19-day itinerary check (Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima/Osaka)

Hello everybody,

So my boyfriend and I are travelling for the first time to Japan. We love a mix of culture/nature/food/shopping and are used to having a packed journey on vacation. We decided to split Kyoto/Hiroshima/Osaka because of a samurai show on Hiroshima on Saturday.

This is the following itinerary:

Tuesday 3 september – arrival Tokyo (Shinjuku)

• Haneda Airport –> (QR code fixed beforehand) Airport Limousine Bus to get to our hotel in Shinjuku
• Shinjuku Gyoen
• 3D Cat Billboard
• Omoide Yokocho
• Kabukicho
• Optional shrine: Hanazono Shrine

Wednesday 4 september – Tokyo (Shibuya/Harajuku)

• Meiju Shrine
• Takeshita Street
• Nintendo Store
• Shibuya Scramble Crossing
• Shibuya Sky (tickets pre-booked)
• Optional: Yoyogi Park, Pokemon Center

Thursday 5 september – Tokyo (Tsukiji Market/Teamlab/Ginza)

• Tsukiji Market
• Teamlab Planets
• Art Aquarium Museum
• Shopping
• Optional: Hamarikyu Gardens, Unicorn Gundam

Friday 6 september – Tokyo (Asakusa/Akihabara)

• Senso-ji
• Ushijima Shrine
• Akihabara Electric Town
• Kanda Myojin Shrine
• Optional: Pokemon Center, Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Saturday 7 september – Tokyo (Tokyo Station)

• Tokyo Station
• Imperial Palace (East Gardens)
• Nijubashi Bridge
• Optional: Pokemon Center

Sunday 8 september – Nikko (day trip from Tokyo)

• Shin-kyo
• Tosho-gu
• Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park
• Chuzen-ji lake
• Chuzen-ji Tachiki-kannon
• Kegon Falls
• Rinno-ji
  • Taiyu-in
• Futarasan-jinja
• Takino-jinja
• Undameshi-no-torii

Monday 9 september – Mount Fuji (day trip from Tokyo), can be another day depending on the weather

• Lake Kawaguchiko
• Chureito Pagoda
• Oishi Park

Tuesday 10 september – Kyoto (Arashiyama)

• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• Kimono Forest
• Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
• Optional: Okochi Sanso Garden, Tenryu-ji

Wednesday 11 september – Kyoto (Southern Higashiyama)

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Hokan-ji Temple
• Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka Street
• Optional: Kodai-ji, Yasaka Shrine, Chion-in

Thursday 12 september – Kyoto (Southern Kyoto/Downtown Kyoto)

• Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
  • Chopstick Store
• Daigo-ji
• Sanjusangendomawari
• Optional: Tofuku-ji Temple, Shorin-ji Temple, Toji-ji

Friday 13 september – Kyoto (Gion)

• Kinkaku-ji
• Kyoto Botanical Gardens
• Nijo-ji
• Nishiki Market
• Pontocho
• Optional: Byodo-ji Temple, Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Shimogamo Shrine

Saturday 14 september – Hiroshima

• Arrival (Kansai-Hiroshima JR pass)
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
• Peace Memorial Park
• Hiroshima Castle
  • Aki Hiroshima Busho-Tai
• Shukkei-en
• Optional: Orizuru Tower, Hondori Shopping Street

Sunday 15 september – Miyajima

• Itsukushima-jinja 
• Daisho-in
• Momijidani Park
• Mount Misen Ropeway
• Water activities (SUPMiyajima)
• Optional: Senjo-kaku

Monday 16 september – Osaka (Osaka Castle/Dotonbori/Namba)

• Osaka-jo 

  • Nishi-nomaru Garden
  • Gozabune Boat

• Dotonbori

  • Glico Running Man
  • Kuidaore Taro 
  • Ebisubashi Bridge
  • Hozanji Yokocho Alley
  • Shinsaibashi Street
  • Optional: Hozen-ji, Amerika-Mura, river cruise, food tour

• Namba 

  • Namba Yasaka-Jinja
  • Kuromon Ichiba Market
  • Doguya-suji
  • Rikuro’s Cheesecake

Tuesday 17 september – Osaka (Umeda/Osaka Bay)

• Umeda

  • Umeda Sky Building
  • Hep Five Mall
  • Ohatsutenji-dori
  • Optional: Hep Five Ferris Wheel, Hankyu Umeda Department Store

• Osaka Bay 

  • Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
  • Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel
  • Legoland Discovery Centre
  • Tempozan Marketplace

Wednesday 18 september – Nara (day trip from Osaka)

• Kintetsu Railway Osaka –> Nara
• Nara-koen
• Daibatsu
• Kasuga-taisha
• Todai-ji
• Nandai-mon
• Isui-en
• Kasuga taisha
• Mochi Pounding

Thursday 19 september – Osaka (Universal Studios)

• Universal Studios (according to Thrill data this is the less busiest day in Osaka)

Friday 20 september – Tokyo (Ueno)

• Ueno Park
• Ueno Toshogu Shrine
• Ameyoko Market
• Nezu Shrine
• Tokyo National Museum

Saturday 21 september – Tokyo (last day)

• Gotokuji Temple
• Jiyucho (souvenir)

Thank you so much in advance!