At Ine, approximately 230 Funayas line the Ine Bay, with most of them as private residential properties. Since the town has two main bay areas, if you want to see all of the houses in one go, consider taking either the Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat (伊根湾めぐり遊覧船) or hiring a Sea Taxi (海上タクシー). Seeing this unique township from the sea is another way to enjoy the quaint little town in Kyoto‘s rural area!
Table of Contents
- Amanohashidate’s Discounts Transportation Tickets
- What Is the Difference Between Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat and Sea Taxi
- Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat’s Ferry Terminal Isn’t Close to Ine’s Town Center
- What to Expect at Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat’s Ferry Terminal
- What We Enjoyed the Most About Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat
- Ine Bay’s Sea Taxi
Amanohashidate’s Discounts Transportation Tickets
If you are planning on visiting both Amanohashidate and Ine Town, consider getting one of the passes to save on transportation and admission fees for the cable car/chairlifts and Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat. Below are the two passes that we believe have the highest CP value if you plan to explore more attractions in the area:
- Kyoto Amanohashidate and Ine Sightseeing 2-day Pass
- Kyoto Amanohashidate Kasamatsu Sightseeing 2-day Pass
HERE is the link to other passes for Ine and Amanohashidate (located at the end of the webpage).
What Is the Difference Between Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat and Sea Taxi
The main difference between Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat and Sea Taxi is the size of the vehicle. The double-deck sightseeing ferry has a capacity of 150 people, giving you enough space to move around wherever you like. In addition, the ferry has two toilets and an air-conditioned cabin on the lower deck. These facilities are especially handy during the winter and if you travel with children and the elderly.
On the other hand, the Sea Taxi gives you more flexibility, as it can get you closer to the Funayas and is more accommodating to your request. If you understand Japanese, the entire trip is more entertaining listening to the boatman talk about his hometown. Of course, you can ask questions during the boat trip!
You can also refer to HERE for a visual idea.
Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat’s Ferry Terminal Isn’t Close to Ine’s Town Center
An important thing to note about Ine Bay Sightseeing boat is that the ferry terminal is around 1.5km from Ine’s town center (around a 20-minute walk). So, if you come from Amanohashidate, we would recommend getting off the bus at Inewan-meguri Hide (伊根湾めぐり・日出) and take the sightseeing boat first.
Refer to our Ine Bay article for information about how to get to Ine Bay.
You can also get to Ine’s town center and leave your belongings inside the coin-operated lockers or at your accommodation if you plan to spend a night there. If you don’t want to walk 1.5km, keep an eye on the time so you don’t miss the next bus bound for Amanohashidate/Inewan-meguri Hide. You can also rent a normal bicycle for free or an electric-assisted bicycle from Ine Town Information Center.
What to Expect at Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat’s Ferry Terminal
If you have one of the area passes that covers the Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat (such as Kyoto Amanohashidate and Ine Sightseeing 2-day Pass), just show your pass at the ferry terminal to board the boat. If you don’t have any passes, pay the boat fare at the ticket counter before heading to the ferry dock.
As the boat departs every 30 minutes, you can browse around for souvenirs at the ferry terminal. If you are a bit hungry, snacks are also sold there. But just note that there aren’t many vegetarian options available.
The toilet facility is also available. Regardless of the number of passengers the terminal receives daily, it is cleanly maintained.
The item that many people will buy before boarding the boat is seagull’s feed (the last photo in the IG post). It is basically a pack of shrimp snacks. You can find the feed close to the pier. Soon after the boat departs, more and more seagulls and eagles will surround the boat.
What We Enjoyed the Most About Ine Bay Sightseeing Boat
As you might have guessed, what we paid attention to the most during the boat ride was the birds (´▽｀*).
In the first few minutes of the boat ride, we focused on the Funayas and the surrounding natural scenery, but the seagulls and eagles soon caught our attention.
Because we boarded the boat last minute and had zero knowledge of what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of birds that traveled with us. Then we saw other guests with prawn stick snacks. Many passengers who stood by the handrail also had a prawn snack between their fingers. Initially, we thought the snacks were for themselves, but we were totally wrong! The next thing they did was stick their arms out to the birds, waiting for them to grab the snack from their hand!
We were skeptical about whether the birds would eat from their hands as they were wild birds. In Australia, the seagulls in Sydney swooped and grabbed our hashbrowns and Subway sandwiches, so we thought maybe the seagulls in Japan were also cheeky!
They soon proved us right. Although they weren’t as vicious as the ones in Sydney, they were bold enough to eat from their hands.
Ine Bay’s Sea Taxi
If you prefer a more personal experience, visit the Ine Town Information Center, where the staff can contact the sea taxi drivers on your behalf. However, the boatmen only accept cash, so please ensure that you have enough cash with you before boarding.
Ine Bay’s Sea Taxi pier is within a minute-walk from the information center.
Ine Bay (伊根湾)
Now that you have checked out the unique Funaya from the outside, it is time to explore the small fishing town and inside the Funayas. If you can understand Japanese or are accompanied by an interpreter, consider booking or joining their guided tour!
For more information on how you can enjoy this fishing village, please refer to our article on Ine Bay!
Visit Amanohashidate for One of the Three Views of Japan
If Ine Bay is on your itinerary and you haven’t been to Amanohashidate for the celebrated view, you definitely should go, as the two destinations go hand in hand!
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!
