Hi all, my partner and I will be going to Osaka from 27/4 to 1/5 and have planned out an itinerary, including day trips to Nara, Kobe, Kyoto.
**Itinerary (WIP):**
* 27/4: Arriving in Osaka
* 1600: Arrive at KIX
* 1800: Check in @ hotel near JR Namba station (near-ish Dotonbori)
* 1900: Dinner @ Kuromon Market / Honzenchi Yokocho
* 2000: Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping street
* 2200: Bar hop (Milk Club / Bar Shiki / Bible Club) etc.
* 28/4: Nara half-day trip
* 0800: Train to Kinetsu Nara station
* 0900: Walk around Nara park / feed deer
* 1200: Lunch @ Higashumuki Shopping St.
* 1400: Head back to Osaka, walk around Osaka Castle
* 1700: Dinner @ Izakaya Toyo / explore nearby area
* 2000: Head back to Dotonbori / hotel area, maybe karaoke
* 29/4: Kobe day trip
* 0900: Train to Shin-Kobe station
* 1000: Kobe Herb Garden
* 1200: Lunch @ ?
* 1300: Kobe Animal Kingdom
* 1700: Reservation @ Steak Aoyoma
* 1900: Cocktails @ The Castle
* 2100: Head back to Osaka, maybe join a bar crawl
* 30/4: Kyoto day trip
* 0800: Train to Kyoto / Arashimaya Bamboo Forest
* 0900: Hozugawa river tour
* 1300: Lunch @ Arashimaya + check out surroundings
* 1500: Fushimi Inari Shrine
* 1800: Dinner @ Nishiki Market
* 1900: Drinks + Geisha spotting @ Hanami Lane
* 2100: Go back to Osaka, rest or have supper
* 1/5: Osaka
* 0900: Shopping at Umeda (Hep Five)
* 1200: Lunch @ Osaka Eki-mae Biru
* 1400: Umeda tower
* 1700: Head to Nagai park
* 1900: teamLab Botanical (19:15 ticket)
* 2000: Dinner @ ?
* 2200: Back to hotel to pack for flight to Hokkaido the next day
**We wanted to seek your opinions on:**
1. Generally, is the schedule too packed? Would we have to rush from place to place?
2. Is 3 day trips in 4 days too ambitious? Should we allocate more time to explore Osaka?
3. Do you have any recommendations on anything we missed out on or should exclude based on our likes / dislikes (below)? Would appreciate food / bar / shopping recommendations in particular
4. Will there still be cherry blossoms in the region during our visit? If yes, where?
5. Will the crowds be insane since it is Golden Week? We can deal with crowds but if it gets suffocating, we might want to avoid even the must-visit places like the bamboo forest / Fushimi Inari. Are there less-crowded alternatives we can visit?
**Relevant information:**
* Accommodation: hotel near JR Namba station (near-ish Dotonbori)
* Transport: we plan to take the train as much as possible and avoid calling a cab
* Budget: for food, we’re generally ok with \~2,500 yen per pax for a meal, but willing to spend up to 10,000 yen per pax for really good stuff. For attractions, \~5,000 per pax should be fine.
* Likes:
* Food – specifically sashimi, wagyu, ramen, izakaya
* Scenic places to take nice pictures, both cityscapes and nature are good
* Exploring different “hidden” / hipster-type bars
* Shopping – specifically more towards vintage luxury (watches, handbags) / Japanese street fashion brands / leather shoes, and also cute souvenirs / toys etc.
* Live music / karaoke
* Dislikes:
* Ultra-long queues (>1 hr)
* Ultra-crowded places (e.g., shoulder-to-shoulder in a sea of people)
* Having to rush everywhere throughout the day
Thanks everyone!
by thinkbacon
