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- Plan your trip : Getting to Yamato

Plan your trip Getting to Yamato
With easy to access from Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, Yamato is great for a day trip.
You can also include destinations like the World Heritage Sites Mount Koya and Kumano,
the ninja village Iga, and Nagoya in your travel plans.
This section tells you how to get from various other spots to Sakurai,
your launching point for a journey through Yamato.

Osaka → Sakurai
Time: approx. 60 minutes

When coming from Osaka to Sakurai, we recommend either the express [Kyukou] or rapid express [Kaisoku Kyukou] to save time. The limited express [Tokkyu] is fast, but it doesn’t stop at Sakurai Station. Also, the limited express [Tokkyou] comes with additional charges. Because of the risk of going past Sakurai Station, we don’t recommend it. If you do come by limited express [Tokkyu], it’s best if you switch at Yamato-Yagi Station to a non-limited express train going to Sakurai.
Kyoto → Sakurai
Time: approx. 70 minutes

Use either the express [Kyukou] or limited express [Tokkyu] when coming from Kyoto. The express [Kyukou] takes about an hour and 10min. The limited express [Tokkyu] is 50 minutes.
Nara → Sakurai
Time: approx. 30 minutes

Kansai International Airport → Sakurai
- Time: approx. 110 minutes
- Time: approx. 100 minutes
Some times of day have a direct bus connection to Sakurai (option #1). If you can’t catch one of these, go to Yamato-Yagi Station and connect there (option #2).

Mount Koya → Sakurai
Time: approx. 130 minutes

*JR doesn’t run many trains. Also, you may need to wait quite a long time between transfers. Keep this in mind when using JR.
Iga-Ueno → Sakurai
Time: approx. 80 minutes

Kumano → Sakurai
Time: approx. 5 hours, 20 minutes

Be warned, there aren’t many buses.
Nagoya → Sakurai
Time: approx. 110 minutes
