Planning a trip for early December & worried I’m over-planning things. I have sets of activities that are grouped in the same general areas for transportation convenience & require as little subway as possible but of course the days in each region can be switched around depending on the mood.
How doable would this itinerary be for an off-season trip? Hoping the colder weather will bring less crowds but still would be able to catch residual autumn leaves.
**OSAKA (staying 8 days – day-trips to Nara & Kyoto, near Umeda station)**
* **DAY 1 – ARRIVE**
* Arrive in Kansai Int’l Airport
* Check into hotel in Osaka
* **DAY 2 – AQUARIUM & DOTONBORI**
* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
* Tempozan Harbor Village
* Donguri Store
* Amerika-Mura
* Shinshaibashi-Suji Shopping District
* Don Quijote store in Dotonbori
* Hozenji Yokocho in the evening
* **DAY 3 – SHRINES & SHOPPING**
* Osaka Takashimaya
* Sennichimae Doguyasuji Market
* Kurumon Market
* Den Den Town in Nipponbashi
* Shitennoji Shrine in Tennoji
* Shinsekai Market
* Tsutenkaku Tower
* **DAY 4 – HIMEJI & UMEDA**
* **HIMEJI (HALF-DAY TRIP)**
* Himeji Castle
* Kokoen Garden
* Visit the Umeda malls
* Pokemon Center in Umeda
* Umeda Sky Building in the evening
* **DAY 5 – NARA PARK**
* **NARA (DAY TRIP)**
* Nara Park
* Todai-ji Temple
* Isuen Garden & Neiraku Museum
* Kasuga-Taisha Shrine
* Kofuku-ji Temple
* Nakatanidou Mochi Shop
* Higashimuki Shopping Street
* **DAY 6 – TEMPLES & MONKEYS**
* **KYOTO (DAY TRIP)**
* Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
* Tenryu-ji Temple
* Senko-ji Temple
* Iwatayama Monkey Park
* Kinkaku-ji Temple
* **DAY 7 – NIJO CASTLE & GION DISTRICT**
* **KYOTO (DAY TRIP)**
* Nijo Castle
* Nishiki Market
* Hanamikoji Street
* Yasaka Shrine
* Gion District (Ninenzaka Street + Sannenzaka Street)
* Kiyomizu-dera Temple
* Pontocho Alley at night
* Ship luggage to hotel in Tokyo
* **DAY 8 – FUSHIMI INARI**
* Check out of hotel in Osaka
* **KYOTO (DAY TRIP)**
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Fushimi Inari Market
* Travel to Hakone by JR
* Check into ryokan in Hakone
* **DAY 9 – HAKONE (staying 1 day at ryokan)**
* Check out of ryokan in Hakone
* Onshi-Hakone Park
* Hakone-jinja Shrine
* Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
* Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani
* Hakone-Yumoto Shopping Street
* Travel to Tokyo by Romancecar
* Check into hotel in Tokyo
* **TOKYO (staying 5 days – near Shinjuku station)**
* **DAY 10 – SHINJUKU & KABUKICHO**
* Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
* Mocha Lounge Cat Cafe Shinjuku
* Omoide Yokocho “Memory Lane”
* Kabukicho District in the evening
* **DAY 11 – HARAJUKU & SHIBUYA**
* Meiji Shrine
* Harajuku Mame Shiba Cafe
* Harajuku District (Takeshita Street)
* Miyashita Park
* Nintendo Tokyo in Shibuya
* Shibuya scramble crossing
* **DAY 12 – GHIBLI & KICHIKOJI**
* Inokashira Park
* Ghibli museum
* Kichikoji neighborhood
* Akihabara Electric Town in the evening
* **DAY 13 – TAITO CITY**
* Nezu Shrine
* Ueno Park
* Tokyo National Museum
* Senso-ji Temple
* Nakamise-dori Street
* Tokyo Skytree
* **DAY 14**
* Check out of hotel in Tokyo
* Depart from Haneda Airport
by rainbowclover314