Hello! Currently planning the first leg of my Japan trip. Will be the first time I am traveling internationally and just wanted to make the most of the time there.
Booked entirely with points:
Marriott stay 4 nights get 5th night free
1 night at Park Hyatt in Kyoto
**Day 1: Arrival**
~1900 Fly into Kansai, clear customs, take train/bus to hotel.
Check into hotel, drop bags off and will head out:
Dotonbori – Dinner, pictures, snacks
Hozenji Yokocho – Drinks
Planning to take it easy this night, I’m guessing most shopping will be closed by the time we get checked in and what not.
**Day 2: Himeji Castle/Kobe**
Himeji Castle
Lunch around Himeji
**Kobe**
Ikuta Jinja
Kitanocho
Nunobiki Herb Gardens
Ropeway
Chinatown
Osaka Castle if time permits (hoping that its still relatively light outside by the time we get back from Kobe)
Snack – Okonomiyaki
Late dinner somewhere
**Day 3: Nara**
Horyuji Temple
Nara Park (Kofuku, Isuien Garden, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha, feed deer)
End that stretch with Nakatanidou
Lunch in Nara then head back to Osaka
Spend late afternoon/evening exploring Osaka, get some shopping done.
**Day 4: USJ**
Hoping to get to USJ around 7am (Park opens at 9am) to rope drop Mario World and do Mario Kart, play mini games.
Explore the rest of the park leisurely – I’ve been to Harry Potter World in Hollywood.
Walk around Namba once we get back from Universal City until reservation.
Reservation at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M for late dinner ~9pm
**Day 5 – Free day** (just added this day to my trip, so can move things around)
**Day 6 – Kyoto**
Head from Osaka to Kyoto
Explore – Kiyomizu, Sannenzaka Path, Ninenzaka, Maruyama Park, Chion-in Temple, Shoren-in Mozeki.
Lunch break
Nishiki Market – Daimaru – Higashiyama Ward
Fushimi Inari here (unless I start there)
Break before dinner (hopefully at Kichi Kichi)
End night at Gion Shinbashi Bridge
**Day 7 – Rest of Kyoto then to Tokyo**
Nijo castle -> Arashiyama area (Bamboo forest + monkey park, Tenryu, Okochi Garden) -> Kinkaku -> Daitoku-ji Temple -> Higashiyama -> Nanzenji -> Kyoto Station to Tokyo
Lunch and dinner somewhere in the middle with a later dinner on arrival to Tokyo
**Thoughts**
So I recently added the day because I figured my time in Kyoto might be too rushed/constantly moving around. Additionally, I wanted to take advantage of the 5th night free (Already spending ~11 days in Tokyo after this).
Wanted time to shop in Osaka
*Thinking*
Doing some of Kyoto after Nara before heading back to Osaka.
Adding Hiroshima on the 5th day.
I really want to do the One Piece statues in Kumamoto but without driving, don’t think it’s a super wise use of time. Plus the statues seem to be a permanent fixture, so hopefully they’ll be around when I come again in the future (darn you One Piece tower).
by pickleless