Hi!
My partner and I are going to Japan isoon and will be staying for 8 full days. We’re a couple in our mid 20’s, first time visitors to both Asia and Japan. We’re both interested in seeing authentic Japan and trying local cuisine, visiting shrines, temples and some nature as well as ejoying the city. We’re going from Europe to Osaka, then to Kyoto and then from Tokyo back to Europe, we intend to mostly use public transportation and walk, and while we’re not trying to do extreme budgeting, we both like good deals and value for money. We’d prefer to do most of our sightseeing early in the morning, so most of the time we’d plan to get up around 5:30-6 a.m. and go to bed earlier in the evening. Anything in parentheses is considered optional and anything not mentioned is left open for exploration.
Below is our itinerary and we would appreciate any feedback on it:
* Does it feel too rushed?
* Are we missing some must-see places or must-eat foods that you would recommend?
* Is there anything that doesn’t make sense, isn’t worth doing, or isn’t in the ideal order?
1. **(Day 1) Wednesday – Arrival to Osaka**
* Arrival at 9 AM, transfer from airport to the city
* Lunch at Namba
* Accommodation in Namba, short rest/refresh
* Shinsaibashi shopping street
* Honzeji
* Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Isshin-ji, Shitennoji
* Shinsekai, street food for dinner
* night Dotonbori
2. **(Day 2) Thursday – Osaka/Kyoto**
* Breakfast in the area and check-out from the hotel
* Transfer to Umeda and keep lugages in the lockers.
* Osaka castle, Hokoku Shrine
* (Tenmangu, Tenjinbashi suji shopping street)
* Teppanyaki lunch at Umeda
* Leaving Osaka to Kyoto
* Higashi Hongan-ji
* Toji Temple
* Dinner
3. **(Day 3) Friday – Kyoto**
* Kyomizu dera,
* Nanennzaka, Sannenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda
* Tea Ceremony (1hr)
* Gion/Hanamikoji street
* Yasaka Jinja, Maruyama park
* Nishiki Market
* (Heian Shrine)
* Pontocho + dinner there
4. **(Day 4) Saturday – Kyoto**
* Fushimi Inari
* Transport to Arashiyama
* Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
* Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
* Saga Torimoto Preserved Street
* Gio-ji temple
* Lunch
* Kimono Forest
* Onsen of Arashiyama Station
* Transport to the city centre
* Nijo Castle
* Sushi
* (Kyoto Tower observation deck)
5. **(Day 5) Sunday – Kyoto/Tokyo**
* Breakfast, check-out
* Transport by shinkansen to Tokyo around noon
* Accomodation, lunch
* Godzilla head, cross Shinjuku Vision
* Hanazono Shrine
* Don Quijote Shinjuku
* Tokyo Metropolitan building Observation Deck
* Kabukicho
* Omoide Yokocho
* Golden Gai
6. **(Day 6) Monday – Tokyo**
* Kaminarimon, Senso-ji, Nakamise-dori street, Asakusa Shrine
* Ueno Park?
* Kanda Shrine
* Akihabara – Animate, GiGo, Yodobashi Akiba
* Tokyo Skytree
* Kameido Tenjin Shrine?
* Dinner at Shinjuku
7. **(Day 7) Tuesday – Tokyo**
* Harajuku – Takeshita
* Togo Shrine
* Cat street
* Shibuya Center Gai
* Shibuya Crossing
* Shibuya 109 shopping mall for Namakuri
8. **(Day 8) Wednesday – Tokyo**
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Ginza and Ippodo Tea
* Hamarikyu gardens
* (Odaiba island – statue of liberty, rainbow bridge, gundam statue)
* Zozoji Temple
* Tokyo tower
9. **(Day 9) Thursday – Departure from Tokyo**
* Early breakfast
* Transfer to the airport in the morning and departure
Any feedback is highly appreciated!
by Pure_Frosting_5281