After lunch, it's time to get a taste of what the Nada district is known for—sake. The area is Japan's largest sake producer and many of the breweries in Kobe offer tours and samples.
Hakutsuru Sake Brewery has a comprehensive museum with videos and displays in English— and admission is free. A lot of breweries are in walking distance of each other, so download a sake map from plus.feel-kobe.jp and knock off some others.
Once you've got a nice buzz on, take a tranquil stroll through the Soraku-en Japanese Garden. It costs around $4 to enter and is well worth it to see its arched bridges and beautiful ponds.
As the sun sets head to Meriken Park in Kobe's port district — a great place to get some photos of the city's skyline from the top of the iconic Kobe Port Tower, which costs around $9 to enter.
While you're there, stop by the touching memorial to the 1995 Kobe Earthquake.
You can't visit Kobe without sampling some of its famous beef. It can be very expensive, but it's bound to be one of your best meals in Japan— so set aside a good chunk of your budget for a good piece of steak. Keep your eye out for deals— Steakland is a more affordable option, where you can enjoy a 200-gram Kobe beef meal for around $70.
After dinner, take a quick look around Kobe Harborland— this shopping district on the waterfront is a popular spot for couples to take an evening walk.
Finish your night off with evening drinks at the classy Savoy Kitanozaka cocktail bar. It's a longstanding favourite with locals and its signature drink is the Sol Cubano cocktail, a rum-based drink that comes covered with a slice of grapefruit. $60
TOTAL: $205
