Kansai Railway Pass

The Kansai Railway Pass is a rail pass, which provides unlimited use of trains and subways in the Kansai Region (around Osaka and Kyoto) with the prominent exception of JR trains. It can be used only by foreign visitors to Japan. The pass used to be known as the "Kansai Thru Pass" before April 2024; however, unlike its predecessor it is not valid on buses anymore.

Purchase the Kansai Railway Pass

Below is a map of the major railway lines (some minor ones are omitted) that can be used with the Kansai Railway Pass:

Validity

1. Unlimited use of most non-JR trains in the Kansai Region, including
   • Subways of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe
   • Hankyu Railway (Kobe - Osaka - Kyoto)
   • Hanshin Railway (Kobe - Osaka)
   • Keihan Railway (Osaka - Kyoto)
   • Kintetsu Railway (Osaka - Kyoto - Nara)
   • Nankai Railway (Osaka - Kansai Airport - Koyasan)
   • Sanyo Railway (Kobe - Himeji)
   • Kobe Railway (North of Kobe)
   • Osaka Monorail (Northern Osaka, Itami Airport)
   • Port and Rokko Liner (Kobe)
   • Various cablecars (Hieizan, Koyasan)
   • A few more minor railway lines
2. The Kansai Railway Pass is not valid on trains operated by JR (Japan Railways) and on the small Randen trains (aka Keifuku Railway) to Arashiyama in Kyoto.
3. A supplement fee has to be paid on trains and cars that require a supplement fee, such as Nankai and Kintetsu limited express trains and on premium cars of Keihan Railway.
4. Discounted admission to selected tourist attractions in the Kansai Region.
5. The pass can be used on any two or three calendar days within the period of validity (between April 1 and May 31 of the following year). They do not have to be consecutive days.
6. The Kansai Railway Pass can be used only by:
   • Foreign tourists (with temporary visitor status)
   • Japanese nationals with permanent residence outside of Japan
   • Residents of Japan who are traveling together with pass holders as guides

Points of sale

The Kansai Railway Pass can be purchased at major stations inside the Kansai Region and through selected travel agencies outside of Japan. Alternatively, the pass can be purchased online at travel reservation websites such as Klook.

Purchase the Kansai Railway Pass

Assessment

The Kansai Thru Pass, the predecessor of the Kansai Railway Pass, used to be one of the better rail passes available in Japan. Unfortunately, the same is not the case with the Kansai Railway Pass anymore, which is not only more expensive than its predecessor, but also comes with a reduced coverage area (buses and the Randen trains are not covered anymore). One of the pass' advantages over most other passes is that it can be used on non-consecutive days; but nevertheless, it is now rather challenging to make the pass pay off over regular tickets. One of the few ways for the pass to pay off is making multiple day trips to destinations near the edge of the coverage area, such as Himeji or Koyasan.

Yoshino and Iga-Ueno are also possible destinations for pass holders to consider, but note that the ride there is not fully covered by the pass in either case. In the direction of Yoshino the pass is valid only as far as Tsubosakayama Station and a supplement fee of 520 yen one way is required for the rest of the journey to Yoshino Station. In the direction of Iga-Ueno the pass is valid only as far as Iga-Kanbe, from where pass holders need to pay 370 yen one way for the ride on the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi Station.

Alternative tickets

The JR Kansai Area Pass is also available only to foreign tourists. Its advantage over the Kansai Railway Pass is that JR trains to Himeji are considerably faster than non-JR trains.

Read also our page about passes for the Kansai Region for more information.