High-speed Ferry between Kobe and Osaka Kaisai Airports

As a resource for visitors to Kobe City, this article provides details about the high-speed ferry service between Kobe and Osaka, Japan.

Kobe’s ferry service from Kobe Airport to Osaka Kansai Airport is called Bay Shuttle.

Ferry Service Between Kobe Airport and Osaka Kansai Airport

Most people traveling between Kobe and Osaka take trains. However, you can travel by boat between Kobe and Osaka with the high-speed ferry service called Bay Shuttle. This boat service is a fast and interesting way to travel between the two airports. The high-speed boat runs both ways, to and from Kobe Airport and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

The Bay Shuttle takes around 30 minutes between airports, and the price starts from 1,880 JPY for adults.

Fastest Way Between Kobe Airport to Osaka Kansai Airport

The high-speed ferry is the fastest way to travel between the Kobe and Osaka airports.

From most parts of these cities taking the train is faster, but if you want to go to or from Osaka Kansai Airport (which is in the southern part of Osaka), taking the ferry directly to Kobe Airport is faster (and perhaps more fun) than taking the train.

From Kobe Airport to Osaka Airport by ferry takes about 30 minutes. If you are arriving or departing by plane from Osaka Kansai Airport, and travelling to Kobe, it can be faster and more convenient to take the ferry. If you try to take the train from Osaka Kansai Airport to Kobe’s Kobe-Sannomiya Station it takes an hour and half. If you’re going/coming directly to Kansai, the ferry is only 30 minutes from Kobe Airport (or 50 mins from Sannomiya station) and may be a good choice.

To get to or from Kobe from most locations in central Osaka (like Namba Station or Osaka Station), it is faster to take the one of Kobe train systems (like JR trains or trains on the Hanshin Line). But specifically from Osaka’s KIX airport, the Bay Shuttle is an ideal choice.

From Kobe Airport to downtown, it takes an addition 20 minutes on the Port Liner train line to reach central Kobe/Sannomiya.

How to Buy a Ticket for the Bay Shuttle Ferry Service

There are many ways to buy a ticket to ride the high-speed ferry between Kobe Airport and Osaka Kansai Airport. It is highly recommended to book your ticket for the Bay Shuttle in advance online.

You can make a reservation using your smartphone or laptop with a credit card. After booking, you will receive a QR code that serves as your ticket. If you register your face ID through your mobile device, you can easily check in for the Bay Shuttle without showing a ticket.

If you make a reservation by phone call, you can book from five to 90 days in advance. In this case, payment must be completed at a convenience store. You may also be able to register your face ID.

Of course, you can still purchase tickets on the day of travel at the ticket counter or from a ticket machine without booking in advance. At Kobe Airport, the ticket counter is located at the Bay Shuttle Terminal. At Osaka’s KIX Kansai Airport, there is a Bay Shuttle counter inside Terminal 1.

How to Get to Kobe’s Ferry, Bay Shuttle

The Bay Shuttle service for Kobe arrives and departs from the Bay Shuttle Terminal at Kobe Airport.

To use the boat service from Kobe Airport, you must first get to the airport. You can take the Port Liner train from central Kobe to Kobe Airport Station.

Once you arrive at Kobe Airport, you can take a free shuttle bus from either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 to the Bay Shuttle Terminal. The free bus shuttle service does not run that often (sometimes only one time per hour). You can also walk from Terminal 1 through the parking lots to get to the Bay Shuttle Terminal in about 15 minutes (there are no signs, the path is not clear, the walk is possible, but a little awkward). If you want to use the free shuttle bus service, plan to allow extra time for the bus schedule.

What is it like to Ride the Bay Shuttle Ferry in Kobe?

There are two ships, called “Umi” and “Sora,” which operate a total of 32 times a day. Each boat has 110 seats (including six barrier-free seats). There are restrooms and vending machines on the ferry. There are some large televisions onboard, showing Japanese TV programming.

Riding the ferry is like riding a big, wide bus, with comfortable seats. All seats are located inside the ferry boat (there is no outside seating).

Some of the seats have window seats where you can look out across Osaka Bay as you travel. The windows are close to the water level, and some spray from the ocean hits the windows; the view is not ideal for pictures. The space between seats is wide, so guests don’t have to worry about feeling cramped.

The Kobe-Kansai Bay Shuttle Ferry Service is Wheelchair Friendly

The ferry features a barrier-free seating and is equipped with spaces where wheelchairs can be secured and restrooms accessible to wheelchair users. (However, passengers are not allowed to remain seated in their wheelchairs during the voyage.) There is Universal design at the ship and terminal building, with careful attention to details such as wide corridors and ramps.

How Much does the Bay Shuttle Ferry Service Cost?

A one-way ticket on the Bay Shuttle starts at 1,880 JPY for adults. If you purchase the correct ticket, that fee includes the train service on the Port Liner to/from Sannomiya station.

Round-trip: 3,060 JPY (Adults), 1,530 JPY (Children)
Round-trip (valid for one day): 2,510 JPY (Adults), 1,260 JPY (Children)
One-way: 1,880 JPY (Adults), 940 JPY (Children)
Disability discount: 950 JPY (Adults), 480 JPY (Children)
One way with a train ticket to Sannomiya Station: 1,880 JPY (Adults), 940 JPY (Children)

Whether condition

If the Bay-Shuttle is cancelled by the weather, there is an alternative bus. Passengers will be informed in advance when they cancel the ferry.

“Bay Shuttle” High-Speed Ferry Service in Kobe, Japan !!