Kansai · 7 days

Kansai, Japan

Itinerary · free to read, day by day

days
7
km
211
stops
21
travel / day
36m

A car-free Kansai rail journey through Osaka's castle, markets and neon nights, Nara's deer and giant Buddha, Kyoto's shrines, lanes and bamboo groves, finishing with Kobe's mountain onsen and glittering harbor.

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Curated by Lance · drove it, filmed it

updated Oct 2026

Highlights

one per day

The route

Tap a day or a town

You sleep in Osaka · Nara · Kyoto — start in Osaka, end in Kobe.

What the in-car version adds

  • Tap-to-navigate, every stop

    Opens Google Maps or Apple Maps, in order.

  • Works with no signal

    Download the PDF once: every day, stop and travel time.

  • Your own trip to change

    Shorten it, swap stops or ask AI to adjust it.

  • Cost estimate

    Fuel, rental car and stays for this route.

  • What to book, and when

    Tours, ferries and stays that sell out.

Day by day

all free to read
DAY01

Osaka → Dotonbori

4 km · 20m on the move · overnight in Osaka

  1. 1⭐ Osaka Castle
  2. 2Kuromon Ichiba Market
  3. 3Dotonbori
DAY02

Universal Studios Japan → Umeda Sky Building

23 km · 30m on the move · overnight in Osaka

  1. 1⭐ Universal Studios Japan
  2. 2Shinsekai
  3. 3Umeda Sky Building
DAY03

Nara → Todai-ji

42 km · 45m on the move · overnight in Nara

  1. 1Nara Park
  2. 2⭐ Todai-ji
  3. 3Naramachi
DAY04

Fushimi Inari Taisha → Pontocho

54 km · 45m on the move · overnight in Kyoto

  1. 1⭐ Fushimi Inari Taisha
  2. 2Fushimi Sake District
  3. 3Pontocho
DAY05

Kiyomizu-dera → Nishiki Market

5 km · 30m on the move · overnight in Kyoto

  1. 1⭐ Kiyomizu-dera
  2. 2Sannenzaka
  3. 3Nishiki Market
DAY06

Sagano Romantic Train → Togetsukyo Bridge

11 km · 30m on the move · overnight in Kyoto

  1. 1Sagano Romantic Train
  2. 2⭐ Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
  3. 3Togetsukyo Bridge
DAY07

Arima Onsen → Kobe

72 km · 55m on the move · end of trip

  1. 1⭐ Arima Onsen
  2. 2Nankinmachi
  3. 3Kobe Harborland

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Included

  • Tap-to-navigate for all 21 stops
  • Offline PDF for no-signal stretches
  • Unlimited AI edits for 30 days: days, stops, pace
  • Cost estimate: fuel, car and stays

Not included

  • Rental car
  • Accommodation
  • Fuel
  • Entry tickets and paid activities

Heads up

  • Reserve Sagano Romantic Train seats and Universal Studios Japan tickets in advance; both often sell out.
  • Day 7 starts with a long rail and bus transfer from Kyoto to Arima Onsen, so leave early and check bus or Kobe Electric Railway times.
  • An ICOCA IC card covers most trains and buses; consider a Kansai rail pass for the intercity days.
  • Visit Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Arashiyama early in the morning to avoid heavy crowds.

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