Hi everyone,
My brother and I are flying out next week for 2 weeks, spending one week in Tokyo, and the rest of the time in Kyoto/Osaka. (In hindsight I really wish it was the opposite way around, but oh well!)
I’m looking for some feedback or advice on the second half of our trip, particularly in regard to timings and the best order to do things in. I’ve looked at distances and mapped everything out but still second guessing myself.
While I do want to see temples/shrines and experience the more cultural side of Japan in Kyoto, I don’t need to see loads and don’t mind just sticking to a few. I would like time just to wander the streets, see cool sights/take some cool pics and obviously a priority is seeing the Autumn foliage so I’ve kind of based things around that.
Should I move/remove anything for practicality? Are there any days where I can add anything else? Thank you in advance!
**Saturday (Kyoto day 1)** \- Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, arriving by 11.30am. Forward suitcases the day before so they’re waiting at the hotel in Kyoto OR take with us and drop off to our hotel/store at station for a while. (I’ve already booked oversized baggage seats just incase but will cancel and rebook if we decide to transfer them)
* Stop for lunch in Kyoto station / explore the area
* Afternoon: Tofukuji Temple
* Check in to hotel in Gion around 4pm and relax a bit before heading out for a stroll along Kiyamachi-dori to find some dinner
* Evening: Pontocho alley, Yasaka shrine
**Sunday (Kyoto day 2) -** Plan is to head out by 9am to fit everything in. Is there enough time to do Philosopher’s path on this day too?
* Get breakfast at the traditional Starbucks
* Temples and exploring the area: Hanamikoji Street, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Hokan-ji, Kiyomizu-dera
* Find dinner in Gion
* Evening: Eikan-do (Zenrin-ji) temple illumination.
**Monday (Kyoto day 3)** \- Grab conbini breakfast and head to Arashiyama (40 mins from our hotel to the station)
* Morning/daytime: Bamboo forest, Kamemaya park and Tenryui-ji.
* Mid-late afternoon: approx. 1 hour to get to Fushimi Inari to catch the sunset
* Evening: Dinner back near our hotel, wander Gion at night
**Tuesday (Nara morning / Osaka evening 1)** \- Check out by 9am. Take our luggage with us to store at Kyoto station (leave backpacks in lockers and suitcases in Crosta/Baggage Room) so we can pick it up easily to go to Osaka.
* Morning/afternoon trip to Nara: Nara Park, Todaiji temple, Kasuga-taisha (pick up some lunch from the conbini beforehand)
* Leave Nara around 3pm to go to Kyoto & pick up luggage, get train to Osaka
* Afternoon – Check into hotel in Shinsaibashi. Then explore Shinsaibashi area / Shinsekai at night etc.
**Wednesday (Osaka day 2)**
* Morning: Head out by 9am to go to Minoo Park/Waterfalls – it looks lovely with the Autumn leaves so want to make the effort to visit. Takes up to an hour from our hotel in Shinsaibashi to get to Minoo station and a 45 min hike to the falls so roughly 2 hours each way.
* Late afternoon: head back to Osaka city for more exploration. Visit Umeda Sky building, Namba arcades, Namba parks rooftop garden, then Dotonbori at night.
**Thursday (Osaka to Tokyo) -** Check out of Osaka hotel and catch shinkansen back to Tokyo for our final night before flight out of Haneda on the Friday. Staying in Asakusa on this night, so will probably explore Asakusa on this day.
**Some other questions/comments:**
* Need some opinions on when best to visit Tofukuji Temple. Either 1) the first day after we get in or 2) on the Arashiyama day before we visit Fushimi Inari (since it’s close). The second option seems a bit tight though, and want to give enough time to each of these locations.
* I’m mainly visiting Nara for the deer so I think half a day instead of a whole day would be fine for me, as I don’t want to take up one of the full days in Kyoto, so I thought our last day before heading to Osaka would be ideal. Does this make sense timing wise? Originally I’d scheduled it on the day we got into Kyoto, but that feels like too much.
* RE Osaka – not much is really interesting me beyond what I’ve listed but didn’t want to skip it as I’ve heard it’s a great city. Does the 1 evening and 1 day planned there seem like enough?
2 comments
Make no sense to drop luggage in Kyoto station when leaving. First Kyoto station is a detour from Gion area, second it is as long to return to Kyoto as it is to go to Osaka. Bring luggage to Nara and store it there to save time.
>Sunday (Kyoto day 2)
If you start early you should be able to do the Philosophers path before lunch. That will give you the afternoon to cover off what you have planned. But it means that it will be more crowded when you go to Kiyomizu-dera etc.