[AMA] I just came back from Kansai area using the Kansai Thru Pass and Osaka Amazing Pass

hungryfriend

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I just landed back in SG today. AMA before my memories fades away. FYI, i based myself in Osaka for the entire trip, 6 nights in Umeda and 4 nights in Namba. I bought 2 days KTP, 3 days KTP and 2 days OAP

Here is my itinerary, will add in more details or photos if the need arises

Nov 7: Osaka (Walking around hotel area in Umeda)
Nov 8: Nara + Kyoto (2 days KTP)
Nov 9: Kyoto (2 days KTP)
Nov 10: Kyoto + Kobe (3 days KTP)
Nov 11: Himeji + Kobe-Mount Rokko (3 days KTP)
Nov 12: Mount Koyasan (3 days KTP)
Nov 13: Osaka-Mino Falls (Changed hotel to Namba)
Nov 14: Universal Studio Japan
Nov 15: Osaka (2 days OAP)
Nov 16: Osaka (2 days OAP)
Nov 17: Home

Feel free to AMA
 

Wryer

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Timely!

How did the day time weather feel like during the last couple of days? Saw that it's dipping to lower than 15degrees. Heading to Osaka next week with my 14 month old so am keeping a close eye on the weather.

How's the Autumn leaves looking in Osaka and Kyoto?
 

Spintronics

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Any recommendations whether to go Mt Rokko or Mt Maya? Does both stations have things to see/eat? Lazy to take bus to venture inside as we will be arriving around sunset so it would be too late to enjoy the attractions.
 

clementiboy

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wah, just in time for me.
is there a reason why you did not want to stay in kyoto?
where are the places you visited in/around kyoto?
i will be in kyoto for 5D/4N.
 

Gixxerfied

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wah, just in time for me.
is there a reason why you did not want to stay in kyoto?
where are the places you visited in/around kyoto?
i will be in kyoto for 5D/4N.

In general for me is Kyoto accommodation cost more and it's easier to find food in osaka..
 

clementiboy

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In general for me is Kyoto accommodation cost more and it's easier to find food in osaka..

oh i see.
never been to kyoto or osaka before so i had no idea.

anyway booked hotels liao cannot change.

please help me out with places to visit in and around kyoto area.
i got 3 full days and an afternoon.

going in 3 weeks time, dun even know where to go around kyoto yet :(
 

beng035

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oh i see.
never been to kyoto or osaka before so i had no idea.

anyway booked hotels liao cannot change.

please help me out with places to visit in and around kyoto area.
i got 3 full days and an afternoon.

going in 3 weeks time, dun even know where to go around kyoto yet :(

going around the same time as i am . departing 12 dec, arriving into kix on the 13 morning
 

addicted-addiction

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oh i see.
never been to kyoto or osaka before so i had no idea.

anyway booked hotels liao cannot change.

please help me out with places to visit in and around kyoto area.
i got 3 full days and an afternoon.

going in 3 weeks time, dun even know where to go around kyoto yet :(

I just came back from Kansai yesterday.

For Fushimi-Inari, go there very early if you wish to avoid the crowds. Like before 8am early. Even then, there will still be people but not crazy crowded like the late mornings.

Some temples/shrines have special night autumn light ups like Kiyomizu-dera and Toji Temple, so if you dont have time to see it in the day, you can also go at night.

Basically all attractions will be crowded, but those with no admission hours like fushimi, you can go abit earlier to avoid them.

One of my days went like this: Kiyomizu Dera, then walked to the Kyoto Starbucks, followed by Kodaiji. Then took a bus up to Ginkakuji (the silver one, not the gold). Had lunch at Fu-ka Ginkakuji, then strolled down the philosophers Path. There are a few temples along there that only opens for a short period of time during the year. Hence they are closed when I was there but should be opened when you are there.

Either way Most of Kyoto’s attractions are on the mountain side so be prepared to walk alot of hilly roads.
 

hungryfriend

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Timely!

How did the day time weather feel like during the last couple of days? Saw that it's dipping to lower than 15degrees. Heading to Osaka next week with my 14 month old so am keeping a close eye on the weather.

How's the Autumn leaves looking in Osaka and Kyoto?

in the first few days were rather "hot" in my opinion...ard 22 deg during daytime but it got more chilling as the days went by..ard 18 deg during daytime and with wind its really cold

i heard from news that the red leaves were "late" this year. its not full blown red but different trees at different stages. some already bald some are red some are yellow some are still green. but kyoto leaves are nicer.

Any recommendations whether to go Mt Rokko or Mt Maya? Does both stations have things to see/eat? Lazy to take bus to venture inside as we will be arriving around sunset so it would be too late to enjoy the attractions.

i didnt go to Mt Maya so i cant compare. But for me i feel mt rokko is nothing much unless you want to see a bird eyes view of kobe. in anw if u intend to go mount rokko, u can buy a tourist pass 1000yen (round trip). it covers a bus trip from train station to cable car station, cablecar up the mountain and unlimited bus ride at mt rokko and the same way goes when u want to leave the mountain. it also gives u discount to the various attractions at mt rokko

https://www.rokkosan.com/en/pass/


wah, just in time for me.
is there a reason why you did not want to stay in kyoto?
where are the places you visited in/around kyoto?
i will be in kyoto for 5D/4N.

i did not stay in kyoto was because im lazy to move my luggage ard and book multiple hotels. and since kyoto is just a 50mins train ride from osaka and im using the KTP, it make sense for me to base at osaka and do day trips. also osaka is in the middle of kansai so it gives me the flexibility to travel in any direction i want. for example on nov 10 after im done with kyoto, i decided to go all the way to kobe impromptu. i cant do that if im based in kyoto coz i will take more time to go back at night but in my case i just go back to osaka after kobe.

in kyoto i went to arashiyama bamboo grove,tenryuji temple,kinkakuji,kyoto imperial palace,nijo castle, kyoto tower,nishiki market,Higashihonganji temple,ginkakuji,honen-in temple,philosopher path,nanzenji temple,yasaka shrine, kiyomizudera,fushimi inari (all in abt 2 days time)
 

hungryfriend

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I just came back from Kansai yesterday.

For Fushimi-Inari, go there very early if you wish to avoid the crowds. Like before 8am early. Even then, there will still be people but not crazy crowded like the late mornings.

Some temples/shrines have special night autumn light ups like Kiyomizu-dera and Toji Temple, so if you dont have time to see it in the day, you can also go at night.

Basically all attractions will be crowded, but those with no admission hours like fushimi, you can go abit earlier to avoid them.

One of my days went like this: Kiyomizu Dera, then walked to the Kyoto Starbucks, followed by Kodaiji. Then took a bus up to Ginkakuji (the silver one, not the gold). Had lunch at Fu-ka Ginkakuji, then strolled down the philosophers Path. There are a few temples along there that only opens for a short period of time during the year. Hence they are closed when I was there but should be opened when you are there.

Either way Most of Kyoto’s attractions are on the mountain side so be prepared to walk alot of hilly roads.

haha for fushimi u can avoid the crowd by climbing higher up which i regretted doing coz there is nothing at the top haha

at night i went to yasaka shrine which is beautiful as they light up the lanterns

if anyone is rushing for time i suggest going to the gold temple and not the silver temple
 

Gixxerfied

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Fushimi Inari like Bamboo Grove is either early morning or late noon..Crowds will thin out by then.
 

Wryer

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in the first few days were rather "hot" in my opinion...ard 22 deg during daytime but it got more chilling as the days went by..ard 18 deg during daytime and with wind its really cold

i heard from news that the red leaves were "late" this year. its not full blown red but different trees at different stages. some already bald some are red some are yellow some are still green. but kyoto leaves are nicer

Thanks for the update :) sounds like I shouldn't over pack my winter wear. Am traveling with a little toddler so I'm just going to visit Arashiyama for a day trip. Hope to see beautiful Koyo!
 

hungryfriend

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Thanks for the update :) sounds like I shouldn't over pack my winter wear. Am traveling with a little toddler so I'm just going to visit Arashiyama for a day trip. Hope to see beautiful Koyo!

mindful that u are going in dec and it will be colder than in nov
check out japan meteorological website for more accurate weather forecast

https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html
 

BlurKillerEX

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Which attractions did you visit using the OAP? Which ones did you like most and do you think it's worth the price?
 

hungryfriend

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Which attractions did you visit using the OAP? Which ones did you like most and do you think it's worth the price?

Nov 15: Osaka (2 days OAP) - went to osaka castle (including the garden and illusion museum), took the osaka castle cruise and the aqualiner (all covered by OAP), went to ferris wheel (covered) and aquarium (discount 100yen),umeda sky building observatory (covered) and finally the tombori river cruise (covered)

Nov 16: Osaka (2 days OAP) - went to sumiyoshi taisha temple, shitennoji temple,isshinji temple (free entry), tsutenkaku (covered)

i like the ferris wheel most coz i really get to see a bird eye view of osaka and its a relaxing 15mins ride. i would say it is worth it if you go to multiple places using their subway and u took all the river cruises as the total adult price added up would be more than what u paid for the pass.
most importantly you get to skip some queues as there is no need to buy a ticket, just go to the entrance for them to scan your pass and u go in. (river cruises otherwise, u need to get a ticket for a timeslot. they will just scan ur pass and issue u a ticket)
 

BlurKillerEX

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Nov 15: Osaka (2 days OAP) - went to osaka castle (including the garden and illusion museum), took the osaka castle cruise and the aqualiner (all covered by OAP), went to ferris wheel (covered) and aquarium (discount 100yen),umeda sky building observatory (covered) and finally the tombori river cruise (covered)

Nov 16: Osaka (2 days OAP) - went to sumiyoshi taisha temple, shitennoji temple,isshinji temple (free entry), tsutenkaku (covered)

i like the ferris wheel most coz i really get to see a bird eye view of osaka and its a relaxing 15mins ride. i would say it is worth it if you go to multiple places using their subway and u took all the river cruises as the total adult price added up would be more than what u paid for the pass.
most importantly you get to skip some queues as there is no need to buy a ticket, just go to the entrance for them to scan your pass and u go in. (river cruises otherwise, u need to get a ticket for a timeslot. they will just scan ur pass and issue u a ticket)

Haha your day 1 itinerary sounds like what I plan for my 2 days itinerary. Did it feel very rushed?
 

hungryfriend

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wah u went so many places.

All I went in Osaka is namba, dotonbori and shinsaibashi.

haha those are just shopping places. good enough for u if u like to shop :D

Haha your day 1 itinerary sounds like what I plan for my 2 days itinerary. Did it feel very rushed?

not really. the aquarium, umeda sky and tombori river cruise closed late beyond 7 or 8pm. so you have the whole morning and maybe afternoon to just go for osaka castle. but of coz different ppl different style. if u are those kind of ppl where u go to a museum and read every posters and descriptions then yeah u will need more time haha for me i just walk ard agar agar read abit only
 

clementiboy

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hello TS, can you share your itinerary for the Kansai Through Pass?

i want to see how you fully utilise it and for me to determine if i should buy that.

not so sure cos i got 2 young kids and they may be tired from all the travelling.
 

hungryfriend

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hello TS, can you share your itinerary for the Kansai Through Pass?

i want to see how you fully utilise it and for me to determine if i should buy that.

not so sure cos i got 2 young kids and they may be tired from all the travelling.

hmmm coz i based in osaka and i do day trips everyday so it's worth it for me. since u have 2 young kids with u then i reckon that u cant do day trips every single day as it will be too tiring. so most likely u will need to base at osaka, kyoto, nara for example. but fret not even without the KTP, the cities itself have their own bus pass or subway pass which u can use for travelling within the city

TS is minoo park nice anot? Thinking of going tmr but cannot use my JR Kansai pass for the subway journey.

Wanted to use my pass to go kinosaki onsen / amanoshidate but realise it takes 3.5 hr one way to reach, a bit far for day trip...

minoo falls is okay u just need to keep walking up to the falls (abt 35-45 mins one way). a good place to spend half a day if u have no other plans
 
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