Kansai and Beyond: a 5 day itinerary

Leave Kyoto and Osaka behind and you'll find these awesome hidden gems

I love Kyoto and Osaka - I love them to bits. But after a couple of days of touring temples or urban adventuring, I always find myself longing for somewhere fresh and new. And let’s face it: everyone who’s been to Japan has already seen these cities. Don’t you want to see somewhere they haven’t?

Luckily, you don’t have to venture too far away from Kansai’s big cities to be wowed by some totally unique and seriously underrated spots. And it’s not as if these are difficult to get to. The Sanyo Shinkansen heading out into the west from Osaka brings many hidden gems into easy reach. And for the more remote destinations, you have plenty of limited express trains to get you there and back in comfort.

Although that might sound expensive, it doesn’t need to be. This itinerary is designed for travellers using JR’s Kansai Wide Area Pass. At 12,000 yen for 5 days of unlimited travel, it’s an absolute steal. You can easily make the pass pay off by only visiting a couple of the places I’ve included. At the end of this article there’s a breakdown of the individual trips to help you judge how much value you’re getting.

Of course, you don’t need to visit a new place every day. For several places, you may want to take an extra day to explore (especially Amanohashidate, as you will see later). It’s also possible to base yourself in Osaka or Kyoto and make day trips to these places. However, making return journeys in one day is quite time-consuming, so you may find it’s more efficient to stay in the places I recommend.

Day 1: Amanohashidate and Ine

Getting there

Since many travellers opt to use Kansai Airport when coming to the region, the itinerary begins in Osaka. From here, you need to take 2 trains to Amanohashidate, changing in Fukuchiyama.

However, if you can, stay in Kyoto the night before. There are 4 direct trains between Kyoto and Amanohashidate every day, taking about 2 hours. I recommend taking the direct Hashidate train because it’s less hassle than having to change trains mid-journey. The first train will get you there at 10:40 am. (If you want to get there earlier, you can, but you’ll need to change trains.)

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Pro-tip

If you’re staying in Kyoto, you should know that the Hashidate makes a stop at Nijo Station. This can be more convenient for boarding if you’re staying in the centre of the city, and there are plenty of accommodation options in that area.

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What to do

Upon arriving at Amanohashidate, you have couple of options for navigating the sandbar. Walking the 3km finger of land takes around 45 minutes to cross. You’ll want to take your time though, and explore the changing views through the pine trees and from the sands at the water’s edge.