Location: Kobe
Top Things to do in Kobe
Countries
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Kobe, Kinki
Famous for its luscious beef and crisp, pure sake, the Japanese port of Kobe is a thriving metropolitan city with an international feel. The sake-brewing season runs from October through April, and that's the best time to take a tour of a kura (the Japanese word for brewery). Visit the Hakutsure Sake Brewery Museum year-round. Naturally, the nightlife here is prime perfection.
Restaurants in Kobe
1. Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By Malcolm_See - Singapore, Singapore
Having never experienced an earthquake before, this museum was an eye-opener for myself. Earthquake is kinda a part and parcel of life in Japan as this region lies on many of the tectonic lines. The highlight was definitely the two movies on the 1995 Kobe Hanshin great earthquake, which was reproduced to showcase the extent of the damage and immerse the viewers in the earthquake experience. The movie was played in Japanese, but there were audio guides provided. After that there were exhibitions on the wreckage shown in the museum and the recovery process. Across the building was information on other type of natural disaster in Japan and there was even a simulator on running/swimming away from a tsunami. Definitely worth a visit if visiting Kobe!
2. Mt. Maya
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 424 reviews
Reviewed By Elisabethmh - Oslo, Norway
Mount Maya (Maya-San in Japaneese) is a mountain 700 meters above sea level and one of the most important mountains in the Rokko mountain range north of Kobe. The story goes that Mount Maya is named after Lady Maya - the mother of the Buddha. You can easily reach the top of the mountain by cabel car and the view is absolutely stunning! I can highly reccomend a trip to Mt. Maya while visiting Kobe. You won`t regret the spectacular view from the top.
3. Suma-dera
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 76 reviews
Reviewed By williamsM29HU - Kobe, Japan
To our delight, we visited while monks were chanting and it was busy with food vendors and a regular temple sale was going on. The fragrance of the incense combined with the cool October air, the chanting and the sound of the gongs, was quite lovely. It's worth visiting the museum of artifacts near the entrance as well as the graveyards surrounding the main temples. This is about a 15 minute walk from Suma station - watch where people are walking as it is easy to get on the wrong road (and they don't connect).
4. Kobe Animal Kingdom
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 603 reviews
It is a 15minutes from Sannomiya. There is an animal and botanical garden at Port Island. In inside park, you can meet up close with cute animals like capybaras. In otuside park, you can experience activities such as riding a camel or feeding penguins. Animals’ performances is very wonderful and bird performances. The exhibition area reproduces the habitat of the animals, and you can see the lively appearance of the animals up close. The all-weather environment allows you to have fun even in rainy days. Please enjoy the extraordinary world healed by animals.
Reviewed By Calleryana - Singapore, Singapore
It's a bit far from city, you need to get there via the Portline (a separate train line) that goes along the bay. Then stop at Kei Computer Mae station and it's rights below the station! It looks very tiny in a few greenhouse like houses, but once inside, there are a lot to offer and easily a stay for about 2 hours or more. There are many show times so do plan around the show times and feeding hours. Almost all shows end before 330pm so do reach latest around 12-1pm to catch most shows. There are many animals you can pet, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, capybaras. Some you can feed, birds, parrots, fishes, sheep, alpaca, seal etc. And many that freely roam around in the different garden/greenhouse sections! There are also food stores and drink with lots of seating in the main area. It's made up of small sections/houses around the main seating area in the middle so not to worry you or your children will get tired and need some rest or food.
5. Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 218 reviews
Reviewed By 281stevel
Very worthwhile visit as the rope way takes you up the mountain to the top,of the botanical gardens and you can easily walk back down enjoying the beautiful gardens and tea room etc.
6. Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,144 reviews
Reviewed By KristineSt_Paul_MN - Redmond, United States
This is a great little excursion if you have a few hours and want to get outdoors. Ride up- walk down. Browse the first shop, wander through the gardens, stop for tea and a pork cutlet sandwich at the glass house, then take a short jaunt in a little forest and past a waterfall. The waterfall is less incredible than the view from the basin so look up and around. Emerge behind Shin-Kobe station and grab a snack from the 7-11.
7. Kawasaki Good Times World
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 353 reviews
Reviewed By allanl912
A really good little museum. As Kawasaki is one of the most important Japanese companies that existed through the Meiji restoration, WW2, and up to the modern era....this museum is also a history of modern Japan itself. It's also very important to the port of Kobe where Kawasaki is a large company. There is plenty to fascinate history buffs, those interested in engineering, and of course there are the motorbikes which are just cool by themselves :)
8. Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 149 reviews
Reviewed By passthemayo - Kericho, Kenya
Its amazing to think that all this detailed woodwork was done by hand! This museum, while small, is a great revelation into the skill and traditions in Japan. Its also a quiet pleasant way to spend a few hours and close to a train station. I highly recommend a visit if you are in Kobe.
9. Kobe Luminarie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 173 reviews
A festival of light, which has been held in December every year since 1995 as a memorial and requiem of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and to pray for recovery of the town. Geometric illuminations decorate the squares and streets, and during the festival a corridor of light called the Galleria runs through Nakamachi-dori street. In its heyday the festival attracted more than 5 million visitors but in recent years, due to energy-saving policies and a shortened festival period, it draws between 3 and 3.5 Million.
Reviewed By Paths2014 - Bangkok, Thailand
We were there on the opening night, December 6, 2019. There were thousand of visitors. It was worthwhile waiting for about an hour to listen to the chorus. The event last until December 15th. Try to be there once in your lifetime.
10. Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 276 reviews
At HAKUTSURU SAKE Brewing Co., Ltd., we have opened our old sake brewhouse in its original form to the public as the Sake Brewery Museum. Our hope in doing so is to give visitors a feel of the tradition of sake making that has been carried down through the ages and to broadly and deeply convey the "heart of Japan" to the sake making world.
Reviewed By SmurfFat - Singapore, Singapore
Very informative exhibits you may press the button and select English language. We enjoy the free museum and free sake sampling.
