Kansai Airport Late at Night: Last Train, Night Bus, Sleeping at KIX and First Train

1. What still runs when you land at Kansai Airport after 22:00

You clear immigration, pick up your bag and walk out into the Terminal 1 arrival hall. The clock above the exit says 23:40. Now you need to know whether you can still get into Osaka or Kyoto tonight, or whether you are spending the night at the airport.

Plenty of travellers end up in this spot. International flights keep landing at Kansai International Airport (KIX) until about 23:05. Flights from Taipei arrive around 22:00, the Seoul flights come in between about 22:30 and 23:05, and on some nights a Hong Kong flight lands around 23:05 as well. One Seoul flight lands just after midnight. There are no flights from Busan, Gimpo or Shanghai after 22:30. If the arrivals board shows Trinity Airways, that is T’way Air under its new name, which it took on recently. The flight numbers stayed the same.

According to the airport, it stays open 24 hours, although some entrances are restricted. Trains and buses stop much earlier. They finish one after another between about 23:00 and 00:15, and the table below lists the times to plan around.

The cut-off times after 23:00

Why a late landing at Kansai is harder than at Haneda

At Tokyo’s Haneda Airport the last night bus into the city leaves at 02:20 and the first train runs at 05:09, which leaves 2 hours 49 minutes with nothing running. At Kansai, once the Umeda night bus has left at 00:15, nothing goes into the city until the first Nankai train at 05:45. That gap is 5 hours 30 minutes, about twice as long.

A wait that long changes the plan. At Kansai, if you miss the 00:15 bus, you either pay for a taxi (roughly ¥29,000 to Umeda at night) or you spend the night at the airport, in a lounge, a cabin or the airport hotel. That is why the second half of this guide is about the airport itself. If you are also flying into Tokyo late on this trip, our guide to arriving at Haneda late at night covers that airport, and the Japan travel guide has the rest of your trip.

The airport keeps its own late-night and early-morning access page. Bus times change now and then, so check it on the day you fly.

2. The last train or bus in each direction from Kansai Airport

Which cut-off matters to you depends on where your bed is tonight. The table lists the last train or bus that still reaches each part of the region. Times are departures from Terminal 1 or from the station next to it. Fares are one way for an adult.

Trains leave from Kansai Airport Station📍Map, a short walk from the arrival hall. JR and Nankai both use it, each with its own ticket gates. The limousine buses and the night buses leave from the stops outside the ground floor of Terminal 1📍Map.

Leave time for immigration and your bag

Every time in the table is a departure time. Before you can catch anything you have to get through immigration, wait at baggage claim, pass customs and then walk to the platform or bus stop. When several late flights land close together, the immigration queue gets long. If your flight is due around 23:00, plan around the 00:15 night bus, and take an earlier train only if you happen to be out in time.

Buses from the airport cannot be booked. You board in the order you queue, and the late timetable is the same on every day of the week. When you are close to a cut-off, the train is the safer choice, because a full bus leaves people behind at the stop.

Bus routes that finish earlier in the evening

The airport bus board lists far more routes than the ones in the table above, and most of them have stopped long before a late flight lands. These are the last departures from Terminal 1 on the main other routes, so you can rule them out quickly.

The Namba bus is the one most Osaka visitors would look for. Its last run leaves Terminal 1 at 21:25 (21:12 from Terminal 2) and reaches Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT)📍Map at 22:15, for ¥1,400. The last bus to Uehommachi leaves at 21:35 (21:22 from Terminal 2), stops only at Uehommachi and reaches Kintetsu Uehommachi at 22:36, for ¥1,800. Only two buses from the airport call at Shinsaibashi (Hotel Nikko Osaka), at 15:45 and 18:55, so the 18:55 is the last one there.

No limousine bus runs around the clock. The late-night bus to Nankai Namba Station is currently suspended, and so are the routes to Abeno Harukas, Ibaraki and Hirakata. If you are staying in Namba, the train is the only public transport after the evening buses stop.

If your flight is due after 23:00 and you would rather not depend on the immigration queue, a transfer booked ahead meets you in the arrival hall when you come out.

3. The last train to Namba: Nankai at 23:55

If your hotel is around Namba, Shinsaibashi or Dotonbori, Nankai Electric Railway is the line you want. The last Airport Express leaves Kansai Airport Station at 23:55 every day of the week and arrives at Namba Station📍Map at 00:39. It is the cheapest way into the city at ¥970, and it is the last train out of the airport in any direction.

Every Nankai train that leaves the airport in the evening runs right through to Namba. None of them terminate partway, so you can take whichever one comes first without checking the destination board.

rapi:t or Airport Express

rapi:t is Nankai’s limited express and reaches Namba in about 35 to 45 minutes. The Airport Express is an ordinary train and takes about 45 minutes. Both end at Namba.

The Airport Express needs only the ¥970 fare. rapi:t adds a limited express ticket on top. A Regular Seat ticket is ¥700, so the total comes to ¥1,670. If you buy it ticketless online, the limited express part is ¥150 cheaper and the total is ¥1,520. Buying on board adds ¥300.

If you want more room, a rapi:t Super Seat ticket costs ¥910 on top of the ¥970 fare.

Late at night you rarely have a choice. The last rapi:t leaves at 23:00 on weekdays and 22:55 at weekends, so if you come through the gates after that, the Airport Express is all that runs. rapi:t would save you only about ten minutes anyway.

Getting through the gates by 23:55

The 23:55 is a departure time, so be through the Nankai ticket gates a few minutes before. If you already hold an IC card such as ICOCA, you can tap through and skip the ticket machine queue. For the streets around the station and where to stay, see our Namba and Dotonbori guide.

4. Getting to Umeda and Osaka Station late at night

Umeda is the business and shopping district around Osaka Station, and plenty of hotels are there. Late at night you can still get there on the last JR train at 23:09, the last regular limousine bus at 23:45 or the Umeda night bus at 00:15. Fares and payment rules differ between them, so read the details before you queue.

JR Kansai Airport Rapid: the 23:09 is the last one

The 23:09 Kansai Airport Rapid is the last JR train that gets to Osaka Station. It stops at Hineno📍Map at 23:19, Tennoji Station📍Map at 23:57 and Shin-Imamiya📍Map at 00:00, then reaches Osaka Station📍Map at 00:15. The fare is ¥1,060 to Tennoji and ¥1,180 to Osaka.

The earlier evening trains work differently. The 22:28 rapid goes all the way and reaches Osaka at 23:35. The 22:50 rapid ends at Tennoji, arriving at 23:36, and does not go on to Osaka Station.

The last regular limousine bus at 23:45

The airport limousine bus run by Kansai Airport Transportation Enterprise leaves Terminal 1 at 23:45 on its last regular run to Umeda (23:32 from Terminal 2). It reaches Hankyu Sanbangai📍Map at 00:43 and Herbis Osaka📍Map at 00:53. The fare is ¥1,800.

The Umeda night bus at 00:15

After the last regular bus there is one more departure. The Umeda night bus leaves Terminal 2 from stop 1 at 00:02 and Terminal 1 from stop 5 at 00:15, and arrives at Hankyu Sanbangai at 01:13. The fare is ¥2,700, and the night bus does not stop at Herbis Osaka, so plan to walk or take a taxi from Hankyu Sanbangai.

This bus comes with more conditions than any other. It does not take cash, so you pay with an IC card or a credit card. Seats cannot be reserved, and if it fills up, no extra bus is added. A regular ¥1,800 ticket bought earlier is valid only if you pay the ¥900 difference, and that difference has to be paid in cash. The operator says the service runs for the time being and has not announced an end date. Its night bus notice has the current details.

The JR train is the cheapest, and the night bus gives you the most time. If you land at 23:05 and your bag comes out quickly, the 23:45 bus is realistic. If not, the 00:15 is the one to aim for. For the area itself, see our Umeda and Kita guide.

5. Kyoto, Kobe and Nara: the last rides leave earlier

Kyoto and Kobe each still have a bus at 23:00 or later, while Nara is out of reach on any flight that lands after 22:00. The JR Haruka to Kyoto stops well before any of these buses.

Kyoto: the last Haruka goes at 22:16

The JR limited express Haruka is the direct train to Kyoto. The last one leaves the airport at 22:16, calls at Tennoji at 22:49, Osaka at 23:03 and Shin-Osaka📍Map at 23:08, and reaches Kyoto at 23:32. With an unreserved seat the fare is ¥3,060 to Kyoto, ¥2,540 to Shin-Osaka and ¥1,820 to Tennoji.

Foreign visitors on a short-term stay can buy the HARUKA One-way Ticket with their passport, which is cheaper. It costs ¥2,200 to Kyoto, ¥1,800 to Osaka or Shin-Osaka, ¥1,300 to Tennoji, ¥2,000 to Kobe and ¥1,800 to Nara.

After the Haruka, the last way to Kyoto is the limousine bus. It leaves Terminal 1 at 23:20 (23:07 from Terminal 2) and arrives at the Kyoto Station Hachijo exit📍Map at 00:45. The fare is ¥2,800. Once that bus has gone, the airport’s daytime taxi estimate to Kyoto Station is ¥43,150, before the night surcharge.

If your hotel is in Kyoto and you land after 23:00, it can make more sense to stay at the airport and take the first Haruka. It leaves at 06:31 on weekdays and reaches Kyoto at 08:11, or at 06:40 at weekends, arriving 08:02. Our Kansai Airport to Kyoto guide compares the routes in daylight, and the Kyoto accommodation guide covers where to stay in the city.

Kobe: the bus at 23:00 and the late boat

The limousine bus to Kobe leaves Terminal 1 at 23:00 (22:47 from Terminal 2) and reaches the Sannomiya bus terminal📍Map at 00:05 for ¥2,200. For most hotels in central Kobe, this is the bus to catch.

The timetable shows one later option. The Bay Shuttle high-speed boat crosses Osaka Bay to Kobe Airport📍Map. For its last sailing, a bus leaves Terminal 1 stop 12 at 23:45 (23:50 from Terminal 2) for the port, the boat leaves at 00:00 and it reaches Kobe Airport at 00:31. The fare is ¥1,880.

The operator posts separate notices when the bus stop at the airport moves or a sailing is cancelled, so check its notices before you set out. The timetable notes also say there is no taxi rank at the Kobe Airport marine terminal. So use the last boat only if you have a car or a taxi arranged at Kobe Airport. Otherwise the 23:00 bus is the last practical way to Sannomiya. Our Kobe travel guide covers the city once you are there.

Nara: plan for the morning

The last limousine bus to Nara leaves Terminal 1 at 21:45 (21:32 from Terminal 2) and arrives at JR Nara Station📍Map at 23:25, for ¥2,400. If you land after 22:00, there is no public transport to Nara that night. Head for Osaka and continue in the morning, or stay at the airport and take an early train.

6. If you land at Terminal 2

Peach, Jeju Air and Spring Airlines use Terminal 2📍Map, a separate terminal for low-cost airlines. It has no railway station, so to reach a train you take the free shuttle bus to Terminal 1. The ride takes 7 to 9 minutes and the timetable is the same every day.

During the day the shuttle runs often. Late at night it thins out, and there is a long break in the early hours. These are the departures after 23:30.

Catching the night bus from Terminal 2

The Umeda night bus picks up at Terminal 2 first, at stop 1, at 00:02. Board it there. If you miss it and take the 00:07 shuttle, you reach Terminal 1 at 00:14 at the earliest, which is too late to walk to the bus stop and catch the 00:15. Several limousine buses also call at Terminal 2 a little before Terminal 1: the Kyoto bus at 23:07 and the regular Umeda bus at 23:32. The Bay Shuttle bus runs the other way round, leaving Terminal 1 at 23:45 and Terminal 2 at 23:50. The local night bus to Izumisano calls at Terminal 2 only on its first run, at 00:00.

For trains, allow for the shuttle. Coming off a flight at 23:00 and taking the 23:32 or 23:39 shuttle still gets you to the station for the 23:55 Nankai train, but not for the 23:09 JR train. The airport’s Terminal 2 access page has the full shuttle timetable.

What Terminal 2 has at night

Terminal 2 has a 24-hour Lawson convenience store, a Seven Bank ATM that takes foreign cards, and a currency exchange machine. COCO’S, a family restaurant, is open from 04:00 until 02:00 the following night. What it lacks is anywhere to rest properly. The showers, the lounge and the beds are all on the Terminal 1 side, in the Aeroplaza📍Map. If you plan to stay the night at the airport, take the shuttle over by the 00:42 at the latest.

In the morning, the first buses into the city all leave from Terminal 1. Bus departures from Terminal 2 do not start until after 09:10, so if you are at Terminal 2 in the morning, take the shuttle across first. The shuttles start running regularly again from 05:27.

7. What a taxi from Kansai Airport into the city costs at night

The taxi rank is outside Terminal 1, but the airport is far from the city, so the fare is high. The airport publishes estimated daytime fares by destination, with the expressway tolls shown separately. These are the official figures before any night surcharge.

Between 22:00 and 05:00 the meter fare goes up by 20%. Both the airport and the Osaka taxi association list this night surcharge, so it applies to any late arrival. Tolls stay the same. Taxis leave the airport island over the Sky Gate Bridge R📍Map, so tolls are part of every ride into the city.

A worked example: Umeda at night

Take the meter part of the Kita-ku estimate, ¥22,140, and add 20%. That comes to about ¥26,570. Add the ¥2,260 in tolls and the total is roughly ¥29,000. This is our own calculation from the airport’s daytime figure, and traffic and the exact address change it, so treat it as a rough guide.

The old fixed taxi fares from the airport have ended. Taxis at the rank now run on the meter. The airport’s taxi page lists the current estimates.

MK Taxi airport flat fares, by reservation

MK Taxi sells flat fares from Kansai Airport, but only by reservation. Umeda starts from ¥16,400, which is far below the meter. The 20% night surcharge still applies on top of the flat fare, and so do a ¥1,000 airport pickup parking fee and tolls. Choosing an exact pickup time adds ¥500. Web booking closes at 17:00 the day before. For a same-day booking, call (the line is open 24 hours) or use the app. The MK airport fare page has the full list.

Where to find a taxi and how to share one

The taxi stands are on the ground floor outside Terminal 1. Stand 5 is for ordinary taxis. Stands 1 and 7 are for reserved cars. Stand 2 is for ride-hailing pickups through Uber, DiDi or GO. The MK and Uber counters are inside on the ground floor, near gate H on the south side.

If other people from your flight are heading the same way, sharing a taxi divides the fare between you, and a ride to Umeda at roughly ¥29,000 costs each person far less. Ask around in the baggage hall, before everyone heads off to the taxi stand.

8. Missed the last ride: spending the night at Kansai Airport

If you came through the doors after 00:15 and do not want a taxi, you are staying the night. Here is what the airport says about it. The airport stays open 24 hours, but access through some entrances is restricted. There is no free rest area for sleeping and no blanket loan. Some of the air conditioning and lighting stays on all night, and the official advice is to use the benches in the terminal. For anything more comfortable, the airport points you to the NODOKA lounge.

In practice the night is spent on the Terminal 1 side, in and around the Aeroplaza, the building joined to Terminal 1 by covered walkways. The lounge, the cabin hotel and the airport hotel are all there, along with several 24-hour places to eat. Everything is landside, before security, so arriving passengers can use it.

Comparing the options for one night

A bench is free and the terminal is safe and lit, but you get little sleep. NODOKA gives you a shower and a proper seat with no booking. First Cabin is the cheapest real bed. Hotel Nikko is the only option with a private room and a door that locks. If you land at 00:30 and the first train is at 05:45, you have about five hours to fill, so a few hours at NODOKA is often enough. A short stay at First Cabin works only if you can check in by 01:00, which is tight after a 00:30 landing once you have cleared immigration.

The local night bus to Rinku Town and Izumisano

One bus keeps running through the night. Nankai Bus runs a local night service from the Terminal 1 ground-floor bus stops to Rinku Town, stopping at the Kansai Airport Washington Hotel, and on to Izumisano Station📍Map on the mainland, leaving at 00:10, 01:05, 02:50 and 03:55 (the 00:10 starts from Terminal 2 at 00:00). Nankai Bus lists it at Terminal 1 stop 1, while the airport lists the 00:10 at stop 0, so look for both. It reaches the hotel 11 minutes later for ¥530 and Izumisano Station 24 minutes later for ¥680. It takes IC cards only, and you cannot top up on board. Use it to reach a hotel in Rinku Town. Details are on the Nankai Bus night bus page.

9. NODOKA lounge: open 24 hours, no booking

KIX Airport Café Lounge NODOKA is on the 2nd floor of the Aeroplaza, before security, so it is open to arriving passengers. NODOKA📍Map is open 24 hours, takes no reservations and lets anyone in, so you can walk in at 01:00 and pay for the time you use.

You choose between an open seat and a private booth, and pay by time. Long stays have fixed prices, which suit a night between the last bus and the first train.

At busy times of year the pay-as-you-go rate goes up: the first 30 minutes cost ¥800 for an open seat or ¥1,000 for a booth, then ¥300 for each 10 minutes. The 3, 6 and 9 hour prices and the shower stay the same. NODOKA does not publish which dates count as busy, so check the price at the counter.

What you get for the price

Soft drinks are free (alcohol costs extra), and you can bring your own food, which helps when the convenience stores are the only things open. Besides the open seats and booths there are reclining seats, mat seats and private rooms. There is also a “green area” of artificial turf, where NODOKA says a short nap is fine. The booths give you more privacy than the open seats, which helps if you want to sleep.

The shower costs ¥1,500 for 40 minutes. A small towel is included, and a bath towel costs ¥440. If you pay for the shower alone, you cannot use the seats, so if you want both, pay for a seat plan and add the shower. Check the NODOKA page for current prices before you go.

Where to shower at night after you land

Unless you book a bed, NODOKA is in practice the only place an arriving passenger can shower at night. First Cabin’s evening short stay also includes the large bath and shower, with check-in until 01:00 (see the next section). Terminal 1 has coin showers (07:00 to 23:00), but they are airside, after departure security, so you cannot reach them after landing. The showers at Hotel Nikko are open from 09:00 to 21:00 only.

10. A proper bed without leaving the airport: First Cabin and Hotel Nikko

If you would rather lie flat than sit up in a lounge, there are beds close to the arrival hall. Both places are in the Aeroplaza, so you do not need to go outside or catch a bus.

First Cabin Kansai Airport

First Cabin Kansai Airport📍Map is on the 3rd floor of the Aeroplaza and runs 24 hours. It is a cabin-style lodging. The cabin doors do not lock, and there are lockable boxes for valuables. Men and women stay in separate areas. There is a large shared bath. It is closed for cleaning from 12:00 to 15:00, and there are other times between 10:00 and 17:00 when it cannot be used. Children aged 12 and under cannot stay.

Check-in for an overnight stay runs from 17:00 until 03:00. That changes how you book. If you land at 00:30 in the early hours of Thursday, you book Wednesday night, the date before. Check-out is 10:00. Between 22:00 and 01:00 the front desk is at its busiest, both for check-ins and on the phone, so book online rather than calling from the arrival hall.

Prices vary by date. On weekdays a Business cabin starts at about ¥6,700 per person, room only. Saturdays and the First cabins cost more (a First cabin from about ¥8,600 on weekdays), and on some dates First cabins are not on sale. On top of that, Osaka’s accommodation tax is paid at the desk: ¥200 per night for a room priced from ¥5,000 to under ¥15,000.

First Cabin also sells a short stay in a Business cabin: 3 hours for ¥4,500, including the large bath and shower. The evening plan takes check-ins until 01:00, and you have to leave by 04:00. That leaves nearly two hours before the 05:45 first train, so it suits someone who mainly wants a bath and a short sleep. A morning plan takes check-ins from 06:00 to 13:00. There is no short stay in a First cabin. The First Cabin Kansai Airport page has booking and current plans.

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport📍Map is in the Aeroplaza and is joined to the 2nd floor of Terminal 1 by covered walkways. Its front desk is staffed 24 hours, and the hotel’s FAQ tells guests not to worry about arriving late at night. There are also self check-in machines. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00.

A single room starts from about ¥14,000 to ¥15,000 for one person on a weekday with an early-booking, room-only rate, and a twin for two from about ¥22,200. Prices vary by date and plan. The hotel’s day-use plan runs from 10:00 to 18:00 only, so it does not help at night. If you land after midnight, ask the hotel which date to book, and give it your landing time when you reserve through the Hotel Nikko site.

Rinku Town hotels across the bridge

Across the bridge on the mainland, Rinku Town📍Map has more hotels. Several of them run shuttles from Terminal 1 stop S12. The Kansai Airport Washington Hotel📍Map shuttle leaves every hour at 35 minutes past from 18:35, with an extra one at 23:05 and the last at 23:35. It is for hotel guests only and takes about 15 minutes. For the other hotels, ask the hotel for its shuttle times when you book.

After the last shuttle, the Nankai local night bus stops right outside the Washington Hotel, for ¥530 by IC card. If you want a full hotel room and do not mind a short bus ride, a Rinku Town hotel is a reasonable plan.

11. Food, cash and lockers through the night

Everything in this section is landside, before security, where arriving passengers can reach it. The shops and restaurants after departure security are off limits once you have landed.

Where to eat after midnight

A hot meal is easy to find at any hour. Nakau and Zetteria are in the Aeroplaza, a few steps from NODOKA, and McDonald’s and Sukiya are on the 2nd floor of Terminal 1. Convenience stores sell rice balls, sandwiches and drinks, and you can take them into NODOKA.

Changing money and getting cash at night

The staffed currency exchange counters on the arrivals floor are open from 06:15 to 23:00. After 23:00, use the exchange machines, which run 24 hours, on the north side of the Terminal 1 ground floor, on the north side of Terminal 1 4F and on the ground floor of Terminal 2.

Seven Bank ATMs take foreign cards and run 24 hours on Terminal 1 1F, 2F and 4F and on Terminal 2 1F. There are also Lawson Bank and AEON Bank ATMs open around the clock. For more on cards and cash, see our guide to money in Japan.

Coin lockers and baggage storage

Coin lockers are available 24 hours, but they do not take cash. You pay by IC card or another cashless method, and the price is ¥300 to ¥1,200 per day depending on size. The staffed baggage counters close around 22:00 to 23:00, so after a late landing the lockers are all you have.

12. First trains and first buses from Kansai Airport

The first train into the city leaves before 06:00. If you spent the night in the Aeroplaza, the station is a short walk away, so you do not need to leave early.

Which first train to take

For Namba, the first Nankai Airport Express at 05:45 is the earliest way into the city, and it reaches Namba at 06:29 (06:32 at weekends). For Umeda, the first JR train at 05:50 (05:54 at weekends) runs through to Osaka Station, arriving at 06:58 on any day. If you are heading to Kyoto, wait for the first Haruka, which goes direct. It leaves at 06:31 on weekdays and reaches Kyoto at 08:11, early enough to leave your bags at the hotel and start the day.

If you are planning to use a rail pass in the Kansai region, decide before the first train whether to start it today, on the airport ride, or tomorrow. Our Kansai transport pass guide compares the passes and how their days are counted.

First limousine buses

The first limousine buses leave at different times depending on the route, and all of them leave from Terminal 1. Departures from Terminal 2 do not start until after 09:10.

The Namba bus is the earliest, but the first Nankai train at 05:45 gets you to Namba sooner. If you are at Terminal 2 in the morning, the shuttles run regularly again from 05:27, so you have time to cross to Terminal 1 for any of these.

13. What to sort out before you land late at Kansai Airport

Most of what to prepare is about payment, because the late transport and the lockers at Kansai Airport often do not take cash. The rest is mobile data and a word with your hotel.

Payment: an IC card and a credit card

An IC card such as ICOCA is the most useful thing to have in your pocket. The Umeda night bus, the local night bus to Izumisano and the coin lockers do not take cash. The local bus cannot top up your card on board either, so load enough before you need it. Our IC card guide explains how to get one and add money to it.

Carry a credit card as well, since the night bus takes one if your IC card runs low. Keep a little yen cash too, for taxis, vending machines and the ¥900 difference on the night bus if you already hold a regular bus ticket.

Mobile data and your hotel

Have mobile data working the moment you land. You need it for ride-hailing apps, for maps, and for messaging your hotel to say you will be late. A Japan eSIM installed before you fly saves time in the arrival hall. Our Japan eSIM guide covers the choices.

Check your hotel’s check-in cut-off before you travel. If you land at 23:05 and reach Umeda at 01:13 on the night bus, you arrive long after most people check in, and some hotels close the front desk at night. For entry rules and what you can bring in, see our Japan visa and entry guide and the list of items banned from Japan.

Of all these, mobile data is the one you can set up entirely before you board.

14. What to do, by the time you land at Kansai Airport

Find the row for your landing time, keeping in mind that immigration and bags come before any of these departures. The sections above have the details for each option.

Deciding on the night

If you are through the station gates before 23:55, take Nankai to Namba. If you are at the Terminal 1 bus stop before 00:15, take the Umeda night bus, with a card in hand. Later than that, decide between a taxi and a night at the airport. A night at NODOKA or First Cabin is far cheaper than a taxi, and you arrive in the city by train early the next morning.

Planning the rest of your stay

Once you are in the city, our Osaka travel guide covers what to see and how to get around, and the Osaka accommodation guide helps you choose an area near a late-running station. For the rest of the country, start with the Japan travel guide.

If you are travelling on to Tokyo later, our Narita and Haneda to Tokyo guide covers the airport trains there, and the Shinkansen luggage rules matter if you are carrying large bags between the cities.

Kansai Airport late-night arrival FAQ

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