Kobe, Hyogo · Things to do
Things to Do in Kobe: 12 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
12 things to do · checked October 20, 2026
12 things to do in Kobe, from the waterfront to the hills
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 20, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Kobe Port Tower神戸ポートタワー
Observation tower · Meriken Park
The red lattice tower on the Kobe waterfront, with indoor observation floors, a rooftop open-air deck reached by stairs from the top floor, and a revolving café and bar that turns 360 degrees in about 30 minutes. Entry to the observation floors and rooftop needs a ticket for a set date and time.
- Access
- 5 minutes on foot from exit 2 of Minato-Motomachi Station (Kaigan Line); 15 minutes from the west exit of JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station; 15 minutes from the south exit of JR Kobe Station; 20 minutes from the east exit of Kosoku-Kobe Station.
- Hours
- 9:00–23:00 (last admission 22:30); revolving café and bar last order 22:00
- Closed on
- Open all year except maintenance closures and private events
- Price
- Observation floors + rooftop: adults (high school and over) ¥1,200, children (elementary and junior high) ¥500. Observation floors only: ¥1,000 / ¥400. Preschool children free. The lower floors need no ticket.
2Meriken Park and Kobe Maritime Museumメリケンパーク・神戸海洋博物館
Waterfront park and museum · Meriken Park
The harbour park around the Port Tower. It holds the Kobe Maritime Museum, whose white space-frame canopy was built in 1987 to mark 120 years since the port opened in 1868 and which was renovated in 2020, and the BE KOBE sculpture for the port's 150th anniversary. The Kobe Port Weekend Fireworks (18 April 2026 to 20 March 2027) are usually launched on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays and last about 5 minutes.
- Access
- The same walk as the Port Tower in the park: 5 minutes from exit 2 of Minato-Motomachi Station (Kaigan Line), 15 minutes from JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station or JR Kobe Station.
3Kobe Harborland and umie MOSAIC神戸ハーバーランド umie MOSAIC
Waterfront shopping and dining area · Harborland
A waterfront area with the red-brick Kobe Brick Warehouse and the Former Kobe Port Signal Station, the oldest remaining building in the Port of Kobe. umie MOSAIC is a large mall of about 230 stores, restaurants and a cinema, with a Ferris wheel whose view takes in Mt. Rokko, the Port Tower and the Kobe Bridge.
- Access
- About 5 minutes on foot from JR Kobe Station or Harborland Station (via the Duo Kobe underground mall); about 10 minutes from Kosoku-Kobe Station.
- Hours
- MOSAIC shops 10:00–20:00; MOSAIC restaurants 11:00–22:00; MOSAIC Ferris wheel 10:00–22:00 (some shops differ)
4Kitano Ijinkan-gai (former foreign residences)北野異人館街
Historic residential district · Kitano
A hillside district just north of Sannomiya where late-19th-century houses built for foreign merchants and diplomats still stand. Each house charges its own entry fee: Weathercock House ¥500, Moegi House ¥500, Yamate Hachiban-kan ¥550.
- Access
- 10 to 15 minutes on foot from Sannomiya and Motomachi; the district site describes it as a short walk uphill from the city centre.
- Price
- Per house: Weathercock House ¥500; Moegi House ¥500; Yamate Hachiban-kan ¥550
5Weathercock House風見鶏の館
Historic house museum · Kitano
A red-brick house built around 1909 as the residence of the German trader Gottfried Thomas, designed by the German architect Georg de Lalande. It is a National Important Cultural Property and the best-known house in Kitano.
- Access
- In Kitano, 3-13-3 Kitano-cho; the district is 10 to 15 minutes on foot from Sannomiya and Motomachi.
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00
- Closed on
- Third Tuesday of the month
- Price
- Adults ¥500; high school students and younger free; free for visitors with disabilities and Kobe residents aged 65 and over
6Ikuta Shrine生田神社
Shinto shrine · Sannomiya
A shrine in the middle of downtown Kobe with a history of more than 1,800 years. VISIT KOBE notes that the name Kobe comes from Kanbe, the families who protected the shrine's deities.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot north from JR Sannomiya or the private-line Sannomiya stations; about 20 minutes on foot south from Shin-Kobe Station, or 5 minutes by taxi.
7Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway神戸布引ハーブ園／ロープウェイ
Herb garden with ropeway · Shin-Kobe
A hillside herb garden reached only by ropeway from beside Shin-Kobe Station; the ride up takes about 10 minutes and looks over Kobe and Osaka Bay. After 17:00 on weekends and holidays only the viewing area stays open.
- Access
- Shin-Kobe Station (Shinkansen and subway), about 5 minutes on foot to the ropeway's lower station, which sits on the west side of ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kobe. From Sannomiya it is one stop on the subway to Shin-Kobe.
- Hours
- Ropeway first car 9:30. To 6 November: weekdays garden 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), last ropeway up 16:45; weekends and holidays garden to 20:30, last ropeway up 20:15. 7 November–28 December: to 20:30 on Fridays to Sundays and holidays (every day from 11 December). 29 December–12 March: garden 10:00–17:00.
- Closed on
- 23 January–19 February 2027 (planned annual inspection); also in strong wind or lightning
- Price
- Ropeway + garden round trip: adults ¥2,500, children ¥1,250; one way ¥1,900 / ¥950. After 17:00: round trip ¥2,000 / ¥1,200. Preschool children free. Special prices apply 7 November–28 December.
8Mt. Maya Kikuseidai and the Maya Viewline摩耶山 掬星台・まやビューライン
Night-view platform with cable car and ropeway · Mt. Maya
Kikuseidai is the observation platform at 702 m on Mt. Maya, reached by the Maya cable car and then the Maya ropeway (about 5 minutes each, 15 to 25 minutes in all). VISIT KOBE counts its night view among Japan's three top night views.
- Access
- From Sannomiya, Kobe City Bus line 18 via Shin-Kobe (about 10 and 15 minutes) to the Maya Cable-shita stop beside the cable station; a taxi takes 20 to 25 minutes.
- Hours
- First cable car 10:00. Last ropeway up (Hoshi-no-Eki): Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 17:30; Fridays, Saturdays and holidays 20:50 until 31 October, 19:50 from 1 November. On the last round trip you have about 25 minutes at Kikuseidai on Mon/Wed/Thu and about 15 minutes on the late-running days.
- Closed on
- Tuesdays (the next weekday if Tuesday is a holiday); stops in strong wind
- Price
- Whole line, adults (12 and over) ¥900 one way, ¥1,560 round trip; children (6 to 11) ¥450 / ¥780
9Mt. Rokko: Rokko Cable and Rokko-Shidare Observatory六甲山（六甲ケーブル・自然体感展望台 六甲枝垂れ）
Mountain cable car and observatory · Mt. Rokko
The Rokko Cable climbs 1.7 km to the Rokko Sanjo (summit) Station at 737 m in about 10 minutes. From there a mountain bus reaches Rokko Garden Terrace in about 13 minutes, where the Rokko-Shidare observatory, at up to 888 m, looks out to Awaji Island, the Osaka plain and Kansai Airport and, after dark, over the city's night view.
- Access
- Kobe City Bus line 16 to the Rokko Cable-shita terminus: about 14 minutes from Hankyu Rokko, 19 from JR Rokko-michi, 32 from Hanshin Mikage. Then the cable car, then the Rokko mountain bus.
- Hours
- Cable car from about 7:10, last departure 21:10 (from the lower station)
- Price
- Rokko Cable: adults ¥800 one way, ¥1,550 round trip; children ¥400 / ¥780. Rokko-Shidare observatory: junior high and over ¥1,000, ages 4 to elementary ¥500, 3 and under free.
10Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum白鶴酒造資料館
Sake brewery museum · Nada (Sumiyoshi)
A museum in a sake brewery built in the Taisho period, with the traditional brewing process laid out in order. Near the end of the route visitors can try on old shop-clerk uniforms for photos. It is self-guided and free.
- Access
- 5 minutes on foot from Hanshin Sumiyoshi Station; 15 minutes from JR Sumiyoshi Station.
- Hours
- 9:30–16:30 (last entry 16:00); groups of 10 or more reserve online
- Closed on
- 28 December 2026–4 January 2027; may close temporarily for maintenance
- Price
- Free
11Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum菊正宗酒造記念館
Sake brewery museum · Nada (Uozaki)
A free museum on sake brewing in Nada: the process, the tools, and the water, rice and climate behind Nada sake. Its tasting area pours seasonal sake. A separate cup exhibition hall and the Taru Sake Meister Factory run reserved tours.
- Access
- Rokko Liner to Minami-Uozaki Station (second stop from Sumiyoshi, about 4 minutes), then 2 minutes on foot; or 10 minutes on foot from Hanshin Uozaki Station along the Seiryu-no-michi walkway. JR Sannomiya to Sumiyoshi is about 8 minutes.
- Hours
- 9:30–16:30; groups of 10 or more reserve online
- Closed on
- Tuesdays and the New Year holiday (open if Tuesday is a holiday, then closed Wednesday)
- Price
- Free
12Arima Onsen有馬温泉
Hot spring town (day trip or overnight) · Kita Ward (north of Mt. Rokko)
One of Japan's three oldest hot springs, with a brown iron-and-salt "golden" spring (kinsen) and a colourless "silver" spring (ginsen). The town's two public baths are Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu.
Trip out of the city: about 30 minutes from Shin-Kobe.
- Access
- From Shin-Kobe: subway to Tanigami, then the Kobe Electric Railway to Arima Onsen, about 30 minutes; or the Arima Express bus from Shin-Kobe via the Sannomiya Bus Terminal, about 30 minutes. Over Mt. Rokko: Rokko Cable plus the Rokko-Arima Ropeway; the Rokko Cable site sells a one-way Rokko-over-Arima ticket at ¥2,450 for adults.
- Hours
- Kin no Yu 8:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30); Gin no Yu 9:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
- Closed on
- Kin no Yu: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays and 1 January. Gin no Yu: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays and 1 January. Both open on a holiday Tuesday and close the next day.
- Price
- Kin no Yu adults ¥800 (¥650 on weekdays); Gin no Yu adults ¥700 (¥550 on weekdays); two-bath ticket ¥1,200. Bring a towel.
Good to know
Kobe splits into four bases. The waterfront (Port Tower, Meriken Park, Harborland) is 15 minutes on foot from Motomachi or Kobe Station. Kitano and Ikuta Shrine are a 10 to 15 minute walk from Sannomiya. Shin-Kobe, where the Shinkansen stops, is next to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens ropeway. Mt. Rokko, Mt. Maya, the Nada sake museums and Arima Onsen each need a cable car, a bus or a train.
For the night view the choices have different closing times. The Port Tower deck is open until 23:00 (last admission 22:30), the Rokko Cable runs until 21:10, and the Maya ropeway goes up as late as 20:50 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays until 31 October, and 19:50 from 1 November. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the last ropeway up Mt. Maya is 17:30, and the Maya Viewline is closed on Tuesdays.
Dates to plan around: the Nunobiki ropeway and garden close from 23 January to 19 February 2027 for inspection; Hakutsuru's museum closes 28 December to 4 January; Kiku-Masamune's museum closes on Tuesdays. The Weathercock House closes on the third Tuesday of each month.
Waterfront, Kitano, the hills or a trip out
How to reach each group, what it costs to go in, and how late you can still start. Adult prices.
| Where | Getting there | Entry (adult) | Latest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfront: Port Tower, Meriken Park, Harborland | Port Tower: 5 min from Minato-Motomachi exit 2; 15 min on foot from Motomachi or Kobe Station. umie MOSAIC: about 5 min from JR Kobe Station | Port Tower ¥1,200 (with rooftop) · Meriken Park and Harborland: no entry fee stated | Port Tower last admission 22:30 · umie restaurants and Ferris wheel to 22:00 |
| Kitano and Ikuta Shrine | 10 to 15 min on foot from Sannomiya or Motomachi; Ikuta Shrine about 10 min from Sannomiya | Weathercock House ¥500 · Moegi House ¥500 · Yamate Hachiban-kan ¥550 | Weathercock House 9:00–17:00 |
| Shin-Kobe: Nunobiki Herb Gardens | About 5 min on foot from Shin-Kobe Station, then about 10 min by ropeway | ¥2,500 round trip with garden entry | To 6 Nov: last ropeway up 16:45 weekdays, 20:15 weekends and holidays |
| Mt. Maya Kikuseidai | City bus line 18 from Sannomiya (about 25 min) + cable car and ropeway (15 to 25 min) | ¥1,560 round trip | Last ropeway up 17:30 Mon/Wed/Thu; 20:50 Fri/Sat/holidays (19:50 from 1 Nov); closed Tuesdays |
| Mt. Rokko | City bus 16 from Hankyu Rokko (about 14 min) + Rokko Cable (about 10 min) + mountain bus (about 13 min) | Cable ¥1,550 round trip · Rokko-Shidare observatory ¥1,000 | Cable runs to 21:10 |
| Nada sake museums | Hakutsuru: 5 min from Hanshin Sumiyoshi · Kiku-Masamune: Rokko Liner to Minami-Uozaki + 2 min | Both free | Both close at 16:30 (Hakutsuru last entry 16:00); Kiku-Masamune closed Tuesdays |
| Trip out: Arima Onsen | About 30 min from Shin-Kobe by subway and Kobe Electric Railway, or by Arima Express bus | Kin no Yu ¥800 (¥650 weekdays) · Gin no Yu ¥700 (¥550 weekdays) | Kin no Yu last entry 21:30 · Gin no Yu 20:30 |
By kind of trip
A first afternoon around Sannomiya
Kitano and Ikuta Shrine are both a short walk from Sannomiya. Weathercock House closes at 17:00 and is closed on the third Tuesday of the month.
Kitano Ijinkan-gai (former foreign residences) · Weathercock House · Ikuta Shrine
After dark
The Port Tower deck is open to 23:00, the Rokko Cable runs to 21:10, and the Harborland Ferris wheel and restaurants run to 22:00. The Maya ropeway goes up to 20:50 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays until 31 October, 19:50 from 1 November.
Kobe Port Tower · Mt. Maya Kikuseidai and the Maya Viewline · Mt. Rokko: Rokko Cable and Rokko-Shidare Observatory · Kobe Harborland and umie MOSAIC
The waterfront on foot
The three sit in one stretch of harbour. The Port Tower is 5 minutes from Minato-Motomachi Station, and umie MOSAIC is about 5 minutes from JR Kobe Station.
Kobe Port Tower · Meriken Park and Kobe Maritime Museum · Kobe Harborland and umie MOSAIC
Close to Shin-Kobe Station
Nunobiki's ropeway starts about 5 minutes from Shin-Kobe. Ikuta Shrine is about 20 minutes on foot, and Arima Onsen is about 30 minutes by subway and Kobe Electric Railway.
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway · Ikuta Shrine · Arima Onsen
Free entry and under a roof
Both Nada sake museums are free and self-guided, and Weathercock House is an indoor visit.
Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum · Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewery Museum · Weathercock House
Questions
Where can I see Kobe's night view, and until when?
The Kobe Port Tower observation floors and rooftop are open until 23:00 (last admission 22:30), on a timed ticket. The Rokko Cable runs until 21:10. The Maya ropeway to Kikuseidai goes up as late as 20:50 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays until 31 October and 19:50 from 1 November; on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the last one up is 17:30. All can change in bad weather.
How do I get to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens, and what does it cost?
Take the Shinkansen or subway to Shin-Kobe Station and walk about 5 minutes to the ropeway's lower station. The round trip with garden entry is ¥2,500 for adults and ¥1,250 for children; after 17:00 it is ¥2,000 and ¥1,200. Hours change by season, and the ropeway and garden are closed 23 January to 19 February 2027.
How do I get to Arima Onsen from Kobe?
From Shin-Kobe, take the subway to Tanigami and then the Kobe Electric Railway to Arima Onsen, about 30 minutes; the Arima Express bus from Shin-Kobe via the Sannomiya Bus Terminal also takes about 30 minutes. The public baths Kin no Yu (¥800, ¥650 on weekdays) and Gin no Yu (¥700, ¥550 on weekdays) are each closed on two Tuesdays a month.
Are the Nada sake museums free?
Yes. Hakutsuru's museum (9:30–16:30, last entry 16:00) and Kiku-Masamune's museum (9:30–16:30) both charge no entry fee. Kiku-Masamune is closed on Tuesdays and the New Year holiday; Hakutsuru is closed 28 December to 4 January. Kiku-Masamune's tasting area pours seasonal sake.
Is there one ticket for the Kitano foreign residences?
Each house sets its own fee: Weathercock House ¥500 (open 9:00–17:00, closed the third Tuesday), Moegi House ¥500, Yamate Hachiban-kan ¥550. The district site lists more houses with their own hours and fees.