Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka route and timetable. Direct access to Shin Osaka, Tennoji and Kyoto from Kansai airport

Kansai (KIX)
Limited Express Haruka from KIX is covered by this pass.
2011.03.06
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka.
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka.

Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka may be your first train if you arrive in Kansai airport. It is operated between Kansai (Osaka) airport, Tennoji, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Kusatsu and Maibara. But please be careful that Haruka does not stop at Osaka station. It stop at Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. If you want to go to Osaka station, you have to transfer to the local train at Shin-Osaka. This express train has 30 round trips a day and are operated mostly every 30 minutes.

After you arrive Kansai airport, you can exchange your JR Pass and take this train to Osaka. JR Pass cover fully this train. Haruka takes you to Shin-Osaka station for about 1 hour. It is fast and convenient. But this train does not take you to Osaka station and does not drop you off at the door of Hotel either. We have an Airport limousine bus to many place in Greater Osaka and Hi-speed ferry service to Kobe. So if you go to Greater Osaka area, I recommend you to take other transportation.

And also if you stay several days in downtown Osaka, please think about saving your rail pass days. Please refer this tips.

Route and stations

Haruka runs between Kansai airport and Kyoto, Kusatsu, Maibara. But most of trips run between Kansai airport and Kyoto. Train to/from Kusatsu and Maibara run in early morning and late evening only as a commute express train.

Please see the operation route in the map below:

Limited Express Haruka operation map (Click to view large)

If you are looking for the timetable of Haruka, you can find it in my PDF timetable in the link below:

Due to COVID-19, it may be operated on a schedule different from the normal timetable. Check the train schedule on Hyperdia.
Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine

Special tickets and passes to cover Haruka

There are some deals available to cover this train.

JR West Kansai Area Pass

This pass is designed for unlimited JR train ride in Kansai area. But you can use one day pass to get on Haruka. This pass covers non reserved seat on Haruka. The online price of one day pass is 2,200 yen. You can purchase this online or Kansai airport station on the spot. The online price is slightly cheaper than a regular ticket (basic fare + non reserved seat fee = 2,330 yen) from Kansai airport to Shin-Osaka. If you go to Shin-Osaka or Kyoto and make some trips on JR lines, this pass gives you a great deal. Please see the link below to find the details:

how to use JR Kansai Area Pass. Compare this pass and regular fare

ICOCA and Haruka, Kansai One Pass and Haruka, Haruka discount ticket

If you take some local trains after arrival by Haruka, this special combination deal offers you a good deal and convenience. This is a discount price ticket to take non reserved seat on Haruka and IC card which covers most transportation. Please see the post below to find more information:

ICOCA and Haruka, Kansai One Pass and Haruka, aruka discount ticket. Very flexible and good deal for a tourist who stay in Kansai

Other rail passes to cover Haruka

The following deals cover this train, Haruka:

Accommodation

Find your hotels in 218 cities throughout Japan!!!

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

JR West 281 series and 271 series are used for Haruka. 281 series was introduced at the same time of Kansai airport opened in 1994. 271 series was introduced in July, 2019 because of increasing demand. But both series look almost same.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images of accommodations below.

Green seat

The seat configuration is 2+1. It is a big seat, but the headrest is quite small.

Ordinary seat

The seat configuration is 2+2. The table is so small and the size is not enough for eat and using a laptop.

Washroom and other facilities

Baggage storage area

This storage does not have any lock and security.

Haruka train formation

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Some trains are operated by 9 cars formation.

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*G=Green seat R=Reserved seat NR=Non reserved seat

Comments

  1. Pauline says:
    October 31, 2018 at 1:07 am

    Hi Takeshi san, I am sorry as I am still lost with the multiple options that are available for the mass transport.
    I append my travel itenary and appreciate yr advise for a best cost effective pass:

    Reach Kansai airport on Nov 23, will travel direct to Kyoto.
    Hotel : Stay Inn Kyoto Gojo
    Kyoto Nov 23 to Nov 26 , will leave Kyoto on Nov 27 to Osaka
    Places plan to visit in Kyoto :Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari-Taisha 伏見稲荷大社, Gion, Kiyomizudera Temple (Extra: Kinkakuji temple) , Nishiki Food Market , Ginkaku-ji Temple, Path of Philosophy,
    Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto Tower

    Nov 27 to Dec 2 ( Osaka), will leave on Dec 3 for airport
    Places plan to visit in Osaka: Osaka castle, Kema Sakuranomiya Park , Minoo Park, Hozenji Yokocho, Dotonbori > Nipponbashi > Namba,UMEDA, KUROMON-ICHIBA MARKET

    Miyajima Hiroshima – plan a day trip
    Nara/Kobe – a day trip if time permits

    As we are travelling with luggage, it might be difficult to travel from Kyoto to Miyajima and Hiroshima. We are open for ideas and suggestion which is the best way to travel to Miyajima .

    Appreciate yr help and advise

  2. Maria S Harris says:
    October 19, 2018 at 10:46 am

    My husband and I will visit Japan for the first time ever and I am very nervous, somehow, about it. I guess because we want to have a good trip without breaking our bank or choosing hotels in the wrong locations
    Anyway, we plan to spend 6 full days in Kyoto, Osaka (and Kobe, too, maybe?). In Osaka, mostly I wanna see Dotonburi, Osaka Castle, fish market (forgot the name) and one Temple (forgot the name, too ) with thousands of red gates. We will arrive at Kansai Int’l Airport from Hawaii. What’s the best train pass to buy to visit those 3 cities (Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe), Little Express Haruka? JR Rail Pass? Thanks for your suggestion

  3. Chevonne says:
    October 13, 2018 at 7:58 am

    Hi Takeshi

    I am travelling to Japan for 10 days. Below is my itinerary:

    2nd Dec – Reach Kansai Airport – Travel to Tennoji Station
    3rd Dec – In Osaka
    4th Dec – Day trip to Nara
    5th Dec – USJ
    6th Dec – Travel to Kyoto
    7th Dec – Depart from Kyoto to Tokyo (Asakusa)
    7th Dec to 11th Dec – Tokyo
    11th Dec – Depart to Narita Airport

    I have went to Tokyo previously and I have one Suica with me.

    I planning to get a one way Haruka ticket to travel from Kansai Airport to Tennoji. I will use the Suica card for the rest of the days in Osaka, Nara and Kyoto.

    From Kyoto to Tokyo, I will purchase Shinkansen ticket (Nozomi/ Hikari) and use Suica for the rest of the days in Tokyo.

    Could you advise if my planning is feasible? or it is more worthwhile for me to get a Kansai Thru Pass?

    Thank you.

    Regards
    Chevonne

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      October 13, 2018 at 3:52 pm

      Hi Chevonne,

      You can use Suica from Kansai airport to Tennoji. But you have to add limited express seat ticket for taking Haruka. Haruka discount ticket is sold at Kansai airport but it is available for ICOCA holders. ICOCA is same type of card as Suica but ICOCA is sold by JR West. Suica can be used in Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. You can add more fund into Suica at the vending machine in Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. But you cannot purchase Haruka discount ticket by Suica.

      I don’t think Kansai thru pass is required for your trip. You can use Suica to travel to Nara and from Osaka to Kyoto. In Osaka, there are lots of deals available.
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-residents/how-to-choose-the-best-train-pass-for-sightseeing-in-osaka.html

      In Kyoto, you can add one day bus pass at 600 yen. You can get the worth by only 3 rides of bus. When you need to take train or subway, you can use Suica.

      Your trip plan looks good. I don’t have any more thing for the rest of your trip.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  4. Nikki says:
    May 8, 2018 at 6:52 pm

    Hi Takeshi,
    Can you please advise the best train pass for us. I am travelling with my 12 year old daughter and this is our itinerary:
    Day 1: Arrive Kansai International airport, train to Kyoto
    Days 2-4: Sightseeing in Kyoto and Nara
    Day 5: Kyoto to Osaka, one night Osaka
    Day 6: Train Osaka to Hakone
    Day 7: Hakone to Tokyo
    Days 8-9: Sightsee in Tokyo
    Day 10: Sightsee in Tokyo and train to Narita airport

    Thank you so much!

  5. Stef says:
    April 7, 2018 at 1:17 am

    Hi Takeshi,
    If I buy ICOCA+Haruka card from KIX to Kyoto, can I stop at Shin-Osaka Station and board the train again later??

    Thank you

  6. Kate says:
    March 28, 2018 at 10:10 am

    Hi. We have already our Ordinary JR Pass voucher and we’ll be arriving at KIX this April. Our hotel is in Namba and I was thinking that we take the JR Kansai Airport rapid since we can’t use it in the Nankai Line. But I have read here that we can also use it in the KIX Ltd Express Haruka or the JR Ltd Express Haruka. Are there limitations if we use the Ordinary JR pass in the Haruka?
    What will be the better route from KIX to Namba thru Haruka? Is it the Tennoji Station or the Shin-Osaka Station?

  7. JS says:
    February 6, 2018 at 4:38 am

    Hi Takeshi San,

    I will arrive at KIX at 1530 and will be heading to Kyoto where we will be staying near Gojo station in Kyoto and Namba in Osaka.

    My itinerary is as follows:
    Day 1 (friday): KIX > Kyoto
    Day 2 (saturday): Explore Kyoto
    Day 3 (sunday): Kyoto > Uji > Nara > Kyoto
    Day 4 (monday): Kyoto > Osaka
    Day 5 (tuesday): explore Namba (i.e dotonbori, etc)
    Day 6 (wednesday): USJ
    Day 7 (thursday): USJ
    Day 8 (friday): Explore osaka (2 day osaka amazing pass)
    Day 9 (saturday): explore osaka
    Day 10 (sunday): 1300 flight home from KIX

    May I ask,
    1. Would you recommend us to buy the Kansai Thru pass for Days 1 to 4? Does the Kansai Thru pass allow us to travel from KIX to Kyoto?

    2. Which pass would you recommend us to take the train from Namba to KIX?

    3. Is buying Kansai thru pass for this trip more worth it than buying single passes using the ICOCA?

    Thank you Takeshi san!

  8. Sharin says:
    January 31, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    Hi Takeshi…
    Can i use haruka trains from kansai airport direct to Kyoto
    My pass is takayama Hokuriku tourist pass
    Thanks for the answer

  9. Daniel says:
    January 23, 2018 at 12:58 am

    Dear Takeshi-san,

    I am planning to visit Kyoto on 10 Feb 2018 with my flight arrived at KIX on 15:30 and I will be leaving on 14 Feb early morning with 9:50 flight. After one night stay in Kyoto, I will go to Nagoya on 11 Feb evening for Shirakawa-go tour and will back to Kyoto again on 13 Feb early morning. Is there any pass that I can use for my itinerary especially for traveling to Nagoya? Because all I can think of is only Keihan Kyoto-Osaka 2 days sight seeing pass. Please advise. Thanks.

    Regards,
    Daniel

  10. dennis says:
    July 27, 2017 at 6:41 am

    hi takeshi,

    right now I stayed at kusatsu, shiga-ken. can I buy haruka ticket to kansai airport at kusatsu station?

    thx

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