The Amanohashidate, which is on par with the “Three Scenic Views of Japan” alongside the Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima and Matsushima in Miyagi, is located in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture. It takes at least two hours by the fastest JR train from Kyoto or Osaka, so Amanohashidate has not been the first choice for beginners on a Kyoto trip due to the long travel time. However, because of its stunning scenery, many people have tried to overcome transportation issues and visit Amanohashidate in recent years, even on their first trip to Kyoto.
This post is about Piaoer’s visit to Amanohashidate and a one-day tour guide for transportation, but the weather was bad, so Piaoer visited again for the second time. The picture above is from the second time Piaoer visited with a tour group and the weather was better. You can also refer to Piaoer’s Ine Boat Houses & Amanohashidate One-Day Tour to enjoy Amanohashidate on a sunny day.
Is Amanohashidate really fun?
Amanohashidate may not be a place that catches your eye in photos, but it’s a place that you’ll fall in love with when you actually visit. Perhaps it’s because of its location facing the Sea of Japan in the northern part of Japan, the “Tango region” is known for its frequent rain. Almost every photo shared online is cloudy and cannot capture the special and vast landscape here. On the day of my visit, it was also drizzling with misty rain… but it didn’t diminish the beauty of Amanohashidate when I saw it with my own eyes. If you’re tired of exploring the Kansai region, come and take a walk in Amanohashidate! The scenery is much more beautiful in person than in photos!
One-day Itinerary for Amanohashidate
After spending a day at Amanohashidate, Piaor continued on to Kinosaki Onsen. After all, it takes two hours to travel from Amanohashidate or Kinosaki Onsen to Osaka or Kyoto. With the Kansai Wide Area Pass in hand, there’s no need to worry about transportation costs. If you don’t want to waste time on transportation, just visit both places at once!
Suggested Route Arrangement
Here is the itinerary for Piao Er’s one-day trip to Amanohashidate. Details on transportation to Amanohashidate, attractions in Amanohashidate, and recommended food in Amanohashidate will be introduced later.
【A Day Trip to Amanohashidate】Take the express train from Osaka to Fukuchiyama and transfer to the train to Amanohashidate Station → Hiryu Observatory → Chion-ji Temple → Amanohashidate Bridge (you can take a sightseeing boat to Ichinomiya Bridge or walk through Amanohashidate Park) → Moto-Ise Kono Shrine → Kasamatsu Park → Return to Amanohashidate Station and take the train to Kinosaki Onsen.
Amanohashidate Local Tour
If you’re too lazy to go there yourself, you can also join a one-day tour:
Tianqiao Transportation
Departure from Kyoto
If you are departing from Kyoto, there are four direct buses to Amanohashidate every day. It is recommended to check the schedule first using Jorudan. If the timing does not match the direct bus schedule, you can also choose to take a transfer from “Fukuchiyama” where there are more buses. The travel time is only one minute different from the direct bus, the only difference is that you need to get off and transfer.
If train enthusiasts want to experience the Tango Railway sightseeing train, they should choose to transfer at “Nishi-Maizuru”. Here, they can take the Tango Railway sightseeing trains “Akamatsu-go” and “Aomatsu-go”. If using the “Kansai Wide Area Pass“, starting from April 2017, they can ride for free on the “Kyoto Tango Railway” ordinary, express, and limited express trains with free seating, including the “Aomatsu-go”, but the “Akamatsu-go” still requires an additional fee.
▼Tanba Railway Tourist Train “Aomatsu-go”
▼The Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass also allows free rides on the Tango ordinary train.
Departure from Osaka
If departing from Osaka, the fastest way is to transfer at “Fukuchiyama”. The travel time is about 2 hours and 13 minutes, only 6 minutes longer than departing from Kyoto. If you want to take the Tango Railway sightseeing train, you can choose to transfer at “Miyazu”. If you don’t know how to take it, you can check the route planner.
Transportation Tickets & Suggestions for Purchasing Various Types of Tickets
Previously, it was recommended to use the “Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass” with a smaller coverage range at the time, along with a ticket that includes the price of the Tanba Railway, sightseeing boats, Hiryu Cable Car, and Umekoji Park Cable Car – the “Amanohashidate Marugoto Free Pass” when traveling between Kyoto and Osaka. However, since April 2017, the new version of the “Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass” has expanded its coverage range, allowing free rides on the “Kyoto Tango Railway”. The transportation cost alone for a round trip between Kyoto and Amanohashidate already exceeds the price of the Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass, so it is highly recommended to purchase the pass if you plan to visit other places like Kinosaki Onsen within five days. Therefore, if you only plan to visit Amanohashidate for a day trip from Kyoto, and do not intend to go to Ine, and also want to visit other attractions in Kansai using JR, then it is best to purchase the “Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass” and buy separate tickets for the cable car and sightseeing boat in Amanohashidate or purchase a combination ticket at the station.
- Introduction to transportation tickets: Kansai Wide Area Pass (JR West Pass) for a 5-day trip to Amanohashidate, Kurashiki, Lake Biwa, and Kinosaki Onsen
- If you want to visit Ine, it is recommended to buy: “Tango-Amanohashidate-Ine Sightseeing Pass (Tango-Amanohashidate-Ine Free)“
- If you do not enter Amanohashidate from Keihan and do not use the JR PASS but want to take a day trip to Amanohashidate, you can refer to: Amanohashidate Marugoto Free Pass
Tianqiao Bridge Travel Guide
After arriving at the Amanohashidate Station, you can consult with the information center and get a map of Amanohashidate. The information center also sells cable car tickets for two observation decks.
As for how to plan your trip to Amanohashidate, you can visit the official website and check out the Amanohashidate map. The starting point of the trip is the Amanohashidate Station in the southern part of the “Wajima area”. The green sandbar in the middle, Amanohashidate Park, connects the “Fuchu area” where the “Kasamatsu Park” is located. If you want to enjoy the view of Amanohashidate from a high place, you can go to the “Hiryu Observatory” in the Wajima area and the “Kasamatsu Park” in the Fuchu area. Both observation points require a cable car ticket to go up. As for how to travel between the two areas, you can choose to walk for 50 minutes from Amanohashidate Park or take a sightseeing boat.
Just follow Piaor’s steps below and it will be clearer!
【Amanohashidate Attractions】Hiryu Observatory View Land
Coming out of Amanohashidate Station, follow the signs to the right and after crossing the railway, you will soon arrive at the Feilong Observation Cable Car boarding area. The round-trip cable car fare is 850 yen, with a Monorail departing every 20 minutes. You can go up to “Amanohashidate View Land”.
Flying Dragon View Official Website
▼You can choose Monorail
▼ You can also take the cable car. In fact, the cable car is not very high off the ground, even those with a fear of heights like me don’t find it scary!
▼ From the “Amanohashidate Scenic Park” on the top of the Feilongguan, you can see the most beautiful angle of Amanohashidate
However, the reason why Amanohashidate is called Amanohashidate is because it must be viewed from below the bridge. When the sky and the earth are upside down, you can see the amazing sight of dragons flying in the sky. Therefore, the view from Amanohashidate View Land is called “Flying Dragon View”.
▼When viewed upside down, it requires careful appreciation. After looking for a long time, I really discovered a flying dragon!
▼There is an amusement park in Amanohashidate Scenic Land where you can ride a park train and a Ferris wheel.
▼ A very interesting circle, after paying, throw the tile small plate into the circle and your wishes will come true.
Feilongguan Corridor
There is also a cool “Flying Dragon Observation Corridor” on the top of Amanohashidate View Land, which is built like a dragon. The view from the top is breathtakingly beautiful, and the entire corridor is like a work of art, definitely worth a visit.
Descend the Mountain
After descending the mountain, we switched to a hanging chair. The view was quite expansive.
【Amanohashidate Attractions】Chion-ji Temple
After leaving the Feilong Temple, if you want to go to the “Fuzhong area” and visit the “Sansho Park”, you need to first go to the Amanohashidate Park. On the way, you will pass by the “Chion-ji Temple”, which enshrines the Manjusri Bodhisattva who governs wisdom. It is one of the three Manjusri temples in Japan and is mainly used for praying for success in exams.
▼ Before reaching Zhien Temple, you will pass through a small shopping street.
▼ Zhi En Temple
▼Discovering special fan-shaped fortune poems
【Amanohashidate Attraction】Amanohashidate Park
The Amanohashidate Park is located next to the Chion-ji Temple. On the way, you will pass by the “Rotating Bridge”. If you come between 11:00 and 15:00 on Sundays, the bridge will open and rotate for three minutes to allow boats to pass through.
When you come to Amanohashidate Park, you can choose to walk along this sandbar for about 50 minutes to reach the “Fuchu area”. Along the way, you will see pine forests and sea views. It’s quite nice for a one-way trip, but on the way back, your feet will feel like they’re about to break.
On the sandbank, there are countless invincible pine trees, among which the ones planted by Emperor Taishō and Emperor Shōwa are the most famous.
▼The scenery of Amanohashidate Park waterfront
▼ Scenery in the Fuzhong area
In addition to walking and taking a boat, you can also rent a bicycle to travel between the two areas from Amanohashidate Park.
【Amanohashidate Cuisine】Hashidate Chaya
When you visit Amanohashidate, you must not miss the local specialty, “Asari-don“, which is a rice bowl dish made with clams. Amanohashidate is abundant in clams from the Aso Inland Sea, so many restaurants in the area serve clam rice bowl dishes. This time, Piaor’s lunch was at “Hashidate Chaya” located in the pine forest of Amanohashidate Park.
▼ The “Asari Donburi” is a must-try dish, seasoned with kelp and soy sauce. The rice bowl is quite light, which is said to preserve the original flavor of the clams. However, the clams in Amanohashidate are quite small, and although they cover the entire bowl of rice, they lack the chewy texture of seafood. For Piaor, who loves Penghu seafood, it is a bit too ordinary.
On the contrary, this bowl of crab congee is deeply loved by Piaor and Xiao V. The crab meat is fresh and juicy, and the congee itself is full of the freshness of seafood. With the addition of egg and seaweed, which are essential for mixed congee, it is super delicious!!!
【Amanohashidate Attractions】Moto-Ise Kono Shrine
Piao Er walked all the way from Amanohashidate Park to the Fuchu area. If you don’t want to tire your feet, it is recommended to take a sightseeing boat from the “Amanohashidate Pier” next to the park to the “Ichinomiya” area in Fuchu, with a round-trip ticket price of 960 yen. The boat departs every half hour at the hour and 30-minute mark, with a sailing time of 12 minutes. As for the return trip, the boat departs at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past every hour.
When you come to the “Fuchu area”, you can visit attractions such as Moto-Ise Kogo Shrine, Kasamatsu Park, and Naritasan Temple. Whether you take a sightseeing boat or come from Amanohashidate Park, you can stroll all the way from “Moto-Ise Kogo Shrine” to the cable car boarding area before going up to Kasamatsu Park.
The “Gen Ise Kagura Shrine,” which has a history of more than 2,500 years, is the highest-ranking ancient shrine in the Tango region. Originally inhabited by immortals who lived in Ise Jingu Shrine in Mie Prefecture and moved to Amanohashidate, it is known as “Gen Ise” and can be said to be the birthplace of immortals. The architecture of Gen Ise Kagura Shrine, like that of Ise Jingu Shrine, is built in the unique style of the only deity, and the railings of the main hall have seat gemstones representing the five elements of blue, yellow, red, white, and black.
After passing the shrine and turning left, there is a short street selling local products with some restaurants and souvenir shops. It takes less than 3 minutes to walk to the “Umbrella Pine Park Cable Car Station”.
【Amanohashidate Cuisine】Tsuruya Shokudo
There is a popular restaurant in Monzen called “Tsuruya Shokudo” that many people recommend. They sell a dish called “Tango no Otakara Don” made with delicious seasonal ingredients from the Tango Peninsula.
【Amanohashidate Cuisine】Yoshinoya
In order to prove that “Asari Donburi (花蛤丼)” is delicious, Piao Er had dinner at “Yoshinoya” at the intersection of Sanjo-dori and Shokunin-dori in the Umbrella Pine Park and tasted Asari Donburi. After finishing it, she really felt that maybe it was because she didn’t like the Asari Donburi in Amanohashidate!
▼ Sauce and toppings for soba noodles
▼But Yoshino’s grilled squid is super delicious!
If you want to dine at Yoshiya, please note that the business hours are from 8:00 to 17:00, and the last order time is 16:00.
【Amanohashidate Attractions】Umbrella Pine Park
The round-trip ticket price for taking the cable car to Sanroku Park is 660 yen, with a car departing every 15 minutes and taking about six minutes to reach Sanroku Park.
▼ The scenery of taking the cable car up the mountain is more abundant than that of Feilongguan cable car because there are maple leaves on both sides.
▼ Next to it is a single swing chair.
▼ Scenery for couples taking photos in Sansong Park
▼ Under the Umbrella Pine Park, there is a platform with an extended observation deck on the right. Walking up, the bottom is transparent, which is super exciting!
▼ You can walk up this staircase for about 10 minutes to reach the top of San Song Park.
▼ The maple leaves along the way are super romantic.
▼ After climbing up with difficulty, the scenery wasn’t very good… maybe because it was raining! Fei Long Guan is more beautiful in Fei Er’s opinion, while Umbrella Pine Park is beautiful because of the maple season, and the maple leaves along the cable car ride are very romantic. However, the view of Amanohashidate from above is just okay.
The weather was not very good during the one-day trip to Amanohashidate this time, and the photos taken were not satisfactory. Therefore, later on, I revisited Amanohashidate again on a clear and sunny day. If you want to see Amanohashidate on a good day, you can refer to my other article.
Check out these great weather photos: Ine Boat Houses & Amanohashidate Day Tour
Kansai Wide Area Railway Pass 5-Day Itinerary Guide
Here is Piao Er’s one-day itinerary for Amanohashidate. Amanohashidate is a natural scenic spot that Piao Er thinks is worth visiting. It was also the second day of using the “Kansai Wide Area Pass.” For other Kansai itineraries, please refer to:
- Day 1: [Japan Shiga | Lake Biwa Travel Guide] Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Omihachiman, Hikone Castle Day Trip
- Day 3: [Japan Kansai | Hyogo Attractions] Kinosaki Onsen Day Trip (Including Transportation, Seven Public Baths, and Onsen Street)
- Day 4: [Japan Okayama Free and Easy] Okayama Sightseeing, Fun Travel Attractions Itinerary Planning Package
[Okayama Kurashiki Free and Easy] Kurashiki Day Trip Travel Attractions, Kurashiki Beautiful Area Transportation and Food Guide - Day 5: Stay in Osaka City and Explore Dotonbori for Food