Start your Kansai excursion with a day trip to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan. Just 30 minutes away from Osaka by rapid train, With its many temples, shrines, and well-preserved stone-paved streets, Kyoto offers a completely different vibe from the very urban Osaka. (It has many temples, gardens, and walking paths where you can admire cherry blossoms, too!)

We suggest renting a kimono to stroll around Kyoto in style, and/or booking a tea ceremony (both available as add-ons). In the evening, you can also enjoy nighttime cherry blossom illuminations at selected locations.

Spend another day immersing yourself in Japan’s history and traditional culture with a visit to Nara, one of Japan’s former imperial capitals. It’s best known for the deer that freely roam around the vast Nara Park, as well as the cluster of historical temples and shrines around the park.

If you plan to stay here all day, you may have time to visit one of the most beautiful cherry blossom-viewing spots in the area and in all of Japan: scenic Mt. Yoshino. (Note: Depending on which route you take, part or all of the journey will require taking a private railway not covered by the Kansai Wide Area Pass.)

Otherwise, you can spend half a day in Nara, and the other half enjoying premium matcha and matcha-based dishes, drinks, and desserts at Uji, Kyoto’s matcha town.

Stroll around the port town of Kobe, which also has other charms to offer beyond its famous melt-in-your-mouth Kobe beef: historical districts where foreign traders once settled, high-quality sake, and scenic nature close to the city. While you’re here, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy authentic Kobe beef for lunch or dinner (available for booking as add-ons).

You can spend an entire day exploring Kobe if you like, but alternatively, you can spend a few hours in Hyogo Prefecture’s Himeji, home to one of Japan’s most beautiful castles, then enjoy the rest of your day in Kobe.

Having visited Osaka’s most popular neighboring destinations on previous days, you can maximize your last day of using the Kansai Wide Area Pass (assuming you started using it on Day 1) by either revisiting a place from the previous days that you liked, or going a bit off the beaten path by visiting relatively less-explored Shiga or Wakayama.

Alternatively, enjoy seaside views in northern Kyoto (nicknamed “Kyoto by the Sea”), or try onsen bathing at the hot-spring town of Kinosaki Onsen. Or, venture past Kansai to the more laid-back Okayama, Tottori, or Takamatsu: all cities farther out in western Japan that are not part of the Kansai region but are covered by your pass.

Assuming that your last day to use the Kansai Wide Area Pass was the previous day, use this day to explore bustling Osaka. Pick up some local history with a visit to Osaka Castle and the park surrounding it, which is a popular local cherry blossom-viewing spot; shop as much as you like at the vibrant shopping streets of Namba and Shinsaibashi; and/or enjoy local nightlife and delicacies such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki at Dotonbori.

Though your journey throughout Kansai ends on this day, depending on the time of your flight, you may still have time to do some last-minute sightseeing. We recommend strolling around a park or traditional garden to see cherry blossoms one last time before you go.

Then, approximately 3 hours before your flight, head to Kansai Airport for your return flight, either via public transit (can be covered by your 5-day Kansai Wide Area Pass, if you designate today as your last day to use it) or private transfer (available as an add-on).