Hey, again! This is the second version of my month-long itinerary. I can’t thank ya’ll enough for all of the help/advice/suggestions you provided under my [previous itinerary](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/nbl0ag/first_trip_itinerary_may_2022_1_month_osaka_kyoto/)– it was all invaluable. I hope that this itinerey seems more doable.
[Itinerary.pdf](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xs-Pcn_y2gJtqvBlPBY6iYYicX8UVVV-/view?usp=sharing) for potentially easier viewing.
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NOTES:
– First trip to Japan. I’m aiming to depart the week after Golden Week, and will most likely be traveling solo.
– I’ll have about 2-3 rest/free days, which I haven’t yet included in the itinerary.
– This is not a comprehensive list of the restaurants I want to visit.
– I realize that Hakone→Nikko→Tokyo is backwards, but I want to stay at least two nights in Nikko and I don’t want to change hotels in Tokyo.
– I’ll probably reschedule Ashikaga Flower Park to an earlier date to have some semblance of hope in viewing the wisteria.
– Question: What would be the most convenient and cost effective method of getting around the Kansai region, specifically Kyoto? IC card? Kansai Thru Pass? Kyoto City Bus All-Day Pass?
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**DAY 1: Arrive in Osaka**
– Arrive @ KIX, pick-up/load Suica Card, pick up Pocket Wifi
– Travel to hotel (Kita or Minami district)
– Recover from long-haul flight
***
**DAY 2: Osaka**
– Minoo Park → Ryuanji temple → Minoo Park Falls → (2.5mi hike) → Katsuoji Temple → cab/bus back to station
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**DAY 3: Osaka – Universal Studios**
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**DAY 4: Osaka**
– ***Cup Noodle Museum***
– Dotonbori district nightlife
***
**DAY 5: Naruto Theme Park**
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**DAY 6: Osaka**
– ***Kaiyukan Aquarium***
– Shinsekai district nightlife
***
**DAY 7: Osaka / Nara**
– Kofukuji Temple → Deer Park → Yoshikien Garden or Isuien Garden → Nandaimon Gate of Todaiji → Todaiji Temple → Kasuga-Taisha Shrine
– *Ship luggage to Kyoto hotel*
***
**DAY 8: Osaka → Mt. Koya (Overnight)**
– Earliest train to Koyasan
– Okunoin Temple (Gokusho Offering Hall, Miroku Stone, Torodo Hall, Kobo Daishi’s Mausoleum)
– Check into Buddhist temple + dinner at temple
***
**DAY 9: Mt. Koya → Kyoto**
– Morning prayer with monks, breakfast in temple, check out
– Check into Kyoto hotel (Gion/Higashiyama District) + retrieve luggage
– See a show/take a class at Yasaka Hall Gion Center during the evening (?)
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**DAY 10: Kyoto (East)**
– Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) → Philosopher’s Path → Nanzenji Temple → Ryozen Kannon → Heian Shrine/Gardens
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**DAY 11: Kyoto (East)**
– Kodaiji Temple → Higashiyama Streets → Kiyomizudera Temple → Ninenzaka + Sannenzaka
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**DAY 12: Kyoto (South)**
– Fushimi-Inari Shrine @ dawn
– Tofukuji Temple
– ?
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**DAY 13: Kyoto (North) – Arashiyama**
– Bamboo Forest → Okochi Sanso Garden/Teahouse → Tenryuji Temple → Hozugawa River Boat Ride (circuit) → Monkey Park → Togetsu Bridge → Kimono Forest → station
– Ryoanji/Kinkakuji if I have time/feel up to it
– *Ship luggage to Tokyo hotel*
***
**DAY 14: Kyoto → Hakone**
– Early check-out, catch earliest train to Hakone, drop off bag at hotel/ryokan
– ***Open Air Museum***
– ***Yunessun Water Park***
– Check into hotel, relax in onsen
***
**DAY 15: Hakone**
– Hakone shrine → Lake Ashi Pirate Ship Cruise → Hakone Ropeway to Togendai (Mt. Fuji view, black eggs, etc)
– Relax in onsen
***
**DAY 16: Hakone → Nikko**
– Early check-out, catch earliest train to Nikko, drop bag off at hotel
– Akechidaira Plateau + Ropeway Observatory → Kegon Falls → Lake Chuzenji Boat Cruise → Ryuzu Falls → Senjogahara Marshland → Yudaki Falls
– Check into hotel
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**DAY 17: Nikko**
– Shinkyo bridge (observe) → Toshogu Shrine (Tokugawa Ieyasu mausoleum) → Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa → Kanmangafuchi Abyss → backtrack to Toshogu Shrine
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**DAY 18: Nikko → Tokyo**
– Check out of hotel early
– ***Edomura (Edo Wonderland)*** [store bag in lockers]
– Direct bus to Shinjuku station
– Check-into Shinjuku hotel, retrieve luggage, explore hotel area
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**DAY 19: Tokyo Disney Sea**
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**DAY 20: Tokyo – Mitaka**
– ***Tokyo Ghibli Museum*** (12:00)
– Local activity (Saori Weaving Class @ Jota Kichijoji) [?]
– Nakano Broadway
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**DAY 21: Tokyo – Odaiba**
– ***TeamLab: Borderless Museum***
– ***Joypolis VR/Live Park***
– Visit Giant Unicorn Gundam, explore Diver City
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**DAY 22: Tokyo – Odaiba**
– ***TeamLab: Planets Museum***
– ***Oedo-Onsen Monogatari***
– *Look into concerts at Toyosu Pit for the evening* [?]
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**DAY 23: Tokyo – Shinjuku/Ikebukuro**
– Godzilla Head → ***Samurai Museum***
– ARTNIA Square Enix Cafe → Koreatown (Shin-Okubo)
– Sunshine City (Namco Namjatown, Pokemon Store/Cafe, etc) → ***Sky Circus*** → Super Potato Retro Store → Otome Road (?) → Evangelion Store
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**DAY 24: Tokyo – Setagaya/Shibuya/Harajuku/Aoyama/Roppongi**
– Breakfast @ Shirohige Creampuff Factory
– Shibuya Sky → Shibuya Crossing → Shibuya LOFT → Animate Store
– Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku (+ crepes)
– Taiko workshop at TAIKO-LAB in Aoyama [?]
– Roppongi Art Night (if available) [?]
***
**DAY 25: Fuji-Q Theme Park**
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**DAY 26: Tokyo – Akihabara**
– Explore/shop
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**DAY 27: Tokyo – Ueno/Sumida**
– ***Edo-Tokyo Museum***
– Tokyo SkyTree → Donguri Kyowakoku Ghibli Store
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**DAY 28: Tokyo → Ashikaga**
– ***Ashikaga Flower Park***
– ***Tokyo National Museum*** (Ueno)
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**DAY 29: Tokyo → Mt. Takao**
– Hike up mountain (Trail 3) → Monkey Park and Wildflower Garden → Yakuoin Temple → Mt. Takao summit/observatory → down Trail 1 to Beer Mount/Garden for lunch → chair lift down the mountain → Station
– Check out seasonal festivals
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**DAY 30: Tokyo → Kamakura/Enoshima**
– Great Buddha → Hokokuji Bamboo Garden/Temple/Caves → Enoshima Shrine: Hetsunomiya → Chigogafuchi Plateau + Iwaya Caves
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**DAY 31: DEPART**
– N’EX from Shinjuku station to Narita Airport
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**Miscellaneous things I might try squeezing in**
Tokyo:
– Kawagoe (Day trip)
– Giant Ghibli Clock
– Seasonal character cafes
– Senso-ji
– Origami Kaikan (+class)
– Ikebukuro Outdoor Cat Cafe
– Sumo Wrestling match/morning practice
– Maid/Butler Cafe (if friend comes)
– Nightclub (if friend comes)
– Golden Gai bar hopping (if friend comes)
9 comments
If anything some days might be a bit light to my taste, but it is not too hard to ass some ideas as options. For example Senso-ji could be done in the Ueno day (actually sky tree day), or even in the morning before Akihabara, because the temple itself is kind of always open and the shop around start to open at 9am. In any case, stores do not open before 10-11 am in Akihabara.
Kansai Thru Pass in my opinion is relatively expensive. Like Namba station to Minoh is only 500 yen one way. Nijigen no mori would probably make more sense by bus from Osaka, and there is the Koya-san world heritage pass for Mount Koya that might be better (Thru pass does not include bus in Koya-san). So I just do not see the Thru Pass as an easy recommendation. You would need to get more detailed plan of every move you plan to do to see if there would be real savings to be done.
For Osaka, if you are to do the activities that are included in it, the Osaka Amazing pass can be quite good, but only if you do enough of the activity it offer.
Kyoto, the bus pass might or might not be good. I think you need to ride the train like 3 times to make it worth. So the question is, would you even use the bus that much. The time I got the pass, I ended up walking a bit more than I expected and actually lost money on that purchase. For you, the Higashiyama day can be done on foot, Fushimi Inari is a quick train ride on Keihan, even Arashiyama can be done on Hankyu. So you would have to make a bit more detailed plan of your moves within the city to even see if you have to use the bus in any of those days.
You could ask the same question about the use of the subway pass in Tokyo, it might or might not save you some money, it really depend on how much you will use the subway. Sometimes it is easier and not much more expensive to just do everything on an IC card.
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Edit : it’s a detail, but day 27, there is nothing in Ueno (kind of not even close, that is unless you plan something else not written), both are things are in Sumida ward, the Edo-Tokyo Museum being in Ryogoku and Skytree in Oshiage. But still Asakusa is not that far from there.
Also, keep in mind of the opening hours of things. Tokyo National Museum close at 5pm and the garden it at least 1h30 away (or 2h if not using shinkansen), so you would want to leave in early afternoon to have some time for the museum.
Edit 2 : No Suica in Kansai, they have Icoca instead, so check the Icoca + Haruka discount ticket from the airport to Osaka/Kyoto [https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/)
Edit 3 : For someone who is asking advice on the best pass to use to save money, in my opinion, you are using the wrong train to go to Narita. If you really want to save money, you take yamanote followed by the Keisei line for 1250 yen (it’s a normal train, so no reserved seat, no special space for luggage). a bit faster and more comfortable is yamanote and Skyliner for 2720 yen, last is Narita express at 3250, that have the advantage to be a direct train.
Hakone-Nikko is a good 4 hours in the train (kind of depend what train you will use too) if you plan to check out early, make sure you do not book with two meals the second night, because you will likely have to skip breakfast (usually served at 8-9 am).
Also kind of wondering what bus from Nikko to Tokyo and why bus and not train ?
>**DAY 4: Osaka/Yokohama**
>* ***Cup Noodle Museum***
* Dotonbori district nightlife
I’m really confused as to why you have Yokohama on day 4.. why not when you are in Tokyo? It is so much closer, and you’ll be able to spend more time in Yokohama!
From Osaka, you will travel 2-3 hours one way (total 6 hours) instead of 30 minutes one way from Tokyo..
IC is better imo. Sometimes you will see that your next destination is not that far or you want to browse some shops along the way and end up walking more than you take transit (applies to Kyoto and most other cities). There’s no expiry and it works as a debit card in a lot of stores. Unless you’ve meticulously planned your routes and stick to it, it may be a constraint to end up doing stuff only because you want to make your bus pass worth it.
Btw, I used a pocket wifi when I went a couple of years ago and didn’t like it much, it was quite slow and reception was meh. Some travellers I met said to just get a sim card.
Koyasan, it was quite an interesting place. Don’t be afraid to take a stroll through the cemetary at night. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it creepy.
>Osaka
In my strong opinion the Cup Noodle Museum is a massive waste of time. However, if you are going to do it, combine it with Minoo because it’s more or less in the same area.
Overall I would recommend more time in Osaka proper–there’s so much more to the inner city than just Dotonbori and Shinsekai (though I do recommend both of them). I typically recommend at least some time for the Namba arcades (and maybe Namba Parks), Kuromon Market, Umeda, and Tenjinbashisuji, though there area a lot of other options depending on your interests.
I would also highly recommend trying to fit Himeji (both the castle and its gardens) in at some point during your stay. It’s an easy day trip and you could also easily justify an afternoon/evening in Kobe on your way back for a nice change of pace. I would recommend this over your Mioo day, and definitely over the Cup Noodle Museum.
For a hotel the Namba area is great. It has loads to do at all hours, great transit access, and is directly accessible from KIX via the Nankai Express. Other than that, there are a lot of convenient options between Tennoji and Umeda that would make decent places to stay. Generally speaking, the further south you go the older the city gets (and more run-down, though I would also say more interesting), while northern Osaka is more modern with high-rises and big businesses. In between is a mix of shopping districts, with offices, upscale hotels, and government buildings around the O river, Nakanoshima, and Osaka Castle.
>Nara
I highly recommend adding Nigatsudo. It’s a short walk from Todai-ji and it’s absolutely gorgeous.
If you have extra time somehow, there’s a lot outside of Nara Park that’s also worth seeing (though the Nara Park area could easily fill the day). Horyu-ji, Toshodai-ji, Yakushi-ji are the big things that stand out, but Saidai-ji and Heijo-kyo are also very nice and a bit more accessible since they’re right on the Kintetsu Nara Line.
>Mt. Koya
If it were me, I would consider going straight from Nara to Mt. Koya via more rural lines. It won’t really save you any time vs. going back to Osaka, but it’s a nice change of scenery after a week in the metropolis and it’s basically the same in terms of time investment. I also personally feel like it’s better to arrive in the evening and do Koya in the morning of the following day.
>Kyoto
There are so many options in Kyoto, but one thing I highly recommend is giving yourself time to explore a bit after dark. Yes, most of the major sights are closed (though notably Fushimi Inari is not and is very worth seeing at night), but just wandering the streets of Higashiyama after dark when the crowds have dissipated is a great experience.
For the Day 10 I highly recommend renting a bike. Getting an early start and doing something like the Imperial Palace–>Demachimasugata Shoutengai–>Shimogamo Jinja–>Ginkaku-ji–>Philosopher’s Path–>Nanzen-ji–>Heian Jingu on bicycle is a fantastic plan. Incidentally, Ryozen Kannon is right next to Kodai-ji and doesn’t really make any sense on this day. That said, I don’t particularly think that temple is worth your time. It was built in the 1950s and it feels like it.
I would also advise making time for downtown Kyoto a bit if you aren’t already. The Nishiki/Teramachi/Shinkyogoku/Kawaramchi/Kiyamachi/Pontocho area is great for shopping during the day and great for food and drinks in the evening.
Depending on your exact dates, you may also be in town for some notable events. The Aoi Festival is held on May 15th and there are major monthly flea markets on the 21st at Toji and 25th at Kitanotenmangu. There are also numerous smaller festivals, markets, and ceremonies taking place in association with various temples, shrines, and other traditional institutions. In addition, wisteria, hydrangea, and irises may be in full bloom.
If you have extra time or could arrange additional time in Kyoto, you should also consider adding Kurama/Kibune, Mt. Hiei, Ohara, or possibly even some things in Shiga like Hikone, Nagahama/Kurokabe, or Omihachiman. Ohara is a particularly good option on a rainy day since the mosses of its temples look even more lush in the damp.
>Hakone/Nikko/Kamakura
Going directly from Hakone to Nikko doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me unless you’re really trying to make some kind of pass pay off. And with an open-jaw flight like you have on your itinerary I don’t anticipate that you’ll be getting a JR Pass, so it’s a bit confusing to me.
Kamakura/Enoshima, on the other hand, is just a stone’s throw from Hakone and makes much more sense to me here (it’s also more or less on the way to Tokyo unless you’re planning to take Odakyu). I’m also a big fan of staying in Kamakura and in my view it makes a lot more sense to do that then double back from Tokyo as a day trip.
For Nikko: The first time I went there I did bits of the National Park by public transit (e.g., Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji) and I kind of felt like I was missing out by not having a car. Personally I would not do it again without a renting a car. The town of Nikko, on the other hand, is very doable without one.
>Tokyo
Even with all the stuff you intend to do in Odaiba, I’m not sure you really need 2 full days there. I also personally think Odaiba is one of the blander parts of Tokyo and I wouldn’t hang around there for much longer than it takes to do what you’re specifically there to do. I also really don’t think Oedo-Onsen Monogatari is anything special.
If you’re only spending half a day in Shinjuku, I would typically recommend making it the second half of the day. There’s plenty to do there earlier in the day, but the evening is when it really comes alive.
For Ueno I highly recommend adding Ameyayokocho. Come with an empty stomach.
Day 24 seems extremely full and possibly undoable, though it’s hard know exactly how long each of those activities will take you.
>Question: What would be the most convenient and cost effective method of getting around the Kansai region, specifically Kyoto? IC card? Kansai Thru Pass? Kyoto City Bus All-Day Pass?
Depending on how much hopping on and off transit you do, I would recommend the local passes (e.g., Osaka Subway Enjoy Eco Card). Other than that, just paying out of pocket (either tickets or an IC card) may be the cheapest for most of it. There are also some destination-specific passes that might pay off depending on your exact plans (e.g., Kintetsu Nara Pass, Keihan Passes), but you’ll have to make that determination for yourself depending on your exact origin and destination, as well as any side stops. If you really want to get the absolute cheapest price, you can also save a bit by buying tickets from discount shops like Tokai, which are usually located near stations.
The Kyoto Bus Pass can be a good deal, but be aware that a lot of busses in Kyoto can get very crowded. I generally advise not overusing transit in Kyoto both for this reason, and because a lot of Kyoto is really best seen on foot. That’s not to say you shouldn’t use it at all, but I think hopping on and off the bus all day is the absolute worst way to see the city. Speaking as someone who used to live there, I almost never used the bus. Personally I think bicycle is the best way to get around Kyoto, though obviously it can take a bit more time if you’re going long distances.
This is very great n valuable. thanks!!
Day 2: Considering your plans – it may make sense to do Minoo Park trail in reverse (starting with #29 bus from Senri-Chuo to Katsuo-ji) to combine with Cup Noodle Museum in Ikeda (which is four stations away from Minoo Station)
Day 4: See above. This day might be better spent on visiting Himeji (half-day for the castle, full day with Mt. Shosha) and perhaps Kobe (eg. Shin-Kobe Ropeway/Nunobiki area)
Day 6: Kaiyukan and Tempozan Waterfront will really take up only half a day and you will probably be done with it before lunch.
Days 10 + 11: If you start at 7am with Kiyomizu-dera, then this can be combined into a single day.
Day 12: Fushimi sake district, Byodo-in in Uji are a possibility.
Day 13: Ryoan-ji, Kinkaku-ji would not be doable with this schedule. Even when starting with Tenryu-ji rather than Okochi Sanso, you would be hard-pressed to make it before Kinkaku-ji closes.
Day 16: This is absolutely undoable. It takes about four hours to get from Gora to Nikko, and another hour just to get to Lake Chuzenji area. You can probably do your day 17 itinerary (central Nikko) in the afternoon and check-in into a hotel/ryokan in Lake Chunzeji area to complete Lake Chuzneji/Senjogahara area itinerary on the next day.
Day 20: Note that Nakano Broadway stores close fairly early (some at 5pm), so scheduling activiting between Ghibli Museum and Nakano Brodway is perhaps not the wisest idea.
Days 21 + 22: 1 day would be enough for Odaiba.
Day 28: Considering logistics, I would not schedule Ashikaga Flower Park on the same day as Tokyo National Museum and in general any activity on the same as visiting Ashikaga Flower Park should be scheduled for the morning (perhaps Omiya Railway Museum may make some sense).
* Kawagoe (Day trip) → it’s really a half-day destination: but you can replace one of Odaiba days with it
* Senso-ji → works with either Sumida or Akihabara day
> the most convenient and cost effective method of getting around the Kansai region, specifically Kyoto
With your schedule: IC card would be most convenient
just a small addition: I am not so sure about loading you suica card with 100$ from the very start, if you loose your card on the first day (like my mother did once), all that money will be lost as you aren’t getting a name-paired card
For transport within Kyoto… bus pass for JPY500 or rent a bike for maybe JPY700? For Osaka the subway (non-JR) has a daily (as in expires midnight) pass of JPY800.
You’re also missing out on the shibazakura festival, might be worth putting in your list on the day you check out Kawaguchiko. Day 30 feels a bit crowded, but that’s probably me.