Kansai International Airport departure, Osaka Kyoto 2 Days 1 Night Tour recommended route!

If you are planning to travel to places such as Osaka and Kyoto, which is also known as the Kansai region of Japan, the first and foremost stop is Kansai International Airport.
This time we had a short two-day, one-night trip from Kansai International Airport, visiting a number of sights in Osaka and Kyoto!
We have found a route for you to visit the main attractions in Osaka and Kyoto efficiently. We hope to provide you with a reference for your Kansai trip!

Kansai Airport Station - Osaka Namba

Departures from Kansai Airport Station, which is directly connected to Kansai Airport!

South China Sea Electric Railway"Rapi:t"The express train goes to Namba Station and is destined for the busy streets of Osaka's Minami Ward.

Take the Rapi:t Express train to Namba in about 1 hour!
The fare for the Ticket + Limited Express Ticket is 1,450 yen.

After arriving at Nankai Namba Station, head to Kuromon Market, known as "Osaka's Gourmet Kitchen". It is about a 10-minute walk.

Kuromon Market is a 15-minute walk from popular tourist spots such as Dotonbori, Ebisu Bridge and Shinsaibashi in the southern district of Osaka.

Stay overnight in Umeda and travel to Kyoto the next day

After exploring the southern part of Osaka, take the Osaka Subway Midosuji Line from Shinsaibashi Station to Umeda. Stay overnight near Umeda Station for the next day's trip to Kyoto.
There are numerous hotels near Umeda, so don't worry about finding an accommodation.
After a night's rest at the hotel to regain strength, we depart for Kyoto.
But don't forget to have breakfast before you take the tram.

Although the breakfast at the hotel is not bad, you can also try the "fast, affordable and delicious" Japanese specialty breakfast!

We chose Suki's SUKIYA (食其家) raw egg bibimbap for breakfast!
You can easily savor fresh and delicious raw eggs at just the right portion size at an affordable price!

Support Chinese ordering!
Even if you don't like raw eggs, there are other breakfast options such as sausage omelette and bacon omelette.

There are many branches of Gusteau's, which can be found anywhere, so you can stop by on your way to your destination. The stores are open 24 hours a day and are always ready to fulfill your dining needs.
We also stopped by on our way to Umeda Station from the hotel!

Sukiya SUKIYA near Umeda Station

Eikiya Umeda Chayamachi

Address: 1-52 Chaya-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 530-0013, Japan
Business Hours: 24 hours

Gourmet House Umeda Taerongji

Address：〒530-0051 Japan Osaka-shi Kita-ku Osaka 5-8 Diamond Leisure Building Main Building 1st floor
Business Hours: 24 hours

Eikiya Umeda Dosan

Address:〒530-002715-15 Dozan-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
Business Hours: 24 hours

If you want to arrive in Kyoto early and leave plenty of time for sightseeing, you can choose the Karasuma Shichijo store near Kyoto Station.

Ekiya Umaru Shichijo Store

Address:〒600-8211First Floor, 197 Bouquet Garni, Shichijo-dori Uzumaru Higashi-iru Shinmeiya-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan
Business Hours: 24 hours

Kyoto sightseeing, first to Kinkakuji Temple

From JR Osaka Station, take the JR Tokaido Sanyo Main Line New Rapid Train to Kyoto.
It takes about 30 minutes to get to Kyoto on the New Rapid Train.

After arriving at Kyoto Station, we went to Kinkakuji Temple first.
Kinkakuji Temple is located some distance away from other famous tourist attractions such as Kiyomizu Temple and Yasaka Shrine, so we think it's best to start at Kinkakuji Temple, which is the furthest away from JR Kyoto Station, in order to achieve a more effective visit.

A ticket to Kinkaku-ji Temple is a talisman!

Besides Kinkaku-ji Temple, there are many other attractions worth seeing.

We were feeling a bit tired after all the walking, so we decided to have an early lunch.

Enjoy delicious sushi at Hama Sushi Hamasushi Kinkakuji.

HAMASUSHI Kinkakuji is located about 7 minutes on foot from Kinkakuji.
Although Hama Sushi Hamasushi has many branches in Japan, we were a little surprised to find one right next to Kinkakuji.
It's a great value to enjoy delicious and affordable sushi while sightseeing.

The ordering machine supports Chinese ordering. After placing your order, your food will be delivered to you via a conveyor belt.
The transmission process is like a small game show, which is very exciting.

Nitori Hamasushi Kinkakuji

Address： 1 Kagasa Tenjinmori-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 603-8375, Japan
Business Hours: Weekdays 11:00-0:00 Weekends and Holidays 10:00-0:00

Next to it is Shikiji Shrine (Wara Tenjin Shrine), which is said to be very effective in praying for a favorable birth and a child. A visit to this shrine is recommended.
From Hamasushi Kinkakuji, you can take a fun reverse route through WARA Tenjin Shrine to Kinkakuji Temple.

After eating sushi and resting a bit, we set off again! The next stop was Nijo Castle.

Eijo Castle

From the bus stop in front of WARA Tenjingu Shrine, take a Kyoto City Bus (Shijo Kawaramachi, Shijo Keihan direction) to Nijo Castle for about 25 minutes. The contrast between the blue sky and the white walls of the castle is breathtaking!

Starting from Nijo Castle, you can see the sights in the eastern part of Kyoto.
Take a cab to Yasaka Shrine, then on to Kodaiji and Kiyomizudera, a route that allows you to see all the sights on foot.

Yasaka Shrine

-The shrine in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, is one of the most famous and oldest shrines in the Kansai region.
The main hall of the shrine, known as Gion-zukuri, is a unique shrine building in Japan, and the numerous lanterns on the dance hall make for a beautiful night.
There is a place where you can ask for a fortune stick, write a picture of a horse, and ask a guardian to come to your house. There are many different pictures of horses, and the heart-shaped horse is very popular for praying for love.
-The Gion Festival is held at the shrine in July every year. Inside the shrine, you can enjoy a variety of snacks and many eye-catching festive decorations.

Kotaiji Temple

Takadaiji Temple is the place where Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife spent her twilight years resting and practicing Buddhism after his death. Built in 1605, the Kaisendo, Reiya, Ushidate, and Tokyu-tei are all national treasures, and the construction of the temple is spectacular. Kodaiji is also one of the most famous places in Kyoto for cherry blossom and red leaves viewing, and the lighting of the lanterns at night is the most awaited flower viewing event of the year. Takadaiji Temple offers special nighttime tours after sunset at three times a year: the cherry blossom season from mid-March to mid-May, the summer night season from August 1-18, and the autumn leaf season from late October to early December. Admission to the temple closes at 9:30 p.m. after sunset.

Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu-dera is the oldest temple in Kyoto and is one of the three most famous temples in Kyoto along with Kinkakuji Temple and Nijo Castle, and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.
-One of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Kyoto in spring, and a popular spot for maple viewing in fall, when the red maples are in full bloom.
-The three streams of Yonaha Falls under the Shimizu Stage represent health, education, and marriage, and many people line up here to drink the water and pray.
-In the Detective Conan series "Crossroads of the Labyrinth", Kazuha passes by this place when he takes Ran and Sonoko on a tour of Kyoto.

From Kiyomizu Temple, take the Kyoto City Bus again and return to Kyoto Station in about 20 minutes.

This is the end of our two-day/one-night Osaka/Kyoto trip.
We departed from Kyoto Station and took the JR Tokaido Main Line limited express train (Haruka) to Kansai International Airport.
What do you think of the above two days and one night short trip itinerary?
When you travel to Japan, you will want to visit as many places as possible.
How would you like to travel to Japan?
We hope our tips are helpful.