Best Way to get from Kansai Airport (KIX) to Osaka
So, you are starting your Japan trip in the wonderful city of Osaka! Or, maybe you are simply doing a city-trip? No matter the context of your stay in Osaka, you found yourself at Kansai International Airport and now you are wondering: What’s the best way to get to Osaka city centre from Kansai Airport? Well, let us help you with that!
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How to get from Kansai International Airport to Osaka
Truthfully, this can be quite a daunting question. When we first landed at Kansai Airport, we had not done any research whatsoever on the best way(s) to get to Osaka. And so, we were quite overwhelmed by the various options that were presented to us when we left the airport. Especially, since we had no idea what the best option would be for us personally.
In this quick guide, we will go over the many different transportation options that exist between Kansai Airport and Osaka. And at the end, we will tell you what option is best for you, so you won’t have to play the same guessing game as we didπ! Let’s go!


Are you currently planning your trip to Osaka? Then you may be interested in:
Do this BEFORE leaving the airport for Osaka
If you haven’t already, there are two things you should take care of as soon as you land in Japan. Believe us, it will make the trip into the city centre so much easier if you sort these out right at the airport.
π Nr 1.: Get a SIM Card
In order to get real-time information on e.g. train connections – respectively – navigate your way to your hotel in Osaka as soon as you reach the city centre: Get a SIM Card or some other form of data.
Personally, we would recommend to either:
- pre-order a physical SIM-Card with an airport pick-up option via Klook*, OR
- get an eSIM via one of the many providers. For Japan specifically, Maya Mobile has some of the best offers* currently.
For more information on SIM-Card and eSIM offers in Japan, check out
π Nr. 2.: Get an Icoca Card
The IC-Card typical for Japan’s Kansai Region is called Icoca Card. In case you don’t know, an IC Card is a rechargeable transportation card that can be used to pay for public transport (i.e. the subway, local trains or local buses). Do note, it cannot be used to pay for e.g. shinkansen/bullet trains or special airport trains! You’ll need to buy separate tickets for the latter, but more on that later.


Where to get an Icoca Card?
When exciting the airport, make your way to Kansai Airport Station, which is located across the street from the Kansai Airport Terminal 1. This is also the station where all trains to Osaka leave from.
Inside the station, find the JR West Ticket Office. Don’t worry too much if the lines seem huge, it should move rather fast. The price you’ll pay for the Icoca card also includes a credit that is put on your card. That way you can use it right away without having to charge the card first yourself.
Note: Buying your Icoca Card at the JR West Ticket Office is especially convenient if you plan to take the Haruka Express. The latter requires separate tickets that can be bought at the ticket office. In case you pre-order your Haruka Express ticket online*, this is also where you will have to exchange your QR-Code for the actual tickets.
While the Icoca Card can only be bought the Kansai Region (i.e. Osaka and Kyoto, etc.), it can be used and charged all over Japan.

Your options to get from Kansai Airport to Osaka
In this section we will go over the most popular options to get from Kansai Airport to Osaka.
π Travel by Train
Most people leave Kansai Airport by train. Train infrastructure in Japan is very good in general, which makes it a reliable and often also quite affordable option to get to where you want to go.
There are quite a few options to choose from, all at various price points and travel times. Half the trains are operated by Nankai, the others by JR. All trains leave from Kansai Airport Station, which is located across the street from Kansai Airport Terminal 1.


1. The Nankai Line Airport Express
The Nankai Line Airport Express is a commuter train running between Kansai Airport and Namba Station. It takes ~45 minutes to get from the airport to Namba Station with a total of 12 stops in-between. This train departs ~4 times per hour, a time table can be found here.
This train costs Β₯920 for adults going all the way to Namba Station. The seats are non-reserved and the train can sometimes get a little crowded. However, you do not need a special ticket for the Nankai Line Airport Express, paying by Icoca Card is fine!
Nankai Line Airport Express Stops
Kansai Airport β Rinku Town β Izumisano β Kaizuka β Kishiwada β Haruki β Izumiotsu β Hagoromo β Sakai β Tengachaya β Shin-Imamiya β Namba
2. The Nankai Line Rapid Express
The Rapid Express (or Rapi:t) is the faster version of the Airport Express. It also goes to Namba Station, but it has fewer stops and therefore takes less time. Among train enthusiasts, the Nankai Rapid Express is somewhat of an attraction due to its unique physique. This train departs ~2 times per hour, a time table can be found here.
In order to board the Rapid Express, you are required to purchase separate tickets (i.e. paying solely by Icoca Card is no option). These tickets in return allow you to reserve a specific seat on the train. You can choose between Super Seats and Regular Seats. The only real difference is that Super Seats are more spacious. To go from Kansai Airport to Namba by Rapid Express is Β₯1300 per adult for a Regular Seat and Β₯1490 per adult for a Super Seat.

Tickets can be purchased at Kansai Airport Station. However, we would recommend booking them in advance online via Klook*. This has the advantage that you will not need to queue. You will receive your ticket as a QR Code (on the day itself) and your seats can be reserved easily online beforehand as well (instructions to do so are provided by the website).
Before we wrap this section up, there is one last thing to note. There are two different versions of this train, the Rapi:t Ξ± and the Rapi:t Ξ². The Rapi:t Ξ± takes ~34 minutes and the Rapi:t Ξ² ~37 minutes. This is due to the fact that the Rapi:t Ξ² train services two more stations. As a tourist who is probably travelling all the way to Namba, you can use both trains.
Nankai Line Rapid Express Stops
Rapi:t Ξ± trains stop at the following stations:
Kansai Airport β Rinku Town β Izumisano β Tengachaya β Shin-Imamiya β Namba
Rapi:t Ξ² trains stop at the following stations:
Kansai Airport β Rinku Town β Izumisano β Kishiwada β Sakai β Tengachaya β Shin-Imamiya β Namba
3. The JR Airport Rapid Train
The JR Airport Rapid Train is again more-over a commuter train. It first goes to TennΕji Station, from where it will follow a clockwise course around the Osaka Loop. A list of stations serviced by this train until it reaches Osaka Station can be found in the highlight box down below.
Prices vary depending on the distance travelled. It will cost around Β₯1080 to get to TennΕji Station and take you ~50 minutes. Getting to Osaka station costs around Β₯1210 and will take ~65 minutes. Again, since this is a regular commuter train, you do not need a special ticket for it, paying by Icoca Card is fine!
There are no reserved seats and the train may get crowded the closer it gets to Osaka. However, since Kansai Airport is the first station, you should not have any trouble to get a seat.
JR Airport Rapid Train Stops to Osaka Station
Kansai Airport – Hineno – Higashi-Kishiwada – Otori – Sakai Shi – TennΕji – Shin-Imamiya – Benten-cho – Nishikujo – Osaka Station
4. The JR Haruka Express Train
The JR Haruka Express Train is JR’s version of a special airport service. The major difference to all the previous trains is that this one does not only service Osaka, but can also get you all the way to Kyoto. Furthermore, it also services Shin-Osaka Station. The latter is the station where all shinkansen trains stop when they pass through Osaka.
The JR Haruka Express leaves twice per hour and takes ~45 minutes to get to Osaka Station and ~50 minutes to get to Shin-Osaka Station. Prices vary depending on the destination you want to go to. The price for an adult is Β₯1300 to go to TennΕji, Β₯1800 to go to Osaka/Shin-Osaka and Β₯2200 to go to Kyoto Station.
As far as seating goes, the Haruka Express train usually has around six carriages, with one carriage being a first-class carriage. The rest are split between reserved seat carriages and unreserved seat carriages. Note: Some, but not all Haruka Express Trains have a Hello Kitty Design, which is especially popular among tourists! We actually ended up catching one of them without planning for it!


Tickets can be bought either at the JR West Ticket Office or beforehand online via Klook*. Do note that if you pre-book your tickets online, you will still have to redeem your tickets once you arrive at Kansai Airport. This either works at the ticket office or at one of the E-Ticket Machines.
Haruka Express Train Stops
Kansai Airport – TennΕji – Osaka – Shin-Osaka – Takatsuki – Kyoto
Note: During rush hour, the train has a few additional stops. E.g., between Kansai Airport and Osaka Station, stops at Hineno and Izumi-Fuchu Station are added.
π Travel by Bus
Another option is to get to Osaka by bus. There are quite a number of buses leaving from Kansai Airport to go to various locations throughout Osaka and the whole Kansai region. In this section, we will limit ourselves to a few of the more popular routes for tourists. Do note that travel times can of course be affected by traffic.
- to Osaka Station. Price: Β₯1800. Travel Time: ~58 minutes.
- to Namba. Price: Β₯1300. Travel Time: ~50 minutes.
- to Universal Studios Japan (USJ). Price: Β₯1800. Travel Time: ~1h 10 minutes
- to Kobe. Price: Β₯2800. Travel Time: ~1h 05 minutes.
- to Nara. Price: Β₯2400. Travel Time: ~1h 43 minutes.
Buses depart from Terminal 1 as well as Terminal 2. Follow the signs to get to the bus stop of the terminal you land at. Tickets can be purchases at the ticket counters in front of each bus stop. Head to the official website of the Kansai Airport Transportation Enterprise for a great overview of each bus stop as well as what bus leaves where.

π Travel by Taxi
Lastly, you can also get to Osaka from Kansai Airport by taxi. This form of transport can be one of the fastest, but it can of course also be affected by traffic. In ideal conditions, a taxi ride to Osaka Station will take ~39 minutes. Prices are pretty high though. Expect roughly Β₯19.000-24.000 for this route.
The best way to get from Kansai Airport to Osaka
So, now, what is the best way to get to Osaka from Kansai Airport? As you might have guessed, there is no “one best way”. In the end, everything will depend on you, your budget and your travel style. Nonetheless, we tried to answer this question for a number of different scenarios. So, let’s have a look.
ποΈ If you have a JR Pass …
… then we would advise you to take the JR Haruka Express, no further questions asked. The Haruka Express is fast, convenient and best of all included in the JR Pass. Make sure to pick up your JR Pass at the JR West Ticket Office at Kansai Airport as soon as you arrive.
πΈ If you are on a budget …
… and time is not of essence, then we suggest taking either the Nankai Line Airport Express or the JR Airport Rapid Train depending on your end destination (i.e. Namba or Osaka Station).
π If you want it to be fast …
… then we suggest taking either the Nankai Line Rapid Express or the JR Haruka Express, again, depending on your end destination (i.e. Namba or Osaka Station).
π‘ If you are going straight to Universal Studios Japan …
… then consider taking the bus. No need to transfer to another train, which spares you of the hassle to figure out what train goes to the Universal Studios and what train does not.


Getting from Kansai Airport to Osaka: Final Thoughts
So, let’s resume. From Kansai Airport you can either go to Osaka by train, bus or taxi. The most popular way among tourists is probably the train, especially when it comes to travelling to e.g. Namba or Osaka Station.
There are two special airport trains (the Nankai Rapid Express and the JR Haruka Express), which require separate tickets and are known for their special look among train enthusiasts. They are also the fastest option to get to Osaka.
Now, we hope this guide helps you find your best way to get to Osaka from Kansai Airport, be it by special airport train, commuter train, bus or taxi! If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!
And, as always: Safe and Happy Travels!π