How to choose the best train pass for sightseeing in Osaka

Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara
You can feel real tradition of Osaka in Shinsekai. ©Osaka Government Tourism Bureau/©JNTO
Osaka castle, icon of Osaka (C) Osaka Government Tourism Bureau / JNTO
Osaka castle, icon of Osaka (C) Osaka Government Tourism Bureau / JNTO

There are many deals for sightseeing in Osaka. I would like to show you the deals for the tourist who stays in Osaka and want to visit the places in Osaka.

By the way, if you intend to have a day trip to Osaka from other cities, such as day trip to Osaka from Kyoto, please see the link below:

One-day unlimited Pass, Enjoy Eco Card

Subway Midousuji line Namba station
Subway Midousuji line Namba station
  • Price (weekday) – Adult:800 yen / Child:300 yen
  • Price (weekend) – Adult:600 yen / Child:300 yen
  • Coverage – All Osaka Metro lines and Osaka city bus in allocated area
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight)

This is most common deal to cover Osaka. You can get unlimited ride of Osaka city subway and city bus. You can visit almost anywhere in city of Osaka.

Osaka subway map

If you use buy this pass on weekends or holidays, you can get this pass at lower price, only 600 yen. If you take subway train from Umeda (same place as JR Osaka) to Namba, the fare is 230 yen.

Roughly, if you make 4 trips by subway a day, it is paid off. It is not hard to use more than worth of 800 yen. You can purchase this pass at Osaka subway stations.

Osaka 1-day pass and 2-day pass

  • Price (1-day) – Adult:700 yen / Child: Not available
  • Price (2-day) – Adult:1,300 yen / Child: Not available
  • Coverage – All Osaka Metro lines and Osaka city bus in allocated area
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight)

This deal offers same coverage of Enjoy Eco Card. But this deal is cheaper than Enjoy Eco Card weekday rate. This deal is available for the foreign tourist who stays in Japan as the short term visitor.

This deal is sold in Kansai Tourist Information Center at Kansai International Airport only. You cannot purchase it at Osaka Metro station.

Osaka Amazing Pass

Umeda Sky Building is on the attraction list of Osaka Amazing Pass. (C) JNTO
Umeda Sky Building is on the attraction list of Osaka Amazing Pass. (C) JNTO
  • Price (one day) – Adult:2,700 yen / Child:Not available
  • Price (two days) – Adult:3,600 yen / Child:Not available
  • Coverage – All Osaka subway lines and Osaka city bus in allocated area
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight), two consecutive days

This deal is 28 attractions free entry adding on Enjoy Eco Card (subway day pass). Please find the link below to find which attraction is included.

Attraction list of Osaka Amazing Pass

If you visit three or more attractions on the list, this deals gives you a better deal than subway pass.

There are two kinds of Amazing Pass available, 1-day and 2-day. The difference is the coverage trains. 1-day pass has better coverage. It covers not only subway but also non JR lines in city of Osaka, such as Nankai railway, Hanshin Railway, Kintetsu Railway and Keihan Railway. Please see the links below to compare the coverage trains:

Osaka Amazing Pass 1-day coverage map
Osaka Amazing Pass 2-day coverage map

As long as you stay in downtown Osaka, subway is okay to visit all places. But if you stay outside downtown Osaka, 1-day pass coverage may help you to access downtown Osaka. Please check the location of your stay before choosing the deals.

Child rate is not available. You need to use Eco Card (one day subway pass) and pay admission separately. But some attractions offers discount rate for Eco Card user.

Osaka Kaiyu Ticket

Kaiyukan is one of the most popular venue in Osaka. It can be accessed by Osaka subway. (C) JNTO
Kaiyukan is one of the most popular venue in Osaka. It can be accessed by Osaka subway. (C) JNTO
  • Price (Basic Osaka city version) – Adult:2,600 yen / Child:Not 1,300 yen
  • Coverage – All Osaka subway lines and Osaka city bus in allocated area
  • Valid period – one day (midnight to midnight)

This is combo deal of Osaka subway unlimited ride pass and Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium admission. You can take Osaka subway train to get Osakako station which is the nearest station to Kaiyukan Aquarium. If you visit there from Namba or Umeda by this pass, it is paid off. If you take subway train after visiting Kaiyukan Aquarium, your saving is getting bigger and bigger. There are several versions of Osaka Kaiyu Ticket available. Some deals include other railway trains to get Osaka from other cities. Please see the detailed information in the link below:

Osaka Kaiyu Ticket basic information

I have used this ticket before and wrote about it in the link below. It may help you to plan for your visit Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium.

Trip to Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium by Osaka Kaiyu Ticket

If you use Osaka Amazing Pass, you can get a discount to enter this aquarium. Osaka Amazing Pass covers other attractions around Kaiyukan Aquarium, such as Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, Cruise Ship Santa Maria. If you have a plan to visit these places when you visit Kaiyukan Aquarium, Osaka Amazing Pass may be better than Osaka Kaiyu Ticket.

ICOCA, Kansai One Pass and other IC cards

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 Osaka. 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 travel.

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 both subway and JR trains.
  3. You cannot fix your plan and want to have some flexibility.

If you visit three places in subway coverage area, you may need to take subway 4 times. It costs around 800 yen that is equal to one day subway pass.

Please refer the post below to find the information about IC card in Japan:

Find your hotels in 500 cities throughout Japan!!!

Hotels in Namba
Hotels in Umeda (JR Osaka station)
Hotels in Tennoji
Hotels in Osaka
Hotels in Kansai International Airport

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 visit Osaka and other cities in same day

As I mentioned at the top of this article, there are some deals available, such as Kansai Thru Pass. But if you move other city after sightseeing in Osaka, Kansai Thru Pass and other deals may not be suitable.

e.g.
Sightseeing in Osaka, move to Kyoto and stay (no sightseeing in Kyoto)

In this case, the combination of one of the deals in Osaka and single fare between Osaka and Kyoto is usually cheaper than Kansai Thru Pass or other pass. But if you do sightseeing in two cities, Kansai Thru Pass is your choice.

e.g.
Sightseeing in Osaka, move to Kyoto and sightseeing in Kyoto

But sightseeing in two cities in one day is very tight and not very recommended.

For traveler who use national or regional pass

If you use JR pass (national pass) or other JR regional deals, such as Kansai Area Pass, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass, Takayama Hokuriku Area Pass, JR train network in Osaka is covered. You may visit many places by these passes. You may not have any other passes beside these deals. Please see the link below to find the coverage of these national and regional deals in Osaka.

I hope this post helps you to find the best deal in Osaka.

Comments

  1. Bernice Yap says:

    Hello, Im planning to visit Osaka & Kyoto on 9 Nov – 15 Nov 2019. We are a family of 4 and would like to ask which passes would be suitable for our itinerary as below?

    Day 1
    Transport: Taxi transfer?
    KIX – Hotel at Shinsaibashi

    Day 2
    Transport: Osaka Eco Card
    Exploring Osaka City
    Osaka castle, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Hozenji Yokocho

    Day 3
    Transport: ICOCA
    Universal Studios Japan

    Day 4
    Transport: Kansai Thru Pass
    Osaka – Kyoto
    Fushimi Inari Shrine, Gion, Higayashima

    Day 5
    Transport: Kansai Thru Pass
    Kyoto – Osaka
    Arashiyama Bamboo, Path of Philosophers, Nijo castle, Tenyruji temple

    Day 6
    Transport: Kansai Thru Pass
    Osaka – Nara

    Day 7
    Transport: ?
    Osaka – KIX
    Explore around Umeda

    Im not too sure about the rail passes and would like your recommendation on it.

    Thanks!

  2. Sharon says:

    Hi, I will be arriving at 9.35pm at KIX and was wondering whether if I should be getting ICOCA, Hankyu tourist pass, Osaka amazing pass, JR West Kansai Pass or Kansai Thru Pass. Please advise on the following brief itinerary, thanks!

    Day 1
    arrive at KIX 9.35pm and accomodations near OCAT (buying ticket at ticket machine for 10.25pm/10.55pm airport limousine bus)

    Day 2 – kuromon market, shinsaibashi, dotonbori → stay osaka
    Day 3 – day trip kobe, umeda sky tower (sunset, if not day 4) → stay osaka
    Day 4 – osaka castle, tenjinbashisuji, instant ramen museum → stay kyoto
    Day 5 – Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine, Yasui Kompira-Gu Shrine, Hanami-Koji Street, Kennin-Ji temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Central Kyoto → stay kyoto
    Day 6 – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-Ji Temple, Kichi-Kichi, Kinkaku-Ji Temple
    Day 7 – Day trip to Nara → stay kyoto
    Day 8 – Kyoto to Kansai Airport

  3. LIM says:

    Hi, my family & 1 will touch down at Kansai Airport at about 10 pm on 29.5.2019. We are staying at Ebisuhonmachi Naniwa-ku (Airbnb). Could you advise which line is convenient and economical and ticket station close at what time? thanks.

  4. Ani says:

    Hi,

    we are planning to trip to the Kansai area in April-May. Could you please advise which daily tickets could be the best choice for the following days?

    Day 1 [with Limousine Bus Transfer and 1 day Osaka Unlimited Travel Pass]
    from KIX to Osaka (accommodation is near to the Shin-Osaka Station)

    Day 2 – Osaka [with 2-day Osaka Wonder Loop, first day]
    day tour around Osaka: Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Shitennoji Temple, Dotonbori, (Shinsaibashi or Kuromon Market?)

    Day 3 – Osaka [with 2-day Osaka Wonder Loop, second day]
    Minoo Park, (Shinsaibashi, Kuromon Market?), Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

    Day 4 – Kyoto [with 2-day Kyoto-Osaka Sightseeing Pass, first day and Randen + Subway 1 Day Pass?]
    Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Kiyomizudera, Gion, Fushimi Inari

    (Day 5 – guided tour, including the transfer)

    Day 6 – Kyoto + Uji
    [with 2-day Kyoto-Osaka Sightseeing Pass, second day]

    (Day 7 – guided tour, including the transfer)

    Day 8 – Himeji, Kobe
    Himeji Castle, Koko-En Garden and Engyō-Ji Temple
    Kobe Maritime Museum

    Day 9 – Nara (+ Wakayama?)
    Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shinto and Botanical Garden, Nara Park, Yoshikien Garden
    Wakayama Castle

    Thank you very much in advance for your kind help!

    Cheers,
    Ani

  5. JP says:

    Hello!
    Could u advise me on what passes should i get for my trip? I am not sure how many days of JR should i get.

    Day 1 ( osaka monorail-> hanyku->osaka metro)
    – osaka airport 6pm
    – airbnb near daikokucho stn (3 Chome-2-26 Daikoku )

    Day 2
    – to osaka aquarium
    – 553-0007 MariCar
    – Dotonburi
    – Travel back to airbnb

    Day 3
    – Nunobiki falls
    – bamboo grove
    – fu fu no yu
    – airbnb

    Day 4
    – Nara park
    – Todaiji temple
    – airbnb 3-15-18, Kozu Chateau Sekimoto 506, Chuo-ku
    – Nishiki Market

    Day 5
    airbnb 3-15-18, Kozu Chateau Sekimoto 506, Chuo-ku
    hiking fushimi inari taisha
    street food kyoto den OTOT
    back to airbnb

    Day 6
    USJ

    Day 7
    airbnb to airport

  6. Keven Yue says:

    Hi Takeshi-san,
    I am planning a 10 day trip to Kansai area in March. Could you advice if the train pass combination and itinerary arrangement is the best ideal situation?
    Draft itinerary as below:
    Day 1 (ICOCA/Haruka with Round trip return on Day 10)
    • Arrive at Kansai International Airport – Terminal 1 @ 6pm
    • Depart airport for accommodation at Shin-osaka

    Day 2 (Amazing Osaka Pass)
    • Explore Osaka (Visit Shinsaibashisuji, Kuromon Ichiba Market, Denden Town, Namba Yasaka, River Cruise, Dotonbori, Umeda)

    Day 3 (Amazing Osaka Pass)
    • Explore Osaka (Visit Shinsaibashisuji, Kuromon Ichiba Market, Denden Town, Namba Yasaka, River Cruise, Dotonbori, Umeda)

    Day 4 (ICOCA)
    • USJ Full day

    Day 5 (JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass)
    • Kyoto (Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Kiyomizudera, Gion and Fushimi Inari)

    Day 6 (JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass)
    • Kyoto (Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Kiyomizudera, Gion and Fushimi Inari)

    Day 7 (JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass)
    • Nara (Nara Park)
    • Himeji (Castle)
    • Kobe (Nunobiki Falls, Kobe beef experience)

    Day 8 (JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass)
    • Tottori (Sand dunes)

    Day 9 (JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass)
    • Hiroshima (Miyajima)

    Day 10 (ICOCA/Haruka)
    • Depart to Kansai International Airport – Terminal 1 @ 10am

    Thank you very much in advance.
    Will be based in Osaka and doing daily trips out to the wider Kansai area.

    • Hi Keven san,

      You have picked up the correct deals for your trip. Please try to use ICOCA when you travel in Kyoto by city bus. ICOCA can be used for city bus in Kyoto too. Because only 220 yen for one way between Shin-Osaka and Universal city. You will have more than 1000 yen in ICOCA after trip to USJ.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  7. Misel says:

    HI! Takeshi-san,
    My family will travel to Osaka on May this year. We will be staying near Tsuruhashi station.
    We are planning for this itinerary:
    Day1; arrival kansai transfer to tsuruhashi
    Day2: Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, Kuromon market.
    Day3: Osaka Castle and Osaka Museum of History and Housing and Den den town
    Day4: Mitsui Outlet
    Day5: Kyoto ( Arashimaya Bamboo forest, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kiyomizudera, Gion and Fushimi Inari)
    Day 6: Nara (Nara Park< kokufuji Shrine)
    Day 7: universal Studio
    Day8: Tsuruhashi station to Kansai Airport.

    Which Pass is best for this itinerary?
    Jr West Pass or Kintetsu Rail Pass?
    Or Single journey ticket.

    Thank you very much.

  8. Aaron Wong says:

    Hi Takeshi

    Would love your recommendation on the rail and bus passes for the following itinerary. (please ignore my previous message)

    Day 1: Arrive in KIX, 8:45am
    Hotel: Sheraton Miyako Osaka (2 nights)
    – Osaka Castle
    – Kuromon Ichiba Market
    – Denden Town
    – Namba Yasaka
    – Dotonbori

    Day 2: Osaka
    Depart towards Kobe
    – Tetsujin 28 robot Wakamatsu Park
    – Akashi Kaikyo bridge
    – Nunobiki Falls
    – Ikuta Shrine

    Day 3: Kyoto (stay 3 nights)
    – Kinkakuji
    – Ryoanji
    – Kifune Shrine

    Day 4: Kyoto
    – Fushimi Inari
    – Kiyomizudera
    – Gion

    Day 5: Kyoto
    – Arashiyama
    – Tenryuji

    Day 6: Osaka (1 night)
    Depart towards Nara
    – Nakatanidou
    – Todaiji temple

    Day 7: Osaka
    – Free and easy
    – Depart to KIX airport 1pm

  9. Joyce tan says:

    I am arriving kansai airport on 7jan around 5.30pm with immediate connection to kyoto will be in Kyoto for the next 3day b4 going to Osaka. During the 3days will be visiting fushimi inari tausha kiyomixy dera temple hokanji temple ginkakuji/kinkakuji temple kibune temple then from kyoto to Osaka
    Will be staying near kyoto stn which pass would u recommend

  10. Mika says:

    Hi, I am having trouble deciding on whether to purchase the osaka amazing pass, icoca, kansai thru pass, jr kansai wide area pass or even combination of these.

    Please advise based on our itinerary:

    Day 1
    • Arrive at Kansai International Airport – Terminal 1
    • Depart airport via Kansai Airport Transportation Enterprise (KATE) Bus
    • Arrive in Universal City Walk Osaka
    • Check in Hotel Universal Port
    • Depart for Namba tour 4PM
    • Visit Shinsaibashisuji, Kuromon Ichiba Market, Denden Town, Namba Yasaka, River Cruise, Dotonbori

    Day 2
    • Visit Osaka Castle
    • Leave for Kobe, visit Tetsujin 28 robot in Wakamatsu Park
    • Lunch at Steakland Kobe
    • Return to Osaka, visit Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, Pokemon Center, Umeda Sky Building

    Day 3
    • Whole day at Universal Studios Japan (9:30AM – 8PM)
    • Dinner in Universal City Walk

    Day 4
    • Travel to Kyoto and visit Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Fushimi Inari Shrine
    • Return to Osaka for dinner and shopping

    Day 5
    • Travel to and visit Todaiji Temple and Nara Park
    • Return to Osaka
    • Depart to Kansai Airport via KATE

    • Hi Mika,

      You may use Kansai thru pass 3 days for visiting Kobe, Nara and Kyoto. And you can add Osaka amazing pass for day 2. However you have to visit Umeda Sky Building by 6:00 pm by Osaka amazing pass. It does not cover evening admission. If you want to visit there in the night, you have to pay admission.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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