Hi Guys!
This will be my first trip to Japan and i want to take time for the things i do everyday.
(capsule) Hotels are already booked, but i want some advice on if everything is worth to do it.
Osaka, 2 – 7 march
2 march, arrival KIX 11.00 local time
\- Do the things on the airport (Icoca etc.)
\- Train to hotel
\- Recovering from jetlag & explore Dotonbori
3 march
\- Castle of Osaka
\- Area around station Osaka (want to visit pokemon center)
\- Umeda Sky Building
\- Arcade hall
4 march
\- Explore Sumiyoshi Taisha
\- Explore Shinsekai
\- Pub crawl
5 march
\- Shopping (Is this possible on a sunday?)
6 march
\- Universal Studios
7 -9 march
Going to Nara for 2 nights, this is my chill time.
\- Explore Nara Park
\- Mt Kasuga, Primal Forest – Little hike (?)
9 – 17 march Kyoto
9 march
\- Explore higashiyama (in the evening it should be illuminated from 4 till 13 march?)
10 march
\- Arashiyama
\- Bamboo Forst
\- Kameyama park
\- Katsura River (maybe the train)
\- Monkey Park
\- Togetsy-kyo bridge
11 march
\- Kurama to Kifune Hike
\- Evening Pontocho Park
12 march
\- Castle Nijo
\- Kyoto Imperial Palaca
\- Stepping stones
\- Higashiyama (day-time)
13 march
\- Fushima Inari (morning)
\- Kiyomizu-dera (Afternoon)
14 march
\- Samurai Experience/Tea ceremony
\- Kinkaku-ji
\- Ryoan-ji
15 march
\- Yasaka Shrine
\- Explore Gion
16 march
\- Revisit some things if i like
\- Kyoto tower
\- Shopping
\- If lucky, Sakura at Philosophers Path
17 march
Going home
And i want to know if Mt Hiei in combination with Lake Otsu are worth the visit.
There is a possibility if Osaka is great, maybe i will go the last 2 days to Osaka again.
1 comment
In general your itinerary is pretty solid.
here are my thoughts:
I see no reason to not be able to shop on a sunday as long as it is not a public holiday
you are in higashiyama march 9, 12 and 13 – Higashiyama is a great great area. Next to Kiyomizudera and walking through the streets around the Pagoda I hope you will find time to at least visit
Kodaiji and Entokuin. Yes in march there may be evening illuminations, there should be websites listing the dates. its very worth to go there. and temples may be open longer. but be aware, it could be very very busy.
that all being said, see how far your itinerary may go, maybe two visits is enough to see everything. I guess it might depend on when you will be back from nara and how much time you can spend on the first day…
I suggest you see Tenryuji in Arashiyama if you can find time
march 11, if you start your day early enough, the hike to Kifune could leave you with enough time to head to Nishiki Market in the afternoon. Bonus, from Nishiki its a short walk to Pontocho.
march 12. ah okay, yeah, after Nijo-jo and Imperial Palace, maybe you wont have too much time for Higashiyama… well, youll see how far you can go…
march 13. when you come down from Fushimi Inari, if you happen to find あまざけ末富亭 I totally seriously suggest you take the 15 minutes and have a warm Amazake.
march 15, I found Gion very lackluster during the day. in the evening it began to shine. Yasaka and the park is great when you are in the area. I think you could plan something else in the morning that day.
if you manage to add ginkakuji (silver temple) on some day, maybe with the philosophers path, I think you managed to see all the great typical must-see Kyoto places.
if you rearrange and or find yourself with time to spare, I would suggest if you might like to add Nanzen-ji and possibly Eikan-do