Itinerary Check: 7 days in Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo). Please help us not burn ourselves out lol.

12 comments

1. Just got back from those 3 places.

   Doing the (full) Inari Shrine and the monkey park (a 30mins uphill/stairs walk) both on the same day is no easy task…

   July will be also be unbearably hot so I would suggest splitting those and do them on different days if possible.

2. Osaka – Nara park. if you’re not doing anything then it’s the best place in my opinion. One of the highlights of my trip for sure.

3. For only 7 days, traveling from Osaka to Tokyo sounds like a lot already and I personally would’ve stayed in one or the other when you only have a week but if you’ve already booked it you’ve already booked it 😅

   • Kyoto: make reservations for all your meals, you’re going to a huge local and international tourist destination on a weekend in the summer and everything is going to be packed. Kyoto was the one place where I felt suffocated and I went on a weekday. Make sure to plan times to sit down; it was hot in spring so I can’t imagine what the summer will be like

   • Osaka: hub for Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese immigrants so these cuisines are also in high volume in the Namba area, would recommend highly if you’re interested in trying out

   • Shin-Osaka to Asakusa is going to take minimum 3 hours so you will likely not arrive until 1:30 PM (push everything on your itinerary over by at least 30 minutes) which would mean a late lunch; you can eat on the bullet train which is what I’d personally recommend if you don’t get motion sickness

   • For a quick, cheap, and tasty sit down breakfast I’d recommend Yoshinoya (gyudon) or Nakau (oyakudon) chain eateries. There’s multiple locations especially in the greater Tokyo area and I could fill up on a hearty breakfast for ~$6/pp. I would also keep convenience stores in mind for something even quicker and cheaper, egg sandwiches and tuna mayo onigiri were favorites

   • Allow extra time to find your train platforms/station! Some of them are ginormous and have huge crowds so even though the train lines are pretty well labeled and color coded, it may take a while to actually reach your destination

   • It’s okay to take a break and not see everything you have on your list! I definitely overestimated myself and needed more rest than anticipated, but I was able to enjoy myself instead of running myself haggard which I worry will happen here with so much travel

4. > Really want to have a focus on food being a big part of the trip

   I’d suggest checking out food tours. I have done several in Tokyo as well as ones in Osaka and Kyoto and they’re a great way to check out spots and food you would otherwise not be able to. [best-exp-jp.com](http://best-exp-jp.com) is a good tour in Tokyo I’ve actually done twice and recommended to multiple friends who also had a great time. This one is a fun eating/drinking night time tour. If you are looking for something without a drinking focus, I’d suggest the Tokyo Ramen Tour with [5amramen.com](http://5amramen.com) which is a tour of multiple ramen shops where the operator has arrangements with the spots to serve smaller sized bowls of ramen allowing you to try many different unique types. Definitely come hungry.

5. The common “regret” is that people didn’t spend more time in Kyoto.

   A day trip is not enough. I would spend another day exploring Kyoto (or Nara & Kyoto) instead of the Mt Fuji Day Trip. It would be a lot less stressful travel wise for your group. Your group would also be able to see a lot of the temples that makes Kyoto special: Kiyomizudera & Golden Pavilion.

   Usually the Monkey Park and Bamboo Grove are bundled together due to location. Inari shrine is a good bit away from those two. Would not recommend the full walk if planned together.

   If food is important, I STRONGLY recommend Tsukiji fish market one morning in Tokyo. Still to this day the best sushi I’ve ever had, leagues above the rest.

6. Interesting to me how little time you are spending in Tokyo. Its such a huge, diverse, bold city with distinct neighborhoods and things to do everywhere. I understand we have the time we have, but I feel like you are spending a ton of time traveling, getting to mt fuji, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka. A lot for a short trip. Atleast for me.

   Also, Meji Jingu shrine is amazing, and I would prioritize that over Senso-ji. But I also feel allergic to places crawling with American/European tourists when I visit Japan, for the most part. I also found Shinjuku pretty lame, personal opinion, and found the bar scene in Shibuya a lot more my speed.

7. What’s the restaurant with 1 Michelin star omakase?

8. Pack light clothes as it will be hot! Once you accept you accept the sweat, it will be okay. Recommend near Asakusa, going up Tokyo Skytree. It seems touristy but so cool to see how condensed and huge Tokyo is from that high up! Asakusa is my favorite area of Tokyo so good job booking there. Go to hoppy street, great bars with outdoor seating! Restaurant recs in Asakusa: Asakusa Gyukatsu, Asakusa Imahan. Don Quixote discount store is must visit. When you go to Shibuya, you should see Harajuku too since it’s so close. Shibuya restaurant rec: Katsudon-ya Zuicho. We liked Hands store.

   I don’t like Dontonbori in Osaka, feel like it is busy, overpriced and appropriated culture but understand if you visit but don’t get discouraged if this is the first place you visit!

9. I feel your itinerary is doable and gives a nice slice of the most popular cities. As someone mentioned, I would include more buffer time for transit, especially Namba to Asakusa. Just the shinkansen ride alone is 2.5 hours via Nozomi. You have to transit first to Shin-Osaka from Namba, then from Tokyo Station to Asakusa which will involve some wandering around.

   In response to another comment, while it’s appealing to overnight in Kyoto and go to Tokyo/Asakusa from there, the time you save staying the night in Kyoto can be lost by having to check in and out of hotels. Don’t underestimate the hassle of having to pack/unpack, locating the next hotel and dealing with luggage until 3pm check-in.

   Suggestions for Day 2.

   Shopping is mentioned for Shinsekai. I couldn’t glean what kind of shopping you mean, but that area is more about eating, not many stores. That said, you mentioned food is a focus and it sounds like you are also into coffee. I suggest after walking around Shinsekai, head to nearby JanJan Yokocho which is synonymous with the area but easily missed. Whole row of old school eateries, good place to try local kushikatsu there. Local friend loves Yaekatsu (unfortunately it and the area has become YouTube famous so queues…) After walking through JanJan, cross the street and have coffee at Cafe Causerie. It used to be a Showa era kissaten (coffee shop), but a new owner took over and is now 3rd wave YET retains some of the old-school vibes. I noticed most if not all of your listed coffee places are hand drip. Causerie has siphon coffee, which is super Japanese old school. Try to get a seat in front of the siphon bar for the full show.

   Anyone into Japanese coffee culture might be interested in visiting an old school kissaten or junkissa in additional to 3rd wave places like Glitch. Nearly all have morning sets (value meals of coffee + food) from open until 11:00am so that could be a good breakfast option. Just type 喫茶店 into Google Maps near your hotels. Coffee can range from amazing or bad, but the experience is the selling point.

10. Renting bikes for Osaka Castle is an amazing idea. There’s absolutely nothing to see inside. Grounds are gorgeous but absolutely huge. Bike is God tier

11. I’d Split osaka/Tokyo 50-50 and then take a daytrip or two to Kyoto from Osaka. 7 days is quite a short time range, and Tokyo is so massive and has so much to see that I’d almost use 7 days in Tokyo alone.

12. Damn this is an ass itinerary 🤣