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Itineraries · 4 days

Base in Osaka, See All of Kansai — 4 Days

One base, no luggage — Nara, Kobe and Wakayama as day trips.

10 sights5 food stops20 stops
Good for
FamiliesRepeat visitorsNo hotel changes
Where to stay

Stay in Tsutenkaku & Tengachaya or Namba: Kintetsu to Nara and Hanshin to Kobe leave from Osaka-Namba, and JR Tennoji for Wakayama is nearby.

Pick a home near the start →
Passes worth buying

Kansai Railway Pass
You cross cities every single day — this is the backbone.

Osaka Amazing Pass
For the last day in the city: 40+ spots free, including Osaka Castle.

Day 1

Nara — deer, the Great Buddha, old streets

Nara Park · Todai-ji · Naramachi
  1. Kintetsu Nara line Osaka-Namba → Kintetsu-Nara, about 40 min, then walk 5 min
  2. 1
    09:00景 Sight45 min

    Kofuku-ji & the Five-Storey Pagoda 興福寺・五重塔

    A temple complex at the edge of Nara Park with one of Japan's great pagodas.

    ★ The first deer usually greet you here, right by the station exit.
    ¥ Grounds free; National Treasure Museum ¥700 / Central Golden Hall ¥500 / Eastern Golden Hall ¥300Map ↗
  3. Walk 5 min
  4. 2
    09:45体 Do45 min

    Nara Park deer 奈良公園の鹿

    Hundreds of free-roaming deer; some bow for a deer cracker.

    ★ Buy crackers only from park stalls, never feed anything else — and the second you hold one up you will be surrounded.
    Map ↗
  5. Walk 15 min through the park
  6. 3
    10:30景 Sight1.5 h

    Todai-ji & the Great Buddha 東大寺・大仏殿

    Pass through the Nandaimon gate to the giant wooden hall housing the bronze Great Buddha.

    ★ Behind the Buddha a pillar has a hole the size of its nostril — squeezing through is said to bring good health, and kids love it.
    ¥ ¥800 adults / ¥400 elementaryMap ↗
  7. Walk 10 min uphill
  8. 4
    12:00景 Sight30 min

    Nigatsu-do Hall 二月堂

    A hillside hall with a wooden veranda looking out over Todai-ji's roof and the city.

    ★ Few tour groups climb up here — it is the quietest view in Nara.
    ¥ FreeMap ↗
  9. Walk 20 min back through the park
  10. 5
    13:00食 Eat1 h

    Higashimuki & Mochiidono shopping streets 東向商店街・もちいどのセンター街

    Covered shopping streets near the station with Nara's local foods.

    🍜 Eat Kakinoha-zushi ¥1,000–1,500 a box, fresh yomogi (mugwort) mochi ¥150–200, kuzu (arrowroot) sweets
    ★ Try kakinoha-zushi — mackerel or salmon sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, a Nara specialty.
    Map ↗
  11. Walk 10 min
  12. 6
    14:30景 Sight1.5 h

    Naramachi ならまち

    Old merchant lanes with lattice-front houses turned into cafes, craft shops and small museums.

    ★ Have time? On the way back, the JR Nara line stops at Uji for matcha.
    ¥ FreeMap ↗
Day 2

Kobe — sake, the foreign quarter, the harbour

Nada · Kitano · Motomachi · Harbour
  1. Hanshin line from Osaka-Namba, change at Amagasaki, to Sumiyoshi, about 45 min, walk 5 min
  2. 1
    10:00体 Do1 h

    Nada sake breweries (Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum) 灘五郷・白鶴酒造資料館

    Nada is Japan's largest sake-producing region; this old brewery building shows traditional tools and ends with a tasting.

    ★ Tasting means no driving — the breweries sit along the Hanshin line, so the train is the way.
    Map ↗
  3. Hanshin line Sumiyoshi → Kobe-Sannomiya, about 15 min
  4. 2
    12:00食 Eat1.5 h

    Kobe beef lunch in Sannomiya 三宮で神戸牛ランチ

    Kobe beef cooked on a teppan griddle in front of you — lunch sets cost far less than dinner.

    🍜 Eat Kobe beef teppanyaki lunch sets from roughly ¥6,000; dinner often double
    ★ Look for the official Kobe beef certificate or bronze statue sign in the shop.
    Map ↗
  5. Walk 15 min uphill
  6. 3
    14:00景 Sight1.5 h

    Kitano Ijinkan 北野異人館街

    A hillside of Meiji-era Western houses built by foreign merchants — steep, but worth it.

    ★ The Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata) is the one on every postcard.
    ¥ ¥500–700 per house; combo tickets availableMap ↗
  7. Walk 20 min downhill, or subway to Kyukyoryuchi-Daimarumae
  8. 4
    16:00食 Eat45 min

    Nankin-machi (Chinatown) 南京町

    Kobe's compact Chinatown, a street-food stroll of steamed buns and dumplings.

    🍜 Eat Pork buns (butaman) and dumplings a few hundred yen each, Peking duck wraps
    ★ The queue for pork buns at the old shops moves fast — join it.
    ¥ Free (food extra)Map ↗
  9. Walk 10 min
  10. 5
    17:00景 Sight1 h

    Meriken Park & the harbour メリケンパーク

    The waterfront park with the red Port Tower and the harbour lights coming on at dusk.

    ★ Want more height? The Mt Rokko cable car gives the whole harbour view — but needs half a day.
    ¥ FreeMap ↗
Day 3

Wakayama — Kumano Kodo and Nachi Falls

Nachi · Kumano
  1. 1
    07:00駅 MoveAbout 3.5–4 h

    Limited express Kuroshio to Kii-Katsuura 特急くろしお

    Southern Wakayama is far: the JR Kuroshio runs along the coast from Tennoji to Kii-Katsuura.

    ★ With kids? Get off at Shirahama instead for white sand, hot springs and pandas at Adventure World. Or let a tour do the driving.
    Map ↗
  2. Bus from Kii-Katsuura to Daimonzaka, about 20 min
  3. 2
    11:15景 Sight1 h

    Daimonzaka on the Kumano Kodo 熊野古道・大門坂

    A mossy stone stairway through giant cedar trees, part of the World Heritage pilgrimage route.

    ★ Wear real shoes and carry water in summer — the stone steps are slippery after rain.
    Map ↗
  4. Walk up the last steps, 5 min
  5. 3
    12:30景 Sight1 h

    Kumano Nachi Taisha & Seiganto-ji 熊野那智大社・青岸渡寺

    A grand shrine and temple side by side; the three-storey pagoda with the falls behind is the classic view.

    ★ Stand behind the vermilion pagoda to line it up with the waterfall.
    ¥ Free (treasure hall ¥300)Map ↗
  6. Walk 15 min downhill
  7. 4
    13:45景 Sight45 min

    Nachi Falls 那智の滝

    Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall at 133 m, worshipped as a god.

    ★ Pay for the prayer platform at the base to feel the spray.
    ¥ Free to view; ¥300 for the prayer platform at the baseMap ↗
  8. Bus to Kii-Katsuura station, about 25 min
  9. 5
    15:00食 Eat1 h

    Kii-Katsuura tuna 紀伊勝浦のまぐろ

    Katsuura is one of Japan's biggest fresh-tuna ports; eat near the harbour before the train back.

    🍜 Eat Fresh tuna rice bowls and sashimi sets roughly ¥1,500–3,000
    ★ Check train times back before you sit down — there are only a few limited expresses in the evening.
    Map ↗
Day 4

Osaka itself — castle, market, departure

Osaka Castle · Kuromon · Shinsaibashi
  1. From Namba: Sennichimae line + Tanimachi line to Tanimachi 4-chome, about 15 min, walk 20 min
  2. 1
    09:00景 Sight1.5 h

    Osaka Castle Keep 大阪城天守閣

    After three days away, give the last one to Osaka. The keep is free with the Amazing Pass.

    ★ The park is huge and the keep is just one corner — do not burn the whole afternoon there.
    ¥ ¥600 adults / free for junior-high age and underMap ↗
  3. Tanimachi line + Sennichimae line to Nippombashi, about 15 min, walk 3 min
  4. 2
    11:30食 Eat1 h

    Kuromon Market 黒門市場

    Seafood and wagyu grilled to order at the stalls of Osaka's kitchen.

    🍜 Eat Grilled scallops and sea urchin ¥1,000–2,500, wagyu skewers ¥1,000–3,000, tuna sashimi
    ★ Pick one stall with seating if you want to rest your legs.
    Map ↗
  5. Walk 15 min
  6. 3
    13:00買 Shop2 h

    Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street 心斎橋筋商店街

    Gifts along one covered street: drugstores, snacks and souvenirs.

    ★ Bring your passport for tax-free shopping over ¥5,000.
    ¥ FreeMap ↗
  7. Walk 10 min to Nankai Namba
  8. 4
    15:30駅 Move40 min

    Nankai rapi:t to Kansai Airport 南海ラピート

    Namba to Kansai Airport in about 38 minutes.

    ★ Ship the bags ahead if you are loaded down.
    Map ↗
Base in Osaka, See All of Kansai — 4 Days · Stays by Tabitime