Originally opened on September 4, 1994, Kansai International Airport is Japan's first off-shore airport, built on an artificial island 5km off Senshu in Osaka Bay.

In Japanese, it is commonly called by its nickname "Kankuu" (short for "Kansai Kuukou," Kansai Airport in Japanese), or by its Airport Code KIX.

This airport is one gateway to Kansai, along with Osaka International Airport and Kobe Airport. It is also currently ranked the second-largest international hub airport in Japan after Narita International Airport, considering the number of flights. In 2023, around 19 million visitors used Kansai Airport to travel to Japan.

Kansai International Airport is serviced by the JR and Nankai Railway Lines, and directly connects to the expressway for ease of travel by taxi or rent-a-car. There is also a Limousine Bus service that you can use at major stations throughout Kansai.

Additionally, a large-scale renovation is underway until autumn 2026. The 'New Domestic Flight Area' of Terminal 1 opened in October 2022, and the 'International Departure Area' was renovated in December 2023.

To get from Kansai Airport to the Kyoto City Area, we recommend a train that is punctual and reasonable in travel time. Both JR and Nankai Electric Railway have Rapid, Express, and Limited Express services. Consider transfers, ride time, and fares for your destination when selecting an option.

JR Line
・Around 4-6 departures per hour between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. To ride the "Haruka Limited Express," both a regular ticket and a limited express ticket are required.

Nankai Line
・Around 5-6 departures per hour between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
・Ride all Regular, Express and Limited Express Rapi:t trains bound for Nankai-Namba (Rapi:t requires a reserved-seating ticket, passenger ticket, and a reserved-seating express ticket to ride).
(*Discount sets available for passengers using Limited Express Rapi:t and transferring to a different line; varies by destination.)

Now we will cover how to get to Kansai-Airport Station from the arrival gate.

Begin at the 1st-floor arrivals area of Terminal 1. Take the escalator or elevator to the 2nd floor, and head to the exit. Across the connecting passage, you will see Kansai-Airport Station.

This is Kansai-Airport Station, where you can catch the JR line and Nankai Electric Railway. It is attached to the connecting passages of Terminal 1 on the second floor.

This is Kansai-Airport Station. The ticket offices for JR and Nankai Electric Railway look similar, so be careful not to mistake the two.

The JR office has an all-blue sign, and the Nankai Electric Railway is orange and blue. Rapid and express tickets can be purchased from both railway companies respectively.

The automatic ticket vending machines for both the JR and Nankai Electric Railway can also support four languages: English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Just toggle the language-switching screen.

If you need a Limited Express Ticket or a Reserved Seat Ticket (separate fare from your regular ticket), it is recommended that you purchase each at the ticket information counter.

English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese-speaking staff are available at the JR ticket office.

At the Nankai Electric Railway ticket information center, a portable interpreter is installed for customer use.

The JR and Nankai Lines ticket gates are right next to each other, so be careful not to get them mixed up when boarding.

From Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station
・JR Kansai Rapid Service
Time Required: Approx. 70 minutes to Osaka Station; then approx. 30 minutes via JR Kyoto Line Rapid (Passenger Ticket: 1,910 yen; covered under the Japan Rail Pass)
・JR Limited Express Haruka
Time Required: Approx. 75 minutes (Passenger Ticket: 1,910 yen + Unreserved Seating Limited Express Ticket: 1,200 yen or Reserved Seat Limited Express Ticket: 1,730 yen (regular season)/1,530 yen (off-season)

From Kansai Airport to Kyoto via Namba
・Nankai Express
Time Required to Namba: Approx. 46 minutes (Passenger Ticket: 970 yen)
・Limited Express Rapi:t
Time Required to Namba: Rapi:t α approx. 35 minutes/Rapi:t β approx. 40 minutes (Passenger Ticket: 970 yen + Reserved Seating Express Ticket: 520 yen)

From Namba to Kyoto, ride to Osaka Metro Yodoyabashi Station (190 yen, approx. 6 minutes), then Keihan Gion-Shijo Station (430 yen, approx. 50 minutes).
Alternatively, ride to Osaka Metro Umeda Station (250 yen, approx. 9 minutes), then Hankyu Kyoto Kawaramachi Station (410 yen, approx. 45 minutes).

Getting through the airport and traveling to your destination with large suitcases can be challenging. For those times, let the staff take your luggage with and travel more easily via limousine bus. There are many bus departures from Kansai International Airport to major stations.

Remember, travel time will vary depending on road conditions, such as traffic, so this option is recommended only if you're not in too much of a rush.

We will now explain how to get from the Arrival Gate to the Bus Stop.

If arriving at Terminal 1, use the first-floor exit towards the front of the same floor. If arriving at Terminal 2, go through the front exit and use the pedestrian crossing to the other side. There you will find the bus stop.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket vending machines located right near the bus stop. Ticket vending machines are available in Japanese and English.

There is also a Limousine Bus ticket counter on the same floor as Arrivals, so you can buy your tickets right there once you have decided to use the bus. There are always Japanese and English-speaking staff available at the ticket counter.

Limousine Bus from Kansai Airport
・Depart from Kansai Airport (Terminal 1, Platform 8) to Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit.
・35 departures between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. daily.
・3 departures per hour between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
・Time Required: Approx. 90 minutes (From Terminal 2, Platform 2: approx. 105 minutes)
・Fare: Adults 2,800 yen, Children 1,400 yen

If time and money are of no issue, and you just want to get to Osaka via the easiest route possible, then using a taxi is recommended.

Airport taxis offer a flat fare to each destination. While this method is rather costly compared to other modes of transportation, because prices are per vehicle, you can split the cost between multiple passengers. The route to the taxi stand is as follows.

To get to the taxi stand, exit Arrival Gate from the Terminal 1 entrance, and cross the Limousine Bus Lane. There you will see the taxi lanes, with stands numbered from 1-7.

Nos. 1 and 7 are for passengers with reservations. All other numbers can be used without a reservation. Choose the appropriate taxi depending on your destination, the number of people, and the amount of luggage. The fare may be higher, but if you ride in groups of 3 or 4 people, you can split the fare.

Airport Taxi to Kyoto Station (*Separate fee for Express and for Pick-ups):
・Regular Car (Capacity: 4): 25,300 yen
・Minivan (Capacity: 6): 26,300 yen
・Alphard (Capacity: 6)/BMW (Capacity: 4): 27,300 yen
・Jumbo (Capacity: 9): 35,500 yen

To travel around the large Kansai Area with more freedom, it is recommended to use a rental car. The route to the rental car reception area is as follows.

Rental car shops are located on the first floor of the Aeroplaza, a complex connected to the Terminal 1 Building and Kansai-Airport Station via connecting passage.

The reception counter is a 3-minute walk from the passage on the second floor of the Terminal 1 Building. From Terminal 2 Building, it takes about 7 minutes via a free shuttle bus.

This is recommended for those traveling with small children or the elderly, or for those who prefer a more leisurely sightseeing trip.

From Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station Area, it takes around 1 1/2 hours.

Now that you know how to travel from Kansai Airport to Kyoto, it's time to focus on sightseeing! Here are some recommended spots to see.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is one of Kyoto's classic attractions. The Main Hall, Stage, and Niomon Gate are all must-see national treasures. Kiyomizu-dera is also home to the Jishu-Jinja Shrine, which is said to bring marriage and good luck. There are many sweets and souvenir shops, folk crafts, and more along Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, the cobblestone paths leading to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This is perfect spot to enjoy a stroll and see the buildings which remain as old townhouses. You can get to Kiyomizu-dera by riding the JR Limited Express Haruka Line and transferring to the Kyoto City Bus.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (1,910 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 75 min.) to Kyoto Station
・Walk about 5 min. to Kyoto Ekimae Kyoto Municipal Bus Stop (Stop D2 for Bus No. 206) (230 yen, approx. 16 min.).
・Get off at Kiyomizu and walk about 12 min. to Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Togetsu-kyo Bridge was built as a worship route to Horinji Temple during the Heian period. The surrounding area is full of attractions, including Tenryu-ji Temple, with its beautiful gardens and famous Unryu-zu Cloud Dragon painting, bamboo groves that stretch over 400 meters, and Nonomiya Shrine, which appears in the Tale of Genji. You can get to Arashiyama via the JR Limited Express Haruka Line and the JR Sagano Line.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (1,910 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 75 min.) to Kyoto Station
・Ride JR Sagano Line Kameoka (approx. 17 min., 240 yen) to Saga-Arashiyama Station
・Walk about 13 min. to Arashiyama-Togetsukyo.

Kifune, said to be the back streets of Kyoto, is home to Kifune Shrine, a famous shrine where people come to pray for marriage. It is a beautiful shrine lined with red lanterns along the pathways.

Dining ryokan also line the Kibune River on breezy riverside patios, where you can enjoy a delicious meal over the clear, flowing waters from May to September. Kurama-dera Temple, another famous attraction, is also nearby.

Kifune is a bit out of the way from Kyoto City. To visit this shrine, you must employ several transportation methods, including JR Limited Express Haruka, Kyoto Municipal Subway, Kyoto Bus, and the Eizan Electric Railway.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (1,910 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 75 min.) to Kyoto Municipal Subway, Kyoto Station
・Board Karasuma Line bound for Kokusai Kaikan (290 yen, approx. 20 min.) to Kokusai-Kaikan Station
・Walk about 6 min. to Kokusai-Kaikan Station Bus Stop; ride Kyoto Bus 40 for 2 stops, or Kyoto Bus 52 for 3 stops (230 yen, approx. 3 min. for both) to Ichijoyama
・Walk about 6 min. to Eizan Electric Railway Kino Station
・Board Kurama Line bound for Kurama (350 yen, approx. 13 min.) to Kifuneguchi Station
・Walk about 3 min. to Kifuneguchi Station Bus Stop
・Take Kyoto Bus 33 (200 yen, approx. 4 min.) to Kifune
・Walk about 6 min. to Kifune Shrine

Byodo-in Phoenix Hall, a national treasure, is a magnificent temple built during the Heian Dynasty. It is also featured on the design of the 10-yen coin. There is a golden phoenix on the roof, and even the building resembles a bird, wings spread, hence its name, Phoenix Hall.

Uji is also a major tea production area; there are many shops where you can enjoy authentic matcha sweets. Get to Uji using the JR Line.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (2,200 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 75 min.) to Kyoto Station
・Board JR Nara Line for Nara (approx. 23 min.) to Uji Station
・Walk about 11 min. to Byodo-in Temple

Oyamazaki-cho, located in southwest Kyoto, is a beautiful city full of nature and surrounded by water.

The Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum consists of three buildings: the main building, which was built as a villa for a successful businessman, Shotaro Kaga, and two annexes designed by architect Tadao Ando, called the Underground Jewelry Box (South Wing) and the Dream Box (North Wing).

Various works of art, including Western paintings such as Monet's Water Lilies, were collected by the first president of Asashi Breweries and are also on display. You can get to Oyamazaki via the JR Line.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (1,740 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 50 min.) to Shin-Osaka Station
・Board JR Kyoto Line Rapid bound for Yasu (approx. 22 min.) to Yamazaki Station
・Walk about 10 min. to the Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum

Amanohashidate is located in Miyazu Bay of the Sea of Japan, the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture. It is one of the "Nihon Sankei," or The Three Views of Japan. The name Amanohashidate (which roughly translates to "bridge of heaven") comes from the 5,000 pine trees that line the 3.6km sandy beach, a terrain said to resemble a bridge spanning the heavens over the blue sea.

On the south side of the summit of Mt. Monjusan is an observatory called Viewland that overlooks the beautiful Amanohashidate area. To get to Amanohashidate, ride the JR Limited Express Haruka and transfer to the Limited Express Hashidate.

From Kansai-Airport Station:
・Ride Kyoto-bound JR Limited Express Haruka (4,430 yen + 1,200 yen unreserved seat fare, approx. 75 min.) to Kyoto Station
・Board JR Limited Express Hashidate bound for Toyooka (2,680 yen reserved seat fare, approx. 120 min. *Regular season.) to Amanohashidate Station
・Walk about 8 min. to Amanohashidate

If you plan to stay in the Kansai area for several days or extend your trip to other areas like Tokyo, please refer to the links below.

The best transportation for you during your travels will depend on many factors, such as age, schedule, amount and size of luggage, who you are traveling with, and experience.

The methods introduced today seek to provide as much convenience with as little cost as possible. Whether you are an experienced traveler or a Japan first-timer, we hope you will find this guide of great use. Enjoy your stay in Japan!

Text by: WESTPLAN

*This article was re-edited in September 2024 from the information at the time of publication. Please check the official website of each store and facility for the latest information.