Wakayama: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Wakayama is a city of 356,729 people in Japan, 8 m (26 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Kansai International Airport (KIX), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Wakayama runs from about 9 h 55 min a day in late December to 14 h 29 min in late June (computed for 34.23° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Wakayama is served by 5 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Kansai International Airport (KIX), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre, whose 13,123-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Kobe Airport (UKB, 45 km), Tokushima Awaodori Airport / JMSDF Tokushima Air Base (TKS, 53 km), Osaka Itami International Airport (ITM, 66 km), Nanki Shirahama Airport (SHM, 66 km).
Flights to Wakayama: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Wakayama · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Osaka, 60 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Nagoya, 191 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kobe, 51 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kyoto, 103 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Hiroshima, 250 km — tours
- Kitakyushu, 400 km
- Sakai, 48 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Hamamatsu, 241 km
- Okayama, 122 km
- Shizuoka, 306 km
Common questions
Which airport serves Wakayama?
Kansai International Airport (KIX), 23 km (14 mi) from the centre, plus 4 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Wakayama?
About 356,729 people live in Wakayama (GeoNames).
What time zone is Wakayama in?
Asia/Tokyo, currently UTC+9.
What currency is used in Wakayama?
The Yen (JPY). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Wakayama?
Osaka (60 km), Nagoya (191 km), Kobe (51 km), Kyoto (103 km), Hiroshima (250 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.