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Cheapest: about $17 (¥2,640) per person,
in about 3 h 58. Fastest: about 2 h 20 to 2 h 30, for
about $34 (¥5,370).
The Japan Rail Pass covers this whole trip.
Kyoto and Kinosaki Onsen are 155 km (96 miles) apart by road.
The two ways to get there
JR train
Kinosaki limited express
Kyoto → Kinosaki Onsen, direct, reserved seat
~$34
¥5,370 · per person
about 2 h 20 to 2 h 30travel time
Japan Rail Pass: yesCovered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR
The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else.
Source
Which train
Limited express KinosakiLimited express Kinosaki: The same service starting from Kyoto, direct to Kinosaki Onsen, reserved. A JR line, covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Source
It has no unreserved seats: the reservation is compulsory, and free with the Japan Rail Pass. It leaves Kyoto direct, without going through Osaka. The fare shown is the normal-season one: expect about $1 (¥200) less in the quiet season, and up to about $3 (¥400) more at Obon, New Year and during Golden Week.
Fare source
JR train
Local JR trains
Kyoto → Kinosaki Onsen, 2 changes at Sonobe and Fukuchiyama
~$17
¥2,640 · per person
about 3 h 58travel time
Japan Rail Pass: yesCovered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR
The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else.
Source
Which train
Trains locaux JRTrains locaux JR: The ordinary JR trains, no supplement, with connections. The cheapest, always covered by the pass, at the cost of your time.
Source
About half the price of the Kinosaki, but with two changes and close to twice the travel time. Covered by the Japan Rail Pass on the base fare alone, with no limited express supplement.
Fare source
Last checked August 11, 2026. The dollar figure is worked out at the exchange rate of the site's last update and
is never stored beside the yen.
A regional pass covers this trip
Less well known than the national Japan Rail Pass and often far cheaper, they are only valid inside their
own area. These cover this trip end to end.
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We earn a commission on the Klook links below, and it costs you nothing extra. It does not change which pass we say covers your trip.
One trip on its own never tells you whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it. That depends on every
other leg of the journey, and on the regional passes, which are far cheaper and cover only their
own area.
