Hey,
I've been planning this trip for a while, and at last I (30yo) will be spending a three-week vacation with my parents (50yo) in Japan from September 24 to September 12. That's 4 days in Tōkyō, 6 days in Kyōto, 6 days in Ōsaka, and 4 days in Tōkyō again, which includes day trips to Kōbe, Nara, and Kawaguchiko, as well as a one-day stay in Kōyasan. I've already booked our hotels (in Jinbo-chō, Higashiyama, Tengachaya, and Ginza, respectively), including for the stay in Kōyasan (at Rengejō-in). You'll find the detailed itinerary I've come up here (as a table) or below. Some days have activities in different cities as indicated by the bracketed neighborhood explored.
Tōkyō:
08-24: (T:Chiyoda) Jinbo-chō (T:Ueno) Ueno Park + SCAI the Bathhouse
08-25: (T:Shibuya) Yoyogi Park + Meiji-jingū (T:Roppongi) Nat. Art Center + Tōkyō Tower
08-26: (T:Chiyoda) Imperial Palace (T:Chiyoda) Akihabara
08-27: (T:Chūō) Tsukiji Fish Market (K:Kamigyō) Kyōto-gosho + Nijō-jō
Kyōto:
08-28: (K:Higashiyama) Kiyomizu-dera + Heian-jingū (K:Gion) Hanamikōji Street + Ponto-chō
08-29: (K:Arashiyama) Bamboo Grove + Sagano Line (K:Iwatayama) Monkey Park + Saihō-ji
08-30: (K:Kita) Kinkaku-ji + Ryōan-ji (K:Ukyō) Tōei Studio Park + Manga Museum
08-31: (Kōbe) Nunobiki Falls + Dairyū-ji + Venus Bridge + Ijinkan-gai
09-01: (K:Fushimi) Inari-taisha + Shiragiku Falls (K:Nakagyō) MoMAK + GEAR
09-02: (K:Sakyō) Ginkaku-ji + Nanzen-ji (O:Naniwa) Shinsekai + Tsūtenkaku
Ōsaka:
09-03: (O:Suita) Expo Commemoration Park (O:Minō) Meiji no Mori Natural Park
09-04: (O:Chūō) Ōsaka-jō + Tenman-gū (Kita) Nat. Museum of Art + Utsubo Park
09-05: (Kōyasan) Kongōbu-ji + Danjō-garan + Okunoin Cemetery + Rengejō-in
09-06: (Naniwa) Nipponbashi + Dōtonbori (Higashisumiyoshi) Sumiyoshi-taisha + teamLab Garden
09-07: (Nara) Kōfuku-ji + Nara Park + Kasuga Primeval Forest
09-08: (O:Minato) Aquarium Kaiyūkan (T:Asakusa) Asakusa-jinja + Skytree
Tōkyō:
09-09: (Kawaguchiko) Lake Kawaguchi + Tenjōyama Park
09-10: (T:Musashino) Inokashira Park + Ghibli Museum (T:Shinjuku) Kabukichō + Golden Gai
09-11: (T:Setagaya) Todoroki Valley (T:Yokohama) Noodles Museum + Keihin Cruise
09-12: (T:Ginza) Some shopping before leaving in the evening
What's your take on it? It's more of a guideline, and it's fine if we decide we'd rather have a more restful day at some point, but we do intend to try and stick to the plan if possible. That being said, at this point, I'm very open to changes, tweaks, and advice about which activities to consider or avoid.
Something that's missing from the itinerary as of yet is food. I've also heard lunching is usually cheaper than dining at restaurants; is the money saved worth the trouble? Anyhow, I'd be delighted to hear about local restaurants that aren't too expensive.
Your guidance is greatly appreciated. Cheers!
by AngelusNovus420