Amanohashidate (天橋立), one of the Three Views of Japan (日本三景, Nihon Sankei), is a sandbar at Miyazu Bay (宮津湾) in northern Kyoto. The 3.6 km long sandbar, with a width ranging from 20 to 170 meters, was created by crustal movements, connecting Miyazu Bay’s north and south end. To get a clear view of such a geographical spectacle, if you don’t make your way up to the observation decks at Amanohashidate View Land and Kasamatsu Park, you will have a hard time persuading your families and friends that you have been to Amanohashidate!
But as the attractions at Amanohashidate are scattered around Miyazu Bay and the sandbar, traveling to each of them can be a pain without a mode of transportation. So read on for how you can explore Amanohashidate!
Table of Contents
- Bike Rental at Amanohashidate
- Tango Kairiku Kōtsū’s Bus
- Amanohashidate Sightseeing Boat (天橋立観光船)
- Amanohashidate’s Discounts Transportation Tickets
Bike Rental at Amanohashidate
Before you start your day at Amanohashidate, you can head to the Amanohashidate Sightseeing Information Center (天橋立観光協会) after you get out of the ticket gate. Apart from grabbing a map, the staff there will also assist you in planning the best exploration route if you haven’t got one.
The area map HERE has the shops marked with a bicycle mark for you to refer to. Of course, the staff at the information center may be able to give you recommendations.
From Amanohashidate Station to the south end of Amanohashidate, it is only a 5-minute walk. For those who aren’t looking forward to trekking 3.6 km one-way, there are quite a few bike rental shops around the station for you to shop around.
With a bicycle, you can cut down your travel time from around an hour to around 20 minutes to go from the south to the north of Amanohashidate. As there are well-maintained tracks on the sandbar, there is no need to worry about your bike’s tires being caught by sand.
Tips:
☛ Refer to HERE for set tickets combining the bicycle rental and Amanohashidate’s attractions’ admission fee. You can translate it to English using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar.
☛ If you are going to both Amanohashidate View Land (天橋立ビューランド) and Kasamatsu Park (傘松公園), you will want to be at Kasamatsu Park in the morning and Amanohashidate View Land in the afternoon for better lighting and therefore better photos.
☛ Get the Two Fantastic Viewpoints Special Ticket (日本三景天橋立二大展望めぐりチケット) to save if you are visiting both parks.
Tango Kairiku Kōtsū’s Bus
The second option is to take bus services running by Tango Kairiku Kōtsū (丹後海陸交通). The bus is commonly known as Taikai Bus. It stops at major attractions in the area. So if you don’t want to walk too much or are looking to head to attractions further away from the station, it will be a good choice for you.
For the service’s timetable, please refer to their website HERE.
Amanohashidate Sightseeing Boat (天橋立観光船)
You can also choose to get from the south to the north of Amanohashidate by taking the sightseeing boat. It is recommended because you can photograph the sandbar from the sea from various angles. Amanohashidate Pier is less than a 5-minute walk from Amanohashidate Station.
The boat also stops at Miyazu Pier (宮津桟橋), which is around a 10-minute walk from Miyazu Station (宮津駅), which is another way that you can get to Amanohashidate. But just note the number of services is extremely limited.
For boat fare and timetable, please refer to their website HERE.
Tip: If you have the combo ticket for admission to both Amanohashidate View Land and Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Park, remember to show the ticket to the staff when you are getting your boat ticket for a discount. HERE is the website for the deal.
Amanohashidate’s Discounts Transportation Tickets
- Two Fantastic Viewpoints Special Ticket (日本三景天橋立二大展望めぐりチケット)
- Kyoto Amanohashidate and Ine Sightseeing 2-day Pass
- Kyoto Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Sightseeing 2-day Pass
Explore Amanohashidate With a Guided Tour
If you prefer a guide to introduce you to the charms of Amanohashidate, how about joining one of the below tours?
- Amanohashidate round trip e-ride tour
- Amanohashidate and Miyama Kayabuki no Sato 1-Day Tour from Osaka
- Miyama Thatched Village, Ine Bay & Amanohashidate Tour from Osaka
- Kyoto by the Sea Amanohashidate & Ine Sightseeing day tour from Osaka (Namba or Umeda Departure)
- Amanohashidate & Ine Funaya 1-Day Tour from Osaka or Kyoto (Namba Departure)
- Osaka City Boat Cruise and Amanohashidate Gondola Trip
- Private Tour: Amanohashidate and Miyama Kayabuki no Sato 1 Day Tour from Osaka or Kyoto
Visit Amanohashidate for One of the Three Views of Japan
Now that you know how to travel between the attractions in Amanohashidate, it is time to plan your visit!
Check out our article on Amanohashidate to find out why people are bending down over on the observatory and how the 5,000 pine trees can grow on the 3.6 km sandbar surrounded by seawater!
