Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
Last updated: August 26, 2026
The Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens spill down the mountainside above Shin-Kobe, reached by a ropeway that lifts you over waterfalls and forest with the city and the Rokko range widening below. It's one of Japan's largest and most diverse herb gardens — some 200 kinds and 75,000 plants across twelve themed garden zones, from lavender fields to a glasshouse of tropicals — laced with terraces built for lingering over the view. The gardens work in every season, and the descent is half the pleasure: ride the ropeway down, or walk the forest path past Nunobiki Falls.
Itinerary
- Stop at: Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
Frequently Asked Questions
The Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway starts a few minutes' walk from Shin-Kobe Station — the city's Shinkansen stop, one subway stop from Sannomiya — and climbs about ten minutes to the garden's upper gate. The gondolas pass right over Nunobiki Falls and the reservoir on the way up, so the ride is an attraction in itself.
Yes — a forest trail links Shin-Kobe to the gardens by way of Nunobiki Falls, one of Japan's celebrated waterfalls, in roughly 40 minutes of steady climbing. The favourite pattern is to ride the ropeway up, wander downhill through the garden zones, and walk the falls path back to the station.
Something is always in bloom — lavender peaks in early summer, roses in late spring and autumn, and the glasshouse keeps colour going year-round. Clear evenings are their own season: the terraces face straight over Kobe to the bay, and the night view after sunset is among the city's best.