Hi! I'll be going to Japan for two weeks with my friends, and I want to make sure I'm all ready to guide them through as best I can. This will be our first time going, and we don't have a set itinerary for the second week quite yet, only that we'll be mostly in Tokyo and going to Kawaguchiko for 1 night.
We decided we'd to Kyoto and Osaka first, since we won't have to carry as much luggage around for that.
Day 1 – Getting there
*Around 3-4pm: Land in Narita
*At airport: Get our things, like wi-fi, Hokuriku Pass, and Suicas
*6pm: Get to Tokyo, plan to stay at 9h Capsule hotel for the night
*Afternoon/night: Explore the city so that we go to bed at 9-10pm, to avoid jetlag
Day 2 – Moving to Kyoto
*Around 6am: Get up and take the trains to Kyoto
*Around 9am: Arrive at Kyoto and stash our single suitcase each at the station or at the hotel
*Around 10am: Get to Kinkaku-ji
*At around 11AM-12PM: Visit Arashiyama (tenryu-ji, otagi nenbutsu-ji are there or nearby, I think?)
Day 3 – Kyoto
*7am: Get to Fushimi Inari and either climb to the top or halfway depending on how my friends are feeling and time
*At around 9-11am: Visit Kyomizudera
*After lunch?: Do a Kyudo experience
*Around 3pm: Visit the Kyoto Saishu netsuke art museum
*Late afternoon: Get on a train to Osaka (though this hotel switching can be done on the morning of Day 4)
Day 4 – Osaka
*Morning: Get to Osaka (if we didn't go the night before) and visit Osaka Castle
*Around lunch: Eat at the pokémon café (if we can get reservations)
*After lunch: Walk around Doutonbori (visit Hozenji, which is right next to it, I think?)
*Afternoon: Go to Shitenno-ji
Day 5 – Osaka
*All day at USJ
*If we end up thinking we're done early, just use the rest of the day to walk around or rest
Day 6 – Day trip to Hiroshima
*Morning: Peace park and museum (the order depends on how early we get there)
*Undecided: Ferry to Miyajima island to see Itsukushima Shrine (depends on when there's high tide)
*Afternoon/night: Back to Osaka
Day 7 – Osaka
*Around 7-8am: Visit Shumiyoshi Taisha
*Around 8-9am: Take a train to the Naruto theme park (we'd arrive at like 10am, which is when the park opens)
*Around noon: Have lunch at the theme park because of the ramen place there
*After lunch: Visit the botanical museum
*Afternoon: Maybe go to Hello Kitty Smile (they close really early, so unsure)
*Late afternoon/night: Back to Osaka (if we finish early, we'll explore Osaka more or rest)
Day 8Â – Daytrip to Nara and return to Tokyo (day 7 of Hokuriku Arch pass)
*Early morning: Send our bags to Tokyo before leaving the hotel
*Morning: See Nara Park
*Mid-morning to afternoon: Visit some shrines and shops (recommendations?)
*Around 5pm: Head to Kyoto so we can take the thunderbird and then the shinkansen back to Tokyo
Do you think this is doable?
by PaladinHeir