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.
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. Iris says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Kindly advise the below plan:-

    1. Tokyo (Narita Airport)
    2. Disneyland
    3. Mt Fuji
    4. Shin Osaka
    5. Kyoto
    6. Nara
    7. Osaka (Kansai Airport)

    Thank You
    Iris

    Thank You

  2. Joanne Tan says:

    Hi!!

    I wil be reaching KIX 8am on 2nd Oct and plan to go Kyoto(Gion) from KIX. Stay in Kyoto for 3 days and do a day trip to Nara. Day 4 wil travel to Osaka, Naniwa-ku stay 2 night in Osaka then leave to KIX. Can you advise me what is the ticket that I need to buy from KIX beside Haruka+Icoca Return Trip

  3. Heny says:

    Hi Takeshi!

    I find your article is very helpful. It makes me got some ideas. Anyway to confirm it, I need your advice ^^. We are going to arrive osaka on sep 2 at 11am and will stay at hotel near shinosaka for 3 nights. So our itinerary are:
    day 1 osaka castle and shopping around dotomburi shinsaibashi
    day 2 kyoto
    Day 3 universal studios
    day 4 catch our morning flight

    we are planning to use 3 days kansai thru pass for day 1, 2 and 4. On day 3 we plan just buy single ticket.

    Thank you for your advice in advance

    • Hi Heny,

      Your choice is a good. But I have another recommendation.

      Day 1 and 3 ICOCA and Haruka one way ticket 3030 yen
      Day 2 and 4 Kansai Thru Pass 2 days 4200 yen
      7230 yen

      Total amount will be higher than Kansai Thru Pass 3 days + single fare to USJ (5200 yen + 440 yen = 5640 yen)

      ICOCA covers all part of your trip in day 1 and 3.
      Total subway fares on day 1 760 yen (240 yen+240 yen+280 yen)
      Return trip to USJ 440 yen (220 yen X 2)
      1200 yen

      ICOCA has 1500 yen in the card. You will have another 300 yen in the card. You can purchase soft drinks or some foods at the convenience store in the station. If you make ICOCA empty, you can get 500 yen refund. That means total fare is 6730 yen (maybe 6430 yen).

      It’s still higher than 3 days Kansai Thru Pass. But you can get direct access to Shin-Osaka by very comfortable Haruka express from KIX. You may be able to save your time about 30 minutes.

      Anyway the choice is yours. This is one of the recommendation.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

  4. Nana says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Hi I will arrive at KIX airport at 15:00. I will stay at Kyoto on the first night. Here is my plan:

    Day 1: Kyoto
    Day 2: Kyoto+Osaka
    Day 3: Osaka+Nara or Kobe
    Day 4: Universal
    Day 5: Leaving Osaka at 20:00

    Can you please advise me for the right kind of train tickets or train passes that are most efficient and cheap to serve my purpose. Thanks.

  5. Wilson says:

    hi, I’d reach KIX airport at 8am, let me tell you my plan.
    1st day i will travel around osaka
    2nd day i will be going to Kyoto
    3rd day will be in Nara+osaka
    4th day will be in universal studio japan
    5th day leave osaka at 4pm.

    Kindly advice me the which kind of ticket should i purchase?
    What is the difference between JR rail pass and JR west pass?
    I’m thinking which one to choose, osaka amazing pass/jr pass/osaka yokoso ticket/kansai through pass.

    Please advice

  6. Gaik Po says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    I will arrive at Kansai Airport on 2100. We would like to proceed to Shin Osaka to stay overnight before taking the bullet train to Tokyo. Kindly advice on the schedule of the train from airport to Shin Osaka. And is there any bullet train station that is nearer to the Kansai Airport other than the one in Shin Osaka?

    Thanks!

  7. Kiti Likit-Anurucks says:

    Hi Mr. Takeshi / JP Rail,

    I’ll be visiting Kansai Area for about eight days in early July, staying in a hotel near Kyoto Station. I plan to do some sightseeing in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Kobe areas. I wish to have your suggestion on the right kind of train tickets or train passes that are most efficient and cheap to serve my purpose.

    Kiti
    Chiangmai, Thailand

  8. John says:

    Aloha,
    I hope you can help me with the following questions:
    1. I arrive at KIX at 1910 and would like to go to Nagoya. What is the easiest way to do this?
    2. Do you know the schedule for the high speed ferry to Kobe? How much does it cost?
    Thank you!
    John

  9. haan says:

    hi, I’d reach Osaka airport only at about 10:30pm, but my plan is to go directly to Kyoto. I guess 2 hours train can get me to Kyoto. What’s the best transport for this? I heard from friend that there is special train for tourists, where tourists have to show passport & air ticket. The discount is about 50%. Do you have info about this?

  10. Grace says:

    Hello there,

    Is it true that Suica card can be used for metro & JR line in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe?

    Cheers,
    Grace

    • JPRail says:

      Hi Grace,

      It’s true. You can use Suica, ICOCA and other major IC cards for many railway lines in many areas in Japan.
      But you cannot use it for two areas.

      ex)
      Enter at Tokyo station and exit at Kyoto station.
      This cannot be accepted.

      Each trip must be finished in same area.
      So if you take subway in just Tokyo area, or in just Osaka area, it is completely no problem.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JP Rail

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