What to do on a day trip to Kobe city, Japan

Kobe is a perfect city city to explore on a day trip whilst travelling around Japan. It offers a wonderful mixture of natural beauty for you to enjoy, from Mount Rokkō and the stunning city skyline down to the waterfront.

Here is a blog post guide that will help you navigate around the city, and offer you a fun itinerary for day trip visitors to Kobe.

Transport: Getting to Kobe is easy for travellers

Kobe has a direct Shinkansen connection that departs from Tokyo and arrives at Shin-Kobe station, which is located a bit outside of the city and is easy to access.

If you have a JR Japan rail pass, this makes Kobe a wonderful city to visit on your route from Osaka.

Public transport is both easy and affordable to use as the city has a public metro network, and you can connect to the metro line from Shin-Kobe station.

Kobe will be a host city for the 2019 Rugby World Cup

Kobe will be a host city for the Rugby World cup in 2019. Games will be held at the Noevir Stadium, which has easy connections from the city using the public metro system.

It will be a fun time to be in Kobe as the city is going to set up fanzones around Kobe to get behind the RWC2019. It will be exciting to see the tournament being hosted in both Kobe and Japan.

Check out Nunobiki Falls

Located just behind Shin-Kobe station, you will find the hiking trail which will take you to Nunobiki Falls – a stunning waterfall which is a lovely way to begin your Kobe visit.

Nature and the outdoors can be enjoyed easily from the city of Kobe, and you can even take the cable cart to the top of Mount Rokkō where you will find a selection of hiking trails and onsen spas to choose from.

Stay at Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel

If you would like to extend your day trip to Kobe and stay longer, I can highly recommend Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel.

This hotel has a perfect location on the harbour front overlooking the city skyline. Be sure to grab a cocktail at the hotel’s roof bar terrace (called the View Bar for a reason), which is a wonderful spot to be at for night time with all the glimmering lights to look over.

Also be sure not to miss the buffet breakfast in the morning, it’s a pretty impressive spread on offer and will get you fuelled up for the busy day ahead.

Enjoy the skyline view of the City.

The city offers a great scenic view from the harbour front, with iconic buildings such as the Port tower, Harborland shopping district and Mount Rokkō from a far distance. It’s worth enjoying at both sunrise and sunset.

Enjoy Kobe beef at Steak Misono restaurant

A trip to Kobe wouldn’t be complete without first trying the local speciality of Kobe beef. Head to Steak Misono restaurant for a lunchtime treat to remember.

This location was the originator of Teppanyaki, which has taken off around the globe. Dine in style as the head chef cooks up your delicious meal right in front of your eyes.

One thing is for sure, you will not leave this place hungry and it’s a dining experience you will always remember.

Has to be one of the best meals I’ve ever had, its definitely a must-try for steak lovers.

Be sure to book your lunch spot in advance, as this location is very popular amongst locals and visitors and is a must-try on a visit to the city.

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

Add a bit of woodwork to your life and head to this unique visitor attraction, the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum.

Japan is known for its skilled craftsmanship and rich history of elaborate woodworking, and here you can see how woodwork has evolved over the years to what it is today.

You can also see a wide selection of different tools as well as examples of skilled woodwork art located around the museum to enjoy and admire.

Be sure to also grab a beverage in the rest room, which has a vending machine made of wood.

Kiku-Masamune Taru Sake Meister factory

Kobe has a rich history in regards to sake production. Head outside of the city by public train to the sake district and sample a cup or two of this traditional Japanese beverage.

Kiku-Masamune Taru Sake Meister factory offers guided tours for visitors, as well as a look at the unique process of sake barrel production showing you how the skilled workers put them together from start to finish.

Be sure to sample some of their favoured classics, as well as the special sake ice cream that they make on site.

Hopstand Yakitori and Craft Beer

Feeling hungry after exploring the city all day? Head over to the Kobe Harborland shopping district at night time where you will find Hopstand Yakitori and Craft Beer.

Here you can sample a wide variety of different craft beers brewed in the city.

Yakitori is a type of Japanese BBQ style – you must try the Yakitori chicken here which goes wonderfully with the craft beer.

A fun spot to meet up with friends and to try all the different dishes on offer. Also for the more adventurous, why not try the fried chicken on wafffles with maple syrup? Simply wild but fun to try.

Thank you for joining me on my day trip to Japan

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog post all about my day trip journey around the city of Kobe, Japan.

Before you go, why not checkout my day trip to Kumamoto, which is also in Japan.

I hope you have an awesome trip around Japan and consider making time to stop off in Kobe. You won’t be disappointed with so much to explore in and around the city.

Be sure to check out my video all about my visit to the city