Luxury Winter Train Trips in Kyoto by the Sea

As well as the premium lunch course, there are a few other courses available for passengers on the Kuro-matsu, taking in different parts of the region. The breakfast course is offered along the Miyafuku Line between Fukuchiyama Station and Amanohashidate, leaving the former just after 10am and arriving at the latter just before midday. The scenery in this area, the deep rural heart of Kyoto, is mostly mountainous, and the train passes through scenic hill and farm country before making a brief stop at Oe Station, an attractive monochrome structure associated with the famous oni (demons) which legend has it, inhabit the recesses of nearby Mt. Oe.

While enjoying the bucolic scenery as the train passes through, guests can indulge in the mouth-watering breakfast course which consists of healthy seasonal ingredients sourced from both the local seas and mountains, finished off with a small dessert and coffee.

The other option is the afternoon sweets course, available in spring and summer 2024; like the lunch course, this also runs from Amanohashidate to Nishi-Maizuru, departing at 4:05pm and arriving in Nishi-Maizuru at 5:25pm. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth!

The Kuro-matsu is not the only sightseeing train which operates on the Kyoto Tango Railway Lines; the Tango Aka-matsu cafe train is another stylish wooden-interior train which runs on Tuesday and Wednesday between Amanohashidate and Nishi-Maizuru – passengers can ride in comfort with a choice of bench, counter, sofa and table seats, and drinks and snacks are sold in the on-board cafe. For those without advanced bookings, the Tango Ao-matsu is a non-reservation sightseeing train which runs between Toyooka (in neighbouring Hyogo prefecture) and Nishi-Maizuru, with stops at Amanohashidate and Miyazu among others. It also features a chic wooden interior and comfortable seating, and passengers can hop on and off as they wish without an advanced reservation., so is a great option for those wanting to do some sightseeing on a whim.

◆Need To Know

The Kuro-matsu runs on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays and tickets are reservation only. The flagship lunch course costs 14,000 yen per person, and leaves Amanohashidate Station at 1:05pm, arriving at its final destination of Nishi-Maizuru Station at 2:50pm. Maizuru is a historic port city and has long been an important base for the Japanese navy; it has a number of interesting sights to see, and from there you can also catch direct trains to Kyoto on JR railways.

For the latest information, details on other courses (breakfast and late afternoon local sweets) and to make ticket reservations, see the official website.
https://willerexpress.com/en/train/tantetsu/