Kobe is a port city that has a lot to offer. In just 48 hours, you can discover some of the most amazing places, delicious food, and soothing hot springs. When visitors think of Kobe, Japan, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the world famous A5 beef. However, this port city is more than just perfectly cooked steaks. Kobe has incredible mountains, ravishing museums, loads of local delicacies and even a late-night jazz scene. Spending 48 hours in this city isn’t enough to soak in everything, but we found a way to make the most of a two-day trip to this amazing Japanese city. Here is our guide how to spend 48 hours in Kobe, Japan.
How To Spend 48 Hours in Kobe, Japan
Day one
Morning: Moseying around Chuo Ward
While it may seem odd to start the day at a French auberge hotel, the Kobe Kitano Hotel is the perfect place to recharge in the morning with a hearty French breakfast at Igrek’s pub hotel. hotel. After stuffing your face into a croissant, you can walk to one of the city’s most famous temples. Ikuta Shrine is a Shinto site that dates back to the 3rd century and is a sacred place of worship in addition to hosting year-round festivals.
After paying your respects to Shinto, head to the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake museum. In 1995, the great Hanshin earthquake tore through Kobe damaging countless buildings and killing thousands of people. The museum takes visitors through the devastation and how it changed life in the city forever.
Afternoon: Following your nose and stomach through Chinatown
After a morning of history lessons, an afternoon in Chuo Ward can be filled with remarkable sights and tantalizing smells. Embark on your mid-day cruise to Nankin-machi, also known as Kobe’s Chinatown, where hundreds of shops and dozens of fast food joints await. You can’t leave Kobe without tasting butaman, a steamed pork noodle dish unmatched in the world. Butaman’s (supposedly) initiator was Roushouki, a steamed vermicelli vendor who has been making delicious dishes since 1915.
Evening: Kobe Beef – this is what you came for
Mouriya Honten has been selling steaks since 1885, and this three-story space seats 50 and features a menu featuring the world’s best Kobe A5 beef. For the uninitiated, Kobe beef is a specific type of Wagyu beef that comes from cows raised in Hyōgo Prefecture. Beef is famous for its marbled skin with sinusoidal fat that just melts in your mouth and you can feel it all. Another great Kobe beef spot is Wakkoqu, which is a little further north and has a delicious set menu with A5 sirloin grilled on the grill right in front of you.
Into Night: Follow the sounds into Kobe’s jazz scene
With a beef filling, you can stay at Chuo and soak up the melodious sound of the saxophone at Sone, a 50-year-old live music venue with nightly tunes and a long list of varieties. aged whiskey. Just south of the site is the Sannomiya district, famous for its nightlife and shopping. If you’re still craving late-night snacks, head to Hyōtan, where you’ll find the best food of your life.
Day two
Morning: Serve your mind, body and soul
Kobe is a big port city and it’s not small. But if you plan your day properly, you can still see a huge amount of time in a finite amount of time. With that said, your two-day adventure should begin with absolute relaxation. Start your day and ride the 12-minute cable car up Mount Rokko with endless views of the city. From there, you’ll head to Arima Onsen, one of the most famous hot spring towns in Japan. When walking around the small shops of the Yumotozaka shopping street, you will come across several bathhouses. The largest public bath is Kin no Yu, which features golden baths and indoor and outdoor pools of varying temperatures. Goshobo, meanwhile, is a quaint ryokan that dates back to the 12th century and is open to guests who don’t stay overnight. Inside there are soothing stone baths with steaming hot golden spring water.
Afternoon: Kobe delicacies across town
While Kobe beef is the main food that attracts this city, one of the most underrated delicacies is sobameshi. Sobameshi is part fried rice, part fried noodles, established at a restaurant called Aomori in 1957. Aomori in Nagata Ward, which is also home to Suma Aqualife Park, an amazing aquarium with over 600 species of aquarium fish. display. display. After drinking sobameshi, walk a few blocks to Gigantor, an 18-meter (59-foot) tall statue from classic 1960s manga by manga artist Kobe Mitsuteru Yokoyama. The statue was built after a devastating earthquake in 1995 to help attract tourists and become a symbol of the city’s reconstruction.
Evening: Ending in the heart and soaking in the sights
After a long day of wandering around town, end with dinner at one of Kobe’s most famous and delicious restaurants. Club Kitano has been in business since 1957 and is located on a hilltop overlooking the city. The restaurant is known for its live jazz music, high-end sensibilities, and a French tasting menu of specially curated foie gras, roast duck and steak.