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. Linda says:
    September 8, 2019 at 6:06 am

    Hi Takeshi,
    I am planning to make a trip to arashiyama from kyoto station. Saw from one of your response above, i can take local train to Saga-Arashiyama at Kyoto station.
    Are you referring to JR sagano line?

    From arashiyama, I am planning to travel direct to osaka. I will be staying at shinsaibashi area. Should I be taking the JR sagano line back to kyoto station and change to the jr special rapid train to osaka? If yes, do I need to exit the gates at the train station to change lines?

    Are there alternatives? Thanks to advice.

  2. Vivian says:
    July 30, 2019 at 1:51 am

    hi there,

    We are arriving on 3 Aug at 9pm in Kix and our hotel is located at Tennoji area. Can you please advise what is the best card or ticket to use? I am thinking to take the haruka limited express train. However, I am worried that we won’t take the last trip ride. Until what time is the last trip for Haruka going to Tennoji?

    Hope to hear from you soon.

    Cheers,

  3. Zhen says:
    June 25, 2019 at 9:02 am

    Hi Takeshi san,

    I will be traveling in Sept for 8days landed at KIX. We will be staying 3 nights s at Kyoto and cover Nara, then move 2 nights to Takayama & Shirakawa-go and another 3 nights at Osaka before back from KIX.

    Can you advise which is best pass should I take? Takayama hokuriku pass and Kintetsu pass?

  4. Howard says:
    May 21, 2019 at 12:36 am

    Hi,

    We plan to travel to kyoto from KIX. We are a group of 4 adults and 2 kids (10 years old and 3 years old). For adult we are planning to get ICOCA+Haruka pass, what is the pass that we should get for the kids? And what is the price?

    Thanks.

  5. Adrian says:
    April 5, 2019 at 5:00 pm

    Hi, we are arriving Kansai Airport on 27 April early morning, which is the beginning of the golden week rush.

    We have 2 of us with 2 big luggages and 2 hand luggages. We are heading to Kyoto immediately from Kansai.

    May i ask your recommendation whats the best mode to Kyoto?

    Initially i thought Haruka is perfect but considering we have 2 big luggages and 2 hand luggages, will the train be able to accomodate us?

    Or should we just take the limousine bus (though the journey may be longer)?

    Thanks!

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      April 5, 2019 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Adrian,

      As you saw the post above, there are luggage area in the train. However the trail will be crowded and the space may be full and you may need to keep your luggage at your seat. Overhead luggage space is too small to accommodate a full size suitcase. I think limousine bus is better choice in this case.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Adrian says:
        April 5, 2019 at 5:28 pm

        Thank you for the quick reply!

        Just to add on, what if i book green seat in advance? I notice they have a website to book Green Seat/Reserved Seat in advance on Haruka.

        Do you think train is better or bus?

        Thanks a lot!

      • Adrian says:
        April 5, 2019 at 5:50 pm

        Hi Takeshi,

        I noticed we can book green car seat in advance. If we’re to book green car seats, do you still recommend bus or train?

        Thanks again!

  6. Lincoln Chong says:
    March 2, 2019 at 10:39 am

    We arrive Osaka Kansai at 5.30pm 23 Nov
    We will go directly to Tennoji 23 Nov
    24 Nov we go to Tanabe

    Please advise how we can buy online tickets

    or just buy tickets at airport when we arrive

  7. Rasyidi says:
    January 11, 2019 at 11:44 pm

    Hi,
    I am arriving from Kansai International Airport and would like to take Shinkasen train to Maibara. Is there any 3 days pass that i can buy online or at the airport. Thank you

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      January 12, 2019 at 10:16 am

      Hi Rasyidi,

      Unfortunately JR Pass covers only Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Maibara. But it’s too expensive for 3 days trip around there. Only regular ticket is the choice. Online ticket service, “Smart EX” may be available in your country. Otherwise you have to purchase a ticket after you arrive in Japan.
      https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.html

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  8. Ngoc Nguyen says:
    December 24, 2018 at 11:40 am

    Hello! We will be arriving to KIX I’m december 27th around 4:30 pm and will need to get to our hotel-the New Miyako Hotel I hear it’s close to the Kyoto Station. I am not used to taking the train at all living in California and find all the train information very overwhelming. Can you suggest the fastest and easiest way to get to Kyoto station without having to transfer? Much appreciated. Thank you!

  9. Jessica says:
    November 14, 2018 at 5:50 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    Haruka from KIX to Kyoto is to Kyoto Station or Saga-Arashiyama Station in Kyoto?

  10. Mac says:
    November 3, 2018 at 7:09 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    We will visit Japan in next 10 days. Our flight will touches down KIX around 5.40am. Will we be able to catch the first Haruka train to Kyoto at 0630? Fyi, we will exchange ICOCA + Haruka ticket at JR office first before depart to Kyoto. If not possible, then we’ll to wait until the next train around 0730am.
    Thanks.

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      November 3, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Hi Mac,

      I don’t think you can get 6:30 departure. I think you will spend 2 hours to complete the immigration, the custom, baggage pick up and exchanging the voucher.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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