Our Day in Kobe

NCL Spirit Tokyo to Keelung -- November 2 to 15, 2025

Kobe, November 4, 2025 (Tuesday)

On this second port, we were visiting the city of Kobe. This could easily be one of my favorite cities in Japan. Transportation is easy with the complimentary shuttles between port and downtown. Then all we had to do was to purchase the one-day pass for the loop bus that can take visitors to most important sights in the city. The only problem that we had was not enough time! 

This was our second trip to Kobe. Unlike our last time here which was just the two of us a few years back, we had so many in our group coming along, which made it difficult to use public transportation that is available. We broke up into smaller groups, hoping to be easier but we ended up all going together anyway. While we were purchasing the loop bus passes at port, some even decided to join us for the day!

Enjoyed our full breakfast at the MDR. This parfait was a little lacking, but their muesli was a bomb. We ended up having our daily dose of muesli every morning. 

Approaching the port of Kobe.

There was a service counter inside this huge terminal that we were able to purchase the one-day ticket for the city loop bus. Then, from there we took the complimentary shuttles to downtown where they stopped right across from Chinatown. That was also the stop to pick up the shuttle back to port later in the day. The city loop bus stop is also right there, so it made it easy to catch the ride to points of interest. We were hoping to catch an earlier bus that may be coming by so we walked a block away and waited at another stop. Wrong move! When we finally got on the crowded bus, it was the same one we did not get on earlier by the shuttle stop. Which means we waited all that time for the same bus to come back after about 5 or 6 stops.

Our main goal was to get to the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway and planning to spend a couple of hours there. We were all able to get off the bus without losing anyone and took the short walk to the entrance of the Ropeway station. Paid our admission for the ropeway and the gardens in the long line which moved pretty fast. 

Beautiful views as we 'climbed' up the hill.

With a waterfall on the way.

Reached the top of the hill.

Very western feel.

Looks like a garden in Europe.

Museum with various fragrances.

After we enjoyed the views up on top and a visit to the fragrance museum, we headed back down the gardens. It was a nice, gentle stroll downhill with pretty sights all the way.

I have never seen pumpkins on a tree. These are mini pumpkins that looked like tomato plants.

Absolutely beautiful!

We could see our ship as we went downhill.

Must have a lavender ice cream.

We walked down to the middle station, then took the cable car back down to the bottom. Caught the loop bus back to Chinatown hoping to find a Kobe beef restaurant that we can get in without reservations. By then, it was almost 2 o'clock and we went to one restaurant which has good ratings in the area but they only had two spots so we let our travel partners in to enjoy the food there as we continued to look for a restaurant.

Then we found this, a Kobe beef restaurant in Chinatown. Not as fancy as the one we went to a few years back but it worked. No reservations needed and the restaurant was practically empty at that hour.

Choices of different kind of beef.

Official Kobe beef supplier.

Here is the chef!

Our orders of beef.

Indeed a good Kobe beef meal!

After lunch we walked around Chinatown a little bit before taking the shuttle back to port.

Watch for the time of the last shuttle available.

Back to port.

Another nice dinner to end the day.

We were told that Kobe have a million-dollar night view. But to me, it can't compare to Hong Kong.

For video of this day, please click here.

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid."  -- John 5:31