Home
Back

Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!

Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.

Kinosaki Onsen reccommended? 2016/3/16 18:01
We will be in Kyoto for 4 full days in June and plan on doing a one-day-side-trip to Kinosaki Onsen. Plus a one-day side-trip to USJ in Osaka. That leaves 2 full days for Kyoto. Please advise:

1) Is 2 full days sufficient for Kyoto?

2) We want to do one Onsen, and the main reason we chose Kinosaki (over others, Hakone, for example, which may be nicer) is that we have a JR pass during our Kyoto stay, which we want to utilise fully! - makes sense?

3) Is Kinosaki nice? Anyone reccommends it?

Thanks in advance!
by raz02  

Re: Kinosaki Onsen reccommended? 2016/3/17 10:20
Hi. Kinosaki Onsen is more of an overnight thing than a daytrip. The trip out there from Kyoto (on the Kinosaki express, from memory) is quite interesting with some nice views etc, but nowhere near as spectacular as (say) the trip from Nagoya to Takayama on the wideview Hida.

And as an onsen town, you will get enjoyment from it mainly if you are OK to do the onsen circuit and visit the various public baths. There isnt much to see otherwise, though it is a pretty town, and it is fun watching the japanese get dolled up and go to the bathhouses. I liked it but thought it was a little overrated, but then we stayed 2 nights and it might have been better for a single night.
by Lazy Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Kinosaki and Kyoto trips 2016/3/17 12:15
we have a JR pass during our Kyoto stay, which we want to utilise fully! - makes sense?

Yes.
Does "JR pass" here refer to a (nationwide) Japan Rail Pass, or a JR-West Kansai WIDE Area Pass?

Is Kinosaki nice?

I did feel Kinosaki nice when I visited it last time, though I did not stay overnight there.

Kinosaki hot spring town has been known well for external baths (called as soto-yu in Japanese), which are outside accommodations.
A one-day pass for the seven Kinosaki external baths is sold at 1200 yen, available at entrance of each of the baths.
(Please pay attention to closed days.)
http://www.kinosaki-spa.gr.jp/global/hotspring/hotspring.html
According to the Japanese-language edition,
Satono-yu is now open from 7 am to 11 pm
and Jizou-yu is now open from 3 pm to 11 pm.

Strolling for one day (and staying overnight) sounds enough just to experience Japanese hot springs in Kinosaki; if you hope to explore the onsen town, it may be better to add half a day.

In Kyoto Station of JR, Limited Express Kinosaki trains use Track 31; the platform for Tracks 30 to 34 and the platform for Track 0 are adjoining around the north end, near the Central Gate.

A JR-West Kansai WIDE Area Pass, when you have a Kinosaki train ride with your seats reserved, does not cover the limited express surcharge, while it can cover the basic fare; when you have a ride without seat reservation, it can cover also the surcharge.
In any of the two cases, a Japan Rail Pass can cover both the basic fare the surcharge.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3526.html?aFROM=2158_3525

Is 2 full days sufficient for Kyoto?

That depends on sites to visit, your preferences and your traveling pace.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

A Japan Rail Pass can be used to take buses on the Takao-Keihoku Line of West JR Bus in Kyoto City, along which there are Ryoanji (Temple), Ninnaji (Temple), the Takao area, etc.

A Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-day Pass (sold at 500 yen), which is valid inside the 230-yen flat-fare zone, is useful to access many sightseeing spots including Togetsukyo Bridge in the Arashiyama area, Golden Pavilion [Kinkaku], Silver Pavilion [Ginkaku], Kiyomizudera (Temple), etc.


by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Kinosaki Onsen reccommended? 2016/3/17 14:38
Super, thanks! We will be getting a nationwide JR pass since we are travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto
by raz02 rate this post as useful

reply to this thread