Hey everyone,
I’ve read a lot of itinerary checks— it seems that the usual advice is to plan less and stay more in each place. So we hesitated when trying for 2 cities with 7 days. But this is an add-on to an existing trip to the Philippines, and we can’t expand the timeline.
Best flights were into KIX and out of HND (and this will give us an excuse to ride the Shinkansen which we enjoy).
My wife and I have both been to Japan before (Me: Tokyo, Kyoto, Kawaguchiko, Takamatsu – Her: Tokyo, Osaka). We are easy-going and not the type to schedule everything down to the minute. We’re big on food, markets, walking, people watching, and a few shrines (the more forested the better).
**Jan 21: Arrive Osaka** in afternoon, get a train to Kyoto (Dinner, walk around a bit)
**Jan 22: Explore Kyoto** (Explore Higashiyama ward, Kiyomizu-dera, food, etc.)
**Jan 23: Day trip to Nara** (Get off at Kintetsu-Nara, explore the park, deer, botanical gardens, nearby shrines)
**Jan 24: Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo** (Probably staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya)
**Jan 25: Explore Tokyo (TBD)** (Markets, shrines, Harajuku, Akihababra, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa are all areas of interest. Maybe SkyTree or Government Building for views. Maybe Nezu-jinja Shrine if we have time to get out there.)
**Jan 26: Explore Tokyo (TBD)**
**Jan 27: Explore Tokyo (TBD)**
**Jan 28: Fly Home from HND (1pm flight)**
Would you recommend staying in **Osaka instead of Kyoto?** We figured that getting some “old Japan” vibes in Kyoto would be nice before doing the Tokyo metropolis. We can also **reallocate one of our Tokyo days** to the Kyoto area.
**Do you think this pacing will be too rushed?**
Any opinions / recommendations are welcome. I’m happy to answer any questions that might help.