A touring route that starts at Kansai Airport and covers Osaka, Himeji, Arima Onsen, Kyoto and Nara in five days. You go west as far as Himeji first, then move east to Kyoto and Nara, so you never have to backtrack.
Travel from Kansai Airport into Osaka, see Osaka Castle and the Kaiyukan aquarium, then head out to Dotonbori in the evening.
Travel from Kansai Airport into central Osaka. For directions, see the airport guide.
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Walk around Osaka Castle's main keep and the spacious park. Since it is your arrival day, this is an easy way to get your bearings.
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Take the Chuo subway line to Osakako. It is indoors, so the weather does not matter, and it fits easily into the late afternoon.
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In the evening, move to Minami and make dinner out of snacking your way around Dotonbori.
Official site ↗Take JR to Himeji and visit Himeji Castle and Shoshazan Engyoji. In the evening, head back toward Kobe and stay at Arima Onsen.
Walk straight north from Himeji Station along the main avenue and the white keep comes into view ahead. Climbing up into the keep takes time, so visit in the morning.
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A mountaintop temple reached from Himeji Station by bus and ropeway. Walk through grounds lined with wooden halls.
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Head back from Himeji toward Sannomiya and on to Arima Onsen. Stroll the hot spring town and relax at your inn.
View guide →Stroll Arima's hot spring town in the morning, then travel to Kyoto. In the afternoon, visit Fushimi Inari and walk from Kiyomizu-dera to Kodai-ji in Higashiyama.
A park at the far end of Arima's hot spring town, just the right distance for a morning walk.
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When you arrive in Kyoto, leave your luggage at your hotel and take the JR Nara Line to Inari Station. Walk the torii-lined path.
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Move on to Higashiyama and climb Kiyomizu-zaka to Kiyomizu-dera.
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Walk along Ninenzaka and Nene-no-Michi to Kodai-ji. From there you can go straight on to dinner in Gion.
View guide →Travel through northwestern Kyoto in one direction, from Kinkaku-ji in the north to Ninna-ji and Arashiyama.
Take a city bus to Kinkaku-ji in the morning and view the Golden Pavilion across Kyoko-chi Pond.
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Follow the Kinukake-no-Michi west to Ninna-ji. Its spacious grounds include a five-story pagoda and palace buildings.
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Take the Randen to Arashiyama and have lunch and a stroll around Togetsukyo Bridge.
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A temple with a garden that incorporates the Arashiyama scenery. Check the guide for when it is open to the public.
View guide →Travel from Kyoto to Nara, visit Nara Park and Todai-ji, then head to Kansai Airport.
Travel from Kyoto to Nara. For details, see the intercity travel guide. Leaving large luggage in a coin locker at Nara Station makes walking easier.
See the Vairocana Buddha in the Great Buddha Hall and the Kongo Rikishi guardian statues in the Great South Gate.
Official site ↗Travel from Nara via the Osaka area to Kansai Airport. For directions, see the airport guide.
View guide →Sample itineraries from day trips to 5 days, by region and season. Every stop links to its guide, and you can save any itinerary as your own trip plan and rearrange it day by day.
🗺 Day tripAutumnKansai ・ 4 stops ・ October・November
A day trip that takes you through Nara Park in autumn, to Kasuga Taisha and Todai-ji, and then to the Shosoin Exhibition, held only at this time of year. You can walk from the station to the museum, making it well suited to a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
🗺 2 days, 1 nightSpringKansai ・ 7 stops ・ March・April
A spring-only route that visits Kyoto's famous cherry blossom spots, including Daigo-ji, Maruyama Park, the Philosopher's Path, Heian Jingu, Nijo Castle, Ninna-ji and Arashiyama, in two days. It combines spots that bloom at slightly different times and groups them by area.
🗺 2 days, 1 nightKansai ・ 8 stops
A one-night route from and back to Kansai Airport that covers Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, the Kaiyukan aquarium and an observatory in Umeda. Day 1 focuses on the Minami side and day 2 on Osaka Port and Umeda, keeping each day within its own area.
🗺 3 days, 2 nightsKansai ・ 12 stops
A route covering Kyoto's signature sights, including Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama and Nijo Castle, in three days. Each day focuses on one area (the south and Higashiyama, the northwest, then the center and Okazaki), so you transfer between buses and trains less.
Check prices, opening hours and access on each stop’s guide and official website. Seasonal events and peak seasons vary from year to year.
Information as of 2026-10-13
