Kyoto/Osaka itinerary help

22 comments

1. I would probably group together Hep 5 and the surrounding area with Umeda Sky Building, since they’re within the same area, and spend more time at Dotonbori and Shinsekai in a night instead of heading back to the Osaka Station area just for the Umeda Sky Building.

2. From what I remember a lot of the Harry Potter merch was really pricey. Unless you’re a huge HP fan I found it a bit crazy for certain items. I swear(could be wrong) the wands start at ¥6000 and only went up from there.

3. Ginkakuji and Philosopher’s Path would fit better with Kiyomizudera/etc. than Kinkakuji (same area; you can start at Ginkakuji, walk down Philosopher’s Path, cut off halfway to head to Heian Shrine and walk from there to Maruyama Park).

   Note that the scenic railway is quite popular and should be booked in advance – you can do this online (don’t have the website but I have found it in the past!). Also note that the railway does not run in winter.

   I highly advise riding the main HP ride – it’s amazing! It gets emptier later in the day, particularly during the parade and the light show on the castle (20 minute wait). Wands are definitely expensive and I’m pretty sure you can only buy the character ones (not “normal” ones), but if you are chosen to participate during the Ollivander show I think you get a discount? There are slightly more expensive wands that activate things in the park – you wave it in a certain pattern and things happen! (Should be able to find details on the website.)

   In the past, USJ has sold a “Twilight Pass” for cheaper entry after 3pm, which could be good for you if you don’t plan to ride any rides. Can’t see it on their website now, so perhaps it has been temporarily (hopefully not permanently!) suspended. Keep an eye out!

4. It was a lot of climbing up to get to the monkey park, but it was neat. The bamboo path was packed with people. We went November 2019. Our favorite part of the trip was walking around Kyoto.

5. My typical recommendation as a starting point for Kansai is at least 3 days in Kyoto, at least 1 day in Osaka, 1 day in Nara, and 1 day split between Himeji and Kobe.

   See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/5wgxa1/best_way_to_group_these_sites_in_kyoto/dea059y/?context=3) for some ideas of how to organize sights in Kyoto. My general advice for Kyoto is to not rush things and to not focus only on the most famous sights. By all means, do go to the famous sights, but don’t make the mistake of rushing from one to the next ignoring everything in between. To that end, I strongly recommend focusing on areas of the city rather than individual sights and spending as much time on foot or bicycle in Kyoto as possible. I don’t mean that you should completely avoid trains/busses/taxis, but I recommend planning your days in such a way that you are hopping on and off transit as infrequently as possible.

   I don’t think there’s a chance in hell of a trip happening in February this year, but November is well within the realm of possibility. November in Kansai (especially mid-late November in Kyoto and Nara especially) is absolutely gorgeous, and there a lot of night openings/illuminations at major sights (e.g., Kodai-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Shoren-in, Eikan-do) that are very worth seeing. It’s my favorite time of year in Kyoto, but you should also be aware that it’s one of the most crowded times of year–particularly around Labor Thanksgiving Day Weekend when domestic tourists flock to Kyoto from all over the country. Again, it’s still my favorite time of year, but be prepared for crowds.

   >Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Day- Fushimi Inari Shrine Hike. [striving for sunrise or early as possible], KiyoMizudera Shrine, Sannenzaka slope, explore surrounding area, Kodaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Explore

   Fushimi Inari is open 24/7 and very worth going to after dark as well. I used to live right next to it and my absolute favorite time to go is about an hour before daybreak. This gives you some time to experience it illuminated at night and in the beautiful early morning light. You’ll also practically have the place to yourself if you go that early. While you’re in the area it is also very, very worth going to Tofuku-ji, which is right next door and one of the top spots in the city for fall foliage. If you go, I recommend being there around opening time because if you wait until later in the day there can be long lines (especially around Labor Thanksgiving Day Weekend).

   >Kyoto: Kinkakuji Day- Nijo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kinkakuji Shrine.

   >( Should I add Philosophers’ Path and Ginkakuji to this day? I’m not sure if I should just leave this open to explore the surrounding area or it’s worh to try to add these two things. Or should maybe this be where we explore when we reach Kyoto from Hakone since this is a lighter day?)

   Firstly I want to say that the Philospher’s Path/Ginkaku-ji/Nanzen-ji area is one of my absolute favorite parts of the city and I really don’t recommend skipping it. That said, I think it fits in better if you break your days up more like in my linked post above. I also ***HIGHLY*** recommend using bicycle to get around this part of the city. One of my favorite single days in Kyoto is doing Imperial Palace–>Demachimasugata Shoutengai–>Shimogamo Jinja–>Ginkaku-ji–>Philosopher’s Path (and things along it)–>Nanzen-ji–>Heian Jingu on bike, or something similar.

   I strongly recommend adding Kitanotenman-gu when you’re up near Kinkaku-ji. Kinkaku-ji may be the more famous place for foreign tourists, but Kitanotenman-gu is far nicer. If you’re there on the 25th you can also go to Tenjin-san market, which will certainly make things more crowded, but is very worth going to.

   >Kyoto: Arashiyama Day- Bamboo Forest [early as we can get there, preferably 6 amish], Nonomiya Shrine, Torroku Station to Scenic Railway [ ~1 hour] Jr station back to Arashiyama, Tenryuji temple, Togetsu Bridge, Monkey Park~ About an hour and a half here, Matsuo Taisha Shrine

   In autumn it can be very competitive to get tickets for the the Sagano Scenic Railway. If this is a priority, I recommend purchasing in advance.

   >Osaka Day Trip #1- Arrive in Osaka from Kyoto, Osaka Castle, Osaka Aquarium (around 3-4 hours here) , Check out Hep 5 mall?(seems amazing since there are so many floors. Is this a waste of time? I like shopping), Dotonbori St. and Shinsekai st.(for the evening).

   Osaka Castle is a concrete reconstruction. Honestly I would skip it unless maybe you’re going to give Kansai more like 10+ days, and even then there are other things I would prioritize more highly. If you want to see a real castle, Himeji (the country’s largest and most well-preserved original castle) is a short day trip away, and Hikone (gorgeous smaller castle on the banks of Lake Biwa) is right between Nagoya and Kyoto as you come from Tokyo.

   If you really only have one full day in Osaka (keeping in mind that it’s a city the size of New York and not counting USJ), I would recommend something like this: I would pick either the Kaiyukan, Umeda, or Tenjinbashisuji to start with. After that, I’d head over to Kurmon, walk from there down to Shinsekai (I generally consider this unskippable for first time Osaka visitors) through DenDen Town, eating at either Kuromon or Shinsekai, then walking over to Abenoharukas (Japan’s tallest building) if you’re interested, and then heading back to Namba/Dotonbori/Shinsaibashi when it’s starting to get dark, perhaps doing Namba Parks while you’re in the area. This is an absolutely packed day, but it’s a good single-day Osaka experience. Hep 5 is more or less just a mall. If you spend time in Umeda you can check it out, but there are other, more interesting ways to spend your time in Osaka that I haven’t even listed (e.g., Umeda Sky Building, Turuhashi, etc.).

   >Osaka Day Trip #2- Kyoto to Universal Studios Japan (we have about 400$ I think we added up to see around what everything would cost. We also are not planning to ride any rides and are mainly sticking to these two worlds. ),

   I think USJ is a waste of time on such a short trip–doubly so if you’re not planning to go on any rides. I feel like 5 days is too short for Kansai even without a day spent at USJ, and you’re skipping Nara entirely, which is truly criminal. If USJ is really a high priority, I would recommend giving Kansai at least 7 full days. Also keep in mind that if you’re there around Labor Thanksgiving Day Weekend or Halloween the place will be absolutely packed.

   If you’re spending 2+ days in Osaka and pack lightly, you might want to consider just changing hotels for a night or two. It’s not the biggest deal to do as a day trip, but it’ll save you the hassle of running back and forth multiple times, it’ll give you a place closer by to drop off souvenirs, and you’ll be paying for accommodations whether they’re in Osaka or Kyoto.

   >I like shopping

   Definitely make time for Teramachi/Shinkyogoku/Nishiki in Kyoto.

6. Kyoto Fushimi day: good in my opinion. Personally I like to go to Fushimi in the evening (when the crowds leave) but arriving early should have the same effect. Not sure how fast your pace is, i. e. what time you plan to arrive to Yasaka, but I strongly recommend visiting around sunset, it gets very peaceful and also beautiful with the lanterns (better before it’s totally dark). Then explore Gion and Pontocho.

   Kyoto Kinkakuji day: personally I’d skip the Imperial Palace as I don’t find it interesting really, Philosophers’ Path and Ginkakuji is much more interesting, but that’s just my personal opinion.

   Kyoto Arashiyama day: yes, also arrive very early to the bamboo grove! Otherwise you’ll find it hardly enjoyable because of the crowds. The scenic train is a bit underwhelming (again, personal opinion) but I strongly recommend visiting the Okochi Sanso – hidden gem just at the end of the bamboo grove. Very nice garden with views over Kyoto. Apparently many people are discouraged by 1000 JPY entrance fee (includes tea with sweets) but I find it worth each yen. Also Jojakkoji temple is very nice and very quiet even when the bamboo grove is full of tourists. If you want to see something really nice (and are able to do the arrangement + pay the quite expensive 3000 JPY entrance), consider Saihoji/Kokedera (moss temple). It’s really beautiful. Not necessarily on this day, it’s just the closest to Arashiyama area but can be visited from other place too.

   Osaka: 3-4 hours sounds a bit too much for the aquarium to me. I believe 2 hours are maximum of what a person can enjoy, and this is at quite slow pace. Of course, if you want to take the ferris wheel, or just want to do shopping and lunch with it, it can easily go to 3-4 hours. Or if you go during weekend and want to count the time in queue too 🙂 Just joking – try your best to avoid weekend, or also go very early. The waiting times are crazy and inside gets hardly enjoyable. Osaka Castle is a controversial one, lots of people don’t like it for its lack of its historical features. I still find it a nice place to learn about history, seeing the huge moat and walls, enjoying nice park, museum inside and the nice park. Still, if you have limited time in Osaka, I think maybe I’d just visit Osaka Sky Building instead. After all, Osaka is more about the modern stuff, and the Sky Building is very nice. Shinsekai is cool at any time of the day (weekend is best though) and Dotonbori is the best in the evening before weekend but you can go anytime.

   I don’t know anything about the Hep 5 Mall and never been to the USJ – not my thing, cannot help there.

   Oh, also, you’ll be passing through the Kyoto station several times. Be sure to give it some time too, it’s an amazing piece of modern architecture! If you go during daylight, you can enjoy (free) views over Kyoto from the top floors, if you go in the evening, you can see a little light show in the staircase (on the right side as you enter from the main entrance).

7. I like your plan. I would leave some time open just for general exploration cause I think that is a really fun part of visiting Japan. Then you don’t have to worry too much about a schedule

8. You’ve done some good planning.

   I did a similar Kyoto trip in four days, but I made a ton of mistakes and believe it can be done in two. In my experience, trying to see the Imperial Palace was a bit of a waste of time. The park is nice, but everything I wanted to see was walled off.

   You should divide your days in Kyoto by east and west. Start from the southernmost point (Fushimi Inari since you want to go at sunrise) and work your way north. I definitely recommend visiting Ginkakuji if there’s time.

   As for the Kinkakuji day, I strongly recommend adding Ryoanji if you’re interested in Zen Buddhist gardens. You can take a short one-stop bus ride to reach it from Kinkakuji. It’s a beautiful place and good end point since it’s the most eastward location.

   You 100% caaan visit Ginkakuji and the philosophers path (totally recommend Eikando Zenrinji and Nanzenji) on the Kinkakuji day but you have to be aware of the time you’ll lose traveling from the east side of the city to the west. It’ll take at least forty minutes. Probably an hour.

   No matter what you choose to do, I’m certain you’ll have a good time in Kyoto. As for Osaka, I don’t have much to say but have fun! The Castle/Aquarium day sounds so good. Enjoy!

9. If we do a prayer together in this sub do you think we can get international travel opened by November?

10. The monkeys so worth it and the aquarium was awesome too. Monkeys better then aquarium If you have to choose tho. Huge walkup the mountain for the monkeys. Thought they was tryin to kill me 😈😈

11. We spent 3 days in Arashiyama. It’s huge and so much to see. The bamboo forest, railroad, climbing the hill to see the monkeys, taking a boat trip on the river, finding the little alleys and shops, eating everything and visiting temples. We walked miles and miles every day. I thought we would do it in a day but we had to keep going back. It’s really a big area and there is so much to see. Don’t rush it. The place is worth a closer look.

    We also did a day trip to Nara. It wasn’t on our itinerary and I am so glad we went. End up at the lanterns at the end of the day and stay until dusk. We skipped a day in Osaka for Nara and so glad we did. It was such a memorable trip. I really liked the Osaka aquarium. It’s huge.

12. Thank you all so much for your inputs! I’m definitely going to check out the few places you all suggested.

13. If you’re coming from Kyoto to Osaka, I suggest having a side-trip to Nara. You can spend a few hours walking and watching the deers around Kofuku-ji.
    I also recommend riding the HEP Five ferris wheel! The view is nice specially at night. You also get to rest a bit after walking inside the mall.

14. Wouu I think you do not need any help looks fantastic …

15. If you like shopping, you might like Don Quijote. It’s about 4 floors full of stuff where each floor is designated for certain items. If I recall, one floor was for food, another for skincare, then for clothing, etc.

    Also, for the Harry Potter one, I personally found the fish and chips to be alright- not the best and not the worst. The ribs were good tho. The lines were really long too.

16. Samurai joe tour

17. Hi There,

    By and large, your Kyoto itinerary looks fine. Except, you really need to shorten the number of things on your Fushimi-Inari day. Give yourself MINIMUM 3 hours, preferably more, so you can hike all the way to the top of Mt. Inari at a pace that allows you to stop at the various smaller shrines and viewpoints en route.

    (I can’t comment on Osaka, as I did not visit there.)

    Everything in life, especially during short trips, is a series of trade-offs. So I’m going to send a couple of curve balls your way, knowing that accommodating one or both would throw off what you’ve crafted. Why? Because my two recommendations were among the most special experiences for me, so I feel an obligation to pimp them unto thee.

    #1: In Kyoto, taking the trip to the northern mountainous area to see Kurama-dera is well, well worth it. I was there in late October of 2019, so I’m not certain if the recommendation holds for February. What prompted me to go was the Kurama Fire Festival, which was wild, silly, and magical. However, even without the festival to cap off the evening, the day alone was worth it.

    My partner and I went first to the entirely charming, tiny town of Kibune, where we visited the lovely Kifune shrine and had a spot of lunch. From there we hiked up the back of the mountain to Kurama-dera – and coming to the temple from the backroads was highly rewarding. The temple itself was one of my favorites in Kyoto, in no small part for the incredible views. We didn’t make it there on our trip, but the Kurama Onsen is well-regarded.

    ​

    #2: Take a side trip to Koya-san (Mount Koya) and do an overnight Temple Stay (Shukubo).

    Koya-san is the spiritual heart of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, first settled in 819 by the monk Kukai (or, as you may know him if you’re hip to Bill Wurtz, “a rich hipster named Kukai”). There are many temples (pert near 120 if’n I recall rightly), beautiful mountain scenery, and a MASSIVE, ANCIENT CEMETERY (Okunoin) that you can explore at all hours of day and night. Deep into the cemetery is the location where Kukai himself is interred, and he is ritually “fed” by the monks, I believe, 2x a day.

    We stayed at Shojoshin-in, one of the closest temples to the entrance of the cemetery. Their hospitality was incredible: the monks essentially oozed kindness and generosity of spirit. The food they serve is a special vegetarian Buddhist cuisine known as Shojin Ryori. Words cannot describe… If I could make vegetarian food taste that incredible, I’d become vegetarian in a heartbeat, with my heart light and free of regrets. The temple we stayed with also had public and private baths, and our room had a balcony that looked out onto the temple courtyard. We partook of the early morning prayer ceremony, and later on enjoyed a fire ceremony.

    The atmosphere of Koya-san feels serene and sacred. I cannot overstate the significance and impact my visit there had on me.

    Now…

    … less curve-ball-y recommendations:

    Make sure to walk around the Gion District, particularly in the evening.

    Check out Nishiki Market

    Nanzen-ji temple complex is very cool. Not worth sacrificing, say, Fushimi-Inari for, but if you happen to be in the area of Nanzen-ji, peep it.

    Eat at Okariba (!!!)

    That’s all I have to say. Enjoy your travel!!!

18. There are lots of great suggestions and recommendations here about where to go, so I won’t add any more. But as a *very* experienced traveler with a lot of experience in Japan here are some suggestions:

    – you’ll be surprisingly jet-lagged for the first 3 days. It may be very difficult to focus on things like transportation options, changing money, figuring out menus, etc. Don’t plan too much activity. Let serendipity happen, especially the first few days. Plan the 1-most-important-thing that day, then let everything else just emerge.

    – you’ll be both delighted and dismayed at how unique/not unique Japan is from your culture. Give yourself lots of ways to experience that by not over-planning. If possible, don’t change lodging too often. You don’t want to spend your time lugging around stuff and learning a new neighborhood every time you switch hotels/cities. Instead, choose a spot and plan excursions around it as much as you can. Personally, I spent 2 full weeks in Kyoto and it wasn’t nearly enough. Everywhere I visited in Japan (for 3 full years), I wish I had spent more time in that spot.

    – you’re going to be way more tired from all the walking than you think, especially if you have weather/temperature conditions to contend with. Be sure you have 2 pairs of comfortable shoes. Since it’s Japan, make sure you can slip them on and off easily: you’ll be doing that a lot. Also, make sure your socks are clean and in good repair 🙂

    – bring (or better, buy) a few handkerchiefs or a small towel to use as a napkin, to swab your face, as a hand towel after washing hands, etc. When you buy something, you’ll find that shops often give you small packages of tissue for this same purpose. But hankies are great souvenirs and cheap. You’ll find a huge variety everywhere.

    – in addition to the tourist/experience plans, try just doing trivial stuff. It is really fun to experience how different things can be. The highlight of the trip for my dad & uncle (who were engineers) was to visit a hardware store. Stationery stores, electronic stores, even the grocery store are pretty fun to visit.

    – Finally, I’ll repeat what many seasoned travelers know: take 1/2 the clothing and twice as much money as you planned.

19. Lots of great advice!

    On USJ, my then 9 year old dressed up in his harry potter robe + I pushed him near the front and he got picked for the “wand picks the wizard” routine at the wand shop. We already planned to buy the fancy wand and had lots of fun waving it to activate stuff. I’m not sure its worthwhile to go to USJ if you are just trying to soak up Harry Potter vibes. That area isn’t that big – though my kids loved the rides there + a few years later they still fondly talk about eating in that restaurant. We spent a precious day there but also splurged for the express tickets to avoid a bunch of lines (including Harry Potter and also get guaranteed access to that area, though the day we went wasn’t that crowded but I didn’t want to risk access). If you do buy a wand, buy the special wand. It is part of the experience. If you already have a magic wand from one of the other Universal Studios, I think it would work at USJ.

    Also – with such limited time in Osaka, don’t forget that taxis exist in Japan. We were able to see a great deal in Osaka and Kyoto by combining public transportation and taxis. Even though I tried to group stuff together sometimes it just made sense to jump in a taxi and get whisked to another part of a city without worrying about how to get there and without needing to wait and then walk. Often times public transportation gets you near, but its still quite a walk to the actual place. For example, the train got us near the Osaka Aquarium, but its still a decent walk (though we also had a 5 year old).

20. The best way to go to Kyoto from Hakone is Shinkansen.
    From Odawara to Kyoto, 2hours on Hikari, 3hours on Kodama. 1 Kodama every hour, & 1 Hikari every 2-hour.
    It takes about 1 hour to go to Kinkaku from Kyoto Sta.
    Kinkaku closes at 5pm. You should arrive at Kinkaku by 4pm.

    I think you can move to Kyoto from Hakone & visit Kinkaku in one day if you leave Odawara in the morning.

    I strongly recommend you to visit not Osaka catsle but Himeji catsle though you need 1 day.

    If you visit Kyoto in November, you should in the second half of November.
    You can enjoy Kyoto with autumn leaves.

21. I appreciate everyone’s feedback! I’m slowly looking into everything, and altering things! Thank you so much everyone!

22. Two suggestions:

    1) You said you’re considering November or Feb. I’d take November in a heartbeat. It won’t be as cold (in Kansai at least), but more importantly, you’ll have a chance at seeing Koyo/Momiji (the fall colors) which are absolutely amazing at their peak.

    2) During your time in Kyoto, I’d highly recommend renting bicycles. Especially in the Arashiyama area, there are countless smaller temples & shrines to be discovered, and having bikes will let you get away from all the tourist crowds & main streets. Seeing the highlights is great, but my best experiences in Kyoto (where I lived for ~3 years) was just getting lost exploring all the back alleys and lesser known shrines & temples, especially in recent years when it’s become such a tourist hotspot.