Kansai WIDE Area Pass
Depending on where you want to travel within Kansai, there are a variety of cost-effective, easy and efficient transport passes available. Two major sites in Kansai, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage and the Amanohashidate sandbar, are easy to access via JR-WEST trains. The JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass is the cheapest and best way to see these sites!
The Kansai region is a great home base to explore a wide range of sites while visiting Japan. There’s everything from major cities like Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, to historical sites like Nara, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage and Himeji Castle, as well as astounding natural wonders including the Amanohashidate sandbar.
Depending on where you want to travel within Kansai, there are a variety of cost-effective, easy and efficient transport passes available. Two major sites in Kansai, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage and the Amanohashidate sandbar, are easy to access via JR-WEST trains. The JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass is the cheapest and best way to see these sites!
Kumano Kodo
The Kumano Kodo is a 1000-year-old pilgrimage through the Kii-Peninsula mountains and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can take day hikes to the Nachi Waterfall and Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine to experience the grandeur and natural beauty of this ancient spiritual pilgrimage, without having to walk the whole way. Afterwards, enjoy tuna sashimi and hot springs by the Pacific Ocean at nearby Kii Katsuura. If you plan a journey to this area, there is no other budget-friendly pass than the JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass which covers this train route and includes the super express train.
Amanohashidate
Stretching a vast 3.3 kilometers, the Amanohashidate sand bar faces the Sea of Japan and has some 8000 pine trees growing on. It is said to be one of the three most scenic places in Japan, and visitors have flocked here for centuries. Located in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, this is the perfect place to soak up some sea area and natural beauty. With hot springs located nearby, this spot is both beautiful and rejuvenating! The JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass covers this route and includes the super express train ride on Kyotango Railways.
JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass
When your journey begins at Kansai International airport, in order to visit these two locations, and a wide range of other places in the Kansai area, use the JR-WEST Kansai WIDE Area Pass to save money as well as wear and tear. This pass costs 9,000 yen if purchased before arrival in Japan (if booked online prior to your travel) or 9,500 yen if purchased in Japan, and lasts for five days. The pass includes unlimited rides on all JR express trains in the Kansai area including unreserved seats on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama, as well as Kyotango railways (to visit Amanohashidate) and Wakayama Electric railways, which is known for its cute kitten train staff named “Tama.” You can even use this pass to go to Takamatsu and Kagawa in Shikoku or to Tottori Prefecture, so it has a wide area of use. Compared to the JR PASS, which covers all of Japan, and costs 29,110 yen for seven days, this pass is very cost-effective. You can pick up your pre-reserved passes, or purchase new passes at Kyoto Station, Shin-Osaka Station, Osaka Station, and Kansai International Airport. One more bonus of having this pass is that you can hire rent-a-cycles named “Ekirin-kun” at several representative stations on the JR line.