These are the primary locations we plan to explore. We intend to take our time and savor the journey.
I initially had planned for 12 days but had to cut a day off the trip. In this itinerary, i have cut a day in Osaka. Please suggest if it's better to cut a day in Kyoto instead. I have to be in Tokyo on Day 5 for the fireworks festival, so i can't cut any days from Tokyo. This was the only fireworks festival i found that happens during my trip.
Tokyo
Day 1: Tuesday
12PM Arrive at Tokyo Narita airport
Narita Express to Shinjuku Station
3PM Check in hotel, Lunch
Shinjuku:
Hanazono Shrine,
Godzilla head,
Don quixote
Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho,
3d cat billboard
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building: Light Show and observation deck,
Kabukicho Tower,
Day 2: Wednesday
Harajuku:
Meiji-jingu Shrine,
Takeshita Dori – Breakfast
Shibuya:
3d Dog Billboard
Shibuya Crossing,
Scramble Square,
Shibuya 109,
Hachiko Statue,
Shibuya Sky,
Lunch at Pepper Parlor
Imperial Palace area:
East Garden,
Kitanomaru-koen Park,
Yushukan Museum,
Ginza:
Chuo-dori Street:Matsuya Department Store
Harumi-dori Street:Ginza Mitsukoshi
Kabukiza
Age.3
Tokyo Tower
Day 3: Thursday
Morning: Teamlab Planets
Afternoon till closing: Disneyland or Disneysea
Day 4: Friday
Mt. Fuji Day trip ( can be swapped with day 2 depending on the weather at Mt. Fuji)
Day 5: Saturday
Asakusa:
Senso-ji Temple,
Asakusa-jinja Shrine,
Tokyo Sky Tree,
Chacha Futatsume
Ueno:
Ueno-koen Park,
Ueno Zoo,
Ameya Yokocho Arcade,
Mihashi(for Anmitsu)
6pm Kita fireworks festival tickets from Aug 24
Kyoto
Day 6: Sunday
7AM: Shinkansen to Kyoto
Arrive at 9AM, Checkin hotel, breakfast
Southern Higashiyama:
Higashiyama Station
Chion-in Temple
Maruyama Park
Yasaka Shrine
Kodaiji Temple
Ishibe-Koji Alley
Ninen-Zaka & Sannen-Zaka Street – Lunch
Yakasa Pagoda/ Hokanji Temple
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Uber to Nanzen-ji
Northern Higashiyama:
Nanzen-ji Temple: Room of Tigers,Tenjyuan Garden,San-mon Gate 2nd Floor,
Nanzenji Oku-no-in,
Eikan-do Temple
Path Of Philosophy/ Tetsugaku-no-Michi
Honen-in Temple
Ginkaku-ji Temple/ Silver Pavilion
Day 7: Monday
Arashiyama:
Tenryu-ji Temple
Hozugawa River Boat Trip
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest or Adashino Nebutsuji Temple
Togetsu-kyo Bridge
Iwatayama Monkey Park
Kinkaku-ji Temple
Day 8: Tuesday
Downtown Kyoto:
Nishiki Market
Nijo Castle
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kyoto Gyoen
Gion:
Pontocho
Fushimi Inari Shrine at night
Day 9: Wednesday
Nara:Kintestu rail pass 1 day
Kintetsu Line to Kintetsu-Nara station: Departs 7:55Am Arrives 8:30AM
Kofuku-ji temple: Central Golden Hall,Southern Octagonal Halls Nakatanidou sweet shop
Isuien Garden
Todai-ji Temple
Nara Deer Park
Kasuga-Taisha
Kintetsu Line to Osaka at 4pm
Osaka: Check in to hotel.
Explore Dotonburi
Ebisubashisuji Shopping Street
Dotonbori Canal
Ebisu Bridge
Glico Running Man
Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Arcade: Ghibli store parco building 6th floor Amerikamura
Statue of Liberty At New America Plaza
Day 10: Thursday
Osaka Castle
Kuromon Market
Umeda Sky Building
Hozenji Temple
Hozen-ji Yokocho Alley
Namba Yasaka Shrine
Rikuro’s Cheesecake café
Namba Parks Shopping Mall
Denden Town
Shinsekai Area:
Tsutenkaku Tower
Teamlabs Botanical Garden
Dotonburi places missed on day 9
Day 11: Friday
4:15AM Check out from hotel
4:30AM 10min Walk to Namba Nankai station
5AM buy ticket for 5:15AM train
5:15AM Nankai airport express from Namba station
6:30AM Arrive in terminal 2
8:40AM Flight to Hong Kong
by OrganicEchidna4586