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1-Day Kobe Highlights Tour including Sake Tasting

Nature, Food, and Sake in Kobe-Tradition and Culture for all 5 Senses!

Overview

Enjoy a leisurely 7-hour tour of Kobe, a port town that developed and flourished after Japan opened its ports to the world in the mid 19th century with a local guide.
From the north in nature rich Mt. Rokko, downtown Kobe City in the south where you can enjoy shopping and gourmet, and Japan's leading sake breweries in the eastern Kashiwa sake district, enjoy a varied atmosphere in this coastal city. This tour covers all the best Kobe has to offer. We also offer pick-up and drop-off at Kobe Port making this a convenient day trip for those visiting Kobe on cruise ships such as the “Diamond Princess” or the “Celebrity Millennium”.

IMG-2215.jpg① Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway(9:40〜9:50)
Travel up the Nunobiki Ropeway from the Herb Garden Sanroku Station, only a 5-minute walk from Shin-Kobe Station. While riding the ropeway to the herb garden, relish in the 360-degree dynamic view from the glass cable car of the Nunobiki Falls below, and the Kobe Port in the distance.

IMG-2223.jpg② Nunobiki Herb Garden (9:50-11:20)
The Nunobiki Herb Garden is Japan's largest herb garden with 75,000 herbs and 200 flower species. Take some time to relax while gazing out at the view of Kobe City from the rich nature of Mt. Rokko from the observation plaza, the terrace, and Kaze no Oka Square. You can also take a 10 minute stroll down the ropeway’s skywalk to get yet another great view of Kobe’s cityscape, Nunobiki Falls, Gobonmatsu dam, and more.

IMG-2250.jpg③ Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum (11:40-12:40)
After the herb garden, head on over to the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum- a short walk from Shin-Kobe Station. Established in 1984, it is the only carpentry tool museum in Japan. Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum moved to its current location at Shin-Kobe Station in 2014. More than 35,000 items are on display in the museum, and the increasingly rare carpenter tools from this disappearing craft are collected and preserved as part of Japan’s ethnic heritage. In addition to seeing the exhibition, you can indulge in all five senses by touching the carpentry tools, appreciating the structure of Japanese wooden architecture, and smelling the fragrant wood. There are also many touch panels and videos with easy to understand explanations, making the exhibition accessible to many visitors.

IMG-2262.jpg④ Lunch Time (13:00-13:50)
For lunch, dig into some world famous Kobe beef. Your guide will take you to a restaurant near Sannomiya Station depending on your preference. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, we can offer you an alternative restaurant.

Ikuta Shrine.jpg⑤ Ikuta Shrine(13:55-14:15)
The most popular shrine in Kobe and the origin of its name, this shrine honors the god of marriage. Hundreds of couples hold their wedding ceremony here each year. Also take a look at the water which is said to tell the future.

Hakutsuru Sake Brewery.jpg⑥ Hakutsuru Sake Brewery (15:00-15:50)
Hyogo Prefecture boasts the best sake production in Japan. The Nada Gogo area (literally the 5 villages of Nada) in particular is blessed with a climate suitable for sake brewing, and prospered in the coastal area of ​​Kobe Nishinomiya. It is the best sake in Japan going back to the Muromachi and Edo periods in the 16th century.
Among them, Hakutsuru Sake Brewery is a brewery that has always been at the forefront of trends in the sake industry such as introducing drinking chilled sake, and selling other sake in easily accessible plastic bottle containers. The museum was made by remodeling the No. 1 sake storehouse. In order to reproduce the traditional sake brewing process in an easy-to-understand manner, a three-dimensional display of sake production, including life sized figurines, is on display. You can also partake in a sake tasting at the main sake corner on the 1st floor.

Highlights

・ A panoramic view of Kobe from the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway
・ Relaxing time at the Nunobiki Herb Garden, surrounded by the aroma of herbs and colorful flowers
・ Japanese wooden construction techniques and cultural heritage at Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
・ Kobe beef lunch
・ Traditional Japanese sake tasting at the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
・ A personalized tour with a maximum of 8 people

Note

・We can adjust the start time or itinerary depending on your wishes.
・Please contact us if you wish to book this tour using private car instead of public transportation.
・Available for the groups without wheelchair user.
・During the peak travel seasons of March, April, October, and November 9 to December 25, please be aware that there will be an additional charge of 2,000 yen per person for the tour.
・Tour duration can be extended at a rate of 6,000 yen per group, per hour. During the peak months of March, April, and October, the rate is 8,000 yen per hour. Please be aware that the tour extension depends on the guide's availability and may not always be possible. Any additional charges for extended time will be invoiced online after the tour based on the actual duration of the extension.

  Price ¥20,000 / person

¥20,000 for 2 persons or more
¥18,000 for 3 adults or more
¥38,000 for solo tourist
¥10,000 for children(Age 5 -12)
Free of charge for children(Age under 4)

  Duration 7 hours
  Hours of availability

Start Time: 9:30
Ending Time: 16:30

  Inclusions

・English Guide
・Hotel pick up and drop off (Limited to Kobe city or Kobe port)
・Round-trip Ropeway
・Entrance Fee
・Sake Tasting
・Train Ticket(Sannomiya station → Sumiyoshi station)
・Local Tax

  Exclusions

・Lunch

  Participants 1〜6 people

Reviews (18)

ECOchandesuyo()★★★★★

神戸らしさを満喫できる

海や山を身近にもつ神戸らしいところを簡単に見て回れるのはとても良いと思います。ここから更に趣のある神戸らしいところを掘り下げればもっと楽しめるのではないでしょうか。

Roxanne(Australia)★★★★★

Excellent

All the activities were very enjoyable and we particularly loved the Herb Garden
Our Guide, Mizuho was friendly informative and made the day very special.

Macdonald(Australia)★★★★★

Perfect Kobe Tour

Our guide Akari met us on time and was an excellent host. She allowed us to set the pace, was always courteous and we didn’t have to worry about a single thing.

Yi Yong Lim(Singapore)★★★★★

Pleasant experience

KK San was our guide for the day and it was a private tour for my parents and myself. She was highly knowledgeable about Kobe and provided us with valuable insights and history about each attraction. She was very friendly and often helped to take pictures for my family. She was also very accommodating about the schedule and even helped to call a restaraunt to facilitate my dinner reservation for after the tour. The Herb Garden was truly beautiful and the weather during the Autumn season in October was simply lovely. I had the most amazing Lavendar ice cream there and would definitely recommend it to all travellers. The tour itinerary on Klook seemed rather misleading as it turned out to be a walking tour (and we even had to self-pay a taxi to get to the sake museum due to time constraints), so some consideration should be given for travellers with mobility issues. Overall, I had a pleasant experience and although the itinerary could well be self-guided, the addition of KK San's commentary at each location made the tour all the more worth the money spent.

Sirilak Lertkangwarnklai(Thailand)★★★★★

Had a good time in Kobe

We really had a good time in Kobe. KK San who is the local guide is very kind,knowledgeable and very supportive to our group during our trip. This is our first time having a local guide to the trip, this helps us understand more of the city and everywhere that we go. This is one of our good memory in our trip. It is also great that the program is flexible to our private group which we have small children,so we were recommended to cruising instead which is a great choice. We were enjoy it very much. However, the optional program may need to pay the entry fee by ourselves but for us it is alright,we are fine with this choice. We are glad that we booked this program and we will try it next time.

Marlena Owen(Australia)★★★★★

Kobe Highlights

Our guide Ayako was knowledgeable and had great English. She went above and beyond to make our day as seamless as possible and we had a great day exploring the sights of Kobe. The confirmation email received from the company prior to the tour perfectly explained the itinerary for the day and even included photos of where to meet and a photo of our guide. Our only suggestion would be to add the expectation to pay for the guides lunch as an item not covered in the tour cost. While we didn’t mind, it would be good to know this in advance before booking the tour.

Julienne Kho(Hong Kong)★★★★★

Mizuho was a wonderful guide

Mizuho was a wonderful guide. She made the tour nice. She was so understanding as well when i was late due to going to the incorrect station. As for the tour itself, I feel that there's still something a bit lacking with the itinerary.. even though I was late we still ended early.

PROBAL ROY CHOUDHURY(India)★★★★★

A wonderful tour with a beautiful guide through fantastic locations

The guide, Ms.Mizuho was extremely knowledgeable, co-operative & kind. She made our day outstanding.The choice of destinations were wonderful. So beautiful that the stipulated 7 hour time frame might fall short.

Marcus Uuranen(Australia)★★★★★

Great way to get around Kobe

The guide was very friendly and patient and spent time visiting the various sites. It was easy to get around to and from the sites and the guide explained everything well.

Chan Cheuk Yi(Hong Kong)★★★★★

Kaori is attentive and professional!

The tour guide, Kaori is attentive and professional, the communication is very harmonious, the itinerary and arrangements are very good, the distance to the scenic spots is appropriately selected, and the time is perfect. It is worth recommending.

Martha Nelson(USA)★★★★

Lots to See in Kobe

We learned a lot about Kobe on this tour, which was our goal. The Herb Garden, located on such a steep hillside that we rode a rope line to the top and walked down, offered a beautiful, natural setting around each curve in the path. Touring the merchants’ homes in Ijinkan gave us a grasp of the importance of Kobe as an International port in the 1800’s. It was also fascinating to see the involved sake making process!
Our tour had a few hiccups… different opening hours or not open at all (tool museum was closed), but our guide Etsuko was prepared to offer interesting alternatives for us to see.

LUCAS JANKOWSKI(Australia)★★★★★

Nice area, good for a walk around look around

Lovely day out. The herb garden was beautiful and the carpentry museum was very interesting, how they built their temples and houses. Recommend. Kobe is a nice area to check out.

Jianping Zhang(USA)★★★★★

We enjoyed the tour!

We enjoyed the tour. Well planned out to take in the key sites in Kobe.
The herb garden and harbour visit, as well as the sake brewery and tasting were particularly noteworthy.

Alain Paul Depierreux(Luxembourg)★★★★★

Modern and pleasant city

A modern and pleasant city to visit.
Its famous Kobe beef is not to be missed. A cable car will take you to the Herb Garden, a beautiful place with a splendid view of the city.

Nicholas Solomou(Australia)★★★★

Experienced and knowledgeable tour guide.

Experienced and knowledgeable tour guide. Mizu was a great guide. Recommend for a history of kobe...

Brian Heath(USA)★★★★★

Fun full day exploring Kobe

We really enjoyed this full day exploring Kobe. The carpentry museum was great and the building was a cool mix of modern architecture with great wood details, but I'm a woodworker so your mileage may vary.
The ride (gondolas) to get to the top of the herb gardens was fun. If you enjoy gardens and beautiful views of the city, you'll enjoy this.
The shrine was a nice stop in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. I will say, compared to some other places in Japan, Kobe seemed a little more run down.
The sake museum and tasting was ok, especially if you compare it with some of the distillery tours in the US. It's a long commute for the experience.
Our tour guide was very nice and helpful. We enjoyed learning more about Japan and Kobe as we explored the city and the sights together.

Leah Bollos()★★★★

We enjoyed our time in Kobe!

We enjoyed our time in Kobe. Our tour was laid back, flexible and our tour guide gave us enough time to enjoy each venue. We appreciate that they gave us restaurant options for our lunch (separate expense) taking note of our dietary needs. We would not have been able to find a similar dining experience without their help. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable as well. As it is a walking tour, be sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Recommended for a group of adults.

Gregory Smith(USA)★★★★

Kobe Port tour

The Sake tour was great. Saw how Sake was made and then got to taste different brands.
Unfortunately the Herb Garden tour and the Tool museum was closed. We also visited the local shrine.


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