Day Trips from Kyoto, Japan

Osaka

Osaka and Kyoto are the perfect counterparts for a trip to Kansai. While Kyoto represents the traditional and delicate, Osaka, less than an hour away by train, is modern, brash, and full of bright lights. Osaka doesn't have an ounce of pretension and is a great place to let off steam, either by cheering on the Hanshin Tigers at a baseball game, grabbing some tako yaki (fried octopus balls) on the street, or gawking and the bright display of giant neon crabs and enormous blowfish on the streets of the Dotonbori neighborhood.

Nara

If you can't get enough of the beautiful buildings in Kyoto, the ancient city of Nara is filled with even more shrines and temples to whet your imagination. Eight historical landmarks are UNESCO World Heritage-listed and include a variety of sacred Buddhist and Shinto sites, many of them surrounding Nara-Koen, the city's main park. The park has been home to Nara's famed deer for centuries, and today you're welcome to feed them. While Nara is brimming with history and culture, it's much smaller and more compact than Kyoto and the major sights can easily be seen within a single day.

Kobe

There's more to Kobe than just the beef. Kobe is one of Japan's larger cities but it still manages to feel like a small town, with quiet streets, charming neighborhoods, and calm breezes from the sea. To get the most out of your visit, take the ropeway cable car up to the top of Mount Rokko and stroll through Kitano, a neighborhood filled with European-style architecture. Though any beef within Kobe prefecture can be designated Kobe beef, the city of Kobe is where you'll find the greatest selection of restaurants specializing in the marbled, mouth-watering beef. Go for lunch rather than dinner and you'll enjoy an exceptional meal for a much lower price.

Kinosaki

When it comes to spa towns, nobody does them better than the Japanese. Thanks to a volcanic landscape, the Japanese archipelago is dotted with onsen, or hot springs open to the public. Kinosaki is a seaside town brimming with public onsen as well as resorts, and in this town it's perfectly acceptable to wander around outside in a yakuta (robe) as you meander from onsen to onsen. While Kinosaki can feasibly be done as a day trip from Kyoto, it's even better done as an overnight stay in an onsen ryokan, an inn with its own onsen.

With so much to do in the Kansai region, it's no surprise that many travelers choose to base themselves here for the entirety of their stay. Whether you choose to base yourself in Kyoto for the entire time or travel between each of these cities, there's no doubt that you'll have a memorable time in Japan.