Kobe is one of the three major port cities in Japan. It is located 30 min. west of Osaka by train. The city is rather compact sandwiched between mountain range in the north and ocean in the south. It has a mixed culture of Japanese, Chinese and Western.
You can choose 3 spots from the list below.
At your hotel in Kobe
It's a perfect spot to have a panoramic view of the city and enjoy nature. We will take an airy gondola for 10 min. to go up to the garden entrance that is 400m above the ground. The place has a numerous kinds of flowers and herbs.
Nankinmachi Chinatown is located in the center of the city. Locals and tourists visit there to enjoy Chinese street food.
When the port was opened 150 years ago, westerners built their houses in the Kitano area on a hill. You can see about 20 houses in colonial style, and some are open to public.
Harborland is a name of the area near the port. You can have a short cruise or relax at Mosaic Mall overlooking ships come and go. There are about 50 restaurants and shops in the open air mall.
Ikuta Jinja Shrine was establised in 201 AD. Although it's not far from the city center, you can feel sacred air in the shrine grounds. God of sea is enshrined here.
It used to be a residence of Taijiro Kodera, father of former Kobe city mayor in the early 20th century. 20,000 square meter garden has a pond that colorful Koi carps swim, and you can stroll around it.
At the last destination or your hotel in Kobe
guide fee,
hotel pick up in Kobe
transportation fees for you and guide,
entrance fees for you (Harbor Cruise 1,500yen, Kitano Foreign Residence 350-1050yen, Nunobiki Herb Garden including gondola 1,800yen),
lunch for you (Kobe beef lunch is around 3,500 to 10,000yen depending on the size and the portion of the meat.)
Please choose 3 spots you like to visit.
We will have a lunch break during the tour. I will book a restaurant if you like to have Kobe beef lunch.
I accept a tour request until 2 days prior to the tour date and a group of 2 persons up to 10 persons.
“Kyoto 9 Hour Tour on April 14”
We recently booked Mari for a shore excursion from Osaka to Kyoto. Despite our numerous questions prior to the trip, she was always very patient in her responses. Through her thoughtful planning, our party of 6 got to experience travelling via a variety of local transportation and navigated the busy tourist areas with ease. We would not hesitate to recommend Mari and would book her again if we visited Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe (her home town) again. Thank you Mari!
Mari N.
(126 reviews)Dear Chris, Thank you so much for your kind review. I had such an enjoyable group and had fun myself. It was my pleasure answering your questions. I hope to see you again in the near future! Mari
“Very pleasant day in Kobe”
Mari knows Kobe well and shared a very pleasant day with us visiting the Nunobiki herb garden, Kitano Foreign Residence Area, lunch at lovely teppanyaki restaurant and a visit to the very peaceful Sorakuen Japanese Garden. Thank you for a lovely day, Hedi and Bruce.
Mari N.
(126 reviews)Thank you so much for taking time to write a Kobe tour review. I also had a wonderful time with you and Hedi. Regards, Mari
“Interesting and enjoyable day in Osaka”
Thank you very much for an interesting and enjoyable day in Osaka. We enjoyed the historical sites of Osaka castle, Shitennoji temple and the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, as well as Namba and the Dotomnori markets. And your choice for lunch was excellent, thank you. We are very much looking forward to our next visit with you. All the best, Hedi and Bruce.
Mari N.
(126 reviews)Thank you very much for your thoughtful comments. I was so thankful for showing your interest in our history. I’m also happy to know you enjoyed our local food! Best regards, Mari