Last bit of shopping in Osaka then head to KIX (flight at 5pm).

    Base on the amount of traveling and destinations above, which pass(es) should we buy in order to make the most of it and which pass will cover our train to Kansai Airport? I’ve looked through some of the passes but still unsure. Should I get the ICOCA+ Haruka pass and the Kansai Thru Pass? How about the JR West Rail Pass or the Enjoy Eco Card? Please advise. Thank you so much in advance!

  4. Marty says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    I would like to know if this itinerary of mine is possible in 1 day:

    1. Departs at around 10:30 – 11am from Dobutsuen-mae subway station to Umeda, then take a train from JR Osaka to Kyoto.

    2. Take a bus to Kiyomizu-dera

    3. After visiting the shrine, take the Keihan line to Fushimi Inari shrine

    4. Take the JR Nara Line train to Nara station, visit Todaiji

    Thanks

    • Hi Marty,

      It’s feasible but it depends on how long you want to stay at each place. If you want to go up to the top of Fushimi shrine, you will spend a few hours there. If you want to see just Torii gates, it will take less than one hour.
      Everybody has different taste. It’s hard to say how long you will spend at each place.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  5. Florence says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    This is my first trip to Osaka and Kyoto and I’m really confused with the many different types of the train deals and the train system in Osaka and Kyoto. As I’m bringing a 5 month old baby and will be in Osaka and Kyoto for a week. Here’s my rough itinerary:

    Day 1:

    Arriving at KIX airport at around 21.30, taking the nankai rapid train to Tengachaya and switch osaka subway (sakaisuji line) to Nipponbashi. The airbnb that I will be staying is close by Nipponbashi. (5 min walk)

    Day 2:

    Shopping around Namba (Namba parks, Namba City, Namba Walk), Ebisubashisuji, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi

    Day 3:

    Go to osaka castle, followed by going to umeda area, tenmangu shrine, Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street, osaka museum of housing and living.

    Day 4:

    Go to universal city walk, osaka takoyaki museum, instant noodle ramen museum.

    Day 5:

    Revisit the places above (if we have not yet covered the places)

    Day 6:

    Checking out airbnb and taking the train to kyoto. We are staying at New Miyako Hotel ( which is close by Kyoto station). and after which, we will be heading t Kiyomizu shrine, fushimi inari and nishiki market.

    Day 7:

    planning to go to arashimaya bamboo forest and gion area.

    Above is my brief itinerary in Osaka and Kyoto.

    I’ve a few questions:

    1. Among all the deals (Kansai Thru Pass, ICOCA and Haruka, JR Pass, Kansai Area Pass, Kyoto sightseeing pass), which deal will u recommend to us?

    2. I’m a little confused on which train to take from Nipponbashi station to Kyoto station. As I’m bring a 5 month old baby, we would choose the fastest route so we wouldn’t be travelling long.

    Greatly appreciate if you could advice me on the above.

    Thank you in advance for all your help.

    Best regards,
    Florence

  6. Donald Kuok says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    We plan to arrive KIX and take train to Namba for 7 nights stay there. What would be the best itinerary to move around from Namba with the best train pass option? I heard a lot of ppl going to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe.
    This is my frist trip to Japan, pardon me if I sound like a noob.
    Thanks in advance

    • Hi Donald,

      Kyoto, Kobe and Nara are most common destinations from Osaka. So first of all, you have to decide where you go before choosing the deal. Please see Japan Guide to get more info about destinations.
      http://www.japan-guide.com/

      And then please read the post again to find the deal. I have written all info about ticket and deals there.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  7. Eve says:

    Dear Takeshi,

    It is indeed confusing to travel by train in Japan – my country has only one type of train! But by reading your website I got many more ideas for places to travel to. Much better than TripAdvisor!

    I am organising a trip for my parents as it is my mother’s 60th birthday next month (but I will not be going – only paying for all of it!) She will spend her birthday in Japan as she has always wanted to go again. My itinerary is planned as follows and would love for you to provide some suggestions and comments:

    Day 1: Arrive in Narita (NRT), TOKYO in late afternoon – stay in Tokyo for the night.

    Day 2: TOKYO – sightsee in Tokyo by themselves. They buy single tickets depending on where they would like to go. Stay in Tokyo for the night.

    Day 3: Bus tour to MT FUJI – transportation is already included in the tour price. It is a whole day tour. Finish around 8pm. Stay in Tokyo for the night.

    Day 4: TOKYO – sightsee in Tokyo by themselves. Maybe side trip to Yokohama or Hakone instead? Stay in Tokyo for the night.

    Day 5: TOKYO/NAGOYA – Start JR Rail 7 Day Pass. Take shinkansen to Nagoya in the late morning. Arrive in Nagoya 2-3hrs time. Sightsee in Nagoya by themselves. Buy single tickets to wherever they want or use the JR Rail Pass. Stay in Nagoya for the night.

    Day 6: NAGOYA – Sightsee Nagoya on the Me-guru bus. I do not think this is covered by the JR Rail Pass, so they will need to pay 500yen/person for the one-day pass. Stay in Nagoya for the night.

    Day 7: NAGOYA/KYOTO – Take shinkansen to Kyoto in the late morning/after lunch with JR Rail Pass. Arrive in Kyoto in about 30-60 mins. Sightsee in Kyoto by themselves. Buy single tickets to wherever they want or use the JR Rail Pass. Stay in Kyoto for the night.

    Day 8: KYOTO – I will organise for them to join Kyoto Full-Day Sightseeing Tour by bus. This will go to Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Golden Pavilion, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Heian Shrine, Sanju-Sangendo Hall, Kiyomizu Temple. I read your post and it seems to be too confusing by train (which company/platform/train lines) to visit all these places by themselves, so I rather pay for them to go on tour. Finish around 6:30pm. Stay in Kyoto for the night.

    Day 9: KYOTO/HIROSHIMA – Take shinkansen to Hiroshima in morning or afternoon with JR Rail Pass. This means they will need to interchange at Shin-Osaka or Shin-Kobe. Arrive in Hiroshima in about 2.5 hours. Stay in Hiroshima for the night.

    Day 10: HIROSHIMA – Sightsee Hiroshima on the Hiroshima meipurupu loop bus. This is covered by the JR Rail pass. No need for extra ticket. Stay in Hiroshima for the night.

    Day 11: HIROSHIMA/OSAKA – This is the LAST day of the JR Rail 7 Day Pass. Morning take local train to Miyajimaguchi and then take ferry to Miyajima by 11am to arrive for low tide. Lunch at Miyajima and then take ferry/train back to Hiroshima in afternoon. This should be all covered by the JR Rail Pass. Take shinkansen to Shin-Osaka. Arrive in about 90-100 minutes. Stay in Osaka for the night.

    Day 12: OSAKA – sightsee in Osaka by themselves or join a guided tour? Stay in Osaka for the night.

    Day 13: OSAKA – morning take train to Kobe (Hyogo). Arrive in about 30 mins. Sightsee in Kobe and then travel to Himeji by themselves. Return to Osaka after lunch. Take train to Nara. Arrive in about 90 mins. Sightsee in Nara by themselves. Return to Osaka after dinner. Arrive in about 50 mins. The alternative is for them to stay in Osaka in the morning and then I will organise an afternoon tour for them from Osaka to Nara, which would include round-trip transportation already and will visit Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Nara Park for about 11,000 yen. Stay in Osaka for the night.

    Day 14: Leave OSAKA (KIX) in the morning.

    Since I don’t have train ticket for my parents from Day 12 -14. I am really confused about Osaka to be honest. Should I buy them Osaka Amazing 2 Day Pass on Day 12 and 13 (3000 yen) + JR West 1 Day pass (2200 yen) to KIX from Kyoto or JR Kansai Area 3 Day Pass (5300 yen)? Or the ICOCA? Or should I just buy a 14 day JR Rail Pass (but some days (Day 3, 6, 8…) will be wasted)?

    Is this route achievable? Or too many cities visited? I have never been to Japan myself but I created this itinerary solely based on what I have read online.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Many thanks,
    Eve

    • Hi Eve,

      You have done a superb job! It’s very organized. I don’t see any issues on your plan. You totally understand the coverage of JR Pass.

      Regarding the pass for day 12 to 14, Osaka amazing pass or Eco card (subway pass) is very common deal. If they want to visit more than 3 attractions, amazing pass is better choice. Kanasai area pass 1 days for day 13 is the best choice. There are several deals available for Osaka to KIX. It depends on which place they stay in Osaka. Please see the link below:
      https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/airport-access/kansai-kix/how-to-choose-the-deals-for-access-tofrom-kansai-airport.html

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Eve says:

        Hi Takeshi,

        Thank you for all your help so far! It has made my planning in Japan so much easier 🙂 Much appreciated (even if my questions are a bit dumb most of the time!).

        I change my itinerary a bit since the post above to utilise the JR Rail Pass more (use from Day 5 – 11).

        Day 9: KYOTO/HIMEJI/HIROSHIMA – now includes a stop at Himeji using JR Rail Pass.

        Day 10: HIROSHIMA – same as before.

        Day 11: MIYAJIMA/HIROSHIMA/KOBE/OSAKA – Miyajima in the morning and then leave from Hiroshima to Shin-Kobe in late afternoon. Take subway to Sannomiya. Have dinner. Take Hanshin Railway train from Kobe-Sannomiya (Hanshin) to Osaka-Namba [not covered by JR Rail Pass but this is about 410 yen. In the other post, you let me know it is more convenient to take Hanshin Railway if my parents stay in Namba area].

        Day 12: OSAKA – they will join morning walking tour of Osaka. Finish around 1pm. Sightsee in Osaka in the afternoon by themselves. Stay in Osaka for the night.

        Day 13 – WAKAYAMA/OSAKA – they want to go around Wakayama city (Wakayama castle) for half day and then return to Osaka in late afternoon for more sightseeing. Stay in Osaka for the night.

        Day 14 – Leave Osaka (KIX) from Namba area in the morning. No time for sightseeing.

        I have some questions as the JR Rail Pass ends on Day 11.
        Takeshi san, do you have a travel pass to recommend to cover all of Day 12 -14, including going to KIX on last day? They will not go to USJ nor Kaiyu Kippu Aquarium.

        Or should I buy 1 Day Enjoy Eco (800 yen)/Osaka Amazing Pass (2300 yen) for Day 12. And then 1 Day JR Kansai Area Pass (2200 yen) for Day 13. Or 2 Day JR Kansai Area Pass (4300 yen)? And then Kanku Tokuwari Rapi:t Ticket (1130 yen) to get to KIX for Day 14 (this should be the best ticket from Namba area to KIX as I read from your website!)

        In Wakayama, does train arrive in Wakayama or Wakayamashi? It seems going to Wakayama from Namba area is not convenient as needs to start from Tennoji or Kyobashi? Is this correct?

        I hope this is my last planning for their trip!

        Many thanks,
        Eve

        • Hi Eve,

          For day 12
          Eco card is probably better choice. If you see more than three attractions, Amazing pass is better choice. But do they have enough time to see three? It may be very busy.

          For day 13
          Wakayama castle is closer to Wakayamashi station (1.5 km away from the station). Waakayama is JR station and Wakayamashi is Nankai railway station. Nankai railway connects Wakayamashi and Namba directly. So Nankai is the best way. There is no deals to cover just this day. Single fare is 920 yen.

          For day 14
          Kanku Tokuwai Rapi:t ticket is the best option.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

          • Evelyn says:

            Hi Takeshi,

            I have made some changes to the itinerary:

            Day 12: OSAKA – this is unchanged. Same as before. They will join morning walking tour of Osaka. Finish around 1pm. Sightsee in Osaka in the afternoon by themselves. Stay in Osaka Namba for the night.

            Day 13 – OSAKA – they will not go to Wakayama city (Wakayama castle) for half day. They will just stay in Osaka for whole day for more sightseeing by themselves. Stay in Osaka for the night.

            Day 14 – Leave Osaka (KIX) from Namba area in the morning. No time for sightseeing.

            In this case, which pass do you recommend for them on Days 12-14?

            I also have another question as my parents will start their journey in Tokyo, they will be buying SUICA or PASMO card. Can this card be used in other areas as well (eg. Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka)? Or they need to buy ICOCA card when around Kansai area? Do you have a suggestion too?

            Arigato Takeshi!

            Kind regards,
            Eve

  8. Manju says:

    I am travelling to Japan coming next week from 12-20
    I plan on staying 3 nights in Tokyo in shinjuku area. Do sightseeing visit hakone or do some day trip. Next go to Osaka by train I am there till 19th when I return to Narita by air to catch my flight next morning. Want to do local visits plus day trips to Kyoto Nara or any special suggestions
    Should I buy the JR 7day pass? And stArt it from day one from Narita airport or day two ? Local Osaka as you recommended may need to buy local day pass. Please guide thanks

  9. Chen says:

    Hello there! I’ve been reading your blog for a while and it has given me various of useful information and for that, I thank you!

    I’ve a question, I’ll be flying to KIX this July and will be staying nearby Domyoji station, Fujidera city of Osaka for 28 days (since I found a nice place with really affordable price there) and I’ve planned to go around the Kinki area especially Kobe, Nara, Osaka and Kyoto (all of them are day trips and I’ll return to Fujidera at night since I don’t feel like renting a place elsewhere). Which train pass do you think I should opt for? Or do you have any other suggestion to improve my plan?

    Thank you very much in advance!

  10. tina says:

    Hai, i’m planning to visit osaka and kyoto around this year.
    I’ve been to tokyo once, but still, osaka’s train system is pretty complicated for me

    I hope you can answer my questions.
    1. Can I use the 1,500 yen in ICOCA card or I have to recharge the balance before I can use the card.

    2. Can I take the konku tokuwari rapid ticket from KIX and then use ICOCA once i got off the tokuwari rapid train? Instead of using the combination of ICOCA and Haruka

    3. I’m planning to visit expocity. Is it covered by ICOCA or other pass?

    Thanks a lot 🙂

    • Hi Tina,

      1. Not required. When you purchase ICOCA, it’s sold at 2000 yen and it includes 500 yen deposit and 1500 yen e-money. So you can start using right away.

      2. Yes, you can.

      3. Yes, you can. ICOCA covers all railways in Osaka and Kyoto.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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