Kobe Christmas Market 2026A Ropeway Ride to Autumn Leaves and Christmas Lights

Around 400 metres above Kobe, Nunobiki Herb Gardens takes on the atmosphere of a small European castle town each winter. This year’s Kobe Christmas Market — Christmas at the Old Castle runs from November 7 to December 28, a little longer than last year.

The lower ropeway station is about a five-minute walk from Shin-Kobe Station, followed by a ride of around ten minutes up the mountain. By day, the windows frame the city; after dark, the view turns into a panorama of lights.

A Christmas made with plants

The theme is “Botanical Christmas”. Hinoki foliage, nuts and branches pruned within the gardens are dressed with red ribbons. The View Plaza features a Christmas tower around seven metres tall and a large wreath about three metres across, giving the setting a warm, natural feel.

Where autumn leaves meet Christmas lights

One of the garden’s most striking sights is a living metasequoia, around 25 metres tall, decorated with roughly 1,600 bulbs as the Forest Christmas Tree. It is a real tree rather than a temporary structure. Its foliage usually turns yellow from mid-November to early December, overlapping with the first part of the event.

The autumn illumination area is expanding this year. Along the Corridor of Light, autumn leaves and Christmas lights can be enjoyed together. Foliage timing changes each year, however, so leaves will not remain throughout the entire event. Later visits may be mainly about the Christmas lights. Check the garden’s updates before setting off.

When to head up the mountain

The usual switch-on times are 15:00 for the autumn leaves and Corridor of Light, 16:00 for the Christmas tower, and 16:30 for the Forest Christmas Tree. Sunset in November and December is around 17:00. For photographs with some blue left in the sky, consider arriving during the 15:00 hour and exploring while you wait. Once it is fully dark, the lights stand out more strongly, but the sky tends to appear black.

Check the evening opening dates first. Until December 6, evening opening is on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese public holidays. There is no evening opening from December 7 to 10. From December 11 to 28, evening opening is available every day.

On evening-opening days, the market closes at 20:00 and the gardens at 20:30. The final uphill ropeway is at 20:15 and the last downhill ride at 21:00. These are different closing times: if you want to browse the stalls, do not plan your arrival around the final downhill departure.

On weekdays without evening opening, the market closes at 16:30 and the gardens at 17:00. The last uphill ropeway is at 16:45 and the final downhill ride at 17:15. That leaves only around half an hour after the Forest Christmas Tree lights come on, so arrive early.

Opening day, November 7, has separate lighting ceremonies: around 17:20 at the View Plaza and around 17:45 at the Forest Christmas Tree. If you are visiting that day, check the official announcement for the latest schedule.

The mountain is colder than the city, and the evening wind can feel brisk, so bring an extra layer. The View Plaza serves a special German-winery mulled wine for ¥900 a cup — a warming pause between walks around the grounds.