Train itinerary in Japan: Kinosaki Onsen – Himeji – Hiroshima

Hi there,

I’m continuing to plan our next trip for this coming November.

I’d love to know if it’s realistic to leave Kinosaki Onsen by train in the morning, stop at Himeji Castle (for a visit), and then continue on to Hiroshima to spend the night.

From what I’ve seen, visiting Himeji takes about half a day, and there are coin lockers nearby to store our luggage.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Realistic isn’t the word I’d use, but yes, it’s doable.

It takes about 3.5–4 hours to travel between Kinosaki and Himeji (and depending on the time, you might only need two trains). After that, it’s just one hour to Hiroshima.

Don’t forget that you rarely sleep right above the station (so you’ll need to factor in extra travel time), and it’ll get dark early…

Hi there, We did this route last November. If you have time, I’d recommend stopping in Okayama to see its castle and the third most beautiful garden in Japan, which is right across from it. Then head to Kurashiki (the Venice of Japan), just 15 minutes away by train. The whole journey can be done using local trains all the way to Hiroshima. Spend 1 or 2 nights in one of these cities before heading to Hiroshima. We loved both of these cities.

Thanks for the details!

I might look for accommodation near Himeji, but I’d read that the area around the castle isn’t very appealing.

Alternatively, maybe go from Kinosaki to Kobe and stay overnight there to head to Himeji and then Hiroshima the next day. Is Kobe an interesting city?

Thanks so much! We did indeed plan to visit the Okayama area, but on our way back to Tokyo. Noted! 😉

Yeah, that’s a great option too! You’re gonna love it. 😉

This is exactly the kind of route I'd take without overthinking it.

Kinosaki Onsen - Himeji: 1h41 direct with the Hamakaze Limited Express No. 2 Kinosaki Onsen 07:13 - Himeji 09:17

The fastest and most comfortable option aboard a Kiha 189 railcar. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR_West_s%C3%A9rie_KiHa_189

The other Hamakaze trains are too late and waste the whole day.

Otherwise, the best alternative train is this one: 09:33 Kinosaki Onsen Station Kounotori 12 Limited Express 12:16 Amagasaki Station 12:21 Amagasaki Station Tokaido-Sanyo Line Special Rapid to Himeji via Maibara 13:17 HIMEJI STATION

Then, Himeji to Hiroshima is no problem at all. It doesn’t matter if it’s dark when you arrive in Hiroshima—there’s not much to see along the way anyway. The Sanyo Shinkansen has a lot of tunnels. I might even grab a bite in Himeji before taking the shinkansen.

I might even grab a bite in Himeji before taking the Shinkansen.

Or buy an ekiben...

About thirty years ago, we spent a week in Kurashiki and did Hiroshima/Miyajima as a day trip. It was totally doable, even eating an ekiben we bought at Hiroshima Station on one of the last evening trains. Another very doable day trip is to Takamatsu and Ritsurin-koen (I think it’s the second most beautiful in Japan) via the great Seto Ohashi Bridge over the Seto Inland Sea.

If not Kurashiki, Okayama might be an even better place to stay since it’s easier for connections and has several "ekimae" hotels near or even inside the station. Plus, it’s an easy 15-minute trip to spend the day in Kurashiki.

Hi there, Yes, hotel prices in Kurashiki and Okayama are more affordable than in Hiroshima, and Takamatsu is also budget-friendly. These are all human-scale cities where it’s really easy to get around in any direction, whether by bus or train.

Hi there, Thanks for all this info. We’ll probably head all the way to Hiroshima, even if it means arriving at night.

Thanks so much! Ideally, we’d like to avoid hopping between too many accommodations and explore from one home base instead.