Here are the details:
[https://ibb.co/Yyd9Qcw](https://ibb.co/Yyd9Qcw)
[https://ibb.co/GPV2P8F](https://ibb.co/GPV2P8F)
[https://ibb.co/RcDG9fh](https://ibb.co/RcDG9fh)
Day 1: Arrival(Dec 28)
* Landing at NRT
* Arrive at hotel
* Pick up Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket then Rest
* Explore + having dinner at Tokyo Ramen Street
Day 2: Tokyo (Dec 29)
* Imperial Palace
* Tokyo National Museum + Ueno Park
* Sensoji + Lunch
* Nakamine Shopping Street
* Kaminaminon Gate
* Tokyo Sky tree
* Shinjuku Station
* Shibuya Station
* Back to hotel
Day 3: Yokohama (Dec 30)
* Check out hotel then get train to Minatomirai Station
* Explore Yokohama
* Shin Osaka station
* Check-in hotel
Day 4: Osaka (31 Dec)
* Rest + Shopping near Umeda Station
Day 5: Kyoto Day Trip (Jan 1)
* Shin Osaka to Arashiyama Station
* Tenryuji
* Bamboo Forest
* Daikakuji Temple ( maybe skip)
* Monkey Park
* Lunch
* Hozukyo Gorge( maybe skip)
* Kinkakuji
* Kyoto Station
* Shin-Osaka Station
Day 6: Nagoya day trip/ KAYABUKI NO SATO Day trip(Jan 2)
Meet friends and photoshoot
Day 7: Kyoto Day Trip(Jan 3)
* Inari Taisha
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Sanneizaka + nineizaka + lunch
* Yasaka Shrine
* Heian Shrine
* Nanzenji
* Go back to Osaka
Day 8: Nara Day Trip (Jan 4)
Day 9: Osaka( Jan 5)
* Universal Studios
Day 10+ 11: Osaka (Jan 6,7)
* Osaka Amazing 2-Day Pass
* [**Umeda Sky Building KUCHU-TEIEN OBSERVATORY**](https://www.osp.osaka-info.jp/en/facility/detail?id=7)
* [**HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel**](https://www.osp.osaka-info.jp/en/facility/detail?id=8)
* [**Tombori River Cruise**](https://www.osp.osaka-info.jp/en/facility/detail?id=4)
* [**Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel**](https://www.osp.osaka-info.jp/en/facility/detail?id=32)
* Osaka Castle
* Osaka Wheel
* **Shitennoji** **Temple**
* **Shinsekai**
Day 12: Kobe/ Himeji Day Trip(Jan 8)
Day 13: Free day Osaka ( Jan 9)
Day 14: Fly out of KIX (Jan 10)
Is this too much for us as first-time travelers? We are trying to go to as many must-see places as possible but at the same time, we want to have quality time chilling together. I have some specific questions:
Day 2: Budget/mid-range lunch at Sensoji and dinner at Shibuya? ( we prefer Japanese food)
Day 5: Restaurants at Arashiyama and Kyoto Station?
Day 12: Is Himeji castle worth visiting because we won’t have JR Pass?
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1 comment
So some of your days seem like a lot, and some don’t have so much. I personally am not a “let’s see every possible thing we can squeeze in” type of tourist – you might be, and if that’s the case, my advice may not be the right kind for you 🙂
>Day 2
There is a ton of stuff here. Consider cutting and/or combining activities a bit here.
Is there a reason you’re not just picking Shinjuku or Shibuya and doing a couple of hours there? 1.25 hours in Shibuya is enough to see a couple of shops, the scramble crossing, and then get back onto the train.
>Day 3
Opposite thing here – if you’re taking the Shinkansen, you’re going to have a lot of extra time. Stay checked in to the hotel as late as you can be and do some of your Tokyo exploration (Either Shinjuku or Shibuya) in the morning.
Is there a specific reason that you want to see Yokohama? If there is (I love the Cup Noodle Museum there), that’s great – it’s just odd to do an entire day there because it’s <30m from central Tokyo.
>Day 4 & 5
You’ve got a similar dichotomy here – you have almost nothing on Day 4, and SO MUCH stuff on Day 5. Move one of those activities from Day 5 back a day.
>Day 8
I don’t think you need an entire day dedicated just to Nara. You can reasonably experience the entirety of Nara Koen and the daibutsu in half a day. Maybe put some Osaka stuff here (if that’s where your hotel is).
A couple of overall notes:
You are going to spend a lot of time on trains with the number of day trips you have. That can get absolutely exhausting. Just be wary of that.
Something to greatly consider is that walking time is important – it’ll take you 5-10 minutes to even get to the right exit in some larger train stations.
Just one or two days in Tokyo seems a little light. You’ve likely already booked accommodations, so this will be a “next time” thing, but the city is gargantuan and there’s just so much you can see there alone.