Itinerary Check 14 days Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka & Questions

My first draft itinerary for a group of 3 (Myself, nb 29, my partner m35, and my best friend m29) Our priorities are 1. Art/culture 2. Sightseeing 3. Food/Experiences.

We are spry and savvy travelers that have been all over Europe during our college days. We like to hike and be up with the lark, so no heavy drinking or late nights. This will be my 30th birthday trip and a lifelong dream fulfilled! Yay!

Questions:

• I have booked hotels already, but have not booked train tickets. Since we plan to leave at specific times, should I book shinkansen tickets prior? I’ve been looking at japan.experience.com for tickets and wondering if I should buy them all now and have that taken care of. 

• I have intentionally planned all our planned sightseeing early am (avoid crowds) and doing more casual exploring in the afternoon to leave time for fun exploration. The way I see it, depending on that morning we can chill and relax and take it easy to prepare for the next morning. Is this a good plan of action?

• A lot of my itineraries are from TrulyTokyo, InsideKyoto and InsideOsaka. Do we generally like this family of websites/itineraries?  I hate chatgpt and I won’t go near it. 

Lastly, I am so overwhelmed. I feel like I have been nonstop researching since we bought plane tickets a month ago and there is still SO much information to absorb. I am worried about day 12 onward, because we’ll likely be beat and tired – definitely looking for input and suggestions as I solidify and book more things to be concrete plans.

Day 1 – Austin to Tokyo

• All DAY:
  • Flight from AUS to LAX to HND

Day 2 – Arrival in Tokyo

• Afternoon:
  • Arrive in Tokyo 3:00 pm 
    • Customs
    • Suica
    • Luggage forwarding
    • Meet friends at the airport and train to Shibuya St.
  • Stop by Shibuya Scramble (Hello Tokyo, Japan!)
  • Hachiko statue
  • Make way to Asakusa 
    • Check in hotel
• Evening:
  • Hang out w/ friend and dinner

Day 3 – Tokyo (Asakusa/Ueno)

• Morning: Explore Asakusa 
  • Senso ji temple (early!!)
  • Asakusa Jinja 
  • Namikase Shopping Street 
  • Take train to UENO
• Afternoon: UENO
  • National Museum of Art & Science 
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
  • Tokyo National Museum
• Evening: Finish Up Ueno & Back to Asakusa
  • Hang out w/ friend & dinner.

Day 4 – Tokyo (Kamakura)

• Morning: Early Train to Kamakura (6:30 SHARP)
  • Take another train to Kamikura Daibutsu (EARLY)
  • Wander to Konmachi Dori
• Afternoon: Konmachi Dori – Hokokuji
  • Shopping/wandering
  • Finish Hokokuji 4pm at close
• Evening: Finish up Kamikura
  • Find nice dinner somewhere
  • Head back to hotel around 9/latest train 

 Day 5 – Tokyo BIRTHDAY

• Morning: 
  • A happy pancake
  • Sakurai tea experience 
• Afternoon:
  • teamlab borderless
  • Something else fun birthday related TBD
• Evening:
  • Dinner/drinks
  • Train to Kyoto 8pm

 Day 6 – Kyoto – Southern Higashiyama, Downtown

• Morning: S. Higashiyama
  • 7:30 – Kiyomizu-dera 
  • 9:00 – Sannen-zaka, Maruyama Koen Park
  • 10:30 – Chion-in
  • 11:00 – Shoren-in
• Afternoon: Downtown
  • Nishiki Market
  • Explore downtown
• Evening:
  • Dinner downtown

Day 7 – Nara

• Morning
  • Isui-en
  • Yoshiki-en
  • Todai-ji
  • Nigatsu-do
• Afternoon
  • Wakakusa-yama (Lunch)
  • Kasuga-Taisha
  • Kofuku-ji
• Evening
  • Downtown Nara
  • Naramachi

Day 8 – Kyoto – Fushimi Inari, Northern Higashiyama, Gion

• Morning: Fushimi Inari
• Afternoon: N. Higashiyama
  • Higashiyama
  • Philosopher's Path
  • Nanzen-ji
• Evening:
  • Gion

Day 9 – Kyoto – Arashiyama 

• Morning:
  • Tenryu-ji
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • Explore the area
• Afternoon:
  • Open
• Evening
  • 8pm train to Osaka

Day 10 – Osaka – Osaka Bay Area & Osaka Castle

• Morning: Osaka Castle Area
  • Osaka Castle and Park
• Noon: Osaka Bay Area
  • Aquarium
• Evening: Kita District
  • Explore

Day 11 – Osaka – Minami District and Tennoji

• Morning: Minami District/ Dotonbori Area
  • Shinsaibashi-Suji
  • Hozenji Yokocho
  • Dotonbori
  • Den-Den Town
• Afternoonish: South
  • Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum
• Evening: Tennoji
  • TeamLab Botanical Garden 
  • Abeno Harukas

Day 12 – Hiroshima

• Morning: 7:30 train into Hiroshima (8AM Arrival)
  • Atomic Bomb Dome
  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
  • Peace Memorial Park
• Noonish: Wander Around Hiroshima
  • Find Okonomiyaki
• Evening: Dinner and Head to Miyajima Hotel
  • Train out and Crash

Day 13 – Miyajima

• Morning: Go Up the Mountain
  • Take earliest ferry
  • SUNRISE
• Noon: Go down the Mountain
  • Finish up and head to the train station.
• Evening: Head Back
  • 6:50pm Train allll the way back to Tokyo (Hotel in Akihabara)

Day 14 – Tokyo: Akihabara 

• Morning: Chiyoda Area
  • Imperial Palace grounds
• Noonish: TeamLab Planets
• Afternoon/Evening: Akihabara
  • Explore

Day 15 – Tokyo: Ginza/Shinagawa

• Morning: Souvenir Shopping in Ginza
  • Make way to Shinagawa
• Afternoon: Shinagawa
  • PIGMENT 
  • Leave for airport 3:30
  • Arrive airport 4:00
• Evening: Board plane 6:00pm