An Awesome Kobe Day Trip Itinerary For You
You can easily visit Kobe on a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto – it’s around an hour from each. And it’s totally worth the journey. This Kobe day trip itinerary covers all the best things to do in the city.
The most famous thing in Kobe is of course, the beef. Don’t worry, I’ve got a great recommendation for your Kobe itinerary to try it in luxury, and a mid-priced version too. Unfortunately, if it’s ‘cheap’, it’s probably not Kobe. You need to look out for the gold plaque to make sure it’s the real thing.
It’s not just about the beef in Kobe though, there are plenty of fun things to do on your day trip to Kobe, so let’s take a look shall we?
Kobe day trip distances
Osaka to Kobe / Kyoto to Kobe / Tokyo to Kobe
Osaka to Kobe day trip / 31 minute drive / 55 minutes train (320Y)
Kyoto to Kobe day trip / 57-minute drive / 1 hour 4 mins train (420Y)
Tokyo to Kobe day trip / 6-hour drive / 8-hour train (6000Y)
Get the train and arrive into Sannomiya Station. From here you’ll arrive a few minutes’ walk from Nankinmachi Street, and right into the heart of the action.
Disclaimer –
I was in Kobe thanks to the tourism board. All thoughts and opinions my own, of course.
Best Kobe Day Trip Itinerary
If you only have a day in Kobe, here’s what you can fit in to make the most of your day out.
Morning in Kobe
The top sight to see in the centre of Kobe is the Ikutajinja Shrine. This is one of the oldest shrines in all of Japan and in the Chūō Ward of Kobe. It’s 18 centuries old.
It’s now surrounded by cafes and shops but has survived air raids over Kobe during World War and the damage caused by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Young couples hang out here, and the koi pond is worth a little looksee too.
This needs to be on any Kobe day trip itinerary.
This is a great area if you want to add some shopping time to your Kobe itinerary. Nearby Nankinmachi Street is filled with vibrant sights including restaurants and shops. It’s better described as Chinatown. Unfortunately I didn’t get to go, as we were in the midst of the Corona virus during Chinese New Year. But, it’ll be fine by the time you go (hopefully).
If you want swanky shops, then visit the Yokohama Motomachi Street. Here you’ll find high end fashion shops, coffee shops and beauticians too.
Right, enough shopping. Time to check out a museum – the Takenaka Carpenter Tools Museum in fact. One of the most popular museums in all of Japan.
Honestly, I can see why. I didn’t know joints and wood were so interesting.
We were taken through the process of how they built the Kofukuji Temple in Nara, and how they built joint on joint rather than using any nails, bolts or screws. The workmanship in the joints is incredible to see.
They actually had a cheeky little showcase of German joints vs Japanese at the end, and I’m sure you can guess which were the slickest.
The museum is interactive, you can play with the joints, learn to make your own in the workshop, and go in the exhibits too. Anyone with an eye for design, and an interest in architecture will enjoy an hour or two in here. I did!
Lunch in Kobe
If you’ve started your day in Kobe right, you’re probably hungry by now. Don’t ignore the street sellers when it comes to food in Kobe, they’ll keep you going.
I saw some delicious looking caramel filled breads, but didn’t have the cash to indulge.
That’s another point actually, make sure sure to have some change in your pockets as once you’re away from the big chain shops they’ll most likely want to see the money, rather than the card.
My recommendation for lunch on your day in Kobe is the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens. You’ll need to head over to the Shin-Kobe Station, Kobe’s shinkansen station, and get the gondola up on the ropeway.
These gondolas were designed in Austria, and give a great view of Kobe Port, and the sights below.
Keep a look out for the Nunobiki Waterfall, you can see it from the gondola. If you have time it’s only a 15-minute hike up from Shin-Kobe Station. And if you want to hike further you can take the path all the way round and up to the herb garden.
Obviously I went back and got the gondola though.
We only had time for this little look at the falls, which, as you can see, didn’t have much water in January.
Up at the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens you can enjoy a tasty, healthy meal at The Herb Garden Restaurant. You can choose one main, a drink and an all you can eat buffet for a great price. There was tuna carpaccio on the all you can eat buffet, so I went a bit mad to be honest.
YUM.
The food was great and I loved having such a great view from the window too.
Normally people would walk back down the path of the herb garden and meander through the displays. A) We didn’t have time. B) It was winter so there weren’t many flowers about.