18 Day Itinerary(Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Tokyo)

Hello! I am looking for some advice on my plans for my trip! Plans for food are primarily going to be going with the flow on whats nearby for most days, but suggestions are welcome, and most evening plans are just to wander around what's convenient after hitting the major points for the day.

Activities are generally listed in order of what I'll hopefully do them in throughout the day, I have never visited Japan before so this will be my first time going, I have not settled on dates or anything yet, as I am still trying to find the best opportunity for everything first time wise.

Day 1- Tokyo/Kyoto

  • Arrive by plane in Tokyo
  • Take train to Kyoto
  • Check into hotel
  • Settle in for the evening and walk around probably
  • If early enough Toie Kyoto Studio Park

Day 2 -Kyoto

  • Hopefully awake early from jet lag
  • Higashiyama Ward
  • Kiyomizu-dera
  • Tōfuku-ji Temple
  • Fushimi Inari Taisha

Day 3-Kyoto

  • Nijō Castle
  • Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace
  • Gion
  • Philosophers Path

Day 4-Kyoto

  • Giōji
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
  • Tenryu-Ji
  • Monkey Park Iwatayama

Day 5- Kyoto/Nara

  • Take train from Kyoto to Nara
  • Todai-Ji Temple
  • Nara Park
  • Kasuga Taisha Shrine
  • Go to Osaka for evening, then last train back to Kyoto to hotel

Day 6- Kyoto/Osaka

  • Take train from Kyoto to Osaka
  • Osaka Castle
  • Osaka Museum of History
  • Osaka Museum of living and Housing
  • Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park
  • Explore Denden Town or Shin Sekai
  • Stay in hotel in Osaka for evening

Day 7- Kyoto/Osaka/Himeji Castle

  • Check out of hotel, head to Himeji Castle
  • Kokoen Garden
  • Commute back to Osaka
  • Osaka Aquarium
  • Dontobori, or Shin Sekai again
  • Take train back to Kyoto

Day 8- Hiroshima

  • Check out of hotel in Kyoto, ship luggage to Hiroshima
  • Take train to Hiroshima
  • Hiroshima Peace Museum
  • Hiroshima Peace Park
  • Ideally Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki for dinner
  • Spend evening at hotel

Day 9- Hiroshima/Miyajima

  • Ferry to Miyajima
  • No strong plans, just enjoy the island, food, and nature how it comes
  • Watch the Itsukushima Jinja Shinto Shrine float
  • Return to hotel in Hiroshima

Day 10- Shimanami Kaido

  • Leave large luggage in Hiroshima hotel, take backpack of stuff with us
  • Commute to Onomichi
  • Rent E-Bikes
  • Travel across Shimanami Kaido at our leisure
  • Stop at a hotel mid way

Day 11- Shimanami Kaido

  • Leave hotel
  • Finish Shimanami Kaido
  • Use shipping service to return bikes
  • Take ferry back to Hiroshima or Onomichi
  • Commute back to Hiroshima hotel for evening

Day 12- Hiroshima/Tokyo

  • Check out of Hiroshima Hotel, ship luggage to Tokyo
  • Commute to Tokyo Hotel
  • Tokyo Sky tree if time
  • If not just wander around the hotel area for the evening

Day 13- Tokyo

  • Teamlab Borderless
  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
  • Koishikawa Botanical Garden

Day 14- Tokyo

  • Akihabara
  • Iserlohn Fortress cafe
  • Ueno Park if time

Day 15- Tokyo

  • Finish seeing Ueno park and Museums in it
  • Miyamoto Unosuke Drum Museum
  • Senso-ji

Day 16- Tokyo

  • Trip to Enoshima

Day 17- Tokyo

  • Meiji Jingu
  • Shinijuku Gyoen

Day 18- Tokyo/Departure

  • Depart hotel
  • Visit anywhere we might've liked to see again we have time too
  • Head to airport for flight

Most Tokyo evenings will probably be trying to just explore what's around more or less and not be too worried about anything specific, but would love any recommendations there too.

I feel like overall I might be a little heavy on activities on some days, but wanted to kind of see what suggestions people would have on where I could trim stuff down activity wise. I really would like to do the Shimanami Kaido, but feel that's probably one of the more intrusive things on the itinerary, and don't know if an extra day would be better spent in Osaka or Tokyo instead of Miyajima. But I felt Miyajima might be a bit of a nice recharge day with a mostly flexible schedule and more out of the city.

by daft-krunk

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